1eyedjack Posted February 3, 2014 Report Share Posted February 3, 2014 Tee hee. When I feel like being really obnoxious I let them put all their bids away, then partner leads face down and asks "any questions?" to which I quietly respond with the red card. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandakh Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 Tee hee. When I feel like being really obnoxious I let them put all their bids away, then partner leads face down and asks "any questions?" to which I quietly respond with the red card.I thought you played in England - are the bidding cards no longer left on the table until after the OL is faced? What do you do at the any questions phase if partner turns their card over before you present your red one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WellSpyder Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 I thought you played in England - are the bidding cards no longer left on the table until after the OL is faced?This still happens a reasonable amount of the time. There still seems to be a tendency to assume that an extension of Hamman's rule applies, though - if someone bids 3NT, that ends the auction. I saw this twice on more or less consecutive boards last weekend. On the first one, my LHO bid 3N and partner started to pick up his bidding cards. I objected, and duly put out a green card when the auction came round to me. On the second, partner bid 3N and RHO started asking lots of questions about the auction, which we duly answered. To his credit, RHO did then put out a pass card rather than simply make a lead, and I promptly bid 4♥ as I had always intended to do.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulg Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 Leaving the bidding cards out is totally unheard of. It's not suggested in ACBL regulations, and not standard practice anywhere on this side of the pond, AFAIK.It always catches us out when people fail to lead because we've left the bidding cards out, even though they've put theirs away. The normal response when we explain our regulations is, "Oh, that's a very good idea"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricK Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 An interesting comment from last night: The player led ♣T against 3NT (1♥ 2♦ 2NT 3NT). It was from T8xxx. "Top of nothing" he explained afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunemPard Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 A gem from my original partner a good while ago...who to say the least, I am thankful to not be playing with any more... Holding a strong hand with 2 clubs, 5 diamonds, and some holdings in the majors, partner chooses to open 1♣. (We were playing 5542) I have a hand with 7 diamonds and not so many points, but still very nice. I try to follow my partner's bidding and we reach a very easy 5D+2. Not only was the value of his hand completely shown wrong, but he only mentioned diamonds after his bid of 5D at which point I decided it is best to let us play. My question to partner was...Why on earth would you open 1♣! You have only 2 and a nice 5 card diamond suit to start the bidding with... His reply that I will never forget...But I don't have a 5cM! I must start with 1♣! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helene_t Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 This reminds me of a pair in one of the Amsterdam clubs that played Montreal Relay and therefore explained their 1♣ opening as "a 3- or 4-card suit in a major". I asked if that really meant that they would open 1♣ with 3-3-7-0 but 1♦ with 2-2-2-7. The (annoyed) answer was "of course not". "But what does 1♣ show, then?" I asked. She just repeated: "A 3- or 4-card in a major". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandakh Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 His reply that I will never forget...But I don't have a 5cM! I must start with 1♣!Whether statements like this are hopeless/clueless or not depends on the system in use. I open 1♣ with balanced hands outside of 1NT range with 5 diamonds, even with a 5 card major in fact. There is nothing unusual in that. What would be unusual is not having any meaning for a 1♦ opening at all. That would be a literal take on your quote but perhaps what he meant was a balanced hand without a 5 card major. But that again depends on your system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunemPard Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 Whether statements like this are hopeless/clueless or not depends on the system in use. I open 1♣ with balanced hands outside of 1NT range with 5 diamonds, even with a 5 card major in fact. There is nothing unusual in that. What would be unusual is not having any meaning for a 1♦ opening at all. That would be a literal take on your quote but perhaps what he meant was a balanced hand without a 5 card major. But that again depends on your system. I am well aware that systems like this exist...but we were playing standard 5542 openings. My next question to him was... So should I alert a 1♦ opening as 6+♦5+M? