Monday, December 15, 2014

One More Difference

"I'll try not to aggravate you," I promised Dave.  He's an A player and this was our first time playing together.

"I don't get aggravated," he solemnly assured me.

"That's good," I replied.  We'll see, I thought. I can be pretty aggravating.

Thus started our partnership.  I proceeded to do some good things and some not so good things; Dave did some very good things.  One of the not so good things I did was defensive.  I was on lead and my partner had bid hearts.  I hadn't supported his bid since I only had 5 points, but I did have two hearts.  I led one.  Dummy came down and I calculated that declarer only had one heart, so when I got in again I led a different suit.

That may not sound particularly interesting to you, but I was a bit proud of myself.  It's not easy for me to keep the bidding in mind once play begins and to put that information together with the cards in play to figure out who has what.  In fact, I recalculated several times wondering if I should again lead a heart, but every way I looked at it the declarer had to be out.  I thought about leading a heart anyway to draw his trump, but in this case that didn't seem like an especially fruitful idea.  Even so, I had an uneasy feeling about the whole thing.

At the end of the hand I was relieved to see that declarer did, in fact, have no hearts left in his hand.  My partner was not as relieved.

"Do you still have hearts?" he asked me.

"Yes, one," I said and showed him.

"Why didn't you lead it?"

"Declarer was out, he would have ruffed," I said with confidence born of confirmation.

"You still should have led it."

"Even though declarer would have ruffed it?" I asked, bewildered.

"Yes.  Since you didn't support my hearts and didn't lead a heart a second time, I thought you were out and declarer had hearts.  I would have kept my clubs and thrown off the hearts if I had known declarer was out."

Wow, what a great lesson to learn.  It seemed obvious once Dave explained it, but I hadn't thought about it that way.  This was one more example of a difference between the thinking of an A player and a C player (but no longer this C player).

And as you would expect, Dave stayed calm and unaggravated throughout.


Wednesday, December 3, 2014

The Patient Died

Recently I was declarer in a particularly tricky contract.  I strategized, I finessed, I thought about where the king was (and was right), I counted cards, I set up a suit...I did it all.  At the end, I was down one.  I looked at what was left of the dummy and what the opponents held.

"Are those two spades good?" I asked my partner, horrified.

"Yes," Julie replied.

"I lost track," I apologized, hanging my head.

"But you played it brilliantly!" the opponent kindly said.

"How good could it be if I didn't make the contract?" I countered.

"Well, that happens.  But it was masterful the way you played it.  Really, it was perfect!"

I appreciated the comments, but it made me think of the old saying "The operation was a success but the patient died."  Later, Julie had a recommendation for me.

"If I'm not sure if something is good or not, and that's the only way to make the contract, I just play it," she suggested.

"That was the problem," I explained.  "I WAS sure that the spades were NOT good."

"Oh."  She laughed, I didn't.

Although this is not a perfect example of doing everything right and getting a bad board, since obviously I didn't do everything right, you get the picture.  Then there's the other side of the coin, when you do everything wrong and somehow it works.

I was recently in a 4 spade contract with a new partner.  When dummy came down I could see right away that it was going to be difficult.  I had a singleton ace of diamonds in my hand with several diamonds on the board but missing the king.  The opening lead took one entry out, leaving just the ace of trump as a way back to all of those beautiful diamonds.  Hmm, what to do?  I led the queen of diamonds towards my hand, my opponent covered with the king.  I played my ace and -- ta dah!--the diamonds were all set up.  I made the contract.

What's the problem, you ask?  Well, during a sit-out we watched John and Joanne bid and play the same board.  They reached the same contract after a wildly different bidding sequence, and made the contract without ever playing the diamonds. I commented on this, and Joanne had a little talk with me.

"Do you see why you should never cover the queen in this type of situation?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied.  (I would have said "yes" even if I had meant "no".)

"If your opponent had held up, you would not have made it."

"I can see that now."

I won't even go into how we stumbled into the right contract (mostly because I don't remember), but bridge is definitely a game where you can do everything right and get a bad board, and do a lot wrong and come out on top.  Sometimes.




Friday, November 28, 2014

Sung to the tune of "Jingle Bells"

Dashing through the snow
Remembering what I read
All that I don't know
Ringing through my head
Four dollars I will pay
To get beat up again
What fun it is to count and play
I have to say Amen!

Let's play bridge, let's play bridge,
Let's play every day.
Oh! What fun it is to go and even play far away.
Let's play bridge, let's play bridge,
Let's play every day.
Oh! What fun it is to go and even play far away.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Turkey Trot

Today was a good day--I partnered with an A player.  I like playing with A players for a number of reasons, and contrary to what you cynics may think, the main reason is not because I do better when I play with them (although I do like that).  No, it's because I get to see how A players think when they bid, play, and defend.  It's just amazing.  And although I'm getting better at figuring things out, it is still nice to know for sure if we are in the right contract (usually) or if I could have made an extra trick (no, I was doomed to go down one).  I also like the feeling of security--I know my partner will tell me exactly what's in his hand during the auction, just like I know he'll lead the exact card I need on defense.

Today was the Turkey Trot, when C players (like me) draw the name of an A player (in this case, Bruce).  So I was not alone in this type of mixed partnership.  In fact, it was interesting to look around the room and not see any regular partners playing together. I have to say, the atmosphere seemed more congenial and calm than usual.  Hmm, what was that about?  

Of course the main objective when playing with a better player is to learn from the experience.  Here's one of the things I learned today:  South opened a diamond; I overcalled a spade.  My partner bid 2 diamonds, telling me he had spade support and at least 10 points.  South bid 3 diamonds.  I figured that since my partner only knew my range of points (8-15), that I should let him know that I had opening count.  I bid 3 spades.  Mistake.  I didn't know it at the time, but by bidding when I didn't have to, I was telling him that I had a bigger hand than I did.  He went to game and I went down one. Unlike A players, C players don't always tell their partners exactly what's in their hands, although we try.

