October update

I have been playing more club bridge with Peter and playing much less online. I am beginning to prefer studying or working on my play than playing online which must be better for my game. I have a few great partners on BBO and I’m rarely playing pickup games now.

October has been busy kicking off with a day of play/lesson at the club hosted by Mike Lawrence. I enjoyed it, came away with a few tips and 2 more of his CD’s – Counting#1 and Private Bridge Lessons#1. I heard of a 2-day workshop Mike held over the weekend that sounded intense but excellent. I wish I had been able to attend but it was by invitation only, "nobodies" didn’t get an invite. Oh well.

One interesting point Mike Lawrence made was to play (4S) X as takeout, (4S) 4N as 2 suited. I have been playing takeout through 4H, 4S X as penalty. When was the last time anyone made a penalty double of a preemptive 4S?

My brother Ian, Fuxia and Angus flew in from New Zeand for a great 3 week visit. Ian and Fuxia played one Friday night at the VBC and came in a respectable 2nd, another night I managed a teams game with them . Ian and Fuxia played together while I had a nice game with a pickup partner. My game is improving. At IMPS I need to be more competitive, I’ve been learning to be less aggressive in MP’s and haven’t yet sorted it all out so I can adjust my game to the scoring method. Yet another part of the game I need to work on.

Two weeks until the sectional, I have one game arranged with Peter and hoping for more, if not I will find a partner from the partnership desk. Better to play in C (0-50) than not at all - I think! Honestly, I'd much rather play in A or open and come last having played some good bridge than play in 0-xxx any day.

I have been doing a lot of work on our CC. I am gradually filling it up and working through all the sequences, signaling, leads etc and Peter is doing a fabulous job of explaining the reasoning behind it all and keeping me on track. It is developing into a very useful document for me, one day I hope to share it.

I'm enjoying a lot of good bridge lately but Im also looking forward to the first snow fall, we could be making a trip to Sun Peaks next month for the first skiing of the season.

Back to counting..

September

Not much blogging happening, a lot of live play instead :)
I played in a sectional here last weekend. 4 sessions, 1 with Peter and 3 with a pickup partner.
I had a good game with Peter, below average in the other 3 games. I love tournament play.

I will play in another sectional here next month then the regional in November. The next NABC is in San Diego but it doesnt look like I will be able to go. My travel documents expire in November and my family quite rightly, wont stand for it! But...perhaps I could persuade Bill to take a trip to SanDiego for our 10th wedding anniversary which just happens to fall during the NABC. LOL I think that would be pushing my luck too far.

More to come...

59% wow!

brief post; I’ve been playing a lot with my mentor and I’m still amazed and very grateful to be playing with such a nice person and good player, my game has completely changed.

We were 2nd overall last night with 59% - my best result yet.

I have a few main area’s to work on – COUNTING, relaxing, concentrating, signaling and remembering the conventions we’ve added. It is a lot easier adding conventions when you have the basics sorted out and your partner is keen to discuss the various auctions.

I can't recommend the mentor program highly enough. if you are a beginner/intermediate and your club offers a mentoring program – jump at it!
Many thanks to the Vancouver Bridge Centre and of course the mentors. :-)

I'll be playing a couple of sessions in a sectional with Peter next month and looking for a partner for the other days.
How lucky am I?? More on that later!

Now back to counting, less time messing around on BBO and forums :)

Kathryn

Off topic

This is too good to leave out. Here is my darling daughter, Jennifer. This is where we put her when she needs a cooling off period.

A mentor and live bridge

Since becoming hooked on this game and deciding to take it more seriously I have been very lucky and had some great help from BBO’ers. Many people have been influential but especially Wayne who first taught me the basics of the game and rid me of the ghastly ideas I had picked up while playing "yahoo" bridge online. He still helps me, often daily, answering my endless questions.

Now I am playing more club bridge and I am finding playing online is nothing like playing live.

The club advertised a mentor program so I responded and was hooked up with whom I would like to think, is the best mentor they had! I think this is an opportunity to both rekindle my passion and take my game to another level. I was tired of bad online bridge and feeling stuck.

Now, I have to fulfill my part and work at the game. My play has been neglected in the past while I've collected conventions and debated on bbo forums. (I've been told this over and over and not done anything about it) So, I need to dust off the BridgeMaster deals and get to work, beating up on online bunnies sounds like fun but its either get serious now or get out.

I am making copious notes with my mentor using GoogleDocs. (great tool) With his permission, I may blog these in the future.

Now, back to work :-)

Western Cue and a major raise in 2/1

Everyone plays this dont they? One of the more simple conventions, or is it.


1D (1H) 1S (P)
2C (P) 2H asking partner to bid 3nt with a heart stopper.



Now look at this auction:


1D (1H) 1S (2C)
2D (3C) 3H showing a heart stopper and asking partner to bid 3nt with clubs stopped. When opps have bid 2 suits bidding their suit shows a stopper.



Playing 2/1 1M:2M is a constructive raise 7(8) - 10 3 or 4 card support.


That is one treatment and could be the most popular but like everything else in this game, it is not set in stone and these things must be discussed with your partner! Others play 1M:2M semi constructive 5-9 3 or 4 card support.


Another little nuance of this wonderful game.

Im learning some new conventions, 2C:2H rather than solely 2C:2D, adding to my 1nt responses and some other more sexy conventions, more on that later.
I know I should be focusing on my play rather than my CC, see my last few posts about bidding.
Seems like some bridge players just cant resist adding to their CC.

more 1M:2m

Im not bidding hands where the auction starts off 1M:2D correctly. I am sure I am bidding 2M when I should bid 2nt, worried 2nt should be showing extras or my that hand is not balanced.

Paul responded to my previous post on this auction saying that Mike Lawrence recommends 2nt showing 12-14 or 18-19 balanced. That should be simple enough to remember.

So what is ‘balanced’ - any hand without a 6 card suit or a singleton?
5422 with poor clubs I have an easy 2H, is 2nt better with club honors?
4522 I must bid 2nt

Looking at this is makes me realize why I needed to take a lot more care when I’m opening 11counts and I have improved these openings – less influence of a few forum posters!

1m:2N when you have game, unbalanced do you bid 3m or 3nt?
3nt with 2353 and 3m with 2263 perhaps

Ive not been playing having been busy with so much going on this last while including a trip back to New Zealand but I’m often thinking of these auctions, its good to get it down on paper.

I played a tournament with my brother while I was in NZ and the one thing that stood out is that I need to work on my card play, still! I have to shift my focus but there always seems to be one more nuance that keeps me focused on bidding.

I do not know if I have what it takes to play the hands like an expert, it is a demanding game.