Social Bridge 2012

 

“Don’t forget that bridge is a game to be enjoyed and it’s more important that you do this than anything else!”

 

     

 

I have some great plans for Social Bridge in 2012.  Implementing  Bridgemates  in 2011 was a positive step and thank you all for so readily embracing this technology.  It makes such a difference to the way we score (less mistakes for a start) and provides instant results.

 

In the pipeline are plans for some fun and adventurous holidays.  China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Burma are just a few ideas.  You do not have to be a bridge player to come on one of these trips with me. Holidays are all subject to numbers of course. Click on “Bridge Holidays” on the main page for more information. Also have a look at “Recent Photos”.

 

I have not been able to replicate our wonderful local “Bridge Breakaways” at Bribie to date, since they closed their venue.  However Trevor Strickland has proposed some whale watching at Hervey Bay and we are currently working on that together.  Stay tuned.

 

     

 

“I’ve always believed that your attitude toward your partner is as important as your technical skill at the game.” Rixi Markus, one of the all-time great players

     

 

Bridge Ethics & Etiquette

 

Bridge enjoys immense popularity partly because of the high standards of ethics and etiquette, which are observed by the players who are expected to conduct themselves in a highly civilized manner.  Violations of proper etiquette are quite common from inexperienced players, either through ignorance or inadvertence.

 

A well-mannered opponent who is the victim of a violation by such a novice player will, if comment is considered necessary, be at pains to make it clear that the comment is intended to be helpful and will never make a newcomer feel ill-at-ease.

 

Bridge is an extremely ethical game.  All good players strive to ensure that their bridge ethics are impeccable and no more serious charge, other than outright cheating, can be made than to accuse a player of bad ethics.  Unlike poker in which all sorts of mannerisms, misleading statements and bluff tactics are part and parcel of the game, bridge is played with a “pokerface”!  Beginners are, of course, excused for their lapses and in social games nobody minds very much.  However, in serious competition your bridge demeanor must be beyond approach.

 

When dummy, do not look at either opponent’s hand or at declarer’s.  If you do, you lose your rights as dummy.  Do not stand behind declarer to see how you would play.  One always plays better when one is not playing!

 

And finally, by all means meet and greet your opponents when you move to a new table.  However, when you pick up your cards you are in “session time” and further chat is not considered good form.

 

Chatting to each other during bidding is really not on, especially about what you should bid!  Give up this habit if you have it – there are more interesting habits to cultivate!

 

     

 

Always lead partner’s suit.  It may not be right, but it can never be wrong!

     

Lead direction. A pre-emptive opening or overcall is often the only chance you will get to show partner the suit you want led. Don’t bid it and you won’t get it!

The art of the pre-empt byGeorge Cuppaidge    Nov 2011

 

Simple logic lies behind effective pre-empting. Come to grips with it and amazing scores will appear out of nowhere. Can there be any more satisfying result than bustling your opponents into a high-level contract which goes badly astray when they have an even higher level one in another strain which is stone cold?

 

These are the fundamentals, with the logical justification for each.



·         Any pre-emptive action shows a hand too weak for a cheaper action. A pre-emptive opening bid denies, after distributional points have been added, a hand which qualifies for an opening one-bid. It follows that most of your “points” must be in your suit. There are big down-sides to ignoring this. If your hand is defensive in nature, you may find yourself going for a large penalty with defence to any contract by your opponents. Your partner will not play you for strength, leading to missed games or slams. The bidding space you have wasted may preclude an orderly slam investigation. It is you, not your opponents, who play in the wrong denomination. Partner may not realize that it is the opponents to who are saving, and allow them to escape un-doubled.

·         The rule of “two and three.” In general you should try to be within two tricks of your bid when vulnerable and three when not vulnerable. The five hundred point penalty you might suffer will usually be balanced out by the fact that the opponents can make game. The basic rule is sometimes modified slightly to the rule of one, two, three and four, with one applying at unfavourable vulnerability and four at favourable.

