The blunder blog

[barmar]

Fortunately for me, I have never made a mistake or been wrong about anything.

me iether

[Antrax]

Feb. 6, our first real (= outside the club) tournament. The format is the ever-popular matchpoints, and all the good players are playing the IMP teams next door, so the pressure is on to prove ourselves as better-than-average intermediates.

 

I pick up

♠7

♥AJ543

♦T52

♣A863

 

LHO deals and partner opens 1♠. With silent opposition, our auction continues:

1♠-1NT (forcing)

2♦-2♥ (I have no idea what this bid means, I think it should mean roughly my hand, i.e. 5+ hearts not strong enough for 2/1 but still has game prospects opposite a non-minimum opener. We haven't discussed it though, strangely enough)

4♥ (he also has no clue what it means, but this way I have to play)

 

LHO leads a club, and I see:

♠AK943

♥Q62

♦AK4

♣JT

 

What a marvelous hand, played probably from the opposite side than most people. Being in a serious tournament, I ask about their lead style, get the cryptic "this club carries no meaning for me", and play from dummy. LHO plays the Q and I win the ace. Clearly I have my contract - I just need to pitch a diamond on a spade and ruff them clubs. If the 9 falls, I won't even have to ruff twice. If the finesse works, that even one less loser. Hurrah for undiscussed bidding!

However, it seems that if RHO is a good player, I might not get my finesse even if it's on, since I need dummy's hearts for ruffing. Hmm, I wonder how I can get an extra trick without losing out on the finesse opportunity? Hang on, if the opposing spades are 3-3, I may get two pitches for clubs and the finesse is my 13th trick!

Armed with this plan, I continue the play: spade to the ace, test the heart finesse with a heart to the J (since the opponents will never continue trumps, of course, and there's no risk of three club losers). The finesse loses, and a diamond comes back. Hah! I cash the ♠K pitching a diamond, ruff a spade, noting both follow, finish drawing trumps ending in dummy and run my spades. Unfortunately, the 13th spade holds the trick, two club tricks follow, and I get a deserved -1 despite the poor defense opposite.

My only excuse was "sorry partner, I can't count". Strangely, that wasn't a bottom - some other declarers tried either this or more brilliant plans, with one result showing 150 the other way.

 

There's plenty more from that day, but I have to leave soon to generate more stories. BTW, despite the terrible blunders from that day (and I made plenty), we somehow finished the first round with a 54% score and the second with a 60, placing eight and about 1% away from my first international master point (assuming that means anything outside Israel). I can only imagine what stories other pairs can tell.

[gwnn]

Your partner should rebid 2NT with that hand (not that it matters that much), not 2♦. Anyway, too bad spades didn't split 3-3 (or maybe 3.5-3.5)! :)

[mgoetze]

me iether

 

It would have been a lot more subtle had you written "me either". For those that don't get it, you could have simultaneously posted in the "pet peeves" thread about people confusing "either" and "neither".

[Antrax]

Right, last night wasn't too bad except I'm terrible at judging outcomes. The session I felt good about was a 48%, the one I thought was so-so was 58%. I think I just remember the "interesting" hands when something Bridgemaster-y finally works instead of being overly complicated and you end up finding out the finesse was on to begin with.

 

Still in Feb. 6:

I can't for the life of me remember the auction, but the opponents wound up in a 4♥X and a spade lead was somehow requested by partner. Holding:

♠T5

♥AJ

♦AJ964

♣T964

 

I dutifully lead the ♠T, and dummy comes down:

♠A3

♥T762

♦K52

♣QJ85

 

Declarer calls for the ace, partner showing encouragement, and then plays a heart from dummy. Partner plays low, and declarer plays the 9 from hand. I win the J, and the blunder is on. The thing is this: my lead was from a doubleton, but I don't want partner to give me a ruff. Instead, I'd like him to switch to a diamond. How can I tell partner "hey guy, don't give me a ruff"? For sure, I can just cash my ace of hearts. I read somewhere that such plays really help partner. So I lay down the ♥A, partner signals encouragement with his ♥K, and declarer wins his +730.

