Introduction of Bridge Analysis

[mikeh]

Not sure how to relay the statistics from my play record without leaving open the possibility that someone might construe it as boasting; any constructive suggestions on this are welcome.

 

And Mike, thanks for being reasonable and measured in your public critique of my post and my situation. You are dead on. It's not that I live in a rural area so much as that I just haven't ventured out into non-online bridge yet. I am going to. I recognize that there are pools of players just as talented as me if not moreso, and far, far more experienced, especially at high-level competitive play.

 

My blog isn't targeted to them.

 

I'm simply trying to establish to the 100,000+ players out there who might benefit from what I have to say that I know what I'm talking about.

 

Someday I too will play in the circles you are describing and I look forward to getting served plenty of helpings of humble pie.

The odds are that a pure bridge blog by an unknown player with no real-life credentials in the game isn't going to garner a wider audience than BBF. As far as publishing your success rate on BBF is concerned, I doubt that it will impress many readers.

 

There are several players at my local club who consistently score well in club games. They almost never win Sectionals and definitely aren't competitive in terms of placing well in Regionals, beyond the odd tertiary flighted KO's. They could post stats like yours, for their club games, but that wouldn't make them good players. I know for a fact that some of them do indeed regard themselves as expert. Indeed, many of the club players believe them to be so, primarily because the few real experts in town virtually never play at the club. I suspect that on-line you rarely, if ever, get to play against an expert pair (well.....I am sure you have played against many BBO 'experts' and perhaps a few World Class players that no real expert has ever heard of).

 

The way to gain credibility here is to make cogent posts in response to the questions posed. I also suggest that, in terms of the A/E forum in particular, that you avoid stating your position as if it were the definitive position.

 

I can hear those rolling in the aisles and saying something about the pot calling the kettle black, but the fact that I tend to do exactly what I said you shouldn't do doesn't invalidate my advice...it merely means that I should listen to myself (on this topic, anyway) more than I do :P

[HighLow21]

Do as I say, not as I do, eh? That's my motto too. :-) Thanks again

[HighLow21]

Phil, in response to your post, do you know anyone who needs a sandwich board? I'm selling. Brand new, barely been used.

[paulg]

Do as I say, not as I do, eh? That's my motto too. :-) Thanks again

Mike is being overly modest. He is one of the most respected posters and we are all happy for him to post whatever he pleases. A position that he has earned.

[mycroft]

He has been known to point to his own accomplishments (which is what he's kicking himself on) - but on the other hand, they're pretty serious accomplishments. Not, you know, Meckstroth-level, but certainly "I may not agree with him, but I'm certainly going to listen and work on understanding why I don't agree with him first" level.

 

*AND*, his comments are always cogent and persuasive (hmm. I wonder why?) Which is what counts, really.

[JLOGIC]

wtf is going on with these posts from 'han'? They sure don't sound like him....firstly, he's promoting someone else's blog with praise when he is usually more inclined to point out problems or weaknesses, and secondly he's bragging about his bridge play. Han and I have had our disagreements in the past, but I've never seen him as a braggart. Makes me wonder if this is really him, and whether, if it is, these posts are intended to be taken seriously or are a subtle, too-deep for me, attempt at humour.

 

LOL now it makes sense..I was asking the same questions Mike asked, to myself. I was about to post " Han, are you ok bro ?"

 

Makes me realize I should be more careful with sarcasm online I guess, I can't believe two guys as smart as you did not know that han was mocking him! I guess if you are not a sarcastic person in general it's harder to recognize :)

[han]

I summarized the blog for those who don't want to read the whole thing.

[HighLow21]

No, you didn't at all; you chose a few lines out of context from the entire discussion in an attempt to belittle me publicly. Big difference.

[wank]

tbf to the op, he self-rates on bbo as advanced.

 

we all know that's pretty rare humility.

[HighLow21]

Belittling others you don't even know is not humility.

[HighLow21]

Ah, I get it now. You also are making fun of me.

 

Yes, I self-rate as advanced because I am advanced. Switching my self-rating to Advanced was not a decision I took lightly. What I lack in tournament or other ACBL-sanctioned experience I make up for in many other areas. I am most definitely not an Expert for that precise reason, but I am not an Intermediate either. I rated myself as Intermediate for a long time. I made the switch recently when I realized I play the game far better than most people who were self-rated at least one class above Intermediate.

 

Humility is not composed of arrogance nor boasting to be sure, and I am guilty of those mistakes in some of my previous actions and I confess those mistakes and have made a direct attempt to amend them to the extent possible. It is also, however, not composed of self-flagellation nor false modesty. There are tens of thousands of players who are far better and more experienced than I am but there are more who aren't as good as I am.

 

Do I have holes in my game? Absolutely. Feel free to indulge your whimsies by trying to locate them and poke at them. After all, isn't that what being an Expert at bridge is all about?