I think we'll be having another Turkey Trot kind of day, maybe a Bunny Hop (or Bunny Bop if your partner isn't cooperating).  But what about the A players, you may be wondering.  What do they get out of this? Even though I hesitate to speak for them, I will anyway. 

A players have the chance to give back to the game by mentoring a less experienced player.  I could go on about this, but there are other benefits as well.  For example, while we all enjoy competition, the pressure is off during this particular game.  After all, no one expects even the best players to get a 70% game with a C player, so they can relax and enjoy.  They get to "show off" their expertise without anyone arguing with them (A players sometimes argue among themselves).  And, best of all (I think) would be that when something goes wrong, as it usually does, it's most likely not their fault!

So A players, what do you think?  Did you enjoy the Turkey Trot?


Saturday, November 1, 2014

Grand Haven Tournament

I missed the first day of the tournament because I was teaching, and boy did I miss a lot.  There were rumors flying about marriages (all untrue, as far as I know), loud disagreements (no one got hurt), other sundry tidbits (I don't want to gossip), and, finally, some stuff about bridge.  Julie filled me in on most of this on the drive to Grand Haven Friday morning.  Funny how we used to go over bidding and bridge questions during these rides; now it seems we have other things to talk about.

When we arrived in Grand Haven, I subtly followed up on what I had learned (What?!?; I've got your back; Interesting!).  Then it was time to play.  We struggled through the first session, ending up with a 40% game.  But here's the interesting part:  We placed second in B!!  40% got us silver masterpoints!  We did better in the second session but didn't place at all.  Gotta love this game.

During the afternoon we had an interesting hand come up.  Unknown to me at the time, my bid posed a dilemma for my partner.  Tell us what you think she should have bid.

First, my perspective:  I had 10 high card points, 7 pretty good clubs and not much else, so I opened 3 clubs.  To my delight, everybody passed, I played and made it.  (A side note:  Our opponent got mad at her partner for his defense, so maybe I shouldn't have made it.  I'll have to look at the hand record.)

Now, Julie's perspective:  She also had 10 high card points.  Her cards included 6 really nice hearts (just missing the queen) and 2 clubs, one of which was an honor.  She knew we had nine clubs, obviously a good thing, but also knew it would be better to play the hand in a major--if we could.  She really wanted to bid 3 hearts, but what if I didn't have any?  Then we would end up with a minus score instead of a likely plus.  (It turns out I had queen, little of hearts.)  As you already know, she decided to pass.

Should Julie have passed my 3 clubs bid or put us in the superior contract of 3 hearts?  Do not look up this hand to see if 3 hearts makes before you answer!  I could do that myself, even though I haven't and I am kind of curious.  No, I want to know for future versions of this hand.  Should you switch your partner's opening preemptive bid from a minor to a major when you are going from a sure fit to an unknown fit?

Inquiring minds want to know.



Sunday, October 26, 2014

The devil made me do it.

I have a confession to make:  I am on speaking terms with the devil.  We're not best friends or anything like that, but he does sometimes speak to me.  And unfortunately, sometimes I listen.  This is never a good thing; take Friday night, for example.

I was playing with Lee, and as far as I could tell we were having a solid game.  Since I hadn't played for almost two weeks and was worried about being rusty, this was a relief.  Then came board #11 and the devil.  I had 14 high card points, 7 clubs and a singleton heart.  The opponents were bidding hearts and my partner was silent.  They went to two hearts; I said three clubs.  They said three hearts.  This is when the devil appeared.

Oddly enough, he (of course the devil is male) was silent.  Usually he is vocal, whispering bad ideas in my ear.  If perchance he was talking, my own voice overpowered his.  "Don't bid 4 clubs, even though you can probably make it," I said to myself.  "You'll just push them into game.  Then you'll have to bid 5 clubs, they'll double and you'll go down."  Even though the devil was silent, I could feel his presence.  "Don't do it!"  I told myself more loudly.

It was my turn to bid.  Aghast, I watched myself pull out the card to bid 4 clubs, and then, as I knew they would, watched the opponents bid 4 hearts.  I was so stunned by my bid that I just passed.  At that point I should have kept bidding all the way to 6 clubs; even going down two, doubled, would have been a better score.

But, you guessed it, the devil didn't let me.


Thursday, October 16, 2014

Not a Pleasant Surprise: Julianne's Story Part II

 Dee and I slept in and met our partners from Kalamazoo at 1 for our second go round in the knockout competition.

There were so few teams in the knockouts night that there ended up being only three sessions to determine winners.  Hence no play, no money for the coffers for night.

So someone/s decided there was a better way to run the knockouts.  They put everyone in one field.  Needless to say, we knew no handicap was going to make a difference.  The lowest team had an average point count of 390; the 5 highest teams (all with 6 players) averaged over 11,000+ points, with one team over 13,000.

We knew after the first 6 boards we were playing with one of the 11,000+ teams.  Our opponents were pleasant so it wasn't as bad as it might have been.  Yes, we were knocked out in that first round.

We talked to the director (such a nice guy) about the ridiculousness of one bracket.  He apologized and admitted he was sorry and that he realized most of us were just fodder (my word).

After that experience we did what any sensible pair would do.  We went to the bar and had some wine and got over it.

We returned to play in an abbreviated Swiss game last night.  We ended up tying the overall winners in one match and winning the other 3, coming in second in B.  One of the great aspects of bridge is that even if u do terrible in an event, there is always another opportunity to do better just a few hours later.