For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what I was thinking, later on. What does it matter if I ruff with my ace, is dummy going to pitch all three diamonds on that one spade trick? And why did I think declarer played low to the 9 if he holds KQ of hearts?

Bleh.

[Antrax]

And one a BBF-er might recognize except I don't think she reads the water cooler:

 

Partner deals and it's passed to me. I'm holding an ugly "three blank aces" hand, with 4-4 minors. For some reason I choose to open this 1♣ to ensure I'll be later stuck for a rebid (I really don't want to play 1NT holding three aces against this pair, which I know to be good). LHO chimes in with 2♥, and partner bids 2♠, passed to me. Now I'm at a loss - I have to bid SOMETHING, but what? I can't reverse into 3♦, I won't rebid my Axxx of clubs, and I can't be 2NT because we have no agreements on what it is and also what is it anyway?

Finally I decide that Ax of spades is support because partner is favourite to have six spades and not have opened a weak two despite now showing a maximum pass for some reason, and raise to 3♠, which sends partner to tank. Finally be bids 4♠ and we drift two off, mercifully undoubled, when partner's spades are JT842.

At least now I learned that in this situation, 2♠ isn't forcing. Makes a lot of sense, if you think about it.

[BunnyGo]

Right, last night wasn't too bad except I'm terrible at judging outcomes. The session I felt good about was a 48%, the one I thought was so-so was 58%. I think I just remember the "interesting" hands when something Bridgemaster-y finally works instead of being overly complicated and you end up finding out the finesse was on to begin with.

 

Great posts. Good luck with the rest of the tournament. I'm sorry I won't make it down to meet you, but at the last minute I wasn't able to travel this week. Hopefully another time.

 

As far as judging outcomes, one thing that helped me get much better at it was after every hand I wrote one of -2,-1,0,1,2 next to the hand (depending on whether I thought it was a 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%). You then add all the numbers up, and add it to 50 to get your expected percentage. This helped me in several ways:

 

1) Trying to judge the hand immediately helped me analyze objectively the score (thinking about whether we'd have done better competing, different line, etc.)

 

2) Writing down every board helped me not focus on clear tops or bottoms and aim for steady non negative numbers (especially trying to avoid -2).

 

3) Doing it like this helped me appreciate how every hand counts the same (I knew it of course, but had trouble keeping it in mind while playing) and how much it counts (up to 2% either way).

 

4) I was able to learn by comparing what I thought a board would be to what actually happened, this was also a good learning tool.

[BunnyGo]

And one a BBF-er might recognize except I don't think she reads the water cooler:

 

Partner deals and it's passed to me. I'm holding an ugly "three blank aces" hand, with 4-4 minors. For some reason I choose to open this 1♣ to ensure I'll be later stuck for a rebid (I really don't want to play 1NT holding three aces against this pair, which I know to be good). LHO chimes in with 2♥, and partner bids 2♠, passed to me. Now I'm at a loss - I have to bid SOMETHING, but what? I can't reverse into 3♦, I won't rebid my Axxx of clubs, and I can't be 2NT because we have no agreements on what it is and also what is it anyway?

Finally I decide that Ax of spades is support because partner is favourite to have six spades and not have opened a weak two despite now showing a maximum pass for some reason, and raise to 3♠, which sends partner to tank. Finally be bids 4♠ and we drift two off, mercifully undoubled, when partner's spades are JT842.

At least now I learned that in this situation, 2♠ isn't forcing. Makes a lot of sense, if you think about it.

 

I imagine you're playing some form of Israeli Acol? Either way, I'd open 1♦ with this hand, and unless I have an explicit partnership agreement to do otherwise I don't think it's that close. Opening 1♣ puts you in a worse spot it competitive auctions (which are likely with a 12 count 3rd seat opener). What would you have done over:

 

1C-(1H)-X-(P)

??

 

I guess 2D, but I'd be very sad about it compared to:

 

1D-(1H)-X-(P)

2C

 

Also, yes. Opposite a passed hand holding a minimum opener with Ax in support and no shape, there's no reason to bid on.

[Antrax]

Israeli standard (which teaches to open the lower of two four-card minors, and the better of two three-card minors if your hand is 4-3-3-3) + 2/1 (+ some judgment when I don't forget my brain at home :)).

