Round 2 Status

[bid_em_up]

jdonn/gib?

[Mbodell]

Yeah, it has to be jdonn/gib, doesn't it?

[Ant590]

That depends rather on if robot races count as "bridge"...

[inquiry]

I am considering some scoring changes to round 2, based upon consensus comments in the threads. If you have anything to add to the scoring on the hands, now would be the time.

 

For Round 3, i am using mostly hands provided to me by forum members. Round 3 will not start until scoring of round 2 is finalized, since a lot of people will be eliminated (those with "0" scores are obviously eliminated as no scoring adjustment will help them--and none of the round 1 top bracket pairs scored "0" in round 2).

[hanp]

The two surprising scores that I noticed were boards 13 and 6.

 

Board 6 it bothers me that we opened the normal 1D that I assume almost everybody opened, we got to what seemed is the top spot and received a bad score because of something that could have noticed only after opening 1C. I do understand Ben's dilemma and I'm willing to write this off as the bad luck that can happen in bridge.

 

On board 13 I don't understand the scores, they just seem wrong.

[bid_em_up]

deleted.

[awm]

The two surprising scores that I noticed were boards 13 and 6.

 

Board 6 it bothers me that we opened the normal 1D that I assume almost everybody opened, we got to what seemed is the top spot and received a bad score because of something that could have noticed only after opening 1C. I do understand Ben's dilemma and I'm willing to write this off as the bad luck that can happen in bridge.

 

On board 13 I don't understand the scores, they just seem wrong.

Agree with Han on boards 6 and 13. There was also a mild issue at my particular table on board 6 that the opponents did not seem to bid according to the script.

 

I also think Ben is vastly overestimating the chance of beating 4♠X by three tricks on board 11, and that the scores for 5♣ and 4♠X should be swapped.

[jdonn]

Jdonn/gib I'm sure, but tons (30%?) of our hands are passouts, almost all (99%+) I know partner has a worse hand than I do, probably 85% are tournaments where I'm intentionally rushing and am passing most hands that are 16 or less. So it's not the best practice! That said I estimate we have bid 25,000 hands together (I downgrade from the earlier 50,000 estimate I gave someone).

[hanp]

I think it's time the decider decides and we move to round 3, I can't wait to redeem myself. I'm pretty sure all that can be said about the tricky scoring hands has been said by now. Probably nobody will agree with all of the scores that Ben picks, I don't envy him for the job he has agreed to do. I promise I will only complain about it behind his back. :)

[gnasher]

I think it's time the decider decides and we move to round 3

Me too.

 

(But I can understand people who are just below the cut thinking differently.)

[Mbodell]

I agree the decider should decide and then we should move on. Personally, I think 6 is fine (rub of the grain, LHO is 5440/5431 - except for folks who got 2♠ doubled not following the script) but 13 does seem odd. I think on 13 1nt is the top spot and 4♦ is quite bad. I'd do 1nt > 3♦ >> 3nt > 4♦ > 5♦ as I'd expect 1nt to nearly always outscore 3♦ and 3nt to make almost as often as 4♦ and score much better when it does (since 4♦= will still lose to 1nt some of the time).

[Ant590]

Re: board 13

 

Aside from the issue of whether a diamond partial or NT scores more highly, I guess there is the fact that in a normal field more people are going to be in NT. So in my head (and I almost always get MP calculations wrong), the distinction for ♦:NT score will be roughly 90%:30% when the diamond partial scores better, but roughly only 10%:70% when the NT scores better.

 

To me this implies that 1NT should not score more than 7/10 on this challenge, but also that 5/10 seems a little low perhaps.

[hanp]

Your claim that 1NT will be more common than 3D doesn't seem right to me. Many openers will rebid a 6-card diamond suit. Moreover, the opponents have a 9-card heart fit and we have a 10-card diamond fit, that usually means the auction doesn't end in 1NT.

 

I also think that a significant portion of the field will get to game, opener does hold 7 top tricks.

[Ant590]

Your claim that 1NT will be more common than 3D doesn't seem right to me. Many openers will rebid a 6-card diamond suit. Moreover, the opponents have a 9-card heart fit and we have a 10-card diamond fit, that usually means the auction doesn't end in 1NT.

 

I also think that a significant portion of the field will get to game, opener does hold 7 top tricks.

Arrgh, yeah you're probably right. I hate MP calculations, and as others have said I have much respect for inquiry for his efforts, and renewed admiration for the staff at BW and other publications which run such challenges.

[tgoodwinsr]

We felt distinctly unlucky on Bd 13 -- not because of 1NT vs. 2D, but because we bid 3NT. We didn't bid any suit except diamonds. If opener's ace had been in spades, not clubs, 3NT would have been cold -- and presumably everyone would have bid just the same way.

 

This isn't a complaint about the scoring, just an observation that blind chance plays a part in this type of contest. (In bridge, too.)

[TimG]

We felt distinctly unlucky on Bd 13 -- not because of 1NT vs. 2D, but because we bid 3NT. We didn't bid any suit except diamonds. If opener's ace had been in spades, not clubs, 3NT would have been cold -- and presumably everyone would have bid just the same way.

 

This isn't a complaint about the scoring, just an observation that blind chance plays a part in this type of contest. (In bridge, too.)

Maybe the black aces can be switched and the hand recycled for a later bidding match.

[Ant590]

Right --- I'm eager for some final round 2 results now =D

[JLOGIC]

Right --- I'm eager for some final round 2 results now =D

+1 ;)

[Cascade]

We felt distinctly unlucky on Bd 13 -- not because of 1NT vs. 2D, but because we bid 3NT. We didn't bid any suit except diamonds. If opener's ace had been in spades, not clubs, 3NT would have been cold -- and presumably everyone would have bid just the same way.

 

This isn't a complaint about the scoring, just an observation that blind chance plays a part in this type of contest. (In bridge, too.)

Maybe the black aces can be switched and the hand recycled for a later bidding match.

Or not switched and recycled ;)