Biggest problem I have playing this game

[sceptic]

Ok, here goes, the biggest single issue I have playing this game is time.

 

When the dummy comes down, I never seem to evaluate evrthing,, I usually see a line and take it, sometimes I see a few different lines and choose one to quickly, sometimes I cant see a line at all and just hope for the best.

 

Now WHY do I do this???

 

1/. usually as people moan I take to long

 

2/. pards and opps dissappear if the game is slow, there appears to be an awful lot of players that think this game should be played in 4 minutes a board

 

do ather intermediates feel this is a problem and what do the experts sugggest I work on to increase my evaluation skills for playing a contract

 

I always seem to see my mistakes just as the card leaves my hand (I dont usually ask for an undo in these circumstances as I believe you should live and die by your own mistakes

[cherdano]

I am not an expert, but here is what I found useful for myself: Buy BridgeMaster hands suitable for your level (not too difficult ones). When you solve them, do everything to force you to get them right at first try. No Undo, no starting over. Well, if you go wrong and have lost too many tricks, start over, and try again to work out the solution yourself (instead of skipping to the explanation right away).

 

At the table, if you see one natural line: make it a habit to ask yourself what can go wrong.

 

About moaning opponents: It helps a little if you write "thinking" when you are taking long.

 

Arend

[han]

It is normal to think for a while at trick one. I hope you keep doing this, and don't let moany opponents scare you away from this. 4 minutes per board is not reasonable (though there is a fair number of hands that should be played in less than 4 minutes).

 

As you get better, your thoughts become more structured, and you can figure out more things in a shorter time. But, there will still be hands that require a lot of thinking, and you should take that time.

 

I like Arend's suggestions.

[whereagles]

When I play a hand, my subcounscious immediately processes the information and in a split-second, it sends me a signal saying "you should follow this plan".

 

So when dummy comes down and you see a line, it is natural you feel the urge you have to start playing like this or like that. It is part of your learning process. Don't fight it.

 

If the hand looks "complicated", that is because your brain can't find similar patterns on the hands you played, so it doesn't know what to do and you feel confused. This is the time to start using the theoretical stuff you learned from books: count tricks, count points, see what might happen if you ruff in dummy or try to setup dummy's suit, etc.

[Flame]

Getting good is not easy, its a process that takes time, so dont rush it, just keep working on it.

Thinking time is something that differ the good players from the bad ones, good players think when they should and dont think when they shouldnt, they also dont waste time , which is very importent if you want the time to think. its amazing to see how much of a board time is wasted, how long it takes for ppl to pick up the cards, how much they talk.

In riality you wont be able to think as much as you want, i advice you to think as much as you can afford to without your opponents leave, and do the extra thinking after you play, this mean put a little peace of paper next to you when you play, write notes, go back and check those boards later after the game.

[Guest Jlall]

I don't agree that good players are fast :rolleyes: unfortunately lol.

[luke warm]

i agree with justin... i do a lot of kibbing, and from my experience the better the player, the longer it takes (declaring or defending)... that's generally speaking, of course

 

this is one of my pet peeves... i'm with wayne on this, it's very frustrating when you take some time on a hand and the opps start this "....." crap... even *if* you write "thinking"

 

i play my best when i take my time... usually i'm not allowed to take my time, or else i feel pressured to move faster... the game is much more fun for me when everyone (which includes me) plays at whatever speed allows them to play their best

 

to answer the question the best i can, the best tip i've seen is one from klinger... he recommends ARCH..

A-analyze the lead

R-review the bidding

C-count your points, dummy's points, and place the other if there were bids or not

H-plan the Hand...

 

if your plan has to change later, change it... the problem with that method is one we've been talking about... time... so i say screw it, take all the time you need... play with people who don't think this is nascar

[pclayton]

With most hands, you'll be able to zone in on a couple of choices real early. Sometimes the key decision comes early in the hand, sometimes it comes later. Frequently there will be 2 or 3 important aspects; but the rest of the play will be dependent upon what happens at the key moments.

 

Don't get stage fright! When you sit down to analyze a hand it always seems longer to take than it really does. Your brain is processing many different combinations and it seems to take longer than it really does.

 

I can only remember once when the director was called and hovering over me while I took forever to figure out my play. That was about 20 years ago.

 

The brain will see many things that the eye cannot. Last night on the last board I claimed against John Swanson at T5. His partner (a 2nd tier pro) didn't accept the claim and took about 3 minutes to see he couldn't beat the hand.

[paulg]

In the Bridge Plus! magazine Dave Huggett uses a similar roll call to lukewarm's:

 

A - Analyse the lead

B - Bidding (what does it tell you)

C - Count your tricks

D - Danger (what can go wrong?)

 

Another English writer, Danny Roth, proposes a different method in his book, "Bridge: Groundwork in Play & Defence", with six items on his roll call:

 

Spades

Hearts

Diamonds

Clubs

Points

Tricks

 

Both, used whether declarer or defender, are attempting to do the same thing - get you to consider all the evidence at trick one and make a plan on a repeatable basis.

 

Practice makes perfect (well, certainly better :D ) and it gets a lot easier, and quicker, the more you do it.

 

Paul

[badderzboy]

Hi Wayne,

 

As a fellow BILlie I totally agree with you ,

 

Playing a 'bloody' awful 3NT in the BIL the other day I was prompted quicker by a Novice which I found more amusing than anything else cos' I tend to play quickly normally after thinking after the opening lead if Declarer OR 3rd in hand to consider all that needs to be thought about (including false-cards or ducking etc) to not break tempo and give opps a cliue and also the ABCD etc in earlier posts.

 

If you need to think - Think! people who don't are real experts and have plans ABCD in their head in a micro-second or are not yet intermediate level players in my opinion and will learn lol!

 

Ironically in F2F I declare fairly quickly but slow my tempo in defence/bidding to give myself time to think (including passing) to ensure no UI to partner n/a on BBO to some extent!

 

As you know you are welcome to play at my table anytime and take however long you need to think, I think it;s the mark of an improving player instead of a card-chucker lol

 

Steve

[xx1943]

Hi Wayne

 

You are rite in taking all the time you need to make your plan for the play.

 

I would add to lukewarms scheme of ARCH two more

 

In NT count you sure winners and look, where you can get the missing to fulfil your contract.

 

in suit-contract count your loser in the main-hand and look, how dummy can take care of the necesaary number of losers by ruffing, by providing high crads to discard your loser.

 

BUT after you took the time to make your plan don't think after every trick. that is annoying. :D

 

Only if something goes an other way as you assumed you may take a second timeout to analyze the new situation.

 

Another advise: Lool for partner and opponents who are in the same mood as you.

 

 

Regards

 

Al

[hotShot]

There are 3 Steps you should take preparing your declarer play.

 

1) Try to imagine the hands dummy, LHO and RHO are describing during the bidding phase. At the and of the bidding phase, ask yourself what line of play the bidding suggest.

 

2) If the dummy comes down, check if dummy is what you expected.

Modify your "view" of LHO's hand, using his lead.

Answer the following questions:

a) How many (top) tricks do I have ?

b ) Is it likely they will be ruffed?

c) In what suit(s) can I develope the missing tricks

d) What are the risks ? (Missing communication, can i lock out myself from a suit, is there an order of moves i have to follow)

 

After that you should have a line of play. Now check if your plan depends on a single thing, like one finesse or a suit breaking 3-3, than take your time and think, if there is something better.

 

3) Follow your line of play, checking if everything runs as you expect it to.

Update your mental picture of your opponents hand, and check if what you have learned suggests a change of line.