[Antrax]

lol I found out what a vul. 4Hx+3 scores for the opponents. But at least I'm not alone: http://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/51103-what-is-x-meaning/ :)

[Antrax]

Feb. 21: partner and I moved to different dimensions. No need to include hands, this time mostly blundering auctions.

 

LHO deals and opens:

(1♠) - p - (p) - 2♣ :unsure:

(p) - 2NT :huh: - (3♠) :lol: - p

(4♠) :blink: - X - (p) - p :ph34r:

(p)

+590 :(

 

or, try this one on:

(p)-p-(1♣)-1NT

(2♥)-X-(2♠)-p

-(p)-X-AP

 

+570, the opponents unsurprisingly could make their 8-card fit on the 2-level with a combined 20 HCP.

 

(1♥)-1♠-(p)-2♠

(3♦)-3♥-(4♦)-X

AP, +710

 

We seriously need to go back to basics. Also, note to self, hide partner's X and 2NT bidding cards.

[gwnn]

I claimed 5♣x= (instead of +1) because I didn't realise you could discard losers on winners.

 

But what's wrong with 2NT? It is not a bad bid in and of itself. You could have ~11-12 points with a spade stop or so.

[Antrax]

Please forgive the Bridge content then, but how strong should responder be to try and look for a game after I balance?

[Antrax]

Tried to use BunnyGo's assessment method. It predicted 56%, we ended with 58% despite me being a wuss and bidding only 5♦ when the bidding starts (1♠)-2NT-4NT to me, and I'm holding JT seventh of diamonds and four clubs. At least I kicked myself afterwards. Even 7 was a good save.

 

The correlation of MP to the -2/+2 scale isn't too bad, though I do have some -1s ranging from 50 to 70%. Silly me for thinking a 22 HCP 3NT+1 the opponents blundered onto would be a bad score.

[gwnn]

Please forgive the Bridge content then, but how strong should responder be to try and look for a game after I balance?

11-12 with a spade stop or so. He could also flat out force to game with 14-ish (too short in hearts for a t/o x, or too flat if you don't like doubling on 4333 hands with HHx in spades, say - I do). This is my opinion though, buyer beware, but I don't recall any serious discussion on these auctions (1M-p-p-2m; p-??).

[Antrax]

Thanks. This is currently at the top of the list titled "things to learn". We were taught several conflicting styles and it seems this is a pretty serious issue - not necessarily this particular auction, a couple of days ago we had this strange beast:

1♥-(1♠)-P-(1NT)

P-(2♠)-P-(P)

3♥-(p)-4♥ AP

 

I balanced 3♥ as I had an okay (AJT9xxx) seven-card suit so I figured it would be safe at the 3-level with the NT bidder on my right. Partner raised to 4 because he had ♥Qx and ♦KQJ9x and couldn't find a bid earlier. Neither of us can say whether it was correct of him or not. Probably it illustrates holes elsewhere. Anyway, yeah, difficult topic :)

[cloa513]

Thanks. This is currently at the top of the list titled "things to learn". We were taught several conflicting styles and it seems this is a pretty serious issue - not necessarily this particular auction, a couple of days ago we had this strange beast:

1♥-(1♠)-P-(1NT)

P-(2♠)-P-(P)

3♥-(p)-4♥ AP

 

I balanced 3♥ as I had an okay (AJT9xxx) seven-card suit so I figured it would be safe at the 3-level with the NT bidder on my right. Partner raised to 4 because he had ♥Qx and ♦KQJ9x and couldn't find a bid earlier. Neither of us can say whether it was correct of him or not. Probably it illustrates holes elsewhere. Anyway, yeah, difficult topic :)

Don't balance!

How about

(1C)-(1S)-

(1NT)-(2S)-

- 3H-(3S)-4H

4S - - X

It makes because the LHO hand was strong.