 

·         Ten points is the dividing line between a simple overcall and a pre-emptive jump overcall. It is very important that partner can raise a simple overcall with confidence.

 

·         Pre-empt as often as you reasonably can. How can your opponents possibly bid accurately when you have taken a large lump of bidding space from them? For every time the opponents can successfully extract a penalty, there are many more when one opponent will simply get in the way of the other, striving to make up the lost ground.

 

·         Lead direction. A pre-emptive opening or overcall is often the only chance you will get to show partner the suit you want led. Don’t bid it and you won’t get it.

 

·         Take away the opponents’ bidding space, not your own. If you have a good hand, don’t waste it by pre-empting. Any bid you make which consumes a lot of your own bidding space must be strictly limited in strength, shape and honour disposition.

 

·         There is degree of safety in the two-level and the three-level. Very often, rather than risk doubling you into game, your opponents will come to your rescue, going minus themselves with defence to your contract.

 

·         The good five-card suit weak-two is a big winner, it is hard to catch, it directs a lead and consumes bidding space. It is also defensive, when your opponents, as they often do after a pre-empt, go overboard.

 

·         Having pre-empted, hold your peace unless forced to bid by your partner. Make your initial action as high as you consider sensible and then stay out. Your object was to steal opponents’ bidding space and you have done that. Often your opponents have made a dreadful misjudgment. You cannot know. You have made your bed, lie in it. By bidding again, you surrender the initiative.

 

·         Be wary of making a penalty double following partner’s pre-empt, based on trump tricks alone. If your opponents rescue themselves into a making, or a far superior contract, shame on you. This type of action falls into the same category as doubling a contract which is made only because your double has pin-pointed your defensive holdings. 

 

·         Raise a pre-empt but raise judiciously. A fit and a shortage invariably add to the playing strength that your partner has already calculated. But beware of the raise with the weak hand and a big fit. With this type of hand it is often better simply to pass. You might consider a lead-directing, or a psychic, response, but be careful if the suit chosen is higher ranking. Ask yourself, before you bid, what defence do you have to six or seven level opposing contracts? If you have your opponents at the five-level, be satisfied! The law of total tricks is very useful here. A save above the level of your fit is almost invariably wrong.

 

Here is a vivid illustration of the final point, the culprit was one of those bbo “world champs,” a synonym for bloody idiot.

 

            986

102

KJ1096

A62

KQJ102       A75

AKQ75         J8643

85                  Q72

3                   KJ

            43

9

A43

Q1098754

 

Dlr W/ EW Vul

The bidding

W        N         E         S

1S       P         2H       4C (1)

4H       5C (2) 5H (3) P

P         6C (3) Dbl      All pass.

 

1.      3C here would be wrong, it would suggest, the opponents’ bidding notwithstanding, a stronger hand.

2.      This is exactly right. There is sufficient defence not to fear an opposing slam contract, 4H is a very likely make and to play 5C doubled is unlikely to be expensive. A nice bid from the WC.

3.      With KJ of clubs, East has a mandatory double. These cards, on this bidding, are useful only in defence. It is unlikely to be rewarding but, surely, a far more likely plus score than 5H. Unfavourable vulnerability leads to some very strange decisions. This is exactly what pre-emptive bidding is about.

4.      S. J. Simon would call this a “Futile Willie” bid. Clearly there is no hope of it making and just as clearly there is no reason to assume that 5H will make. The chance of pushing them further lies somewhere between zero and non-existent. The “no upside” out and out sacrifice has no place in good bridge

After a heart lead and continuation, I ruffed and laid down the CA, noting the jack.

 

 

Without giving a lot of attention to the play I took a losing diamond finesse and went four down.

 

I got a message from my WC during the play “They make 5H.”

 

This is hard to imagine, a club lead to the ace seems automatic, and just as automatic, a switch to the J. The defence, surely, will take the first three tricks.

 

I moved on to another table, passing up the opportunity to continue with my WC. A little more of his WC analysis followed me. “You should run the J (which must be the very next play after laying down the CA.) and you are only two down.”