We had a great time with Karen Allen and Don Power from Kalamazoo.  They were the best pair to play with.  They r better players than Dee and me, but they came back to the table every time and brushed off the bad bids/play and encouraged us to move on to the next match with a positive attitude.

We had a great time.  Leaving today but heading over to Somerset Mall for some retail therapy.

Julianne

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

The Blob continues: A Message from Julianne

So we (Dee and me) r playing in Farmington Hills with team Karen and Don in knockouts.  We played in the "New England" knockouts tonight.  I think that means u have to be genteel and not swear at anyone.  Because the one guy who said a naughty word was reprimanded by the director (who danced and sang at the karaoke bar in Gatlinburg) who said, and I quote:  "u may not use that word."  We r still trying to figure what the first letter of that word was.

Back to bridge, we won 3 of 4 matches.  So live on to play another day.  Dee and I had the usual goof ups (remember we can't say certain words in this tournament.). Luckily our opponents out goofed us.

We r missing the late night parties that we like to incorporate into our more sedate times at the bridge table.  So far we have not met any other trouble makers but the week is early.

As far as our accommodations r concerned, my roommate reported we don't have any hot water.  I called the office to report that there is no hot water in our room.  The response from the desk clerk was "who don't u have in your room."  We r currently waiting for Roba (yup that's the name) to show up and bring us hot water.  I'm thinking this is not going to happen.

Oh ya did I mention we r really, really serious bridge players.  "Winning" Sheenish is all we care about.

Over and out.  Still waiting for Roba.  I am guessing tomorrow we will either pass on hygiene or do a versions of that s/s/ and shave.  Fondly, Julianne

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Superheroes

I teach English classes at the community college, and recently I had my students read a piece by Sharon Cho.  She writes about how reading comic books at a young age influenced her; not only does she have a clear conception of what a hero is and does, she aspires to be one.  This made me wonder what a Bridge Superhero would be like.

First and foremost, I thought about the costume.  Every superhero has a special outfit, and I like to think that the BS (unfortunate initials, I know) would wear something sleek.  I'm thinking Cat Woman, but maybe with spades or clubs instead of cat ears.  Of course, it might be something showier like Wonder Woman, who knows?  Lest you despair that your club doesn't have a superhero because you've never seen anyone wearing anything like either of those, let me remind you that superheroes often walk among us in disguise--think Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne.

The main role of a superhero is to help those in trouble.  There's plenty of bidding and playing trouble during a game, but the BS would be judicious in handing out advice--no one likes a know-it-all.  Also, the BS would acknowledge good bidding and playing, never saying things like "You could have made 3 spades" after being set in 4 clubs.

Most of all, the BS would leap to the defense of players whose partners are mercilessly berating them.  This usually happens because people get so wrapped up in the game that they don't realize what they sound like; a reminder from the BS would set things right.

In addition to the type of courage it takes to speak up in defense of another, the BS would have bridge courage as well. Julie and I had a bad game Friday night, and after analyzing what went wrong we decided that we should have had the courage to bid more aggressively.  Of course you have to know when to jump to 3NT and when not to jump to 6NT (you know who you are).

In closing, every club has hidden superheroes.  To find them, just imagine what they might look like in costume--or look for kindness and courage.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Road Trip

I am suffering this semester.  I am teaching my first choice of classes and have wonderful students, but for the first time since I started playing bridge my schedule doesn't allow me to play during the week.  I'm playing most Mondays and sometimes on Fridays, but the last time I played was 10 days ago.  Time for a road trip!

Julie and I drove to Kalamazoo, where she regularly plays on Tuesdays (this was a Friday).  As we entered the club, Starbucks mochas in hand, Julie surveyed the room.  "Hmm," she said with a puzzled frown.  "I don't see many of the people who are usually here."

"Maybe they're at the tournament," I helpfully offered.

"Maybe," Julie conceded as we checked in and sat down.

Unlike Julie, I know very few people at this bridge club, but I immediately liked our first opponents, Jim and John.  That may have had something to do with the way they greeted us:  "Two beautiful ladies are joining us!" one said while the other nodded in agreement and smiled.

We had time for a pleasant chat before the game began, which ended with Julie giving the pair some advice.  "You should open a restaurant," she said.  "You could call it..."

"Jimmy Johns!" Jim said as we all chuckled.

Later during the game we encountered another pair of gentlemen, but this time there was no laughing; there seldom is when bidding communication breaks down.  Here's what happened.

North opened 1 NT.  I had opening and 6 nice diamonds, so I doubled (DONT).  South passed and Julie bid 2 clubs, just as she was supposed to do. North passed, I bid my diamonds and sat back, expecting to get the bid.  To my surprise, South then bid 2 hearts.  Julie passed, and then I got another surprise--North said "transfer" and bid 2 spades.  I thought it was odd, but as I had only one spade I believed him.  Since Julie didn't support my diamonds and we were vulnerable, I passed and the contract was 2 spades in the North.

When dummy came down we all saw that South's heart bid had been natural.  "This is terrible!" North exclaimed.  "Your bid was a transfer!"

"It couldn't have been a transfer," South countered.  "There were two bids in between."

Julie looked at me and quietly asked how I would have interpreted the bid.  "I would think it's natural," I said.  "But maybe it's a partnership agreement."

"Well, if I made a mistake you should have corrected and gone back to hearts.  This is terrible!" North said again.

"I don't know if I can ethically do that," South said.

"I think you can," the rest of us replied.

We proceeded to play the hand, with Julie of course holding almost all of the spades.  Later, Julie and I talked about partnership agreements and conventional play.  We are both playing more with other partners these days, and partnership agreements that are different from regular play can sometimes get you into trouble.  This case, though, seemed like simple miscommunication.  Also, it's not using unauthorized information, is it, to correct a partner's bid?  When is it unethical to do so?




Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Newcomer Bliss

When I first signed up for bridge classes over 5 years ago, I thought that 6 weeks was an excessive amount of time to learn how to play a card game, even a supposedly complicated one.  "Oh well," I thought at the time,  "At least I'll be an expert when I'm done."  Now I know that even 5 years of almost constant playing is a drop in the bucket of bridge expertise.  Even so, I have learned a lot since those first lessons, but oddly enough there are things about being a Newcomer that I miss.

I miss those huge advances in learning.  For example, one time Gigi sat in for someone in the Newcomer game and after a hand that involved a no trump opening, she kindly explained about transfers. Wow!  What a concept! What I don't miss, though, are times like the one when my partner (yes, it was Julie) missed my transfer and I was so dumbfounded that I left her bid in.  Down a bizzillion.  Now when I learn something new it seems excessively complicated--and by the time it comes up during play, I've forgotten how it works.  

I miss the constant encouragement.  People used to tell me how good I was doing, how amazed they were that I'd only been playing for a short time.  People I didn't even know yet would make a point of seeking me out after a good game (good being a relative term).  Now I need a game in the 60's to get any notice, and then it's mostly just my partner offering congratulations.  I feel like a middle child.  Actually, I think we should all be more complimentary and encouraging of each other.

I miss being happy with "bad" scores. It used to be exciting to have games in the mid to high 40's.  I remember Bob giving us pep talks ("You should try to be at 50%" he would tell us.  "We are trying!" I would reply.)  Now I am often at around 50%.  Well, what's wrong with that?  you might ask.  What's wrong is not the 50%, but how much harder it is to get to the high 50's and 60 than it was to get to the high 40's and 50.  And how much more awful it is to drop into the 30's.

I miss not being aware of stupid mistakes. There's something fun about not knowing exactly how stupid your bidding or play is, especially when you get a good score.  Now I (usually?) know when I've down something stupid, and it haunts me even if the score turns out okay.

Most of all, I miss the illusion that I could be a bridge prodigy.  It's not hard to become an expert in most card games, and at first I thought I could master bridge.  Now I know that even though I will continue to improve, mastery isn't going to happen. If only I had started playing when I was 5 years old, maybe I would have had a chance.




Monday, September 8, 2014

New Vocab

As we were preparing for Swiss Teams (I don't understand how I keep getting roped into these), we found out that we would be in a round robin with two other teams.  As I stood around waiting, I noticed that Mike was loitering near by.

"Are you part of this, this trio?" I asked.  I couldn't think of "round robin," even though it popped right out as I write this.

"Yes," Mike replied.  "But don't call it a trio, it's not a musical group.  It's a three-way or a rat tail," he explained with a laugh.

I thought about these terms.  Without going into why, I don't care for the sound of a bridge three-way.  On the other hand, I detest rats and I certainly don't like their tails.  Perfect!  From now on, Swiss Team round robins are "rat tails" to me.

The other term that I learned is "field protection."  I was talking to a new friend and he said that they had placed in the first pairs game, but came in dead last in the second game.  When I asked him what happened, he said there was no field protection.  He explained that it was impossible to predict what other players were doing since there were newbys as well as seasoned players.  I thought about it and agreed.  At the home club, I have a pretty good sense of what everyone else is doing; here, I made some predictions that turned out badly.  Interesting.

And if you are wondering about how short suit game try bids are going, they aren't.  They never came up!  Plus, Jim sent me some reading material and they are more complicated than you might think.  Maybe I should go back to my original list and learn splinter bids instead.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

CCT Day 2

The tradition continues...I suddenly remembered that last year we did not do well in this tournament. Nothing has changed, except now we are B players. To be honest, it wouldn't be good even if we were in the C category. But as Dee keeps telling me, "But we're having fun!" Indeed we are.  Beautiful setting, good friends, hanging out in Traverse City, and best of all: Bridge!

I learned a new bid during the last round of the last game of the day. I know there is still a LOT I  need to learn and this bid does not fall into the need-to-know category, but I like it anyway. Here's what happened.

My LHO opened a spade, his partner bid 2 spades, and he rebid 2 NT.

"Alert."

I looked at him inquiringly. I had never seen tbis bid before.

"Short suit help try. I'm required to bid 3 clubs." He proceeded with the bidding.

"Wait," I said. "What does that mean?" Inquiring minds want to know.

He explained that his partner would then bid his singleton (a diamond) and then he would decide if he should go to game. Well, he went to game and they made it.

"Dee!" I exclaimed. "Let's start using this bid!"

"Okay," she said agreeably.

"Without talking about it," our opponent said disbelievingly. That's how we roll.

P.S. I was telling Mike about this miraculous new bid and he hesitatingly told me that its success rate was not very good.  He felt bad about bursting my bubble, but I am not so easily deterred. Hopefully it will come up today!




Saturday, September 6, 2014

Cherry Capital Sectional

I don't sleep in tents or on the ground.  I don' t spend the night in trailers on things that come out of the wall. I don't go outside to use the bathroom. I don't camp.

And yet here I am at a YMCA camp on Lake Arbutus outside of Traverse City.  I am here to play bridge, like lots of other people.  But like only a few other intrepid souls, I am also staying on site.  I think you could say that I am camping!

Dee and I are sharing a dorm with another bridge pair. There are probably 20 bunk beds in our room; one end leads into a hallway with a bathroom, including showers (thank goodness!) and the other has a door leading onto a deck with a view of the lake.  Two friends are staying in another dormer and two more lucky players got the private staff room.

This may not sound like we're roughing it, especially since we have staff waiting on us, but we did have to bring our own wine!

Yes, I said I am here with Dee. We both regularly partner with Julie, but Julie is not here. "You couldn't pay me to stay in a dorm!" she declared. So Julie is back in Grand Rapids, communicating via text messages.


