adding conventions and other ramblings

This game is incredible and never ceases to amuse, amaze, frustrate me and get my adrenaline going. :)


For the last few months I have been focusing on my card play and judgement rather than trying to understand and add the latest convention to my card. The experts on BBO forums who have long told me to forget fancy conventions, concentrate on getting the basics sorted out and work on my card play are right!
No surprise, I\m enjoying my game a lot more and getting better partners.


Having said that, one convention I am thinking of adding, is Lebensohl – I think Wayne suggested it a while back and my reg BBO partner says that is the next one I should add.


Not related but here is a board I messed up and the subsequent words of advice from my partner:

NV, I held:
QJx
QT9xx
Axx
Kx
RHO opened 3S, I passed, pass, partner doubled – all pass.

quote
" remember this, an important principle: the template hand for a takeout double or reopening is 4441 or something close to it with shortness in opener's suit."

I hesitated on the first pass (TD, don’t shoot me) and was paralyzed on the 2nd, 4Hearts is blatantly obvious now. These hands always seem to trip me up, I double when I shouldnt, I bid when I should double or pass. At least here I think I got the first pass right, I need to study these hands more.

Still waiting for the snow and Christmas is around the corner, now where is that tree.
Back to the dentist on Monday to try another screw in my jaw!

1H:2D now what?

A
Txxxx
AKx
QTxx


Holding this hand and with some trepidation you open 1H, what else!
Playing 2/1 partner responds 2D (gf) and you realise that you haven’t discussed continuations in any detail, chose your bid.

2H The hearts give me a headache but I like this bid. It does NOT promise 6 It says whoa partner, I’ve opened on one of my less than fabulous hands. Lets go easy to game, I want to stay out of slam. Of course if partner has a suitable hand they are still free to go slamming but my 2H bid is an early warning.

3D This is ok, support at the cheapest level. Partner has shown 5. Note this is a very different auction to 1H:2C which can be made on xx.

3C I have 54 so it describes shape perfectly but I think it should show a much better hand, one with slam interest and a hand more suitable for NT.

2N Wild horses wouldn’t get me bidding this but I put it in for completeness.

I sent this question to Mike Hargraves who,with his sound advice and kind approach has helped my bridge tremendously.
This is his response;

I agree with the 1H opening. There are two schools of thought on the rebid.

Some would raise to 3D... Doug Fraser, a Grand Life Master and multiple CNTC champion, with whom I play a lot, would raise to 3♦ and think it to be a non-problem. This is within a 2/1 method, btw, which is important.

If not playing 2/1, then the usual approach is that 3♦ is forcing for one round, and hence should promise more than a minimum hand.. altho the 'more' may and often will be in the form of shape rather than hcp.. thus to raise on a minimum requires 4 card support. If playing that method, I would rebid 2♥.

Of course, bridge players being what we are, you will undoubtedly find some who say that you cannot rebid such a suit... and some of them will also say (not on this hand, but if you independently asked them what 3♦ shows) that 3♦ shows extras.. in other words, they will have an incoherent, unplayable set of rules.

And still others will say.. well, bid 3♣ (if any of them approach you...run! Unless they are playing a strong club method, where the 1H bid is limited, they don't know what they are doing)

My own preference is to rebid 2♥ within either a SA or a 2/1 method.. this is the 2nd of the 2 mainstream schools of thought.

Sectional

Well, Bill and I did play in the sectional here last weekend.

Friday night IMP Pairs game was a complete disaster, we came last.
Saturday 9am game was canceled, only 1 other pair showed up. I know bridge players arent morning people but I do think they could make the effort once or twice a year.

Saturday afternoon game we came 4th in our section, the evening game we dropped to 6th. Not great but not bad considering we hadnt played since the last post.

We were playing stock standard SAYC, nothing fancy at all which made for an easy game. I messed up a few hands when I lost track of what was going on, Im not counting consistently. It was ok bridge.

Please DON’T bid 4card suits at the 2 level. Bill responded 2S over opps overcall with 4 and I happily forced to game thinking we had a 9 card fit – bottom board.