 

Really? Further confirmation that this particular WC conforms to the stereotype.

 

 

     

 

CAPPELLETTI

A convention to be used over the opponent’s 1NT opening

 

It’s not much fun always defending an opponent’s notrump contract.  We have to find the right opening lead; declarer’s side typically holds the majority of strength; and we can’t see the cards in our partner’s hand!

 

Consider this deal where we are sitting in the West position.  South is Dealer and opens the bidding 1NT and all pass.

 

                                                            North

                                                            ♠J95

                                                            ♥82

                                                            ♦K83

                                                            ♣Q10754

                        West                                                               East

742                                                                                                                                   ♠AK63

♥KJ10943                                                      ♥75

♦76                                                                  ♦QJ94

♣A2                                                                ♣983

                                    South

                                    ♠Q108

                                    ♥AQ6

                                    ♦A1052

                                    ♣KJ6

 

That puts us on lead.  With no help from the auction, we make the standard lead of the ♥J, top of the broken (interior) sequence in our longest suit.  Unfortunately, this leads to a very disappointing result.

 

When we review the hand at the end of the session, we realise we could have done much better.  If we could have seen all the missing cards, we would have initially led a spade to partner’s king.  Partner – possessing the same ability to see all the cards – would return the ♥7, trapping declarer’s queen.  When we win with the ♥K, we play a spade to the ♠A and back comes another heart.  In total we would get two spades, five hearts, and a club, defeating 1NT by two tricks!

 

Sadly, we can’t see through the backs of cards when defending, so it seems we may be forever destined to get the worst of it when an opponent opens 1NT.

 

We can’t see partner’s hand when we are defending, but we can when we are declaring!

 

If we reached a contract of 2♥ on this hand, we’d have little trouble making it.  We’d use the ♠K as an entry to take a finesse against South’s queen and use the ♠A as another entry to repeat the finesse.  We get the same eight tricks:

two spades, five hearts and a club.  It’s so much easier to get all the tricks to which we are entitled when we are the declarer.

 

Experienced players realise it is often better to compete over a 1NT opening than to sit back and defend all the time.  Often doesn’t mean always.  Experience has also shown - it is relatively safe to compete with one-suited or two-suited hands, but NOT WITH BALANCED HANDS. Pass and defend with big balanced hands.

 

It’s distribution that is important, not high cards.

 

When an opponent opens 1NT, it’s unlikely our side has enough for game.  So the partnership should agree that most competitive actions are simply designed to get into the auction and compete for a part-score, or interfere.  So partner shouldn’t expect our overcall to show a good hand, only a good suit/s.  With a good balanced hand, we should keep quiet and defend.

                                                                                                                             

One frequently used convention over 1NT is CAPPELLETTI, named after its designers, Michael Cappelletti.  It is also known as Hamilton and Pottage.  It uses the following agreements.

 

After our right hand opponent opens 1NT (or in the balancing seat) the following bids mean:

 

After a 1NT opening by right hand OPPONENT:

 

                        2NT  =      Diamonds & Clubs (at least 5-5)                                   

                2S    =      Spades & a minor    (ditto)

                2H    =      Hearts & a minor      (ditto)

                2D    =      Spades & Hearts      (ditto)

                2C    =      One-suiter                (any 6-card suit)

 

 

Advancing the 2♣ Overcall

Let’s return to the earlier hand we held as West.  Reproduced below for your convenience. Now the auction would be:

 

S                     W                    N                     E

1NT                 2♣                   P                     2!

P                     2!

                                                            North

                                                            ♠J95

                                                            ♥82

                                                            ♦K83

                                                            ♣Q10754

                        West                                                               East

743                                                                                                                                   ♠AK63

♥KJ10943                                                      ♥75

♦76                                                                  ♦QJ94

♣A2                                                                ♣983

                                    South

                                    ♠Q108

                                    ♥AQ6

                                    ♦A1052

                                    ♣KJ6

 

Our 2♣ overcall is artificial, showing a one-suited hand.  Partner would have to alert the opponents.  Partner’s 2 is also artificial, asking for our suit.  We would alert this bid.  Then we bid 2, showing our suit.  A lot of bidding, but certainly more fun than passing!  If our suit really is clubs, then over partner’s relay of 2, we simply bid 3♣.

