MCLB Duplicate Bridge August 13-14, 2018
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The Unusual Notrump
BB What’s Standard? by David Lindop This series is based on Grant Vulnerability is a consideration with Standard, a set of conventions and a borderline hand. The opponents agreements that are in popular use The Unusual will be quicker to double when we today, such as 15-17 1NT openings, Notrump are vulnerable, especially if they are five-card majors, and weak two- not. The longer and stronger the bids. A summary chart of Grant suits, the less riskier it is to bid 2NT. Standard and the corresponding We can afford to give this ‘unusual’ WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH convention card can be found at ♠ meaning to 2NT because we rarely 1 ? www.AudreyGrant.com. The site hold a strong balanced hand of 20 Although there also has Grant Basic, a simpler set ♠ or more points when the opponents are only 8 high- 4 of agreements. ♥ — open the bidding. If we do get such card points, this ♦ Earlier articles in this series would be a good Q J 10 7 6 5 a hand, we can let partner know by ♣ K Q 10 9 8 3 appeared in the Bridge Bulletin and starting with a takeout double and hand to bid 2NT can also be found under ‘Articles’ at then bidding notrump—showing a even at unfavorable vulnerability. www.AudreyGrant.com. hand too strong to overcall 1NT. This hand would ♠ Suppose the auction starts: be a much riskier 4 hen the opponents open ♥ 8 3 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 2NT bid. We might the bidding, and we have a ♦ K Q 8 7 5 1♥ ? only take such an ♣ Wtwo-suited hand, we could action at favorable Q J 7 5 4 This would be an start by overcalling in the higher- ♠ 4 vulnerability, if at all. -
Slam Bidding Lesson
Slam Bidding and Modified Scroll Bids By Neil H. Timm In this Bridge Bit, I explore more fully Slam bidding techniques, some old and some perhaps new. To reach a small slam, the partnership should have roughly thirty-three Bergen points. In addition to a trump fit and count, slams require controls (aces, kings, voids, and singletons). The more controls between the partners, the easier the slam. To evaluate whether or not the partnership has the required controls, one uses cuebids with perhaps the 5NT trump ask bid (Grand Slam Force), and Blackwood Conventions. Blackwood Conventions reveal how many aces and kings, while cuebidding or control showing bids reveal where they reside. To make a slam, one usually requires first-round control in three suits and second round control in the fourth suit. It is possible to make a slam missing two aces, provided the missing ace is opposite a void, and the second missing ace is replaced by or is opposite a second-round control (a king or a singleton). When looking for a possible slam, one often asks the following questions. 1. What cards should my partner have to be able to make a slam? 2. How may I obtain the required information? 3. Are there any bidding techniques or conventions that I can use to obtain the required information? 4. If my partner does not have the required cards for a slam, can I stop short of slam, and if not is the risk of going down worth it? We shall review techniques to help the partnership find the required information for making a slam! However, with some hands one needs only to count points to reach a slam. -
Tt Fall 12 Web.Pub