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighLow21 Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 A gem from my original partner a good while ago...who to say the least, I am thankful to not be playing with any more... Holding a strong hand with 2 clubs, 5 diamonds, and some holdings in the majors, partner chooses to open 1♣. (We were playing 5542) I have a hand with 7 diamonds and not so many points, but still very nice. I try to follow my partner's bidding and we reach a very easy 5D+2. Not only was the value of his hand completely shown wrong, but he only mentioned diamonds after his bid of 5D at which point I decided it is best to let us play. My question to partner was...Why on earth would you open 1♣! You have only 2 and a nice 5 card diamond suit to start the bidding with... His reply that I will never forget...But I don't have a 5cM! I must start with 1♣!What would he open with a 4-4-5-0? ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackshoe Posted February 4, 2014 Report Share Posted February 4, 2014 Face-down leads are pretty normal; players who are new to bridge or duplicate often forget, but they eventually learn. Leaving the bidding cards out is totally unheard of. It's not suggested in ACBL regulations, and not standard practice anywhere on this side of the pond, AFAIK.I have one partner for whom bridge, wherever played (including sectionals or regionals although she rarely goes to either) is a social event. She doesn't really care what the rules are, she just wants to have a good time playing cards. So she frequently leads face up, almost always pick up her bidding cards as soon as she thinks the auction is "over", and gets really annoyed if I call the director when someone points out an irregularity. I've tried to get her to change her ways, and come to the conclusion it's not ever going to happen. <shrug> I got back into bridge after a twenty some year hiatus when the Navy sent me to England for three years. So I learned the English rules. Then I came back to the States. Got strange looks at best, and sometimes some real hostility, when I tried to exchange system cards with opponents at the start of a round or match or left my bidding cards on the table after the final pass. For the first, "get that out of my face" was a common reaction, along with hiding their own card somewhere or other, or snatching it back after I'd looked at it for 3.2 seconds. For the second, I often heard "you gonna pick those up?" particularly by an opponent who was to make the opening lead. "Different strokes," okay I get that, but the hostility almost made me quit the game. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1eyedjack Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 I thought you played in England - are the bidding cards no longer left on the table until after the OL is faced? Yes, I believe so, but what is your point? By which I mean, what makes you think that a player who has so cavalier a contempt for one of the laws would diligently obey another, dare I say, related regulation?What do you do at the any questions phase if partner turns their card over before you present your red one?I call the director, because I am not too conversant with the intricacies of the regulations when a card is exposed in mid auction (well, also because I would be required to, even if I were conversant).I would expect our side to suffer some punitive consequences. It would be worth it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nige1 Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 It always catches us out when people fail to lead because we've left the bidding cards out, even though they've put theirs away. The normal response when we explain our regulations is, "Oh, that's a very good idea"! European regulations about system-cards and bidding cards appear to be an improvement on US regulations. The US may have better local regulations in other areas. Anyway, the tower of Babel makes it hard for players to understand, remember, and respect the rules. A pity that laziness and blinkered chauvinism prevent an eclectic trawl for one set of rules to be added to the law-book and to be rigorously enforced globally :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackshoe Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 I think you should re-read the story of the tower of Babel, Nigel. B-) Also, I think your last sentence mis-characterizes the current situation vis-à-vis regulations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfa1010 Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 A woman was playing with her husband in a district tournament. They usually only play in club games. Defending 6♥ she cashed ♦A, felling her partner's stiff king. Swift as lightening she shifted to a spade, and the contract rolled. "Why on earth didn't you give me a diamond ruff?" "Oh so sorry, I was sure that the ♦K was lavinthal for spades". He was not amused. :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamHenry Posted February 25, 2014 Report Share Posted February 25, 2014 On crashing the ♦AK: I remember playing in a knockout match in which our oppo bid, uncontested, to 7♦. I decided the odds of my singleton ♦A being a trick against any future contract were pretty good, so I (on lead) doubled. They didn't run, and at something like trick 3 declarer led a trump. Partner's king fell under my ace; dummy grumbled something about "You said we had all the keycards!" Declarer's reply? "I added one for extra length, and it looks like you did too!" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighLow21 Posted March 2, 2014 Report Share Posted March 2, 2014 A woman was playing with her husband in a district tournament. They usually only play in club games. Defending 6♥ she cashed ♦A, felling her partner's stiff king. Swift as lightening she shifted to a spade, and the contract rolled. "Why on earth didn't you give me a diamond ruff?" "Oh so sorry, I was sure that the ♦K was lavinthal for spades". He was not amused. :)Pearls before swine. People who can't think at the table shouldn't be allowed to learn advanced concepts like Lavinthal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manudude03 Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 At a local club last week, the opponents missed a 3NT after my partner opened a strong club 1C-1S-P-1NTP-2S-P-2NTAP After the contract makes its easy 10 tricks, declarer asks partner why he didn't raise with AQJxxx and an outside jack and then remarked "I went up the bidding slowly, so I must have a good hand" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diana_eva Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Two from a BBO pay indy: 1) Board 1, I was East:[hv=pc=n&e=sqhq9daj875cqj832&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=p1d1h1s2hpp2spp3h3sppp]133|200[/hv] Partner's hand was:[hv=pc=n&w=sa7652h43dkt4cak9]133|100[/hv] After going down 2 she comments: "I really wish you would mention those clubs... You know South is weak and I am strong!" 2) A few boards later, with another partner. I was North:[hv=pc=n&n=saj96h82d87cj9753&d=w&v=b&b=4&a=pp1h1npp2dpp2sp4s(instabid)ppp]133|200[/hv] As it happens I make 4S on a heart K lead and an extremely fortunate lie of cards. As I claim my 10 tricks I comment "You don't deserve to be so lucky". Partner, outraged: "Withdraw your comment and apologize! This has nothing to do with luck! It's good hand evaluation!" His hand was:[hv=pc=n&s=sk742haj43da9ck84]133|100[/hv] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antrax Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Can we still get a "withdraw comment" button? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1eyedjack Posted March 3, 2014 Report Share Posted March 3, 2014 Can't remember the hand, now, but as I recall it was in the WP Refugees club a year or two ago, when I sat against a random CHO who in defence led a singleton for a ruff despite having trump control.I won and found the killing switch to maximise the undertricks. At hand end, partner's comment was:"Dear, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but with experience you will learn that it is better to return the suit that your partner leads".I didn't take it the wrong way. But I managed to refrain from saying so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
32519 Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 This gem came from my F2F partner at our local club. I was declarer in 3NT. When dummy hit the table, after a brief pause I claimed 11 tricks, surrendering the two red aces to the opponents. I had a flat hand opposite a flat hand in dummy. Then the gem: "Don't claim so quickly. Maybe they misdefend the hand." :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricK Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 This gem came from my F2F partner at our local club. I was declarer in 3NT. When dummy hit the table, after a brief pause I claimed 11 tricks, surrendering the two red aces to the opponents. I had a flat hand opposite a flat hand in dummy. Then the gem: "Don't claim so quickly. Maybe they misdefend the hand." :PIf the distribution of the cards between your hand and dummy allows, then the correct way to play a hand like that is to lead up to a red king in your hand, and, if it holds, quickly lead the queen of the other red suit to tempt a revoke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mycroft Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 Which reminds me of a riddle: "You hold ♦AKQJTxx and are on lead to 3NT. You lead a top diamond and partner shows out. What do you do next?" Put that next high diamond on the table ASAP and establish the revoke! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggwhiz Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 One guy was notorious for bidding his Qxxxxx suit a few times without getting around to showing the Axxx support he had for his partners 1♥ opener. They had a little chat. And then his partner picked up ♠x ♥xx ♦AKQJTxxx ♣AK and after p - 1♠ - 5♦ - 5♠6♦ - 6♠ - double - float Led the ♣A to a dummy with 2 small. It went small - small - ruff, claiming seven. He wanted to jump across the table screaming NINE????? but halfway to his partners throat said "You supported my suit. Good bid." It's all true, I was the declarer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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