[Antrax]

Mar. 13:

After a short hiatus, I resumed my blundering ways. The session was good (56%, first place) but that was despite my best efforts:

 

Unfavourable, I get dealt ♠Jxx ♥- ♦Jxxxxx ♣QJxx and pass. LHO passes and partners opens 1♣. RHO bids 2♥, alerted as weak. I judge my hand isn't good enough to "support with support" so it's passed to partner, who reopens with a double. So far, so good. RHO passes and I decide partner must have length in clubs so there's no point in showing the diamonds, and bid 3♣. LHO then raises to 3♥ and it's passed to me. I go in the tank, trying to figure out the inferences. Partner seems like the only one with an opening hand, so it must be fairly strong. I have a heart void and partner is short in hearts, so the opponents have 10+ hearts between them. So, I invoke the LOTT and bid 4♣, which is passed around to RHO, who invokes the LODSB (law of doubling stupid bids) and we go for 1100 when partner has a 4=3=3=3 14 count. Sorry for not bidding my longest suit, p :(

 

Next up we bid our way to a routine 3NT:

[hv=pc=n&s=skq87hqt4djcqj654&n=sj2hk3dak9643ck98]133|200[/hv]

LHO leads a high heart and RHO produces the jack. If you plan the play you'll end up knocking out the black aces and hoping hearts are 4-4 or the short hand as the second ace. Unless you're me, in which case the problem of only stopping hearts one more time will cause you to choose the brilliant line of running the ♦J, gaining "when diamonds are 3-3 or the Q is onside", so you lose an extra unnecessary diamond and go down one.

 

At least I redeemed myself later when partner forgot our new minor transfer scheme and got us to a 23 HCP 3NT and I found the slim chance line that actually worked. And it involved an endplay!

[gwnn]

Mar. 13:

After a short hiatus, I resumed my blundering ways. The session was good (56%, first place) but that was despite my best efforts:

 

Unfavourable, I get dealt ♠Jxx ♥- ♦Jxxxxx ♣QJxx and pass. LHO passes and partners opens 1♣. RHO bids 2♥, alerted as weak. I judge my hand isn't good enough to "support with support" so it's passed to partner, who reopens with a double. So far, so good. RHO passes and I decide partner must have length in clubs so there's no point in showing the diamonds, and bid 3♣. LHO then raises to 3♥ and it's passed to me. I go in the tank, trying to figure out the inferences. Partner seems like the only one with an opening hand, so it must be fairly strong. I have a heart void and partner is short in hearts, so the opponents have 10+ hearts between them. So, I invoke the LOTT and bid 4♣, which is passed around to RHO, who invokes the LODSB (law of doubling stupid bids) and we go for 1100 when partner has a 4=3=3=3 14 count. Sorry for not bidding my longest suit, p :(

Partner should never have reopened with that crap, Antrax.

[Antrax]

That's what I thought originally (and still, once he does, bidding diamonds is the right move so I can later bid clubs), but the local experts disagreed. FWIW he does have 3 card support in the other suits and I could have an 11 count with no good bid. No?

[gwnn]

No. :) Don't listen to your local experts. Your partner has a minimum (12-14) balanced hand. Reopening promises shortness, extra values and good support for all three suits. You will not always fulfill all three of those criteria, but you will generally fulfill two of them clearly and the third one satisfactorily. In this case, your partner might say he has a king extra, that is no reason to reopen.

 

With an 11 count you can usually find a double, or a 2NT bid (if you play that as natural) or a 3m/3♥ bid. With that unlikely 11 count where pass is best, tja, you will be defending 2♥ when opps are in a 6-1 or 6-0 fit, you will get -3 or -4, admittedly not that good in MP if everyone else is in game (it is not guaranteed to make btw), but you will get a lot of those MP's back if your opponents keep balancing on their minimum 4333s and keep getting in trouble.

[akwoo]

This one is a big "bridge" blunder from many years ago.

 

Necessary preliminary information: BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) is the light rail system in the San Francisco area, and you should all immediately repent of all your sins should I ever get a cell phone.

 

Partner and I agree to play a game we don't usually play (but the location we usually play at). We usually meet at the BART stop, which is about a 15 minute walk from the game.

 

Partner gets to the BART stop about 35 minutes before the game. Not seeing me, he goes to a bookstore nearby to wait 20 minutes for the next train.

 

I get to the BART stop about 10 minutes later, by BUS. Not seeing him there, since waiting for the next BART would make things quite tight, I figure the safe thing to do is to walk to the game, and wait for him there. After all, he has to get there to play at some point.