 

Why couldn’t we just bid 2?  Because 2 would show that suit and a minor.  See above.

 

Advancing the 2♦ Overcall

Since this specifically shows both major suits, advancer simply picks the preferred major.

 

Advancing the 2NT Overcall

Since this specifically shows both minor suits, advancer simply picks the preferred minor.

 

Advancing the 2♥ or 2♠ Overcall

To play in the major suit, advancer simply passes partner’s overcall.  To play in overcaller’s minor, however, advancer bids 2NT, asking overcaller to bid the minor suit.  Consider this deal.  Again we are West and South opens 1NT.

 

                                                North

                                                ♠K85

                                                ♥K1093

                                                ♦94

                                                ♣10986

                        West                                       East

♠9                                            ♠Q10642

♥AQ862                                 ♥5

♦QJ752                                  ♦K1063

73                                                                                       ♣A42

South

♠AJ73

                                                ♥J74

                                                ♦A8

                                                ♣KQJ5

 

If we pass and lead the ♥6 (fourth from longest and strongest) we are headed for a poor result.  Declarer wins and drives out East’s ♣A.  Even if East guesses to switch to a diamond, declarer has seven tricks:  two spades, a heart, a diamond, and three clubs.  Declarer can make an overtrick by taking the spade finesse.  Declarer will do even better if East switches to a spade after winning the ♣A.

 

If we have no system over opponent’s 1NT opening and “guess” to overcall 2♥, it’s even worse.  North might even choose to double.

 

However, if we have agreed to use CAPPELLETTI,  the auction would go:

 

                        South             West               North             East

                        1NT                 2♥*                  Pass               2NT! (relay)               

Pass               3♦                    all pass

 

* hearts & a minor

Our 2♥ overcall shows a two-suiter, hearts and a minor.  Partner must alert the opponents.  With no tolerance for hearts, East bids 2NT – which we alert – asking which minor suit we have.  We bid 3♦ and have landed in a contract we are likely to make.

 

Enjoy Cappelletti.  With the right shape, it beats defending 1NT all the time.  Be careful, however, not to enter the auction with a BIG BALANCED hand - especially with a double - as you will find yourself on lead a lot of the time leading into declarer’s tenaces (A-Q; K-J; etc).  Often declarer will make 1NT (doubled) even though you have more points.

 

     

 

BRIDGE SCORING (or Match Point Scoring)

 

Although we have covered this subject in the past, there still seems to be some confusion about how the score we write down on the traveller actually works.

 

Scoring will be one of the 10 top subjects I will be concentrating on in the 2011 monthly Advancing Classes.  Here are a few points to think about until then.

 

  • Results are scored by allocating match points to each score for each board.
  • The more pairs compete for each board, the higher the match points to be divided.
  • The total match points per board to be divided on each table depends on the number of pairs playing that board. eg

 

                      Number of tables              Match points per board

2                                                                                                      2

3                                                                                                      4

4                                                                                                      6

5                                                                                                      8

6                                                                                                      10

7                                                                                                      12

8                                                                                                      14

9                                                                                                      16

10                                                                                                 18

11                                                                                                 20

12                                                                                                 22

13                                                                                                 24  etc etc

 

Here’s a quick example.  4 tables = 6 match points per board.  6 points are divided amongst the 2 pairs on each table.  Be aware that a positive score for one side is a negative score for the opposition.  A score of 400 for NS is a score of minus 400 for EW.  The negative scores are not recorded on the score sheet.  Remember, Pairs does not reward the SIZE of your score, but how many scores you beat.

 

Board 1

Contract     by    Tricks made     NS score   EW score  NS Mps    EW Mps

3NT       NS 1            9                +400          (-400)            4               2

3NT       NS 2           10               +430          (-430)            6               0

2NT       NS 3           10               +150          (-150)            2               4

3NT       NS 4             8               (-50)            +50              0               6

 

In the example above, although NS are -50, it is only shown as a +50 for EW.

