kenberg Posted December 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 Back to the site http://bridgetoernoo...hp/home/search2I recommend this site and I thank Phil for providing it. This time I started by looking at the most recent hands first, again searching under Maeckstroth 1D. Some were overcalls, some uninteresting, but here is deal 9 from the US Mindsports 2012. Meck is South. [hv=pc=n&s=s6ht863dat7ckt874&w=sj97h954dj953caj2&n=sq85hkj7dkq8cq953&e=sakt432haq2d642c6&d=n&v=e&b=9&a=1d2sd3sppp]399|300[/hv] Since I am skipping over the hands where I think system makes no difference, perhaps it is not a complete surprise that this hand has features in common with the last one.There is a nine card fit in each direction, the LAW is right on target with a total of 18 tricks. Making these tricks requires the right line of play. EW got +140 here. The lead was a heart, then declarer cashed one high spade, went to the board, ran the 9. Easy enough, I would think. It's more interesting on a club lead, for two reasons. The entry is now off the board, so the spade finesse has to be taken on the first round. Also, the spade 9 becomes important because we also have to, later, lead a heart from the board. Perhaps an opening 1♣ call would have produced that lead. The spade 9 will still be on the board, no lead or system will change that. Added: At the othr table Cullin opend 1♣ for Sweden. The contract was 3♠. Flat board. Playing in 4♣ we have to pick up the Jack to hold it to down 1. My own style, if there has been an overcall, is that the default line is to take the finesse. I would see no reason to depart from that here, so I would pick up the Jack. The scoring here was imps, so I double many would go on to 4♣ although a club opening bid, in standard bidding, would up the chances. I gather that EW were playing their jump overcalls as fairly strong, at least at these colors. I repeat that I have no agenda here, I am not trying to build a case for or against any system. My guess is that if the scoring were BAM and N could open 1♣, at least some NS pairs would be in 4♣, probably doubled. I don't expect big club players to give up their system based on this observation. In this case it was imps and I have not yet found the result at the other table, but going on to 4♣ seems less likely to me at imps. I do have a view about the LAW. It seems to me that often, during the bidding, it is not really clear what the total number of trumps for both sides is, the play of the hand will determine how many tricks are actually taken, and the formula is right only some of the time anyway. For example, with double dummy pay and defense, 3♠ cannot be made on a clb lead if we trade positions of the 8 and 9 of spades. Or at least I don't think it can be made. That doesn't mean that I think the LAW is useless, not at all, but you often see in profiles edicts such as Obey The LAW. This is overstating matters, imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerben42 Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 What's surprising is that whereas Strong Club seems very popular in the US, it is virtually non-existent now in Europe. OK one top pair plays Tarzan Precision but most just play some kind of natural, 2/1, Fantunes, Polish Club, i.e. lots of things in which openings like 1♠ are not that limited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glen Posted December 9, 2012 Report Share Posted December 9, 2012 What's surprising is that whereas Strong Club seems very popular in the US, it is virtually non-existent now in Europe ...Various countries around the Baltic Sea, including the Viking Club, and some Russian pairs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenberg Posted December 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 10, 2012 Soldiering on, I found another. Again it's a shaggy dog story. The system might have mattered but didn't. Again from Mind Sports 2012, USA vs Sweden.. [hv=pc=n&s=skqt943h8753d6ca2&w=s2hqjt2daq973ck96&n=saj86hkdk52cjt543&e=s75ha964djt84cq87]399|300[/hv] Everyone vul. Imps. Meckwell NS started with 1♦ and had an unobstructed auction to 4♠ Nystrom/Upmark began 1♣-Pass-1♥, presumably showing spades. Zia came in with a double and Hamman showed his hearts, but they never found the 5♦ sacrifice ( and 5♥ is not a sacrifice they want to go with). Flat board. The LAW says 19 total tricks and i guess that is true: Heart opening lead against 5♦ and then when in with the diamond King, underlead in spades to get to pard in for the ruff. Could be, but at least if S is on lead I expect 5♦ is down one, not two. Well, there is this issue ion clubs. So far what I seem to be seeing is that everyone could be playing Goren without changing the result!. I'll keep searching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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