Stay tuned for bridge updates!

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Double Trouble

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

I wonder if Shakespeare played bridge; either way, I couldn't have said it better.  Last night's game again saw me in double trouble--us doubling them and them doubling us, along with the director thrown in a couple of times for good measure.  Holy cow, there was a lot of doubling going on!  And not in a good way.

However, the story I am going to tell you has a doubly good ending since it highlights the integrity of our opponent and we had a positive result.  If I was more creative and had more time, I would write it in iambic pentameter.  As it is, you will have to read the story in plain prose.

My RHO opened a club, I passed, LHO bid a spade.  My partner then overcalled 2 diamonds.  I kind of liked this, since I had 10 highs and 3 diamonds.  I was engaged in a lively internal discussion regarding the merits of cue bidding vs a simple 3 diamond bid when RHO doubled.  This stopped me in my tracks.

The meaning of this double is probably quite clear to you, but at our table it was a mystery to everyone except the doubler.  Is it for penalty?  I wondered.  If so, I should pass and we'll make it.  Is it for the unbid suit?  If LHO had hearts, wouldn't she have bid up the line?  Unless she's 5-4?  I decided to hedge my bets and pass; I can always come in later, I thought.  LHO bid 2 hearts, and my questions were (supposedly) answered.  My partner, thinking I had nothing, passed.  As I was preparing to enter the action with my 3 diamond bid (I had decided that cue bidding at this point was a bad idea), RHO again surprised me by bidding 3 hearts.  I hesitated and then unhappily bid 4 diamonds.  This time we all knew the ensuing double was for penalty.

My partner made a valiant effort but went down 2 (doubled, of course).  This is when RHO surprised me yet again by calling the director (who was busy at the moment).  It seems that his original double was a support double, indicating that he had 3 spades.  Ahh, we all said.  He asked if I would I have bid differently had I known this.  Yes, I answered.  If I had been sure that it wasn't a penalty double, I would have bid 3 diamonds at that point.  Then everyone would have passed, we decided, and there would not have been a penalty double.  We would have been down one.  That's how he scored it, a decision which was later blessed by the director.  It turned out to be a top board for us.

Sadly there are those who try to get away with things, such as waiting until the cards are all picked up to disagree with the result, or walking past players and peaking at cards.  However, this incident reminds me that there are also players with integrity and competitive spirits that truly honor the game.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Luck

"Is there any luck involved when you play bridge?" Rosie asked.  We were having lunch on the deck of Gypsy Nickel, overlooking the Muskegon River as it flowed through Big Rapids.  This was the city of my first teaching job, and Rosie, though only one year older than me, was my first principal.  She lives in Cadillac now, and we get together at least once every summer.

"No," was my quick reply.  "But there is with social bridge."  I valiantly tried to explain the difference, describing how north/south remain stationary and east/west move in one direction while the boards go the opposite way.  Even though Rosie's eyes did not glaze over and she even nodded encouragingly, I did not think she really understood.  I remembered when I learned of this set-up in my bridge class; it made absolutely no sense to me until I saw it in action.  Since this was unlikely to happen for Rosie, who didn't even play simple card games, I cut short my explanation.

"My mother-in-law played bridge in a club; was that duplicate or social?" she wondered.

"Could have been either," I replied.  Emboldened by her interest, I amended my first answer.  "And actually, there is a kind of luck involved with duplicate, but it has more to do with the players than the cards."

Case in point:  Thursday afternoon, board 15.  North (Jim) opened 2 clubs; with my two jacks, I passed and south bid 2 diamonds.  Julie turned to Jim.  "What do you play?"

Jim hesitated and then said, "I don't know.  Probably waiting."  Julie passed and Jim bid 3 NT.

I don't recall exactly what happened next, but they ended up in 6 NT making 7.  Two other north/south partners were in the same contract, which means that if we had been playing against any one of 10 other partners when that board came up, we wouldn't have gotten a "1".  That's an example of where luck comes in.

It may sound as though I am complaining, but I know that I often have "good luck" at the tables as well. It's all part of the game.


Thursday, August 21, 2014

Doubles

Doubles continue to be the bane of my existence, especially when I play with someone new.  I know the definitions and theoretical applications of all sorts of doubles--take out, penalty, support, stolen bid, negative, responsive--but sometimes the real life application gets away from me.  

Yesterday I played with John.  We've played together a couple of times before, but since he's a much better player than I am, I was on alert and determined not to embarrass myself.  I thought about wearing my new straw hat, since John had purchased and worn one in Las Vegas, but I decided against it since it seems to be more of an outdoor thing.  Between John and Steve (my Las Vegas partner), straw hats now do remind me of bridge, so one of these days I may wear it.

Anyway, there came a time in the game when the opponents bid 2 spades and John doubled.  Julie, I know, almost never does a penalty double at the 2 level; Cristi, however, often does.  Which was this?  The longer I thought, the more nervous I imagined my partner was getting.  Excessive thinking usually means the wrong decision is coming, and I did not disappoint.  I bid at the 3 level, my partner went to 4; I played it and went down horribly (although it was not a 0).

Oh--I should probably mention the bidding that went on that led to this point.  John opened 1 NT; I bid 2 diamonds as a transfer to hearts; the opponents bid 2 spades; John doubled.  I realize now that when a double doesn't make any sense, as in what in the world does he expect me to bid, it is most likely for penalty.  With a different bidding sequence, it could also be a support double--something that I missed later in the game.  In my defense, such as it is, in the past A players have told me that if I don't understand their bid, bid anything but just don't pass.  John, however, has never said that to me.

To end on a positive note, my issues with doubles did not keep us from having a good game; we came in first in our section.






Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Playing Badly?

There was a lot of talk after the game yesterday about how it feels to play badly.  In a nutshell:  not good.  Thankfully, my contributions to this conversation, which took place over adult beverages at a local water hole, were not based on the game we had just completed.  I was quite pleased with the evening's result, even though, as usual, there were things I wished I had done differently.

"I don't get upset with my partner if she makes a mistake," I said.  "Everyone does the best they can, and it doesn't help anyone's game when they get criticized or yelled at."  While this statement seems obvious, common sense is sometimes sacrificed in the heat of the game.  Duplicate bridge players are by nature competitive, and we all want to "win."  That said, most people are actually quite restrained and encouraging, given what their partners sometimes do.

"I just get really mad at myself," Julie contributed.  "I hate it when I play badly."  Even though everyone knows they should put mistakes behind them and focus on the current hand, I find that difficult to do.  If I overbid and the results are disastrous, I try to not do that again and thus might underbid.  There's a balance between learning from your mistakes and letting mistakes rule your game; it's not always easy to walk that line.

"I buy chicken quesadillas for the table," Dee stated with a smile.  This was quite possibly the most insightful comment of the evening.  Food almost always makes things better, I reflected as I reached for a piece of cheesy goodness.

Any comments?

Thursday, August 14, 2014

A Letter From Julie: Fun in the Sun????

Hi all u bridge addicts,

Well it's another regional tournament in Petoskey, MI.  For those of u unable to get to this tournament in beautiful northern Michigan, no need to be jealous.  Yesterday it was 59 degrees, and we were all thinking the "s" word.  Yes, SNOW.

We had the first excitement of the tournament yesterday.  We were playing in Stratified Choice Pairs.  Cristi and Barb were in one section; Dee and I were right next door, but in another section.

Midway through the game, a mopsy top looking man and an elderly woman (OMG, that could be so many of us) sat down at our table.  He was a bit of a mumbler.  In fact Dee asked him what he said.  Neither one of us could understand his answer.  The first contract was 2nt, played by me.  I went down 1.  Durn.  The second contract put our opponents in 3nt.  I had a feeling I could set it.  And I did.  As they were leaving our table, Dee noticed the name on the convention card, Cappelletti.  No way.  Yup.  I had just set Mike C.  Well to be honest, his partner played the hand.  But it's my story, and I am sticking to setting the Cappelletti team.

Equally as exciting, Cristi and Barb find themselves playing against Jeff Meckstroth and his wife.  Really, Jeff Meckstroth.  The Meckstroth's end up in a 4 spades contract (doubled by Cristi) (redoubled by Jeff).  And what did "our girl" do, she set it!!!!!  Jeff, nonplussed by the results, bolted out of his chair, leaving Mrs. Meckstroth to take care of herself.  BTW, she played the contract.  I mean does it get any better than this for humble B/C players from the Western Michigan Bridge Club.

BYE for now.  Julianne Boggiano

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Reminiscing

As you may recall, about a year after I started playing bridge I got my brother involved in the game.  He's become a dedicated player, reading and studying and playing several times a week.  Today was one of those rare occasions when we partnered up for a game.  Since I've been playing longer, I am the "expert" of the partnership; it's fun to tell him what he did wrong!

One hand reminded me of how far Ed's bidding has come.  One of the first times we played I had opened a major and even though he had 5 of my suit he didn't go to game.  I don't remember the details, but it was not a good board.  Of course we briefly talked about it between rounds, and shortly afterwards the opponents opened a diamond and I overcalled a spade.  Ed triumphantly bid 4 spades...needless to say, it was not pretty.  "But you said that's what I'm supposed to do when I have 5 of your suit!" Ed later protested.  "When I open, not when I overcall;  I only had 9 points!" I calmly explained.

I am happy to report that the situation came up today and Ed bid it correctly.

Lest you think that I am picking on my brother, I also remember several situations when Julie and I started playing that now make me roll my eyes.  One time she opened 1 NT, I bid 2 hearts as a transfer and she bid 4 hearts.  I was so stunned that instead of correcting to 4 spades I passed!  And once we started asking for aces, looking for slam, there was no stopping us...because we didn't know how to stop.  I remember landing in 7 NT, only stopping there because there was no place left to go.

Speaking of Julie, she is playing in the regional tournament in Petoskey this week.  She promised she would write updates on the blog, and although she's called me, I'm still waiting for an entry.  So until she writes, maybe some other tournament players could respond to this entry and fill us in on what's happening. Are you having fun yet?



Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Clubs and Diamonds

West was the dealer and passed; I was North and also passed.  East opened a diamond and my partner overcalled 2 clubs.  This was very exciting for me since my hand was distributional with 5 clubs, and, I was sure, worth much more than its sad little 8 points would indicate.  West jumped into the bidding with 2 diamonds and then it was my turn again.

What to bid?  I was 5-5 in clubs and spades with a singleton diamond and 2 hearts.  3 clubs didn't seem to tell the story.  I didn't want to jump to 4 clubs because that would mean I was weak; plus, I was playing with a new partner and nobody likes to see a bid of 4 clubs (or diamonds) across the table.  (I wanted to stay on her good side).  5 clubs seemed excessive; after all, I only had 8 points.  Then all of a sudden it came to me...I could cue bid the diamonds!  I needed at least 10 points to do that, and if I counted the singleton queen as 3, that brought me up to 9.  And I had 5 of her suit!  Problem solved, I thought, and bid 3 diamonds.

East, to my astonishment, promptly bid 4 diamonds.  I waited to see if my partner would bid 5 clubs...but no, she doubled instead.  Uh oh, I thought.  She thinks my hand is much better than it is; she doesn't know that unless we're in clubs it's not worth much.  Should I get her out of it and bid 5 clubs?  I decided to pass.

