Home Again

Our journey is over and we are back in Michigan. Following are the answers to some questions that you may have.

What did you think of Philadelphia?

The City of Brotherly Love was great! It is an attractive and interesting city, with lots to see and do.

Is it possible for two people to talk for over 12 hours straight without running out of things to say?

Yes, not only is it possible but we did it twice--there and back--and talked all day and half of the night for several days as well. We talked about people (lowest form of conversation), things (bridge), and ideas (highest level of conversation). We did it all.

Did you get any gold?

No, although we did get some red. It would have been nice, but our decision to go to Philly was about the experience, not the points.

What did you experience?

We met a lot of people from Jersey as well as other places and played against some tough competition. I finally saw the set-up for top players in games where they use screens. We met a very funny director who told jokes. We saw the sights (museums, fountains, liberty bell, etc.) and ate at great restaurants. We were part of the Nationals!

What did you learn?

Some of what I learned is hard to put into words. Playing so much bridge with the same person advances the partnership and our game--more things become automatic, more flaws are uncovered and theoretically repaired, more practice simply makes for better bidding and play. A couple of specific things I learned is that I will no longer go to no trump with only one stopper in the opponents' suit, and I will not undervalue a distributional hand. (By the end I was successfully going to game based on the shape of my hand and not the points.)

Will you go to another National?

Of course! I'm especially looking forward to Las Vegas in a couple of years.

Now that you are home, will you continue to write on your blog?

Probably not for awhile. I have three other writing projects in the works that need my time and attention. That said, however, Julie has become quite enamored of writing and so she (or we) will write from time to time. Also, Mike plans to write more. So stay tuned! In the meantime, play good bridge.

A Comment From Julianne About Partnerships

At one of the tables, a father and son were playing together. The son got annoyed at the father and voiced his displeasure. The father admonished the son that losing his temper was not going to change the outcome and, in essence, was a waste of energy. The son shot back that the father needed to trust the son's bidding. TRUST, another essential component of a successful partnership. Out of the mouths of babes!!!!

Last Night in Philly

Our last night in Philadelphia included a stop at a wine bar on Thirteenth Street. Temperatures were in the 90s even late in the day, but since there was a 30 minute wait for an indoor table Julie, Lee, Mike, and I sat outside for awhile. Unfortunately Julie sat on top of a grate that periodically blasted hot air. With the words, "I can't take any more of this!" Julie stood up and took off a layer of clothing. Suffice it to say that heads turned.

To return to bridge, we had a rough morning mentally. We seemed to be playing and defending okay, but our bidding was off and we did not get to game contracts. We were prepared for a low score, but to our surprise and delight we were above 50% and got more red points. In contrast, we were very pleased with our game in the afternoon session but in the end did not do that well.

It's more fun to think you're doing badly and end up with a good score than the other way around.

THE NATURE OF A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP

I have been commissioned to blog again tonight. So what that means is "I will write, without pay and benefit of any material reward and be happy that I have been afforded the opportunity to appear in print." Thank you, Margaret.

One of the things I have been thinking about is the nature of partnerships and the need to honor the partnership by honoring your partner. So there r times when things are not going well, and the easy response is to blame your partner. But if u value the relationship with your partner and want to continue to learn and grow with that person, you find ways to laugh off crazy bidding and the playing of a hand. And u always leave the table to talk about suggestions for a more productive bid or play. Bridge partnerships need to be treated like any relationship that is important to you. You don't want to hold back and be resentful, but you want to find ways to communicate in a way that adds value to the partnership. We all know (because my mom used to tell me this) that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. And not to worry, Margaret and I both believe this so I am just stating a blinding flash of the obvious.

Now on a sillier note, Margaret and I were standing in front of our hotel listening to two young men play the guitar and sing. Margaret and I couldn't quite rememeber the name of the song, but we both liked it and remembered it from some time ago. Finally I said to her, I think the name of the song is: Under the Bridge. Margaret said, "Why do u think that is the name of that song?" To which I replied, "I think that is the name because they keep repeating those lyrics." So after the song ended, Margaret went up and asked them the name of the song. She was somewhat surprised when they said, Under The Bridge. She turned to me and asked, "how did u know that?" I suggested to Margaret that bridge requires us to be logical, and I think all the experience with thinking logically with bridge this past week in Philly, brought me to a place to be able to get the name of that song. Hey, I said it was going to be silly and a little inane.

I think this is my last entry for this trip. So good night, Mrs. Kalabash, wherever u r. And thanks Margaret for being such a great partner and good friend. And, of course, I am thrilled that you make me write entries on our trips!!!

Gold Rush I

Two friends from Grand Rapids joined us today. Lee and Mike drove in yesterday and also played in the Gold Rush pairs; we all agreed that there was no need for me to post any of our results. However, Julie and I were getting our groove back in the afternoon session and are hoping for better things tomorrow.

I do have a bidding question; here's what happened. I held 13 HCPs with 5 hearts and opened 1 heart. Julie bid Jacoby 2NT, I bid 4 hearts, everyone passed. When dummy came down, I saw that Julie had 4 hearts and 11 HCPs; she had counted a doubleton for an extra point to get to her bid. I went down one, although I saw later that which much more careful play I could have made it.

Here's the question: Was Jacoby 2NT the appropriate bid, or would 3 hearts (limit raise) have been better? I just don't know; I would have passed 3 hearts and made my contract, but I should have been able to make 4. (But that's neither here nor there in terms of what is the correct bid.)