On one board we were defending against 3nt when declarer called for a “club” from dummy. Dummy asked “which one”
I should have called the TD right there. Dummy is not permitted to communicate with declarer and should have picked up the lowest one and waited for declarer to correct immediately.
3nt was set if declarer had played low.

My bridge is in limbo and I keep on making some stupid mistakes. I wish I could give this game up but no matter how poorly I play Im still back the next day to try again. The snow will be here soon so I am looking forward to skiing and hopefully getting away from these cards. (dont believe that for one minute - Im hooked)

slipped again

One thing I have noticed is that it is very hard to keep posting to this blog!
Whats been happening here? Plenty, busy with the new school year. Would you believe I have been getting ski equipment arranged for this coming season. It seems very early but Ive learned that you have to get to the ski shop this early to get the best (leased) equipment. I want to get the accomodation booked for SunPeaks early this year too, what a fantastic ski resort it is! I can ride to the very top of the mountain and take the 5mile run all the way down - and yes, its a green run, bring on the snow.

Bridge -- I played at a local sectional a few weeks ago, played very well and came in 4th in "D" - very good considering we were a pickup partnership with very different bidding ideas! I love playing in these tournaments.

I have been playing 2/1 for a couple of months now and like it very much. When I say Im playing 2/1 I am playing forcing 1nt over partners 1Major opening, inverted minors
and 2/1 gf. Nothing else. I have also been playing with better partners and it is fantastic knowing that my forcing bids wont be passed and I can stop jumping around when I have a gf hand..lol. My play seems to have improved a LOT - nothing to do with 2/1 of course, Im not sure why it has suddenly improved.

What next? Im looking at adding the next gadget to my CC. I think others have suggested LEBENSOL - I'll have to look back in my notes. I can always work on my counting and hand evaluation anyway. :)

Bill and I are playing at the club tonight, a rare treat.

1M responses - revised

1M:2M “constructive” 7(8)-10 3 or 4card support
1M:1N* 2x:2M Weak 6-10 3(2) card support
1M:1N* 2x:3M Exactly 3 card support, 10-11
1M:3M 10-11 4 card support

I had 1M:3M wrong

I played at the VBC on Sunday with a BBO'er and we came 3rd in A! Im chuffed.
I had a great time and I think my partner did too,
couldnt have asked for a better partner or a more relaxed, fun game.
(Once I got over my first round nerves that is) I want to play more live games.

responding to partners 1M 2/1

So I have started to play 2/1, its funny the experts forget to tell new players the most basic things such as 2/1 is only game forcing after a major opening.
So 1D:2C is not gf.

Starting off with the basics Ive been learning the responses when supporting partners 1M opening.

1M:2M this is what they call “constructive” 8(7)-10 3 card support
1M:1N* 2x:2M Weak 6-10 3(2) card support
1M:1N* 2x:3M Exactly 3 card support, 10-11
1M:3M 6-9 4 card support

What do you do with 10-11 4 card support 2x then support?

Baby steps.

Im off to play at the club today, yipee.

Too much time has elapsed

..since my last post.
I’m not sure where all the time has gone! I’ve been busy with my daughter skii racing and I learned to ski last winter! My poor knees but what a lot of fun, love it. We are hosting 4 international students at the moment and often an extra dog, I have been working a lot with my trainer, focusing on strengthening my knees and dealing with the other aches likely resulting from old motorcycle crashes. Bill has started working day/evening shifts, mainly evenings so that throws everything out.
I am working a little extra at the Homeless Shelter to cover summer but after some changes there Im finding feeding 60 is not the daunting task it was to start with. The crew is fantastic and its much more like fun than work.
Oh and I am providing before and after school care for a friends 2 children. All this keeps me out of a real job but also doesn’t leave much time for bridge and even less to write about it.

I have started to play 2/1 so in my next post I will start some notes.

Slammish with minors

Partner opens 1nt and you have slam interest and 55minors, what are you going to do?

SAYC deals only with slam hands containing 1 minor

1nt:2C
2x :3m

Discussion points

Here's a list of sequences I need to discuss with my p's


1S:2D
2S

1S:2D
2NT

1S:2D
3C

1D 1S
1N 3C


1M (X) 3M
1M (X) 2N

1x (X) XX

Feb24th

Unusual vs. Unusual
Forcing minor raise, criss cross?