VOL. 53 No. 3 FALL 2012 Meet Michigan’s winning mini-Spingold squad Editor’s note: A team of five 20-something Ann Arbor players won the 0-1500 mini- Spingold KO, a multi- day limited national championship, at the summer North Ameri- can Bridge Champion- ships in Philadelphia. A month earlier, they also won the Sunday Winners of the mini-Spingold 0-1500 Swiss Teams at the KO Teams: (front) Jin Hu and Jonathan Fleischmann; (back) Max Glick, Zach- Toledo Regional. ary Scherr and Zachary Wasserman. Here are their stories: Jonathan Fleischmann ter. I'm an attorney less than a year out of law school. I'm 24 years old and live in I started playing in 1999 Bloomfield Hills with my fa- (Continued on page 22) ther, two brothers, and a sis- DON’T FORGET TO VOTE The annual election for MBA Board of Directors will be held during the last four days of the October regional. If you cannot be there on one of those days, you can still vote by complet- ing and sending in an absentee ballot. See page 5. Candi- dates’ pictures and statements appear on pages 6 and 7. Michigan Bridge Association Unit #137 2012 VINCE & JOAN REMEY MOTOR CITY REGIONAL October 8-14, 2012 Site: William Costick Center, 28600 Eleven Mile Road, Farmington Hills MI 48336 (between Inkster and Middlebelt roads) 248-473-1816 Intermediate/Newcomers Schedule (0-299 MP) Single-session Stratified Open Pairs: Tue. through Fri., 1 p.m. & 7 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m. & 2:30 p.m. -
Hall of Fame Takes Five
Friday, July 24, 2009 Volume 81, Number 1 Daily Bulletin Washington, DC 81st Summer North American Bridge Championships Editors: Brent Manley and Paul Linxwiler Hall of Fame takes five Hall of Fame inductee Mark Lair, center, with Mike Passell, left, and Eddie Wold. Sportsman of the Year Peter Boyd with longtime (right) Aileen Osofsky and her son, Alan. partner Steve Robinson. If standing ovations could be converted to masterpoints, three of the five inductees at the Defenders out in top GNT flight Bridge Hall of Fame dinner on Thursday evening The District 14 team captained by Bob sixth, Bill Kent, is from Iowa. would be instant contenders for the Barry Crane Top Balderson, holding a 1-IMP lead against the They knocked out the District 9 squad 500. defending champions with 16 deals to play, won captained by Warren Spector (David Berkowitz, Time after time, members of the audience were the fourth quarter 50-9 to advance to the round of Larry Cohen, Mike Becker, Jeff Meckstroth and on their feet, applauding a sterling new class for the eight in the Grand National Teams Championship Eric Rodwell). The team was seeking a third ACBL Hall of Fame. Enjoying the accolades were: Flight. straight win in the event. • Mark Lair, many-time North American champion Five of the six team members are from All four flights of the GNT – including Flights and one of ACBL’s top players. Minnesota – Bob and Cynthia Balderson, Peggy A, B and C – will play the round of eight today. • Aileen Osofsky, ACBL Goodwill chair for nearly Kaplan, Carol Miner and Paul Meerschaert. -
International Teachers On-Line
International Teachers On-line International teachers are available to teach all levels of play. We teach Standard Italia (naturale 4 e 5a nobile), SAYC, the Two Over One system, Acol and Precision. - You can state your preference for which teacher you would like to work . Caitlin, founder of Bridge Forum, is an ACBL accredited teacher and author. She and Ned Downey recently co-authored the popular Standard Bidding with SAYC. As a longtime volunteer of Fifth Chair's popular SAYC team game, Caitlin received their Gold Star award in 2003. She has also beenhonored by OKbridge as "Angelfish" for her bridge ethics and etiquette. Caitlin has written articles for the ACBL's Bulletin and The Bridge Teacher as well as the American Bridge Teachers' Association ABTA Quarterly. Caitlin will be offering free classes on OKbridge with BRIDGE FORUM teacher Bill (athene) Frisby based on Standard Bidding with SAYC. For details of times and days, and to order the book, please check this website or email Caitlin at [email protected]. Ned Downey (ned-maui) is a tournament director, ACBL star teacher, and Silver Life Master with several regional titles to his credit. He is owner of the Maui Bridge Club and author of the novice text Just Plain Bridge as co-writing Standard Bidding with SAYC with Caitlin. Ned teaches regularly aboard cruise ships as well as in the Maui classroom and online. In addition to providing online individual and partnership lessons, he can be found on Swan Games Bridge (www.swangames.com) where he provides free supervised play groups on behalf of BRIDGE FORUM. -
