grizz: Hi everybody, thanks for attending another of a series of lessons on bidding, defense and declarer play. grizz: Chat logs and hand records are stored in your computer for later review. For information on how to retrieve them, go the BIL homepage or email me. grizz: I teach private individual, pair, and small group lessons. I am available for tournaments as well. If you would like to know more please email me at Grizz@GrizzBridge.com. grizz: Archives of old sessions are available at GrizzBridge.com, on the Lessons and Archives page. grizz: These sessions have been updated recently, so check out what's new at GrizzBridge.com grizz: There will be lots of questions. I want to address them all, but in a manner helpful to all, so please ask them in open chat. grizz: I encourage participation by all kibs. grizz: So jump right in with a comment, question, or bid at any time, but please do it in open chat... grizz: ...since I can't always respond to private chat. grizz: There have been a lot of dropouts today, so if I disappear without notice please rejoin me here. grizz: This week we are going to continue looking at example hands and auctions, consider defensive plans and choose leads. grizz: These example hands are not predealt, they are random. grizz: So I have not analyzed them, rather we are all looking at them for the first time. grizz: The bidding will be done by the bots, though I must sit in one of the seats during play to control the pace. grizz: I have no idea who the declarer will be or which seat will be on lead, so you may kibitz all 4 hands. grizz: I will try to remember to insert the board numbers in the Chat Log, so you can match up the log with the hands file in the future. grizz: If you wonder what a GIB bid means, click on it - the bots play 2/1. grizz: Here is the GIB convention card: http://online.bridgebase.com/doc/gib_system_notes.php grizz: grizz: the X is a Support Double, showing 3-card !s support grizz: and the 3!h must be a nuisance bid, a preemptive raise based on shape grizz: won't slow us down, but it will prevent us from finding a hopeless 3NT contract - thx bots! grizz: points-wise the S hand has only invitational values grizz: but let's consider some other features of the hand grizz: the !hJ is a wasted value, but a very modest one - grizz: all the other points are working grizz: we have a double fit in !s and !h kuritsa: !d grizz: and the S hand has only 7 losers, for those who play Losing Trick Count grizz: right, !s and !d grizz: question - grizz: if we have a double fit, does that suggest declaring or defending? wyoming33: dec grizz: right grizz: if we have a double fit, they do too grizz: and our values will be in their short suits drum921: why K grizz: good question - bluehi: is the support x always the openers bid grizz: standard methods lead the K from either AK or KQ grizz: which leads to some confusion grizz: yes, the support X is always one made by opener, and only if he doesn't know that pard has 5 drum921: I play A from AK grizz: if responder could be 4 or more, opener makes a Support Double with only 3 card support grizz: and then responder knows how good the fit is grizz: y, many pairs play A from AK to prevent this very kind of problem grizz: other possible treatments are available vs. NT grizz: one i like from AK is A if i want pard to drop the Q or give count, and K if i want Attitude grizz: so from AKJTx the lead of the ace asks pard to drop the Q if he has it, or give count otherwise - grizz: tell me whether the suit will run if i continue it grizz: ok, they got me grizz: i still like the chances in 4!s eubulides: you have 4 losers off the top grizz: i have another interesting hand along the same theme grizz: y, turns out i do have 4 losers off the top on this hand grizz: but on many others in this auction i won't wyoming33: but might not - grizz: or the contract might depend on a lead grizz: even on this hand, if ops didn't have the !sA it probably makes grizz: give them some other ace instead and they must play perfect D to beat it eubulides: ok. if w returns a d after taking a of spades, makes grizz: so if you make an invitational bid on this hand and pard declines, you have missed the best contract on many hands like it that make grizz: another possibility - E has the trump A, and must decide whether to catch pard witgh the !hA or give him a !d ruff drum921: dbl instead of 3s could invite game grizz: y, if you play Maximal Overcall Doubles then X invites game grizz: i don't know whether GIB plays them grizz: and didn't want to defend 3!hX grizz: but this is the perfect case for MOX - grizz: ops have hogged all your bidding space for game tries drum921: if pd minimal can we hope to make game? grizz: so X is a general game try, not suit-specific grizz: pard may be minimal, but he is a 1st seat opener grizz: so i can expect 2 quick tricks and 7 losers grizz: here is the main point - if you bid so as never to go down, you miss a lot of good contracts grizz: safe bridge is losing bridge grizz: you will lose the part score fights, and miss many good games grizz: and cognitive dissonance will let you pat yourself on the back for the good results, while disregarding the bad ones t1hammond: wisdom well put ->t1hammond: ty :) grizz: any other questions or comments on this one? grizz: grizz: ok, what do you guys all think S should do here? t1hammond: 4h eubulides: 4h kuritsa: 4h grizz: reasonable wyoming33: at least 4 - not vul trudean 24: sacr grizz: and that's what i did at the table, and it was wrong :( grizz: you guys have all been around for a while - is it right to bid 4!s over 4!h? bluehi: y grizz: almost always! grizz: even when red vs. white anegada: dangerous to compete at 4 level someione taught me :) wyoming33: dont think they will get to game on their own? grizz: ane, that is true except when the suits are !h and !s grizz: in that case it's almost always right to bid 4!s over 4!h t1hammond: 4!d is a free bid grizz: 4!s could make, grizz: or go down less than the value of the !h