What happened next is not important.  What is important is the question of how to value a distributional hand.  I often feel like Goldilocks when dealt this type of hand...sometimes I overvalue it, sometimes I undervalue it, and sometimes I get it just right.  Today's game was full of these types of hands, and  I blame the automatic shuffler/dealer for this, even though The Bridge Bulletin says that I shouldn't.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Fixes

When I first started playing bridge, I would sometimes inadvertently "fix" my opponents--I thought it was just luck when things turned out in my favor.  Now that I've been playing for awhile, I still think it's luck--good luck if my partner and I make a mistake and get a high board, bad luck if the opponents do it to us.

Yesterday evening I had some bad luck.

The Monday game started out on a good note.  Then there came a time when East opened 1NT.  Julie passed and West bid 2 Spades, a transfer to clubs.  I was North, and was sorely tempted to bid my nice hearts; after all, I had opening.  But not only were we vulnerable, we also play DONT, so I obediently passed.  East accepted the transfer and West corrected to Diamonds.  All passed, the opening lead was made, and dummy came down.

It took a moment to register what East meant when he said, "Partner, I forgot to tell you that we're playing 11-14  No Trump."  I looked at dummy more closely and realized that there were 11 high card points, not 15-17.  Julie and I looked at our opponents, baffled.

"What is he talking about?" Julie asked.

"Obviously he miscounted his cards," West replied with a good natured grin.

We proceeded to play, and at the end of the hand our opponents were down 2.  This was small consolation since we had game our way; indeed, we discovered later that this was a bottom board.

"I think we were injured," Julie calmly said.

"You can call the director if you want, but I responded as if he had a 15-17 No Trump hand," West explained.  "It could just as easily have gone the other way and we would have been the ones injured."

Like I said, bad luck.  Don't you hate getting fixed?




Sunday, July 27, 2014

LV: Friday, Day 5

My trip home was less eventful than my trip to the tournament, which was good since it was an early flight.  This time, finding my way was easy...I just followed John and Joanne to their rental car (we were on the same flight).  Getting up at 4:00 in the morning wasn't as hard as you might think, even though I was up past midnight the night before.  Julie, not a morning person, says that I am "shot out of a cannon" when I get up; I suspect I was a bit chatty for the Molts, but at least they didn't ignore me.

You may be wondering what happened to Day 4 of my trip; instead of playing bridge, I spent the day just playing.  I went to the pool, but not for long since lukewarm water doesn't do much to cool you off when it's 110 degrees.  I played blackjack, with its endless cycle of losing and winning and losing, finally stopping when I was more or less even.  I went to see "O", the water based Cirque show, which was fantastic. I ate and drank, as you are supposed to do in Las Vegas.

You may also be wondering how Amadeus fared during my absence.  My brother was in charge and called to tell me that he (the cat, not Ed) was depressed (indicated by a full food bowl) and angry (indicated by aggression toward a lamp which was found on the floor with a broken shade).  I was not alarmed because I knew Amadeus would eat when he got hungry enough.  I also suspected that the lamp incident was caused by Ed having a few drinks and then dancing around the room with the lampshade on his head.

I did learn a few things at this tournament:
Paris serves good champagne at the gaming tables, but most other casinos don't.
"Leaping Michaels" is a great bid, although it only comes up once every 5 years or so.
There are a lot of freaks downtown.
You can meet really nice and interesting people at the partnership desk.
Asking for a free room upgrade can get you a suite at no extra charge!!
A lot of people don't seem to know standard responses to take out doubles.
Going to a tournament by yourself can be fun, especially when you know people there.



Saturday, July 26, 2014

LV: Wednesday, Day 3

I don't like playing Swiss Teams.  In fact, awhile ago I had decided not to play in them anymore but somehow I still end up at the table with teammates. This time I was playing with my new best friend Steve and two sisters from California (originally from New York) that Steve had picked up at the partnership desk.  We quickly discovered that we all liked each other and started having fun.  With a team salute I was elected Captain (Steve didn't want the honors and the sisters were somewhat new to Swiss) and the games were on.

We played 8 rounds of 6 boards each.  We started out strong, way ahead of the pack.  Of course that put us up against increasingly tougher teams, and we started to slide.  In the end we won half of the rounds and got a pittance of MPs.  However, we did have fun and there were some interesting hands.  Here's how the bidding went on one memorable board:

I had nothing, so I passed.  East bid 1 heart and my partner overcalled 1 spade.  Hmm, I thought, I guess I could bid 2 spades; my hand wasn't quite worth the bid, but we weren't vulnerable and the opponents were.  Then West bid 2 spades, effectively stealing my bid and communicating support for her partner's hearts.  I passed and to my utter delight and amazement, East bid 4 spades.  My partner calmly passed, as did West.  Just then East noticed what had happened.

"Oh no!  That's not what I meant to bid!  Obviously I meant 4 hearts!  Can I take it back?"

"I didn't even look at what you had bid!!" West chimed in. "Oh my God."

Steve and I remained calm.  "It's too late," we both said.  "But you can ask a director."  East did call the director, who confirmed that since her partner had bid, her bid of 4 spades had to stand.  Everyone started to gather up their bidding cards.

"Wait a minute, folks," I admonished.  "I still have a bid."  With a murmur, everyone put their bidding cards back on the table.  Yes, I was thinking of doubling but wondering if that would be too cruel.  What the heck, I decided, starting to reach for the X.   Later Steve confessed that at this point his heart stopped and he silently shouted "No No NO!" I must have heard him, because somehow I suddenly realized that my double would give the opponents another bid and allow them to switch back to hearts.  I smoothly reached for the green pass card instead and the bidding was over.