Bridge Glossary
Bridge Glossary Above the line In rubber bridge points recorded above a horizontal line on the score-pad. These are extra points, beyond those for tricks bid and made, awarded for holding honour cards in trumps, bonuses for scoring game or slam, for winning a rubber, for overtricks on the declaring side and for under-tricks on the defending side, and for fulfilling doubled or redoubled contracts. ACOL/Acol A bidding system commonly played in the UK. Active An approach to defending a hand that emphasizes quickly setting up winners and taking tricks. See Passive Advance cue bid The cue bid of a first round control that occurs before a partnership has agreed on a suit. Advance sacrifice A sacrifice bid made before the opponents have had an opportunity to determine their optimum contract. For example: 1♦ - 1♠ - Dbl - 5♠. Adverse When you are vulnerable and opponents non-vulnerable. Also called "unfavourable vulnerability vulnerability." Agreement An understanding between partners as to the meaning of a particular bid or defensive play. Alert A method of informing the opponents that partner's bid carries a meaning that they might not expect; alerts are regulated by sponsoring organizations such as EBU, and by individual clubs or organisers of events. Any method of alerting may be authorised including saying "Alert", displaying an Alert card from a bidding box or 'knocking' on the table. Announcement An explanatory statement made by the partner of the player who has just made a bid that is based on a partnership understanding. The purpose of an announcement is similar to that of an Alert. -
SEVERANCE © Mr Bridge ( 01483 489961
Number: 212 August 2020 BRIDGEJulian Pottage’s Double Dummy Problem VER ANCE SE ♠ A 8 ♥ K Q 10 ♦ 6 5 4 3 2 ♣ J 10 2 ♠ K 10 7 ♠ J ♥ N ♥ 2 W E J 8 7 6 ♦ 9 8 7 S ♦ A Q J 10 ♣ A Q 9 5 4 3 ♣ K 8 7 6 ♠ Q 9 6 5 4 3 2 ♥ A 9 5 4 3 ♦ K ♣ Void Contract 5♠ by South Lead: ♥2 This Double Dummy problem can also be found on page 5 of this issue. The answer will be published on page 4 next month. of the audiences shown in immediately to keep my Bernard’s DVDs would put account safe. Of course that READERS’ their composition at 70% leads straight away to the female. When Bernard puts question: if I change my another bidding quiz up on Mr Bridge password now, the screen in his YouTube what is to stop whoever session, the storm of answers originally hacked into LETTERS which suddenly hits the chat the website from doing stream comes mostly from so again and stealing DOUBLE DOSE: Part One gives the impression that women. There is nothing my new password? In recent weeks, some fans of subscriptions are expected wrong in having a retinue. More importantly, why Bernard Magee have taken to be as much charitable The number of occasions haven’t users been an enormous leap of faith. as they are commercial. in these sessions when warned of this data They have signed up for a By comparison, Andrew Bernard has resorted to his breach by Mr Bridge? website with very little idea Robson’s website charges expression “Partner, I’m I should add that I have of what it will look like, at £7.99 plus VAT per month — excited” has been thankfully 160 passwords according a ‘founder member’s’ rate that’s £9.59 in total — once small. -
Skill Preferred, but Luck Is More Than Welcome Strul Takes Slim Lead In
