"Secret Bridge Olympics"

[32519]

Hey guys (and gals), I'm still waiting for one of you to arrange an invite for me to this years "Secret Bridge Olympics." Time is running out for me to translate my contribution into four different languages as required.

So far I can contribute this -

1. Defence to MOSCITO

2. New Multi (Revisited and re-engineered)

3. Bidding 6/4 major suit holdings 10-15 HCP

4. Minorwood continuations after a 3m preempt

[billw55]

It already happened, you missed it.

[manudude03]

I still don't get what this Secret Bridge Olympics is about, google only returns 6 hits with that exact phrase, the first 5 being the BBO forums. If it really did exist, I wouldn't mind testing out my version of Jacoby 2N :P (though right now, I'd settle for a link!)

[ArtK78]

I still don't get what this Secret Bridge Olympics is about, google only returns 6 hits with that exact phrase, the first 5 being the BBO forums. If it really did exist, I wouldn't mind testing out my version of Jacoby 2N :P (though right now, I'd settle for a link!)

It is a secret.

[32519]

Forgot about this contribution for the SBO:

 

5. Alternate defence to a 1NT opener by the opponents

 

Now all I need is the invite! Getting to participate is only upon invitation from someone who has already been invited.

[the hog]

Hey guys (and gals), I'm still waiting for one of you to arrange an invite for me to this years "Secret Bridge Olympics." Time is running out for me to translate my contribution into four different languages as required.

So far I can contribute this -

1. Defence to MOSCITO

2. New Multi (Revisited and re-engineered)

3. Bidding 6/4 major suit holdings 10-15 HCP

4. Minorwood continuations after a 3m preempt

 

Sorry, but this happened two weeks ago. It was a good event and I enjoyed playing in it.

[32519]

Sorry, but this happened two weeks ago. It was a good event and I enjoyed playing in it.

Share with us some of the new stuff that was tested; what got a 3-star rating (accept), a 2-star rating (can work but needs more thought), and a 1-star rating (reject, no good). The 3-star ratings are what we really want to know. This is the stuff that we will soon all be encountering at the table.

 

By the way: Where did this year's tournament take place? My guess is the USA. Then where in the USA?

[the hog]

I can't tell you because it was the SECRET Bridge Olympics. If I told you it would not be a secret, would it?

[32519]

I can't tell you because it was the SECRET Bridge Olympics. If I told you it would not be a secret, would it?

Once the tournament is over the new conventions etc that passed the test get published. So it’s not them that are secret. It’s the tournament itself that is secret! The WBF is the first stop for getting this stuff published. I’m not sure where they publish it, but if they are linked to “The Bridge World,” that could be the most logical point of first publication. Only the subscribers have access to it which includes topics such as “Bridge Theory” and “What’s New in Bridge.”

 

As these new ideas start seeping out, lesser mortals eventually make acquaintance with them. The top class players (those who attended the tournament) would already be using the stuff they liked. Consequently they stay ahead of the chasing pack.

[Vampyr]

I have had it with the Secret Bridge Olympics; they seem to be getting more and more political.

 

My own contribution of a 2♠ opening showing 5-10 HCP, 4+ spades and any other suit of 5+ cards received a 1, and I remain convinced that the hands constructed to highlight the convention were biased. Meanwhile, a convention that involved using 2♦, 2♥ and 2♠ openings each as a variant of Flannery received a 3. I do not regard it as a coincidence that this latter convention is legal on the ACBL GCC while mine is not.

[32519]

I have had it with the Secret Bridge Olympics; they seem to be getting more and more political.

 

My own contribution of a 2♠ opening showing 5-10 HCP, 4+ spades and any other suit of 5+ cards received a 1, and I remain convinced that the hands constructed to highlight the convention were biased. Meanwhile, a convention that involved using 2♦, 2♥ and 2♠ openings each as a variant of Flannery received a 3. I do not regard it as a coincidence that this latter convention is legal on the ACBL GCC while mine is not.

This is seriously encouraging (for me that is). My being able to show a 6/4 holding in the majors where the 6-card suit can be either ♥ or ♠, 10-15 HCP, is a Flannery variant. Maybe I just need to shout louder and someone will hear. :)

[manudude03]

Play that convention if you want, it's like Flannery without the advantages.

[Free]

If I'd invite you, I'd have to kill you.

[mycroft]

I brought in my version of "pre-accepted transfer overcalls" as a defence to NT. People said it wasn't original, but did give it high marks for unexpectedness.