After the second session, Julie and I went out with Mike and Lee for a wonderful dinner at an Italian restaurant. Afterwards, we invited them to join us at the Goodwill party. (It had nothing to do with the charity, which is what some of us thought at first.) Our new Indian friend had told us about it, and while we didn't know what time it started we figured 8:00 would work. Mike and Lee declined and admonished us to behave ourselves so we would feel good for Gold Rush II. We said we would try but could make no promises.

Alas, by the time we got there the party was over. On to Plan B, which is me typing on the blog and Julie texting on her phone. Let's see if I can get her to write something . . .

Guess not.

A Bridge Story

Our names are in print, although unfortunately they did not want to take our picture. Maybe after tonight's game . . . Julie is washing her hair just in case. Anyway, I wanted to tell you about one of the boards from this game. Two men sat down at our table, and right away I could tell that East was in charge. He offered his partner advice in a rather condescending tone, although they seemed to be good friends. On the last board that we played with them, East opened the bidding with 1 heart. West said 2NT and East said 4 hearts; Julie and I just passed. With the contract set at 4 hearts, East proceeded to make 6. This is when the discussion got interesting.

"I had 15 points, maybe I should have just bid 4N instead of Jacoby 2N," West said.

"Well, then at least we could have looked for slam," East said. "All I had was a minimum opening hand."

"Or should I have said 4N after you bid 4 hearts?" West continued.

"Oh, definitely," East agreed. I think he might be from Jersey, I said to myself. I was trying to keep quiet and stay out of it.

"Let's look at your hand," Julie said.

Since we had finished the round early, West took out his cards and we all studied them. He had 4 card heart support, two doubletons, and 15 HCPs. East again said that it would have been up to West to take them to slam, and that he probably should have just bid 4N in response to the 1 heart opening.

"What would you have done?" West look inquiringly at me. That's all the encouragement I needed to jump into the conversation.

"Your 2NT bid was fine," I said. "That way you share information and learn more about each other's hands."

As we continued to analyze his hand, East pulled out his cards. "All I have is a bare opening," he said again. "Plus this singleton."

Julie and I sat up straight as if electrocuted. We looked at each other and then at East.

"You should have bid your singleton," I said.

"No, I had to tell my partner my point count." East was adamant. "I wouldn't bid a singleton."

"Well, that's standard for Jacoby 2NT," I continued. He was not convinced, and said he was going to look it up later. But then I explained how the bidding should have gone and how easily they would have gotten to slam, since the fit with his partner would have been obvious. He finally believed me.

"So this was all my fault," East lamented.

"No, it's nobody's fault," said his supportive partner.

"Yes, it really was your fault," Julie stated matter of factly. The three of us looked at her and we all burst into laughter while half of the room turned and shushed us.

This was the only pair so far at the tournament who has asked us for any advice. The pair from Stanford who came in first, as well as the pair from Harvard, didn't seem to need our help.

THE MORNING AFTER THE NIGHT BEFORE

I just got my orders from Margaret that it is my turn to blog. Soooo.........skipping the adventures of Saturday night, I'll talk about the morning after the night before. We decided to take a break from bridge and take in some of the culture of Philly. We really love Philly.

This morning we walked to the Rodin Museum. What an amazing collection of Rodin sculpture. If u r ever in Philly, u need to put this on your "must see" list. They have just finished a lengthy renovation of this museum and its grounds, and we felt fortunate to be here shortly after it reopened.

Following that museum experience, we walked to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, another magnificent building. For you Rocky fans, there was a bronze statue in front and a long line of people waiting to get their picture taken next to it. We decided that was too cheesy, even for us.

We talked to Lee and Mike by phone and made plans to meet with them tomorrow after the Gold Rush Pairs event. U seasoned tournament goers have probably already experienced this, but we have found it very fun to hook up with our G. R. bridge buddies. Beth and Robert were very fun and were able to keep up with Margaret and me quite nicely. The bar has been set a little high; we'll see how Lee and Mike do.

So we have a couple things to finish up our day. We r headed over to the see the Liberty Bell shortly, then someplace for fish and salad for dinner, and back to the bridge table tonight at 7:30. There is a lecture we will probably go to before playing. It is on "Hand Patterns." We know we need to learn a lot more about that.

Submitted by "you can't say no to Margaret when she says it is your turn to blog" bridge partner, Julianne Boggiano.

Sunday

After the flurry of blog postings, you may be wondering why you haven't heard from us lately. We have been busy avoiding fame and fortune at the bridge tables, where we played with the big boys. (We have decided to return to our peeps at the 299 game later today.) In addition, we explored a neighborhood that had several nice wine bars and then met up with Robert and Beth at the BBO party. Right now we are headed to breakfast and the Rodin museum; more later.

First Game

The Food: For any of you out there who have never worn a badge, let me just give you my thoughts on the food at Dunkin' Donuts. Never order the egg/cheese wrap. That egg comes out of nowhere, all scrambled and in the shape of a rectangle, (let me just saying watching this meal unfold was a very scary experience.) But I ate it. But I'm not ordering it again, no matter how Margaret tries to spin it as a good breakfast with few calories.

Comment: I only suggested that Julie get this "meal" because the description on the menu made it sound quite delicious. However, I am very grateful that she did; I had planned on getting it tomorrow, but instead I'm going to Starbucks.

The People: We played in the 299 game and it started out a bit rocky. No surprise, since our first opponents were current Stanford students. "You came a long way," we commented. "A collegiate fund paid for our airfare," they replied. And if that wasn't bad enough, the next pair were young men from Harvard. How could we expect to succeed when they let young braniacs play at this level? They should be forced to play at the top levels, no matter how many masterpoints they have.