Saturay, December 1, 2007 Volume 80, Number 9 Daily Bulletin 80th Fall North American Bridge Championships Editors: Brent Manley and Paul Linxwiler Skill preferred, but luck Strul takes slim is more than welcome lead in Reisinger Many years ago, Allan Falk was playing in the Vanderbilt The team captained by Aubrey Strul, winners of the Mitchell Board-a-Match Knockout Teams. At one point early in the event, Falk and Teams earlier in the tournament, hold a narrow lead going into today’s semifinal his teammates found themselves pitted against a squad that sessions of the Reisinger Board-a-Match Teams. included some of the continent’s best players. Strul, a Floridian, is playing with Michael Becker, Larry Cohen, David Falk remembers the occasion so well because the Berkowitz, Chip Martel and Lew Stansby. heavily favored team bid five slams that rated to make After two qualifying sessions, they were one board clear of the Russian- better than two-thirds of the time – and each went down on a Polish foursome of Andrew Gromov – Aleksander Dubinin and Cezary Balicki – foul trump split, and each was a loss for the stars. Falk and Adam Zmudzinski. company surprised even themselves by advancing in the The field will be reduced to 14 teams for the two final sessions on Sunday. Vanderbilt. It doesn’t take much analytical skill to conclude that the major factor in the win by Falk’s team was good, old-fashioned luck. They were in the right place at Austrians leading the right time. Falk does note, by the way, that his team was good enough to win two more matches after their big upset. -
The Rubensohl Convention
Review sheet 61UZ-2 10/01/2021 The Rubensohl convention You will use the Rubensohl convention in response to your partner's 1 NT opening, but after an overcall. Here is the simplified theory of this convention. After a natural overcall 2 ♦, 2 ♥ or 2 ♠ Any level 2 bid is natural Above 2 NT any bid is a Jacoby transfer. 2 NT is artificial (Jacoby for ♣) An impossible Jacoby becomes a Stayman A double is a take-out double : it could be a Stayman with 8 HCP, or show a balanced hand with 8 HCP or more. S W N E 1NT 2 ♦ 2 ♥ 5 4 3 A Q 7 6 5 6 5 4 8 7 ♠ ♠ ♠ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♦ ♦ Exercise E5867 2 ♥ showing 5 ♥ cards and a maximum of 7 HCP. S W N E 1NT 2 ♥ 3 ♦ K J 5 4 4 A J 5 4 Q 10 9 2 ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ ♥ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Exercise E5871 3 ♦ Impossible Jacoby (the opponent's overcall is ♥, therefore the responder can't be willing to play ♥ !) : this is a Stayman with 4 ♠ cards and short ♥ : game forcing Page 1 Nous retrouver sur www.ibridge.fr vous permet de parfaire votre bridge. En jouant des donnes, en accédant aux leçons de votre niveau et au recueil des fiches techniques. Review sheet 61UZ-2 10/01/2021 The Rubensohl convention After a natural level 2 overcall Bidding a suit at level 2 is natural and non forcing : the responder holds a maximum of 7 HCP Doubling is not punitive : A double requires a minimum of 7-8 HCP and most of the time shows a hand with which the responder would have bid 2 NT (with no overcall). -
2000 Bridge Bulletin Index
2000 Bridge Bulletin Index ACBL BRIDGE HALL OF FAME. George Rosenkranz named Blackwood Award winner, Meyer Schleifer receives the von Zedtwitz Award C February. Hall of Fame inducts Lou Bluhm, Harry Fishbein, Charles Solomon, George Rosenkranz, Sidney Lazard, Meyer Schleifer and Ira Rubin C October. ACBL BOARD OF DIRECTORS. Highlights from the Boston Board meeting --- February. Election notice C March C May . Highlights of Cincinnati Board meeting C May. Highlights from the Anaheim meeting C October. Election results for 2000 Board C November. ACBL CHARITY FOUNDATION. 2000 Charity Committee appointees named --- February. ACBL CHARITY GAME. Winners C August. ACBL GOODWILL COMMITTEE. 2000 Appointees named --- February. ACBL HALL OF FAME. Rosenkranz wins Blackwood award; Meyer Schleifer is von Zedtwitz award winner C February. ACBL HONORARY MEMBER OF THE YEAR. Chip Martel named for 2000 --- February. ACBL INSTANT MATCHPOINT GAME. Promo C August, September. Results C December. ACBL INTERNATIONAL FUND GAME. Winners C July, November. ACBL PATRON MEMBER LIST. December. ACBL SENIOR GAME. Winners C May. ACE OF CLUBS. Winners of the 1999 contest --- April. AMERICAN BRIDGE ASSOCIATION. Schedule of upcoming national events --- monthly. ANAHEIM NABC. Promos C April --- July. Meltzer squad wins Spingold; Wei-Sender team takes Wagar; District 9 repeats win in GNT-A; District 19 wins GNT-B title; District 13 victorious in GNT-C contest; Zia, Rosenberg top LM Pairs field; Ping, Leung win Red Ribbon; Nugit squad wins Senior Swiss teams C October. Willenken, Silverstein win Fast Open Pairs; Bach and Burgess take IMP Pairs title; Mixed B-A-M winners; 199er Pairs winners; Five-way tie fir Fishbein Trophy; other NABC highlights C November. -
