Four of a major When to bid it
#21
Posted 2020-June-22, 03:47
14 people bid and made 4♥ +2 South here is the sample movie with a bid of 4♥ PPP. followed by another 14 with who got the same result as me bidding 4♥ PPP. The 2 people at 5♥ reached it after starting with a bid of 1♥. 6 people reversed into 6♥ and also didn't make it after starting with 1♥. One person went off 1 in 4 hearts after opening 1♥. and just for completeness, 1 person hit 6♥-2 after starting with 1♥. So, in summary, it seems like the best bid to find the best contract quickly in this case at least is 4♥. Since I don't have access to the results of the people that won the tourney, it's impossible for me to tell the extent to which this deal affected the outcome. Presumably, the results of each stratum are intercalated equally to achieve the final result? I don't know.
My view is that it's the average result that counts over time. Stephen Bradbury is an icon in Australia because he planned his campaign from the rear. I think he's great. I am no fan of ice-skating but I can see a lesson when there's one to be learned. Bradbury reminds all of us that one day we might get a chance!
#22
Posted 2020-June-22, 03:53
#23
Posted 2020-June-22, 04:45
Vampyr, on 2020-June-21, 16:16, said:
In any case, this hand is far too strong for a 4♥ opener and in fact I wouldn't even use a bid showing a "good" 4-minor preemtp. (3NT rather than 4m, not that it matters)
The late Iajn MacLeod(and following him Peter Donovan) wrote a book entitled "Bridge is an Easy Game"
and "Bridge is Still an Easy Game" They were both correct even though that might be doubted in the
preliminary stages(!) As in any game or sport,the basic principles are all important. A mathematician had to start
by learning 2 +2 =4 a musician had to learn the scales,a golfer had to know how to stance and how. to grip the club.
Learn the fundamentals and practicing and the sky's the limit
- Dr Tarrasch(1862-1934)German Chess Grandmaster
Bridge is a game where you have two opponents...and often three(!)
"Any palooka can take tricks with Aces and Kings; the true expert shows his prowess
by how he handles the two's and three's" - Mollo's Hideous Hog
#24
Posted 2020-June-22, 04:48
I have no idea how to win BBO touraments, 80+ (high 70+%) seem to be required.
But after the diamond attack, you should make 12, ..., you dont want the 9 to be
covered, and if the King showes, you have an eays finesse against the king, and if not,
diamonds 33 and the fact, that the guy with Ace of trumps cant attack your club entry
should do it. And the add. 12th trick is worth 80% MP, instead of 42%
Taking the presents is important in MP games, against all humans, but also against
robots.
Uwe Gebhardt (P_Marlowe)
#25
Posted 2020-June-22, 04:51
#26
Posted 2020-June-22, 05:00
- Dr Tarrasch(1862-1934)German Chess Grandmaster
Bridge is a game where you have two opponents...and often three(!)
"Any palooka can take tricks with Aces and Kings; the true expert shows his prowess
by how he handles the two's and three's" - Mollo's Hideous Hog
#27
Posted 2020-June-22, 05:03
4H was an offbeat action, but it worked on the given hand.
If West gets the option to show a preemptive spade hand, he will do this,
and this may lead to non diamond lead.
With kind regards
Marlowe
Uwe Gebhardt (P_Marlowe)
#28
Posted 2020-June-22, 05:11
Test (againt basic robots):
The same tactic backfired in yesterday's BBO Forums Sunday Daylong, though:
#29
Posted 2020-June-22, 05:21
I have seen convention cards that are so dense that you need a power tool to lift them. That kind of bridge is not for me. Tarrasch might approve but Botvinnik would not and Kotov would detest it.
#30
Posted 2020-June-22, 05:47
pilowsky, on 2020-June-22, 05:21, said:
<snip>
I have seen convention cards that are so dense that you need a power tool to lift them. That kind of bridge is not for me. Tarrasch might approve but Botvinnik would not and Kotov would detest it.
And it did work, the 12th trick was there for the taking, this assumes you got the diamond lead.