The Question: If someone is a passed hand and her partner bids 1 heart, what does a 2NT response mean? The opponents were not bidding. Is this simply showing point count, or did the responder re-evaluate her hand and find enough to bid Jacoby 2NT?

The Result: 54.92% and .71 red points

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

In preparation for our first game tonight at 7:30, we have been studying the options: we can play in the side games (but we have been forewarned about who is playing in those games); we can play in the 299 or 199 games; or mb we can get into the stratified pairs game, even though this is the second game of the day for this group. We have settled on pleading our case to play in the stratfied pairs or opting for the 299 game.

Now that the extended discussion about the game to play in is over, we are reviewing some of the admonishments we have received from one of our A player friends (noone from the G.R. club).

1. If your partner doubles an artificial club bid, he is not expecting a spade lead.

2. If you find a fit, stop looking.

3. Never try for slam if u r missing 2 Aces.

4. Try to have more than one honor in the suit u overcall.

5. Don't take a practice finesse.

Armed with all this knowledge, we r ready for the thrill of victory (quite honestly, we r not prepared for the agony of defeat.) Submitted by Julianne Boggiano

First Night in Philly

Those who remember our adventures at the Louisville tournament last year will not be surprised to learn that we found a hotel bar that features water (not the kind that you drink). There was other seating available, but Julie and I opted for fountain-side. We threw pennies and made wishes, tournament-related and otherwise, and enjoyed late night drinks and snacks.

In retrospect, we probably should have paid more attention to our room first. When we tried to go to sleep, we couldn't figure out how to close the heavy curtain that darkens the room. We awoke at 7:00 am to bright daylight streaming in and had to deal with the **** curtain then.

This morning we are looking forward to exploring the city with Julie's friend Marian, who lives about 40 miles away. First on the agenda: The Barnes Museum.

On the Road

Stop #1: About a third of the way to Philly we stopped for a stretch and something to eat. We followed truck drivers to their hangout - friendly folk here. As you can see, Julie is the designated map pointer. Good progress so far.

Stop #2: Even though the temperature was approaching 90 degrees, we felt the need to stop for hot coffee. I ordered my favorite Starbucks treat, mocha with skim milk, no whipped cream. "I'll have exactly the same!" Julie stated. As we walked away, she asked me how we knew these were decaf. "What? They're not," I said. "I never order decaf." (As I write this as 11:40 pm, Julie is jumping around the room.)

Julie's Report on Conversation on the Road:

So Margaret does not love to travel long distances by car, so my job was to help her relax and enjoy the journey. So I had to think of games that would engage her. We tried the alphabet game, but that wasn't going to work. So then we went to "who would u most like to play bridge with at the bridge center" which led us to other questions which Margaret told me I could ask but not write about in this blog. (too bad I can't share them with u because they were really "good" questions. (ask me about them when I get home!!!)

After that I decided we should talk about recent movies that I have seen (which included To Rome With Love. So Margaret asked "wasn't this about retirees?" I said, "Yes, it was about one couple that retired and a barrister that retired." I quoted a poignant statement at the end of the movie, which was "In the end, everything will be okay. And if it's not okay, it's not the end." So after much discussion about the character development in this movie, which took place in India, Margaret asked, "Why was the name of the movie To Rome with Love when it took place in India?" At which point I had a blinding flash of the obvious: I had confused To Rome with Love with another movie I had seen, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. OMG, pray for us.

Pre-Philly

Julie and I are gearing up for Philadelphia by playing bridge Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week . . . with a plan to quiz each other on 2 over 1 in the car on Thursday. We're playing with other partners on two of those days (just the way things worked out), and are stuffing our heads with things like you have to have 3-3-3-4 distribution to respond with a Jacoby 3NT (thanks, Ben) and when to sacrifice, a tough one for me (thanks, Bob and Mike).

A pre-Philly phone conversation, after talking about clothes, went something like this:

Julie: Should we bring anything else with us?

Me: I'm bringing a bottle of wine.

Julie: I meant for the drive, in the car. But wine for the hotel room is a good idea. I'll bring white, but I don't know if there's a refrigerator.

Me: There's always ice.

Julie: True. But I was going to say that I'll bring trail mix for the drive.

So yes, we are planning to enjoy ourselves in ways other than bridge. However, I do have two major concerns.

First: What will Amadeus do without me for so long?? My brother will be stopping in every day and (hopefully) spending the night sometimes, but Amadeus will be lonely. For example, one thing I've been doing this summer is playing the piano for him. He has very specific preferences, and while Ed also plays the piano he doesn't know any Mendelsohn (Amadeus's favorite). Ed might even end up playing Mozart, which to my chagrin Amadeus hates.

Second: Julie and I drove to Louisville last year, and by the time we got there my voice was hoarse from all the talking. Philadelphia is twice as far!! There is little chance that we will drive along in silence, and I am worried that I won't have any voice left at all by the time we arrive. I guess I should just be thankful for bidding boxes.

Other than these two concerns, I am so looking forward to this trip. Stay tuned for regular updates on our adventures!

Mistakes

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” ― Albert Einstein

Every time I add a new bid to my arsenal, I have to mess it up before I get it right. I wish I could say that I only make the same mistake once, but unfortunately it sometimes takes longer before I learn my lesson.

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” ― Napoleon Bonaparte

“Enemy” is a bit strong, but it is helpful when opponents make mistakes. I will confess that I am sometimes drawn into the discussion afterwards, but I do usually try to stay out of it.