[the hog]

I brought in my version of "pre-accepted transfer overcalls" as a defence to NT. People said it wasn't original, but did give it high marks for unexpectedness.

 

We discussed this two weeks ago when we played, but Balicki, (whoops, I should not have mentioned names), said this was used in Poland many years ago, so we discarded it.

Vampyr, I can assure you that we looked at your 2S convention carefully. The hands to demonstrate it were not artificially biased, but were genuine. I am a little insulted that you claim we were political.

[32519]

The Forum members are far more interested in what was accepted than in what was rejected. So please share with us a couple of things that were accepted. If any regular Forum poster had something accepted, give us an advance preview of what it was. This stuff now goes for publication anyway so it’s no longer a secret. Be rest assured that all the members here will sit up and take a lot more notice of whatever you post.

[32519]

Part of this reply has been copied in from another thread:

 

The Forum members are far more interested in what was accepted than in what was rejected. So please share with us a couple of things that were accepted. If any regular Forum poster had something accepted, give us an advance preview of what it was. This stuff now goes for publication anyway so it’s no longer a secret. Be rest assured that all the members here will sit up and take a lot more notice of whatever you post.

So far here we have 2 ideas that got a 1 vote. Then we got this from another thread:

 

You need to play optional Shapewood to solve this bad boy. 3♣-X-4♣(Shapewood)-P4♠(max, middle shortage)-P-4NT(remainder ask)-P5♦(trebleton spade)-P-6♣-APSlam is down with the pointed suits reversed.

Was that a 3 in this year's Secret Bridge Olympics, Phil?

Just a 2. The committee pointed out that it was better to use redouble as Shapewood. Oh well, there's always next year.

Phil got a 2. We're making progress. Anyone want to share some 3s with us?

[Vampyr]

The rumours are true!

 

I just heard from a reliable source that there is going to be a special session of the SBO next year, to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the greatest hoax of all time! The tournament is scheduled to start on the same date as the "moon landing", and best of all, ANYONE can attend, so long as they know where the venue is. You guessed it, the SBO is going to be held at the site of the moon landing hoax.

[kayin801]

Oh BBF, this is the reason I can never quit you

[32519]

The rumours are true!

 

I just heard from a reliable source that there is going to be a special session of the SBO next year, to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the greatest hoax of all time! The tournament is scheduled to start on the same date as the "moon landing", and best of all, ANYONE can attend, so long as they know where the venue is. You guessed it, the SBO is going to be held at the site of the moon landing hoax.

:)

[GreenMan]

I brought in my version of "pre-accepted transfer overcalls" as a defence to NT. People said it wasn't original, but did give it high marks for unexpectedness.

 

I had not heard of "pre-accepted transfer overcalls" but have added it to my repertoire. :)

[Zelandakh]

How are they different from the one over transfers that received a 3 back in the 70s? A new special Olympiad is exciting news indeed - the last one took place in New Mexico in July 1997 and was the first to be filmed (although the video is still Top Secret and difficult to obtain). As a cover story for so many travelling to the desert, the organisors claimed that it was a conference for meteorologists.

[mycroft]

The one over transfers were "over the suit"; the pre-accepted transfers allow you to stay at the 2 level in overcaller's suit. Which is obviously an advantage (but less so against the weak, crazy-shaped NTs some pairs were playing against, where you did have game more often than not).

[PhilKing]

The one over transfers were "over the suit"; the pre-accepted transfers allow you to stay at the 2 level in overcaller's suit. Which is obviously an advantage (but less so against the weak, crazy-shaped NTs some pairs were playing against, where you did have game more often than not).

 

That's not the version I was taught:

 

(1NT)-2♠ = a hand that is happy to play in two spades if partner has a 2♠ overcall, over which partner can bid 3♣ to ask if you have a 3♣ overcall, and so on.

[Vampyr]

A new special Olympiad is exciting news indeed - the last one took place in New Mexico in July 1997 and was the first to be filmed (although the video is still Top Secret and difficult to obtain). As a cover story for so many travelling to the desert, the organisors claimed that it was a conference for meteorologists.

 

I heard that several aliens attended that one, but I remain skeptical.

 

That's not the version I was taught:(1NT)-2♠ = a hand that is happy to play in two spades if partner has a 2♠ overcall, over which partner can bid 3♣ to ask if you have a 3♣ overcall, and so on.

 

Irish transfers?