If you want to win tournaments, you cant play by the book all the time, you have to mixe it up a bit,
but if you do, than this can back fire, the book will give you EV+ or EV=, but usually not EV++, to win
you need some EV++, and than make sure you dont blow it. But going for EV++ risks lots of EV-.
If the winds favor you, than you win, otherwise not.
And: Tarrasch was dogmatic, but I am not so sure Botvinnik was a big fan of off beat actions, Kotov maybe.
Uwe Gebhardt (P_Marlowe)
#31
Posted 2020-June-22, 08:05
helene_t, on 2020-June-21, 17:32, said:
Needless to say, partner bids a lot of spades and opps a lot of diamonds, and it ended up being partner who had to make the last semi-blind guess.
With a partner who can forgive a bit of masterminding I think I would just open 6♥. I believe that's the best bid. Maybe if you play Namyats or something similar you could use that also. 5♥ may be better if you have discussed with p what that means. But hoping for an intelligent auction is not realistic.
But of course the books say that opening 6 of a suit shows a hand whose only loser is the missing A or K of trumps.
#32
Posted 2020-June-22, 08:14
aawk, on 2020-June-21, 01:26, said:
The problem is that partner does not know how many aces you hold.
To counter this problem you open 4♥/♠ holding 0-1 aces and 4♣/♦ holding 2-4 aces.
After 4♦ you bid as follows :
4♥ = transfer to 4♠ being to play with 8 LTC or worse, or being slam forcing with 1-4 aces and 7 LTC or better and you want partner to play
4♠ = slam forcing with 0 aces and 7 LTC or better (partner pass with 2 aces and bids slam forcing with 3-4 aces)
4nt = 5-RKC holding 1-4 aces 7 LTC or better (doesn't matter who is playing)
5♣/♦/♥ = 4-EBW holding 1-3 aces 7 LTC or better with a void in ♣, ♦ or ♥
5♠/nt = trump quantitative asking for 6/7♠ if partner holds AK/AQ/KQ in ♠
After 4♦ - 4♥ - 4♠ you bid as follows :
pass = to play
rest = slam forcing holding 1-4 aces
After 4♠ you bid as follows :
pass = to play
rest = slam forcing holding 2-4 aces
You loose a preemptive bid in a minor at 4 level but that is a price I am willing to pay.
Half your possible suit slams will be in a minor. You provide an elaborate structure for the other half.
#33
Posted 2020-June-22, 08:20
bluenikki, on 2020-June-22, 08:05, said:
That book probably should be put back on the shelf. That hand is vanishingly rare, not all that difficult to manage when it comes up, and draws a blueprint for the opposition if you do open it. On the other hand, there are many more hands where you might decide to turn the auction into a guessing game and not having the bid available becomes problematic.
I'm not saying this is the hand for it, but I could cope if partner decided to do it.
#34
Posted 2020-June-22, 12:59
In real bridge, playing some sort of standard (not big club) system, I would open 1H in first, second, or fourth seats without much thought. You don't preempt with two outside Aces, NAMYATS or no. Third seat I think 4H is reasonable.
In robot bridge, however, you have to be mindful of the fact that you have the best hand. Partner has at most 15 HCP, but probably far less. So opening 4H to create action isn't so outrageous.
Personally, even vs the GIBbers I don't think this is a good hand for a 4H opener. First, you are white vs. red, so preventing the opponents from finding their spade fit might be a loser rather than a winner. Second, you are relatively balanced outside H. I would be more inclined to open 4H if I were 74.
As for the play, I'm going to assume East withheld the Kd at trick one. Otherwise, a competent baboon (or should I say GIBbon) can make 6. The only way to make 6 if East keeps his Kd is to take advantage of the fact that West has a club void to run a minor suit squeeze against East. Draw trump, and when West can't break things up by leading a club, it's all over. Play the As, and run the trump. Now play a club to the Ace. Come down to:
K
--
Qx
opposite
--
--
Ax
J
When you play the Ks, East is cooked. He can't keep both the guarded Kd and a club honor.
Cheers,
Mike
#35
Posted 2020-June-22, 14:35
sfi, on 2020-June-22, 08:20, said:
I'm not saying this is the hand for it, but I could cope if partner decided to do it.
No "that book." All books that mention the opening.