“Smart people learn from their mistakes. But the real sharp ones learn from the mistakes of others.” ― Brandon Mull, Fablehaven

This seems to happen when I overhear A players vehemently discussing a bad board. They know immediately after it’s been played that something went wrong, and learning in the moment is very powerful.

“I'm afraid that we all make mistakes. One of the things that defines our character is how we handle mistakes. If we lie about having made a mistake, then it can't be corrected and it festers. On the other hand, if we give up just because we made a mistake, even a big mistake, none of us would get far in life.” ― Terry Goodkind, Confessor

I would change “lie” to “deny.” The “giving up” doesn’t seem to apply to our club; our players are very loyal to the game. However, I would add something here about mistakes and character: The way someone reacts to their own mistakes or their partner’s mistakes really does say something about their character.

“The 50-50-90 rule: anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.” ― Andy Rooney

YES! Just yesterday, I had a big hand and of course Julie did not have much. The opponents jumped into the bidding which complicated our communication. I was two-suited and knew that one of these would work for us and the other would not. Of course I picked the wrong suit. It is good to know that the odds were against me and that it wasn’t just bad judgment.

I’ve been thinking about mistakes lately.

EMS

Monday evening when I played with Cristi there came a time when she opened 1 heart.  My RHO passed, and since I held only 7 HCPs and was void in hearts (with bad spades) this was cause for great concern. What if my LHO was loaded in hearts and also passed? Disaster! Should I come to the rescue and bid my suit, diamonds?  I was well aware that this would put us at the two level, causing my partner to think that I had a much better hand than I did.  This could put us on the road to somewhere we didn't want to go.  

I bid 2 diamonds.

The opponents came into the auction and we ended up playing defense.  Afterwards, while waiting for a table, one of the opponents, an A player, approached me.

"NEVER RESCUE YOUR PARTNER," she admonished, wagging her finger at me.

"But I was void in her suit."  My feeble attempt at self-defense fell flat.

"It doesn't matter.  Someone would have bid, and even if we didn't, she would be better off in her suit at the one level.  Never rescue your partner!"

Fast forward two days later, to the Wednesday afternoon game that I played with Julie.  There came a time when she opened 1 club.  My RHO passed, and since I had only 2 little clubs to add to her possible 3 clubs, this was cause for great concern.  I had five hearts but only 2 HCPs (although one of the jacks was a heart).  Should I bid my hearts?

Echoes of "NEVER RESCUE YOUR PARTNER" rang through my head. However, I knew that Julie really does not like to be left in 1 club. Should I listen to the A player or please my partner?

I bid 1 heart.

My LHO passed and Julie pulled out the "stop" card before she jumped in spades.  I had two spades and couldn't leave her in a 4 - 2 fit. Disaster! Oh boy, I thought as I bid 2NT, here we go.  Julie bid 3NT.

The bridge goddesses were smiling down at me and somehow I made the contract (it was a top board).  However, I did not take this as a sign to play EMS--we talked to a couple of other A players who also told us to NEVER RESCUE YOUR PARTNER!

So Julie and I agreed that there will most likely be some 1 club contracts in our future.


  


  

Communication

When sitting north, as I was at yesterday's game, I feel somewhat like the hostess at a dinner party.  At times I go so far as to offer up a cheery "Welcome to Table 8!" in an effort to be hospitable and make the "guests" comfortable.  Yesterday, when another pair approached our table and my partner was gone for the moment, I made polite small talk as we waited.

"How's your game going?"  I knew this was a nice question, because these were A players and I was quite sure that their game was going just fine.

"Pretty good," was the unsurprising answer.  "How's your game going?"

"Not so good," I admitted.  "I'm playing with a new partner and we are not communicating well."

"I've been playing with (east) for 20 years, and we still miscommunicate!" We all chuckled.  At that point my partner returned to the table and unfortunately we went on to prove my point.

In addition to communicating through bids (I misread Melissa's bids and she misread mine) and through play (ditto), there are several other forms of communication happening at the bridge club.  Most are good, but with the potential to become annoying.

For example:  Small talk as you are waiting to start play can be friendly and welcoming.  However, this becomes not-so-good when it is loud (disturbing others), excessive (holding up play), or focused on a previous board (excluding the other pair).

Another example:  Talk after you play can be a check of what just happened ("where was that king?"), acknowledgement of opponents' expertise ("nice defense"), or a quick lesson ("should I have tried the finesse?").  While this talk can become a problem if it goes on for too long and holds up play, I think the bigger issue is that it sometimes becomes self-congratulatory and borders on boasting.

Interesting talk at neighboring tables is good for those players, but distracting to others if the players are just quiet enough so that you can't hear all of the details ("What happened???  Can you speak up?").  The directors are discreet and efficient at settling issues at tables, but this takes my attention away from the game when the alleged offender is a close friend or if there is a lot of agitation.  For me, some of the best talk comes after the game when we compare scores and talk about how others bid and played the difficult hands.

Yesterday's miscommunication with my partner was so befuddling that we had a hard time making sense of things such as where to go for a drink after the game.  It's tough when bridge affects your life like that!

Bridge and Golf

Anyone who has played both golf and bridge can tell you there are many similarities between the two "games".  The first thing is proper fundamentals.  Whenever I am playing bad golf I check my fundamentals:  proper grip, good alignment, and staying in tempo.  The same goes for when I am playing bridge:  proper bidding (no more over calling that moth-eaten five card suit) and good defense (DO NOT underlead an Ace in a suit contract and reasonable declarer play - Do you really need to take that finesse with a singleton?).
   