More to follow……………………………..

 

 

 

 

Give more, enjoy life, love bridge                                                            

 

 

When partner leads a Nine”

 

When partnering novices I ask them not to lead nines (this is hard as they seem to love leading them). They ask, “but what if it’s my fourth highest?”  Did you know there is no holding from which nine is fourth highest?

 

Partner would lead an honour from any of these holdings when defending no-trumps  *A-J-10-9,  K-Q-10-9, K-Q-J-9, and the last two examples against a suit contract.  Usually a nine indicates a doubleton, singleton or top of nothing   9-8-3.  With 9-4-2, you would lead the 4 - MUD (middle up down).

 

Why would partner lead the top card from a suit without an honour?  It’s to warn us we shouldn’t automatically return the suit.  Partner might be leading a short suit because the opponents bid partner’s long suit.  Or partner may he hoping to find your longest suit. * Lead the ace if you are defending a suit contract.

 

On the other hand, if you have raised partner’s opening major and you hold 9, 4, 2, you may lead the nine showing no honour.  Partner can’t take it for a doubleton, as you have raised the suit!

 

 

HOT TIP! Eight Ever, Nine Never

 

All this means is that when you have a nine-card fit missing the queen, you should play the ace and king first, hoping to drop the missing honour. 

 

DUMMY                       KJ92

DECLARER                A10872

 

Play the ace and the king (or King and Ace) and hope for the best! If, however, there are inferences from the bidding (say your left hand opponent preempted 3♣, and you found yourself in a contract of 4 with the above trumps, then you would disregard the adage “Eight ever, nine never” as the chances are your left hand opponent will be short in this suit.  You should cash the king first and “run” the jack on the next round. 

Lose Your Losers Early!

Fast start, sad finish. L  Don’t just cash Aces and Kings. When playing no-trumps – before you play a single card - count your winners, if you don’t have enough, set up YOUR combined longest suit without delay, even if this means giving up the lead.  Lose tricks to gain tricks.  

 

See me about the award winning book, “Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand” by Seagram & Bird.

 

 

 

 

 

“If you intend passing your partner’s forcing bid (2C), it’s best to drive to the bridge game in separate cars”.

 

Better Bridge Tip

(Audrey Grant)

 

 

 

 

“More points are lost at the bridge table through bad or pointless overcalls than any other way.”

 

 

 

Helen Sobel Smith

Universally ranked as probably the greatest woman bridge player of all times.

 

Distinguishing Penalty Doubles from Takeout Doubles

 

  • Doubles of the opponents’ 1NT or 2NT opening bids are for penalty
  • Doubles of the opponents’ bids at the game level or higher are for penalty

 

♠A95                       

♥KQJ109

♦AK8

♣K3

If the opposition opens 1NT in front of you, DOUBLE.  Since there are four unbid suits when the opening bid is 1NT, using a double as takeout isn’t very practical.  To have support for all four suits, you would need a balanced hand and would be coming into an auction when the opposition has already announced a strong balanced hand.  On this hand a penalty double is a better choice than overcalling 2H.  You should expect to defeat the contract at least one or two tricks after leading the HK.  The penalty should be more than the score for making a partscore contract of 2H.

 

 

If the opponents bid  2S  pass  4S  ?  and you hold:

 

♠KQ

♥AK6

♦A1052

♣AJ73

 

DOUBLE.  One opponent has opened with a weak two bid and based on your cards, it would appear his partner has bid 4S as a likely preemptive raise, trying to make it difficult for you and your partner to enter the auction. 

 

Since the opponents are at the game level, your double is for penalties and you would expect to take at least four or five tricks on defense.  Partner would not “pull” the double by the way.  He would realise this bid is for penalties, no matter how weak his hand.

 

Extract from Audrey Grant’s Bridge Basics 2, “Competitive Bidding”.