NickRW Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 Tonight I picked up a rather pretty hand, something like: ♠ xx♥ KQJxxx♦ ATxxx♣ - I opened it 1♥. LHO slapped down 5♣ with a flourish. A new partner that I'd played against quite a bit but someone I've never played with pushed out 5♠. RHO, not the best player in the club, contributed 6♣. I thought briefly - what is going on? Who can make what here? Dunno - seems like 6♠ is what I should say though - so I did. LHO now pulls out 7♣ and partner doubles - though he really needn't have bothered - it was going to be a top or a bottom with or without the double - I suppose it stopped me from thinking about 7♠. Well, to cut a long story short, partner perhaps unwisely led his ♠A and 12 tricks were there for the opps, but LHO couldn't avoid losing the ♦A. I sort of have some sympathy with her - if her partner had that card instead of the trebleton KQJ♠ she might have made. I mentioned this auction to another player on the way home - his comment was something like "Yeah, bridge is becoming more like poker as time goes on". I suppose he is right in that auctions are more competitive that they were, but I am not sure I agree entirely - people just seem more willing to try to squeeze out every last matchpoint that they possibly can. There have been a few threads on here lately about the multi 2♦, what responses there should be and how do you defend it along with one or two comments that it should be banned or restricted and so on. In the light of the degree to which auctions have become competitive, my main thought is "multi, what are you all so afraid of when in every other aspect of the game no prisoners are taken". Anyway, that is my thought for the day. Perhaps some of you might comment... Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackshoe Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 Some might argue that matchpoints is not bridge. I wouldn't, but it is very different from IMPs. As for multi, people fear what they don't understand — and people who aren't familiar with multi don't understand it, and probably won't understand it the first time (or two, or three) it's explained to them at the table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winstonm Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 Just play contrarian card: Fishbein, 4-card majors, and strong jump shifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLOL Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelWheel Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 And remember the classic defense against a strong 1♣ opening: Double is for takeout, 1♦ is for penalty. Sorry, couldn't help myself. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whereagles Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 I remember when I used to play junior international events that anytime I had like 16+ points, the auction would reach me at the 4 or 5 level :lol: Just business as usual. Move on ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryallen Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 When you consider that the only criteria required for any bid is to have a long term percentage value, influenced by the prevailing conditions, it's on for young and old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtK78 Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 And remember the classic defense against a strong 1♣ opening: Double is for takeout, 1♦ is for penalty. Sorry, couldn't help myself. ;) This sounds like "Ethnic" Fishbein (insert the name of your favorite ethnic group). Double is for takeout, the next suit is for penalty. As for matchpoints not being bridge, a better description would be matchpoints is matchpoints, IMPs is IMPs. They are two different games. (I play poker quite a bit - more than I play bridge now. At the poker table, no one ever says "Poker is becoming more like bridge every day.") Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickRW Posted May 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 (I play poker quite a bit - more than I play bridge now. At the poker table, no one ever says "Poker is becoming more like bridge every day.") Hmm. I think maybe there are more bridge players that play poker than the other way round - possibly. Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtvesuvius Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 Agree with Justin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old York Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 "Is bridge becoming more like poker?" No, of course not. Poker players would never be so reckless Bridge does seem to be reverting to Whist, howeverThe object of whist was to make as many tricks as possible with a randomly determined trump suit. Just like modern bridge, the trump suit was chosen at random, but no longer at the turn of a card. Now we use random bidding methods instead There is only one remaining bridge rule, but this has been affected by inflation since the thirties, so now reads: If in doubt, bid 5 more Tony :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanp Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 Also agree with Justin, well said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cascade Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 I remember when I used to play junior international events that anytime I had like 16+ points, the auction would reach me at the 4 or 5 level :) Just business as usual. Move on :P That is especially annoying when you are in first seat :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cascade Posted May 16, 2009 Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 (I play poker quite a bit - more than I play bridge now. At the poker table, no one ever says "Poker is becoming more like bridge every day.") Hmm. I think maybe there are more bridge players that play poker than the other way round - possibly. Nick I think this is unlikely. There are three groups: 1. Those who play poker but not bridge 2. Those who play bridge but not poker 3. Those who play both games Therefore the number of bridge players who play poker is exactly equal to the number of poker players who play bridge :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickRW Posted May 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2009 (I play poker quite a bit - more than I play bridge now. At the poker table, no one ever says "Poker is becoming more like bridge every day.") Hmm. I think maybe there are more bridge players that play poker than the other way round - possibly. Nick I think this is unlikely. There are three groups: 1. Those who play poker but not bridge 2. Those who play bridge but not poker 3. Those who play both games Therefore the number of bridge players who play poker is exactly equal to the number of poker players who play bridge :( Mathematically you are, of course, 100% right - my use of the word "number" was sloppy - perhaps I should have said percentage. Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnasher Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Hmm. I think maybe there are more bridge players that play poker than the other way round - possibly. Mathematically you are, of course, 100% right - my use of the word "number" was sloppy - perhaps I should have said percentage.You mean you wanted to say, "The percentage of bridge players who play poker is higher than the percentage of poker players who play bridge"? That's just another way of saying that more people play poker than play bridge (and that at least one plays both). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanp Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Maybe being a bridge/poker player is not the same as being someone "who plays bridge/poker". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wackojack Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 "Is bridge becoming more like poker?" No, of course not. Poker players would never be so reckless Bridge does seem to be reverting to Whist, howeverThe object of whist was to make as many tricks as possible with a randomly determined trump suit. Just like modern bridge, the trump suit was chosen at random, but no longer at the turn of a card. Now we use random bidding methods instead There is only one remaining bridge rule, but this has been affected by inflation since the thirties, so now reads: If in doubt, bid 5 more Tony ;) The level of skill required to survive has gone up a level, because of the developments in competitive bidding. Call it poker skills if you like. (Certainly not whist skills) Those that can't cope just grumble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old York Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Whist skills are certainly not out of place at the bridge table, poker skills do have their place but tend to be overused. You still need to know when to fold Tony Edit: Poker players never publish their disastersI would love to see a team match, Bridge vs Poker, preferably non-goulash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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