 

He doesn't find me on the next BART when he gets out from the bookstore, and goes home.

 

We decide that that had better be our communication disaster for the month.

[Antrax]

March 24, 2nd BBF matchpoint pairs. I'm playing with BunnyGo. Unlike the previous one, with hrothgar, we actually have time to discuss system and even practice bidding a bit, as well as figure out I have no clue what 2nd/4th leads really are. Unfortunately, our well-preparedness was for naught, as none of the sequences we discussed came up.

Board 16, favourable, three passes to me. I open 1NT (15-17) on ♠J95 ♥AJ3 ♦AK54 ♣A52. Partner staymans, which RHO doubles for lead direction. I bid 2♦, which I think shows a club stopper and no four-card major. LHO decides to compete with 3♣, passed to me. Looking at four defensive tricks I double, which ends up being the final contract.

Dummy is ♠KQ863 ♥- ♦QT8 ♣QT874

Partner leads the ♣9, which I duck - I expect him to get in and lead his other club, and then I can play ace and another. Declarer wins the K, having played low from dummy, and leads a spade to partner's ace. Partner switches to the ♦7, dummy plays low and I win the K. Now comes the moment of truth. I could carelessly play ♣A and another, later win my ♦A and exit ♦, etc. But partner's ♦7 is confusing - I expected him to continue trumps and he didn't. Why is that? aha! He wants a ruff. Brilliant! To make sure I'm on the right track, I cash the ♦A, and partner follows with the ♦2. Now it's easy to exit a diamond, see everyone follow, declarer cashes two high spades (undeterred by my clever playing of the ♠J) and ruffs the third (I pitch an encouraging heart), then cross-ruffs the rest, made. Oops.

[BunnyGo]

March 24, 2nd BBF matchpoint pairs. I'm playing with BunnyGo. Unlike the previous one, with hrothgar, we actually have time to discuss system and even practice bidding a bit, as well as figure out I have no clue what 2nd/4th leads really are. Unfortunately, our well-preparedness was for naught, as none of the sequences we discussed came up.

Board 16, favourable, three passes to me. I open 1NT (15-17) on ♠J95 ♥AJ3 ♦AK54 ♣A52. Partner staymans, which RHO doubles for lead direction. I bid 2♦, which I think shows a club stopper and no four-card major. LHO decides to compete with 3♣, passed to me. Looking at four defensive tricks I double, which ends up being the final contract.

Dummy is ♠KQ863 ♥- ♦QT8 ♣QT874

Partner leads the ♣9, which I duck - I expect him to get in and lead his other club, and then I can play ace and another. Declarer wins the K, having played low from dummy, and leads a spade to partner's ace. Partner switches to the ♦7, dummy plays low and I win the K. Now comes the moment of truth. I could carelessly play ♣A and another, later win my ♦A and exit ♦, etc. But partner's ♦7 is confusing - I expected him to continue trumps and he didn't. Why is that? aha! He wants a ruff. Brilliant! To make sure I'm on the right track, I cash the ♦A, and partner follows with the ♦2. Now it's easy to exit a diamond, see everyone follow, declarer cashes two high spades (undeterred by my clever playing of the ♠J) and ruffs the third (I pitch an encouraging heart), then cross-ruffs the rest, made. Oops.

 

FWIW, my 7♦ WAS confusing. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to lead there from 7xx. I know that I want you to cash your diamonds before they disappear and then exit a trump. I led the 7 thinking it showed no interest in you continuing the suit (and that I'd've led a doubleton looking for a ruff at trick 1, not lead a trump at trick 1). But it should be clear to everyone that I don't have anything in diamonds (maybe...I was worried you just had the KJ or AJ and wanted you pulling trump immediately without 2 cashing honors) so I should give you count to make sure. I think this is another case of one defender knowing what to do, and not being obvious enough about it for his partner to guarantee that he does what's correct.

[BunnyGo]

Here's the hand.

 

One thing to note, the double was inconsequential to the final matchpoint score. Setting it 1 (doubled or not) was 2nd to top. Not setting it (doubled or not) a bottom.