[MrAce]

Ah, I get it now. You also are making fun of me.

 

Yes, I self-rate as advanced because I am advanced. Switching my self-rating to Advanced was not a decision I took lightly. What I lack in tournament or other ACBL-sanctioned experience I make up for in many other areas. I am most definitely not an Expert for that precise reason, but I am not an Intermediate either. I rated myself as Intermediate for a long time. I made the switch recently when I realized I play the game far better than most people who were self-rated at least one class above Intermediate.

 

Humility is not composed of arrogance nor boasting to be sure, and I am guilty of those mistakes in some of my previous actions and I confess those mistakes and have made a direct attempt to amend them to the extent possible. It is also, however, not composed of self-flagellation nor false modesty. There are tens of thousands of players who are far better and more experienced than I am but there are more who aren't as good as I am.

 

Do I have holes in my game? Absolutely. Feel free to indulge your whimsies by trying to locate them and poke at them. After all, isn't that what being an Expert at bridge is all about?

 

 

Imo opinion you are a nice guy and have some skills about this game. You just had a rough start here in these forums as you already admitted it due to obvious reasons. Han did not try to belittle you imo and as far as i know him, not that he is my everyday beer buddy but thats his style, he doesnt attack people personally (although it may be recieved this way by some people), he has his own way of disagreeing with actions, opinions, choices etc and his way has been critisized by people who are a little too sensitive imo..One thing i can assure you is, he will be the first one to defend you, your idea or choice if he believes you are right, regardless of how many people are disagreeing or ganging up on you.

 

Overall i like the way you are trying to recover from the first rough impression that you created yourself and i can easily see you being nominated as best newcomer of the year in Dave's collumn next year if you survive these first days.

 

Sometimes being humble helps, for example i have more BBO masterpoints than Fred Gittelman and he started playing these tourneys way before me, but i never mentioned this at forums, never mentioned that i am way better than him, in order to not hurt his feelings :P

[HighLow21]

Imo opinion you are a nice guy and have some skills about this game. You just had a rough start here in these forums as you already admitted it due to obvious reasons. Han did not try to belittle you imo and as far as i know him, not that he is my everyday beer buddy but thats his style, he doesnt attack people personally (although it may be recieved this way by some people), he has his own way of disagreeing with actions, opinions, choices etc and his way has been critisized by people who are a little too sensitive imo..One thing i can assure you is, he will be the first one to defend you, your idea or choice if he believes you are right, regardless of how many people are disagreeing or ganging up on you.

 

Overall i like the way you are trying to recover from the first rough impression that you created yourself and i can easily see you being nominated as best newcomer of the year in Dave's collumn next year if you survive these first days.

 

Sometimes being humble helps, for example i have more BBO masterpoints than Fred Gittelman and he started playing these tourneys way before me, but i never mentioned this at forums, never mentioned that i am way better than him, in order to not hurt his feelings :P

 

 

Thank you for this very thoughtful and balanced reply. I am indeed trying my best to recover from that early rough impression, which was a direct result of my own brazenness and I was duly socked for it.

 

I will keep your secret safe from Fred.

[TWO4BRIDGE]

I will keep your secret safe from Fred.

 

I won't B-)

[jillybean]

Yes, I self-rate as advanced because I am advanced. Switching my self-rating to Advanced was not a decision I took lightly. What I lack in tournament or other ACBL-sanctioned experience I make up for in many other areas. I am most definitely not an Expert for that precise reason, but I am not an Intermediate either. I rated myself as Intermediate for a long time. I made the switch recently when I realized I play the game far better than most people who were self-rated at least one class above Intermediate.

 

 

I have no idea what skill level you are, if you have some good input to forums I don't really care but your reason for rating yourself as Advanced "I realized I play the game far better than most (BBO) people who were self-rated at least one class above Intermediate." is just NONSENSE! And imo, has done more to discredit you than anything else you've said here.

[nige1]

Hi Everyone! I have started a new bridge blog called Bridge Analysis. It is targeted at new-to-solid intermediates who are working towards becoming strong Intermediates or Advanced players. The blog will rely heavily on Intermediate-to-Advanced analysis of individual hands, both in defense and declarer play, and will include some detailed mathematical analysis where applicable. I will also have posts regarding my theories about practically every aspect of the game. Here is the blog: http://bridgeanalysis.blogspot.com/. All feedback and suggestions welcome. The reply to this post will include an excerpt from today's blog post on Defender's play. Thanks! -Tate Shafer

Good Luck!. Tate's idea for presentation is nifty-- a CSS Zen Garden Bridge-blog capable of further embellishment. Clear and simple English -- better than many bridge-teachers.. Advice at an appropriate level. Unless you're Justin Lall it's hard to win the credentials game. Damned if you admit some, damned if you don't..

[HighLow21]

Wow! Thanks, Nige1. There is a new post up today on voids if anyone's interested.

