How do I learn to

[Badmonster]

Imagine partner's possible hand?

 

Culbertson's rule says if you can imagine hands that are dead minimum for your partner's bidding that are lay down for slam you should bid slam. And people say the same thing about game. So... how do you learn to imagine p's possible hands? You know without holding things up until someone calls the director or types punctuation at you?

[blackshoe]

Listen to the bidding. B)

 

Seriously, every bid should tell you a bit more about what's going on. It takes practice, but after a while it comes more easily.

 

Think to yourself "If I heard partner bid what I just bid, what would be the minimum I would have to respond as he did?"

[mike777]

Imagine partner's possible hand?

 

Culbertson's rule says if you can imagine hands that are dead minimum for your partner's bidding that are lay down for slam you should bid slam. And people say the same thing about game. So... how do you learn to imagine p's possible hands? You know without holding things up until someone calls the director or types punctuation at you?

I agree this is number one, two and three as far as most important for us nonexperts....nothing else comes close.

 

It does take practice and discipline....but this is so important I hope the experts tell us more.

[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

 

A much simpler and more useful rule was

formulated by S.J. Simon:

"Look at your hand and decide how much

worser your hand could be."

 

But to apply Culberston's: Just imagine 5 or

10 hands, which are consistent with partners

bidding, evaluate how good slam / game is,

and bid accordingly.

 

With kind regards

Marlowe

[ArcLight]

Visualization is a core bridge skill.

It takes a while to learn.

 

Reading books on defense and bidding can get you used to thinking about what pards hand may be.

 

I suggest reading books like Mike Lawrences "The Uncontested Auction", "The complete book of Hand Evaluation", "The complete book of Overcalls" to see what an expert thinks when re-evaluating their hand.

 

I also like some of Frank Stewarts bididng books, even if not everyone agrees with him. They get you thinking along those lines. Bidders Bible, becoming a Bridge Expert, Bridge Today's One Thousand And One Bridge Problems Workbook (Duplicate And Tournament Edition) .

 

Of course it helps to have a good partner. If a bad player bids poorly, you can't visualize well.

 

 

Make a point of reviewing the hands and seeing if your visualization was correct.