The next similarity is playing in the moment.  Forget about that bad board last round or who else is sitting in your direction; focus on things you have control over at that moment.  Don't waste the mental energy of wondering how you are doing, one never really knows until you see the final scores.
   
Avoid slow play:  There is no doubt some hands take longer to play than others but PLEASE lead before you write on your convention card, put down the dummy before you write on your convention card and if you are behind, save the conversation with your partner for later.
   
Hopefully these few recommendations will improve both your bridge and golf scores!
   

Another Difference

Julie and I decided to play in the Tuesday evening game in Grand Haven, so yesterday afternoon we headed in that direction.  On the drive there we revisited Drury.  We play two-way reverse Drury, but the day before Julie had made the case for a different version.  I was resistant to learning this new bidding sequence, but as Julie pointed out, "You've never actually played Drury anyway so what difference does it make if we change?"  In the face of that logic, what could I do but agree.  However, on the drive to Grand Haven, we went over both versions and decided to go back to our original plan.

That settled, I drew Julie's attention to an article in the latest Bridge Bulletin.  We play that a double over opponent's opening 4 spade preempt is for penalty, while 4NT is for take-out.  The article suggests that the double should be for take-out and 4NT should show the minors.  We discussed the pros and cons and decided that Julie should read the article before we think about changing that bid.

This conversation carried us into Grand Haven and to an outdoor spot for dinner, after which we proceeded to the bridge club.  It was a small but friendly group with some familiar faces, and before long we were engrossed in play.  Soon, however, we had a sit-out, which gave us a chance to discuss our meal.

"That salad was not very good," Julie said.  "Your burger looked good, though."

"It was good," I agreed.  "Your salad was overpriced."

"This chocolate is really hot."  Julie had bought a chocolate bar with dried cherries and chili peppers.  "I can't believe you don't think this is hot."

"Did you ever think about trying out for community theater?"  I left the topic of food to refer to the tryouts that were going on across the hall.

"No, never!"  Julie was surprisingly emphatic.

Our conversation covered several topics while the rest of the tables played three boards.  When the round was over, Mike and Bob passed by on their way to their next table.

"What did you talk about?"  Mike asked.  "The boards you just played, or are you looking ahead?"

And with that question I discovered yet another difference between A players and C players.  We do talk about bridge--we actually talk about bridge a lot--but apparently A players talk about bridge even more.

  

Another Fine Mess . . .

I like to write about the things that go wrong at the bridge table.  First of all, that ensures that I always have something to write about.  I don't mean this in a self-critical way; most (all?) bridge players have hands they wish they had bid or played differently.  Second, thinking about what went wrong (okay, what I did wrong) helps me learn more about bidding or playing so that hopefully I don't make that particular mistake again.  That way I can move on to learn more conventions and plays and contemplate new mistakes.  And finally, perhaps most importantly, the reason I write about things that go awry is that I have the clearest memory of those hands.

Julie and I have played DONT successfully several times.  The key to our past triumphs with DONT, I learned on Wednesday, is that we had not gone beyond the 1NT overcaller's first bid.  Apparently we had that part of the convention down cold, but this time---you guessed it--we went so far beyond that we landed in Nebraska.  Here's what happened.

The dealer opened 1NT.  I had 14 HCP with 5 clubs and 4 spades, perfect for DONT.  I happily bid 2 clubs and waited to see what would happen.  Not surprisingly, my LHO passed.  Julie thought for a moment and then bid 2 diamonds.  I hesitated only briefly, confident that since this wasn't my other suit that I should bid 2 spades.  So I did, expecting my partner to pass or maybe even go back to clubs.  Instead, Julie bid 3 hearts.  The opponents, of course, had dropped out of the bidding by now.  This time I had to think harder about what to do.  Julie obviously didn't like my clubs or my spades; likewise, I did not like her diamonds or hearts.  Equally obvious, we had all of the suits stopped, so what else could I do?

I bid 3NT and my LHO doubled (nice, Darryl).

Of course I went down and got a bottom board.  This caused us to query several people and do more extensive reading about DONT.  Next time I will only bid if my lower suit has 5 cards (which I did do this time but have not always done) and if my partner bids, no matter what she bids, I will pass.

Kalamazoo Sectional 2012

Julie and I played in the Friday games and in the Swiss Team event on Sunday.  We decided to play in the open pairs on Friday, and we did very well in the afternoon (not so great in the evening).  Swiss Teams became tiring, not only because we played 7 rounds of 7 boards each, but also because it was very warm.  If the air conditioning was on, we didn't feel it; the ninety degree heat crept in and made everyone sweaty and lethargic.

Most of the boards we played are now a blur, but I do somewhat remember one hand that Julie and I played early in the day on Sunday.  Julie opened a club and I had twelve points with four little hearts.  I dutifully bid 1 heart, thinking about where we might find a game contract.  Then Julie jump-shifted into spades, telling me she had 18 or 19 points.  Maybe we have slam, I thought, but how do I find out?  And where would we play it?  My hearts were poor and my spades were even worse.  Hmm, I thought.  I'll show Julie that I have good diamonds.  I bid 3 diamonds.

Julie bid 3NT.  

Now what?  Julie is counting on my hearts for a stopper, I thought.  Plus, I want to investigate slam but don't know how.  I have to get Julie to bid again so I can get more information and so I'll have more time to figure out what to do.  If I go beyond 3NT, I think, maybe Julie will realize that I have enough points to keep going and that I don't like no trump.  I bid 4 clubs.  