Our opponents went down seven, vulnerable, while our partners made game for 620; this won us the round. I guess there are some parts of Swiss Teams that I do like.






Wednesday, July 23, 2014

LV: Tuesday, Day 2

"I'm wearing a brown skirt and white top," I told my new partner on the phone.

"I'll be wearing a straw hat and Hawaiian shirt," was his response.  "See you in half an hour."

As I disconnected my phone I wondered if I had heard correctly. Did he really just say "straw hat"? Probably not, I decided, but that's okay, he should be able to spot me.

I arrived at our prearranged location a little early and started to eyeball unaccompanied men, trying to figure out which one was Steve.  By now I was also doubting the Hawaiian shirt, so he could be anyone. Men started eyeballing me back, some appearing a bit uncomfortable. I need to be more subtle, I thought, and so I approached a likely candidate.

"Are you Steve?" I inquired.

"No," he replied with a grin, and stopped to chat for a moment. Vegas is a friendly place.

Shortly after he left I heard a hearty "Hello!" coming from behind me. I turned and immediately knew that this was Steve. Yes, he had a straw hat perched on the back of his head and was wearing that Hawaiian shirt. We hit it off right sway.

Steve and I played in the Gold Rush pairs. The first game found us adjusting and learning about each other, bridge related and otherwise. Steve lives in DC and people ask him what he does there.

"I work for the FDA," he tells them.

"He's a taste tester," I add to his great amusement.

In terms of bridge, our first game was okay, but our second one much better. We came in first in our section, earning red points and T shirts. Steve has talked me into playing Gold Rush Swiss Teams on Wednesday. He assures me that we will get gold there--stay tuned to find out if he's right.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

LV: Monday, Day 1

Arriving at the airport, I confidently found my way to "ground transportation." I had read in the bridge bulletin to go to the island where the vans were. I was to tell them I was with the ACBL and without so much as a reservation (but with some cash), I would be whisked away to my hotel.

The first problem was finding the vans. "I think you have to go down to level zero," the shuttle guy told me. So down I went to this ominous sounding place; but where were the vans? Just as i was about to give up I spotted them across the way. I trotted over in the 100 degree heat and then encountered my second problem: there was no one to tell that I was with the ACBL. But not to worry, I spotted a Hilton van dropping someone off. I eagerly approached him.

"Can I get a ride to the hotel? I'm with the bridge tournament."

"Do you have a reservation?" the driver asked as he checked a sheet of paper.

"No, but they said I didn't need one."

"Everybody needs a reservation," he told me with a baffled look. (Problem #3)

"Can I get a ride anyway? I see you're from the Wingate Hilton and that's where I'm staying."

"Sure, I couldn't leave you behind!" With a smile he put my luggage in the back and me in the front. "You're going to Henderson, right? Just want to make sure." (Narrowly missed Problem #4)

Not only was I not going to Henderson, I wasn't staying at the Wingate--my hotel, I belatedly remembered, was the Westgate. After waiting, trying a couple of other vans, and calling the hotel in vain, I abandoned level zero and got on a shuttle. That went much smoother, since it appeared that I was the driver's favorite. "You're my B-A-B," he stated with a jovial laugh. I pressed the issue and asked if I could get dropped off first. "Of course, you're my B-A-B!" While I am a bit curious as to what those letters mean, the main thing is that he did drop me off first.

So began my first day in Vegas. I didn't play any bridge, that starts for me on Tuesday. I did meet some interesting people, though, and had some fun.  You didn't expect to read any of those details, did you?!

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Finding a Partner

First I asked Julie.  It took some convincing, because although she might seem to be a Sin City kind of girl, turns out she's not.  "It'll be fun," I said.  "You don't have to gamble," I added.  "And we have so much more experience now, we'll do so much better than we did last time."  Julie was weakening, so I threw out the clincher:  "Everybody will be going."

Julie finally agreed to be my partner at the Las Vegas Nationals.  But then she made plans with two of her sisters to visit Paris in June, and she didn't want to take two trips in one summer.

"Sorry," she said.

"That's okay, I understand," I replied.

Next I asked Cristi, who is my other regular partner.  Turns out she is a Sin City kind of girl and did not need convincing. "I'm going to have my sisters meet us there.  There's so much to do besides bridge!  Is that okay with you?"  Not only was it okay, but I was excited to have "permission" to play Blackjack. I was looking forward to having fun, fun, fun, until . . .

Turns out there's a river cruise that starts in Amsterdam and goes to Budapest.  Cristi and her husband decided to take it, and of course it was happening at the same time as the Nationals.

"Sorry," she said.

"That's okay, I understand," I replied.

Then I asked Lee.  We've had just a few games together, but we get along nicely and enjoy playing together.  She agreed and we made our plans, including booking some games to make sure we were in sync.  Then a family obligation forced her to cancel.

"Sorry," she said.

"That's okay, I understand," I replied.

Still determined to go to Las Vegas, I looked online for a partner.  The acbl site has a nice system for that, and I quickly found someone who seemed compatible.  All set!  I thought.  And then I got an email stating that she was so sorry, but a friend had signed her up for knockouts and she wouldn't be able to play with me after all.

"That's okay, I understand," I emailed back.

At this point someone else might have given up, thinking the universe was sending a message to stay home.  But I am made of tougher stuff, and I persevered.  I found another partner online and he quickly named several conventions that he played.  Even though I am unfamiliar with them, my first instinct was to say YES, I play those!  (At this point I'll agree to just about anything to get a partner; after all, I still have two days to learn something new.) Then I heard Bob's voice saying, "Don't let anyone talk you into playing something you aren't comfortable with," so I slept on it.  I am going to email my new potential partner the truth and see what happens.

The odds are not in favor of my having a partner before I get there, but Vegas is all about beating the odds and I am a Sin City kind of girl!