 

In reference to my decision about my self-assigned skill level --> the point I was trying to illustrate is that it was not a rash decision. It was very carefully, painstakingly decided upon. Are there some self-assigned Intermediates who are better than me? Certainly. Are there self assigned Experts who I am better than? I am playing against one right now. Does it really matter? No, not really.

 

All I ask is that you judge me on the quality of my blog and my insights here, to the extent that you are not familiar with my play.

[HighLow21]

http://bridgeanalysis.blogspot.com/

 

Here's a snippet from today's blog post on Voids:

 

OFFENSE EXAMPLES WITH A VOID

 

[hv=pc=n&w=sat72hk2djt953c86&e=skj9843hatdckq974]266|100[/hv]

 

Slam is great here. As long as you find the Q♠, which you will at least 89% of the time, the 21 HCP slam only requires that clubs behave. All in, about a 73% slam.

 

[hv=pc=n&w=sqt72hk2djt953c86&e=skj9843hatdcjt974]266|100[/hv]

 

How often will you make the game on 15 HCP? About 80% of the time. How often will this be doubled, especially if N/S opened the bidding? Oh, probably about half the time I would imagine.

 

THE DEFENSIVE ARGUMENT

 

A void also means that, provided that the opponents win the auction, you often have great defensive potential.

 

One possibility is that you can take as many as 4 ruffs in your hand to start the defense when partner has the opening lead and 3 entries. What fun for them to have their 4 side suit winners ruffed by you. Especially if they bid a suit game and you doubled for penalties.

 

...

 

Topics covered:

• Probability of a deal containing a void.
  
• Probability of a deal containing TWO voids.
  
• Offense Examples w/ a void.
  
• Defensive value of a void.
  
• Full writeup and analysis of a double-void hand I played.
  
• Bergen, Cohen, Lawrence, LOTT, Hand Evaluation and more.
  

[the hog]

I checked.....your rights only extend to the USA. I have now obtained a licence for the 6♠ for the rest of the world.

 

My biggest coup will be the universal rights to 'x'. Still working on that.

 

You do not! I spoke to the President of Lao yesterday. He assured me that I still have total rights to the 6♠ here! So back off!

[han]

My impression is that his rating of advanced is probably correct, even though it is not clear what advanced means. I interpreted the comments in his blog ("Yes, I am pretty good at defense") as if the author considered himself expert or world class while he clearly isn't. I still find it an incredibly strange thing to say about oneself. It is also a shame because the blog is mostly about what it claims to be about, and would be much more readable (in my opinion) if it wasn't for the preposterous boasting.

 

MrAce doesn't have to defend me because I was indeed making fun of the author. I must admit that if I met an advanced player who kept telling experts how good is he and that they have no idea of how to play bid (see the BBF thread about a double of 5D), I would probably make fun of him in real life as well. I don't know many people like that though.

[han]

Regarding the latest post in your blog, you write about a hand with two voids that you recently played. You write that you could have taken more tricks if you had known about easts diamond void. (I agree that there was no way for you to know that east had a diamond void, although I really don't agree that east should have used exclusion blackwood if available.) Can you really take more tricks? How?

[Vampyr]

(see the BBF thread about a double of 5D)

 

Do you remember what it is called?

[han]

No, doesn't matter. The critique has clearly come across and I'm looking forward to the his future contributions.

[HighLow21]

Regarding the latest post in your blog, you write about a hand with two voids that you recently played. You write that you could have taken more tricks if you had known about easts diamond void. (I agree that there was no way for you to know that east had a diamond void, although I really don't agree that east should have used exclusion blackwood if available.) Can you really take more tricks? How?

 

Han,

 

I said "probably," as in, "I haven't really thought through the issue fully because I'm moving on to another thought right now." :-) After the opponents take the tricks they are entitled to their exit card options become limited fairly quickly. For example if I take A♠, ruff a spade, club to dummy, ruff another spade, and exit to East's A♥, his only safe exits are another trump or a high club. Let's say it's a trump. I ruff another club and play A♦ and then J♦. West has a host of not-very-comfortable cards to lead. A low diamond actually is probably best but he's fairly likely to give up a R/S or lead his other diamond without thinking. No guarantees, but the defenders have to play pretty well to avoid giving me #11.

[HighLow21]

Han,

 

I said "probably," as in, "I haven't really thought through the issue fully because I'm moving on to another thought right now." :-) After the opponents take the tricks they are entitled to their exit card options become limited fairly quickly. For example if I take A♠, ruff a spade, club to dummy, ruff another spade, and exit to East's A♥, his only safe exits are another trump or a high club. Let's say it's a trump. I ruff another club and play A♦ and then J♦. West has a host of not-very-comfortable cards to lead. A low diamond actually is probably best but he's fairly likely to give up a R/S or lead his other diamond other high diamond without thinking. No guarantees, but the defenders have to play pretty well to avoid giving me #11.

 

 

FMODP