Julie thought for a moment and then pulled out the 4 no trump card.  Why is she insisting on no trump, I thought.  I am running out of options!  All right, I said to myself, here goes 5 clubs.  Since I bid diamonds first and have now bid clubs twice, Julie will see that these are my two good suits.  If she would rather be in diamonds, she can still bid 5 diamonds and then maybe I will go to 6.  I was undecided, but seriously considering it.

Julie shrugged and bid 6NT.  

Our teammates' opponents were also in no trump, but only in 3.  Julie made 6 and we won that round.

                            *     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

Faulty thinking #1:  After this round, Mike asked me where all of my points were.  Diamonds and clubs, I answered.  "Then where are your partner's 18 points?" he asked.  Hmm, good question.  "Even if she has the ace, king, queen, and jack of spades," he continued, "that's only 10 points.  You have the majority of the points in the minors; she has to have something in hearts."  In fact Julie had the king and was not counting on my hearts for a stopper.  

Faulty thinking #2:  Julie had received my message about having points and was starting to investigate slam.  Her 4NT bid was not an insistence on playing in no trump, it was 1430.  She thought my response meant that I had the key cards she needed, which is why she went to slam.

If only I could remember all of the hands we played at the tournament; just think how much I could learn!

It Never Ends

Prologue (Fall 2009)

Julie and I were not used to playing in the Friday night game, but my teaching schedule this semester did not leave us many options.  Friday nights had a bad reputation among beginners like us; the game was populated by advanced players who would show no mercy.  On this Friday evening, I uncomfortably imagined that the other players were happy to see such easy prey enter the room.

Julie and I had studied the seemingly endless possible responses to a 1NT opening.  Pass, transfer, stayman, invite, game, suit or no trump . . .  each decision with its own set of rules that had been carefully memorized.  I was galvanized into action when finally the right hand came up and Julie opened this bid.

I mentally went through all of the options before I bid 2 hearts, a transfer to spades.  I sat back, quite proud of myself for coming up with the correct bid.  However, my complacency quickly turned to horror when Julie raised my hearts.  Oh no, I thought as I pulled out the pass card.  This is not good.

Correcting to spades did not occur to me.

Monday Night Game (May 2012)

My partner and I were sitting north-south and I could see Julie a few tables down, sitting in the same direction as me.  It will be interesting to compare notes afterwards, I thought, as I observed her chatting with her partner.  We'll be able to see if we made the same bids.

The game was going quite well when my partner opened 1NT.  I was momentarily surprised; I had 12 high card points and had been planning to open or overcall.  Responses to an opening 1NT were now automatic, and I smiled to myself remembering how I used to agonize over what to do.  As I waited my turn, my RHO bid 2 hearts.

Not a problem.  Julie and I play that systems are on through 2 spades, so I bid 3 clubs for stayman, showing a 4 card major.  (Important note:  I was not playing with Julie.)   My partner could bid 3 spades which I would then take to game, or 3 diamonds to which I would respond 3NT.  Since the opponents had bid hearts, I was not expecting a heart response.

My LHO passed, and my partner pondered what to do.  She asked about the 2 hearts overcall and thought some more.  What's the problem, I wondered.  I started sending mental messages:  bid bid bid.  She finally bid 3NT, making 4 for a very good board.

What was the problem?  Apparently the rest of the world plays that a 3 club bid over a 2 heart overcall is natural, not stayman.  As I thought about it, I realized that I had never actually understood what "systems on through 2 spades" meant.  After serious consideration, I had decided that it meant systems were on if the overcaller bid up to 2 spades; however, now I wondered if maybe it meant that systems were on as long as the responder can bid up to 2 spades.

Later that evening I heard about several ways to handle 1NT overcalls,  including systems on only over 2 clubs and doubles or systems on if you can make your usual bid; a double means stolen bid or a double is for penalty; cue bids signal stayman; other bids too confusing to pay attention to also came up (something to do with signaling stoppers).

In the midst of this discussion, Julie and I looked at each other.  (Yes, she had also made the 3 club bid signaling stayman.)  "Let's just have a 'partnership agreement' and do whatever we want," Julie quietly suggested.  Sounds good to me.

Bids

This week I couldn't get to that sweet place where everything made sense and the right move was easy to find.  My play was okay (I think), but if I wasn't sure what to bid I most likely went in the wrong direction.  The positive side is that I learned a few things.

In one game, my RHO opened 1 heart.  I had 16 points with Kxx.  Usually I would overcall 1NT, but this time I thought harder about what to do.  I had a vague recollection that you should have a stronger hand and 2 stoppers to overcall 1NT.  Hmmm, I thought.  What other bid was there?  Well, if it wasn't a balanced hand I would double with 16 points and go from there.  So I doubled.

My LHO passed and of course my partner bid my weakest suit, clubs.  I had Ax in clubs, but I was ready.  I bid 2NT.  This way, I reasoned, my partner would know that I had a no trump opening hand.  My partner thought for a moment and then bid 3NT.

Dummy came down with 7 points.  It turns out that my bid meant that I had about 18-19 points.   Of course I did not make my contract; everyone at the table said that I should have overcalled 1NT.  That's what happens when you think too much and, sadly, I was thinking a lot this week.

I am hopeful that this bidding slump has resolved itself, since next week will be a marathon of playing.  I have partners for all of the club games (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday) and will be playing in the Kalamazoo tournament on Friday and Sunday.

Summer vacation is a wonderful thing.