Negative Doubles Are Not Used When the Opening Bid Is on the Two-Level Or Higher
DOUBLE TROUBLE Last month we started a discussion about doubles by covering the Takeout Double and Responses. This month we move towards what I consider to be the most important convention in bridge: The Negative Double. A Negative double is made by Responder. It shows enough to bid, but a hand not suitable for anything else. Since responding on the two-level shows at least a five- card suit and at least 10 points, there is no good way to describe many hand-types, thus the invention of the Negative double. There is only one auction to study. The auction has to go this way for it to be a Negative Double: OPENER OPPONENT RESPONDER One anything Any suit Bid Double There you have it. Notice that negative doubles are not used when the opening bid is on the two-level or higher. Not everyone uses them after a 1NT opening (but I recommend doing so). The opponents can overcall in any suit (on any level—more on that later). If the opponents overcall in Notrump, there are no Negative doubles (Double is for penalties). Up until the late 1950’s, the double in the above auction was for penalties. This didn’t make much sense, since it was rare to be dealt length and strength in a suit the opponents have bid. Al Roth popularized his famous convention in 1957 and called it Sputnik (after the Russian satellite). He proposed that a double by responder should not be for penalty—it should be takeout. About 10 years later, the term was change to “Negative Doubles.” I see nothing “Negative” about them. -
Overcall F It Iped.) , Ii 2 3~Hpe
-..•-..-.."- -...,~ ...~.--~,...--- Overcall F It iped.) , Ii 2 3~hpe_ In contract bridge, an overcall is a bid made after an opening bid has been made by an opponent; the term refers only to the :first such bid. A direct overcall is a bid made directly over the opening bid by right-hand opponent; an overcall in the 'last seat' (made over a bid by left-hand opponent and two subsequent passes) is referred to as a balancing overcall. , ...~_ ••' '-'~'_.~_-..'._. -"" .'~".- _'-·_'· ...•..•..•.•_....._• I.,._·~·.I., ..'_·.•.~_..~.''''F.~.•._•..•. _ ., .•....~• "'._'._ .' ._., '. -' ..-.- ", ..-...- -,.- ...-.-..-~..•.......•..... -~..-'-.- ..•. Objectives The overcaller has one or more of the following objectives: • To secure the contract • To suggest a good lead from partner • To induce the opponents to a higher-level contract • To find an effective sacrifice • To hinder the opponents in their bidding Snit overcalls In most bidding systems, an overcall in an unbid suit is natural denoting length and strength in the suit \?id. The common requirements include: •• A good 5-card or any longer suit; the definition of 'a good 5-card suit' is subject to partnership agreement. • 8-16+ high-card points (HCP) for an overcall at the l-level. • 10-16+ HCP for an overcall at the 2-level. • A higher level overcall (e.g., after an opponents' preempt) requires at least opening-bid strength. ";'- _,c""i-;;,"" __ -.,..-~ --,- _ --'':,;';'~,.-'';':''~'.'''':~,,;.,.'-'~.'- The rule of thumb is that the weaker a band is in high card points, the better the bid suit should be (i.e., longer or with more honors). - Examples According to modem bridge theory, the following hands: +632 "ir AKJ96 (? 8752 +4 + A32 v AKJ96 <~ 752 + 104 +A3 'i)' AK986 ~ KQ5 +742 all warrant a 119overcall over an opposing 1+11"~opening.