Two Lessons

At yesterday's game I opened a hand with an extremely weak 2 spades bid.  We weren't vulnerable and I had K J 10 x x x along with 2 doubletons; six points if I counted length, I reasoned.  Still, part of me was hoping that the opponents would come in at the 3 level, putting themselves at jeopardy and taking me off the hook.  Instead, imagine my surprise when my partner bid 4 spades.

Dummy came down with 18 HCP, which was great, and a singleton 6 of spades, which was not so great.  Julie thought we should be in game but didn't want to bid no trump, thinking that she would have trouble getting to dummy (not that it would have helped her much anyway).   It's all a blur now, but I do remember the adrenaline rush as I somehow made 4 spades for a top board.  

What I re-learned from this hand is to never forget what message I am sending my partner when I bid.  

In another hand, I was declarer in a 3NT contract.  (Yes, my streak of bad cards seems to have run its course and I actually got to play a few hands in Wednesday's game.)  When dummy came down I saw that I had 8 tricks off the top and just needed to get the ace of diamonds out for my 9th trick.  Not a problem, since I had the king and queen.  I finessed the king, so I didn't even need to bother with the ace.  I proceeded to take my tricks and then found that I had made a rookie mistake--I was stranded in dummy with no way to get back to my hand for the ace of hearts.

I thought about what to do.  Not long ago I would have given up--just taken my 8 tricks with a vow to think harder about transportation in a no trump contract.  Instead, I came up with a plan.  I still had the queen of diamonds in my hand and I knew where the ace was.  I led a diamond and lost a couple of tricks, but then got back in and made 4 NT.  My snafu had resulted in an extra trick.

What I learned from this hand is that it is time for me to start thinking beyond just making the contract.  I should have figured out when dummy first came down if it was possible to take more than 9 tricks, and then worked toward that.  

I have nothing to say about getting stranded in dummy.

Firsts

First #1:  I really enjoyed playing defense at the Monday night game.  I mean, I really enjoyed it.  Once again I had bad cards (I was declarer only once), but this time my hands were good enough to do some damage.  Usually when I play a mostly defensive game, I don't have a sense of how we're doing.  This time was different; this time I knew that setting the opponents' contracts did not mean that we had underbid and should have played something our way.  I could tell things were going well as I studied the declarers' moves and thought about how to undermine the contract.  It was exhilarating!

I no longer think that those who prefer to play defense rather than offense are weird.

First #2:  Twice yesterday my partner invited me to game and I passed.  Passing an invitation to game is not new for me, although I admit that I am sometimes overcome with "what the heck" thinking and go when I shouldn't.  What was new at yesterday's game was the way I approached the decision.  Even though I wanted to be in game, I did more than count points and think about my partner's likely cards.  This time I also thought about what the opponents were probably holding and the quality of the points in my hand.  Both times that I decided to pass we exactly made our bid.

Making a partial contract is more fun than being in game and going down.

GR Sectional II

Towards the end of a grueling two-session day of playing bridge with bad cards, I picked up yet another hand with barely 3 points.  This was the second day in a row of few honors and it was too much.  I snapped.

"I can't take this anymore!" I shouted and threw my cards down on the table.  Heads craned to see what was going on.  I stood up, knocking my chair over.  "That's it!  I have had enough!"  I stomped out of the room, leaving behind my confused and concerned partner.

The imagined look in my partner's eyes was the only thing that kept me from enacting this scene.  I wasn't worried about any backlash, since anyone sitting south would understand my breakdown.

"I know exactly how she feels," many would report.

"That would have been me if I hadn't had a shot of vodka at lunch," certain people would admit.

Even north would sympathize and discuss what they had witnessed at their tables.  "I could see my partner's eyes glazing over" and "South wasn't even putting the 'pass' cards away anymore between hands" would be typical comments.

I was hopeful that even east-west pairs would be understanding, since they were having issues of their own.  The most common problem seemed to be miscommunication around conventions, but there were others as well.  I don't think I would have been banned from the club, either, since our director was playing and also experiencing the stress.

No, it was the thought of my partner sitting alone at the bridge table that kept me in my seat.  First and foremost, bridge is a partnership game and I couldn't abandon Dee.  I thought about it, though.

Grand Rapids Sectional

The Grand Rapids Sectional marks the end of the semester and the beginning of more bridge.  Yesterday I played in the afternoon pairs game and the evening Swiss Teams with Dee.  Julie is in Charleston for a long weekend, so Dee--who also plays regularly with Julie--kindly agreed to partner with me for the tournament.  The three of us play the same conventions, so playing with Dee was almost like playing with Julie.  The main difference, as Dee noted, was that she wears socks and Julie does not.  (Julie reports that her feet do not sweat and do not get cold; apparently this is not the case with Dee.)

The afternoon game had us seated in a noisy corner where we had to share boards with another table (after continually waiting to get them from a slow table).  In addition, Dee was positioned to see directly into the men's bathroom.  However, these distractions did not keep us from playing a decent game and we ended up first in C.

The most interesting pair we played fit the mold of many rude/cranky players.  Obviously I do not mean interesting in a good way.  When these two first sat down, they were very friendly and talkative--a bit too talkative, as I wished they would settle down and let me focus on my cards.  However, when the play started going downhill for them, they turned that friendly chatter into accusations against each other.

"You should have had better diamonds!"  West said, gritting her teeth.

"I never said I had diamonds, I told you I had hearts!"  East defended angrily.  "Why did you go to No Trump?"

They left our table in a huff, quite differently from the way they arrived.  They fit the mold of other grouchy players--friendly when things are going well, awful when things are not going their way.

The evening Swiss Teams did not go so well for us, but then we played three A teams and one B team.  It was tough going but we won one game.  We played against one particularly nice pair.  Oddly enough, they made me nervous (and I don't usually get nervous).  They were top players and very kind and funny.  This made the play very enjoyable, and although we lost it wasn't by much.

There are many more stories to tell about yesterday, but now it is time for me to leave for today's games.  Wish me luck!

Hiatus

Yes, I am taking a break from the blog.

This semester I am teaching two new writing classes, so I am spending a lot of time doing other kinds of writing (models for my students) and a LOT of reading (student papers).  I am also thinking of going in another direction with writing about bridge; more about that when things start to take shape.

I will still post sometimes, especially when Julie and I travel for tournaments.  I anticipate having a lot to say about Philadelphia!

Thanks for reading about my bridge adventures.

Drury

"We need to learn Drury," Julie said.

"I thought we decided to focus on play of the hand and defense, and to try to just remember the conventions we are already using," I replied.

"I know we said that, " Julie continued, "but people are saying we need to learn Drury.  So I've asked a few of the A players, and they said we definitely should."

"Okay," I agreed.  "Let's both read about it this afternoon, then talk about it before we play this evening."

Later that day I went online and read an article by one of the inventors of Drury while Julie read a different article.  We then read each other's article as well and talked on the phone.  We agreed that the basic premise seemed simple enough, and decided to play it that evening in its most simple form.  The only question was which version of Drury to play; Julie volunteered to go early to the club and ask John.

That Friday evening Julie was already at the club when I arrived.  We discussed what John had told Julie about Drury, and then I went to him with some follow-up questions.  By the time play began we were ready.

At the first table I was alert for opportunities to bid Drury; none appeared.  The same was true for the next few tables.  We were following John and his partner around the room, and when we reached table 6 we saw that table 7 was a sit-out.  John used this break to pull up a chair behind Julie and kibbitz.  The first board was uneventful, but on the second board Julie opened 1 spade.  I had 10 points and 2 little spades:  "If I bid 1NT," I told myself, "Julie won't know I have 10 points.  Maybe I better bid my nice 5 card club suit."  I pulled out the 2 club card from the bidding box.

My LHO passed and Julie pondered her next bid.  I looked at the table and suddenly realized that Julie had opened in 3rd seat.  Oh no!  I had missed the chance to bid Drury!  I was crestfallen, but only for a moment because I suddenly realized that I had bid Drury.  "Whew," I thought, relieved that I had accidently bid correctly.  I decided that when it was all over I would pretend that I had known what I was doing.  Unfortunately my relief did not last long, because as Julie continued to think I had another realization.  I had indeed bid Drury, but I had bid it incorrectly.  I only had 2 card support.

Julie bid 2 spades.

At this point I had no idea what to do.  Julie had not alerted my bid, but had she just forgotten to alert or had she forgotten about Drury?  Either was possible.  And was I obligated to respond as if we were playing Drury, even though my bid -- at the time that I made it -- was natural?  And what did her 2 spade bid mean, anyway??  I bid 3 spades and the result was disasterous.

When the hand was over, John spoke up.  "I thought you were playing Drury," he said.

"We are." Julie looked at him, baffled.  Now I knew; she had read my bid as natural.

"Well . . . "

We talked about what had happened and John gave me some good advice about bidding Drury with only 2 card support:  "When your hand comes down, just say you thought you had three of them."

Apparently Drury is easier to read about than to implement.

Learning

"Now that was a good hand," Dennis said as our opponents left the table.

I looked at him suspiciously.  I had just made an egregious bidding error that had "0" written all over it.  Was he being sarcastic, I wondered?  No, he was smiling and actually looked kind of pleased.  I must have looked puzzled, because he went on to explain.

"You learned something new, now you'll know what to do next time," he said.

Dennis had opened 2 clubs.  I didn't even have a king in my hand so I bid 2 diamonds, showing a king or less.  At this point Julie usually bids 2NT and we go from there; I know what to do after a rebid of 2NT.  However, Dennis then bid 2 hearts.  Of course I knew that meant he had at least 5 hearts, but that was my worst suit.  Could I pass that bid, I pondered.  (I hear all of my Flight A friends, B friends, and probably C friends shouting NO NO NO as they read this.)  But my best suit was diamonds, which I would have had to bid at the 3 level, and I just wanted out of this.  So I passed.  Of course he made 6 hearts.  I learned that when partner opens 2 clubs you have to bid within one level of game, because a two club opening is one trick short of game.

My best moment of the afternoon passed by unnoticed by anyone except me.  I was the declarer and thought very carefully about my play against two top opponents.  It went exactly as I had hoped, and I took it as a compliment that no one commented.  I think they just expected me to play it correctly!

We ended up about average and placed; even though low on the list, it was in A.

In closing, I have to again say how much I appreciate A players taking the time to partner with me in an effort to teach me better bridge.  You can all relax for awhile, though--my semester is starting up again so my bridge time will be limited.  But maybe I'll ask someone again around spring break . . .  

Top Ten List 2012

Top Ten Bridge New Year’s Resolutions

(based on an unscientific poll)

10.  Learning new conventions such as two over one and 1NT forcing

9.  Start counting cards

8.  Cutting back on making bidding mistakes that the bidder knows are bad immediately after making them

7.  Following the Law of Total Tricks on every raise

6.  Getting back to reading

5.  Making correct leads, opening and during play

4.  Learning all of the daytime players’ names

3.  Doing well at tournaments

2.  Partnering with various players on the days they do well

1.  Staying positive and having fun