game grizz: 4!s is a gambling bid, but experience has shown it's almost always a good gamble grizz: t1h was on to something here - why is 4!d a good bid? grizz: if you are prepared to bid 4!h, what is the value of bidding 4!d? t1hammond: it described s hand and if values to support N can bid 5 !h drum921: pointer to def ydannac: showing 2 suited hand grizz: and you MUST be prepared to play 4!h if you bid 4!d instead of doubling 3!s grizz: aha! grizz: get partner in on the decision! grizz: excellent! peppygal: I love it grizz: assume that if S bids 4!h, it's a "transfer" to 4!s for the ops grizz: so S must know beforehand what to do after ops accept the transfer grizz: and if S doesn't know what to do, then must enlist partner's assistance grizz: so when W makes a takeout X, pard makes a simple raise, and RHO makes a strong raise, will S be sniffing around for slam? grizz: no way! grizz: now pard has enough info to know what to do if ops bid 4!s grizz: let me show you how that works grizz: now N knows enough to help with the decision grizz: looking at a double fit in the red suits, it is clear that N should compete grizz: if N were looking at no !d fit, he would know that pass was correct grizz: so double fit points toward declaring, and lack points toward defending grizz: and presence or absence of hard defensive values drives the decision to X or not grizz: one other benefit of the 4!d bid - grizz: when the bot was playing W, the 4!d bid talked him right out of the cold !s game grizz: so it was clear that S wanted to play 4!h - eubulides: will that work with humans? grizz: but he had to be prepared to know what to do if ops competed to 4!s - grizz: so in the chess game he had to be a couple moves ahead grizz: it will work with good human pards grizz: assuming some good bridge logic - grizz: like S CANNOT be making a slam try here grizz: there are a lot of situations in bridge where you can anticipate a problem and take action to solve it grizz: some of them are opening bid problems - grizz: sometimes there are certain responses that leave you with nothing to bid if you open 1x, grizz: but if you open 1y you have options grizz: so it always pays to think ahead grizz: any questions on this one? whiz: no drum921: 2s as a free bid would drum921: prob convey the same values grizz: rather than 3!s? drum921: yes grizz: would be a free bid, yes - drum921: keep bidding lower grizz: but E has a lot more than a minimum here - extra !s, stiff !d and doubleton in ops' suit - hunen (Lobby): hi ->hunen: hi drum921: total points around 11 grizz: a rule of thumb is that ifyou have 8+ opposite pard's takeout double, anegada: could east open because of 7 losers ? grizz: you jump drum921: ok 3s is fine :) grizz: no, E is not an opening hand grizz: though it is a great hand opposite a takeout X grizz: with the big !s fit and working values in !c, E is a great hand after the X grizz: !s is the boss suit, and that's a big advantage grizz: any other questions on this one? drum921: after 3s I would grizz: grizz: well, i hate to sell out at the 2 level grizz: but we are red vs white, and that is not a good time to play cowboy grizz: with a flat minimum and only a 3 card fit grizz: having held a gun to pard's head to force him to bid grizz: after all, he could have 0 over there, and a 3334 hand grizz: dangit! didn't pard see my !s lead?!?!?!?!? cdt: give it to him Pete LOL kaiserzell: :) grizz: NOW he can pitch the !d and derive advantage from it grizz: unblocking, just in case something good happens later grizz: turns out that it makes 4!c, but that doesn't mean i should bid it! eubulides: with that suit could n bid 3 clubs? grizz: maybe, but still only 7 hcp grizz: wasted !hQ grizz: and pard has wasted values in !s and !d grizz: on this hand the shortness is not an asset grizz: so i like the 2!c initial bid grizz: but think it's worth 3!c the next time around grizz: ops probably won't compete to 3!h grizz: and won't ever find out about their !d fit drum921: e will rebid d grizz: any other comments or questions about this one? grizz: over 3!c? i doubt it drum921: not dbl grizz: reasonable grizz: but E didn't want to miss a marginal !s fit, so gave up on showing !ds grizz: and X showed both suits grizz: so i have no problem with the X - gives pard 2 safe spots to land, instead of 1 drum921: e 5-4-3-1 grizz: y, but must have ears open during the auction grizz: the X from S suggests a bad split, so best to be cautious and allow more safe havens for pard if you force him to bid again grizz: drum921: s prob has s grizz: right drum921: better d than h grizz: hmmmm grizz: if N has 10+, then either W is light or E has preemptive grizz: but still, we have no known fit grizz: and the 4 level is very dangerous grizz: and pard does not have !hs grizz: so the best bid is to pass a semibalanced minimum grizz: and see what pard's opinion on the matter might be drum921: if he dbl we leave it in :) grizz: with no !d fit, a modest !c fit and some defensive values, N is worth a reopening double grizz: and i will convert that to penalty with no shape to speak of drum921: ? grizz: a semibalanced minimum, with some defensive values and no fit grizz: yee haawwwww! grizz: +500 on a part score hand, that's a top board drum921: should not S overtake KD? grizz: and set up the J in dummy? grizz: certainly not drum921: I ruff 3rd d grizz: does that give us another trick? drum921: no but drum921: c entry to n is not certain grizz: true drum921: but Qd is grizz: also true grizz: but generally it's not a good idea to set up a winner in dummy if you can avoid it drum921: small d>ruf shows c grizz: or to give up momentum when you are on a roll early in the hand anegada: yep :) grizz: if W has a doubleton !d you get overruffed, and !c tricks may go away grizz: depending on what the 1h situation is grizz: Do we have any questions before we proceed? grizz: Do we have any final questions? bluehi: no grizz: OK then, our time is up now, thanks for coming and I'll see you next week. grizz: If anybody needs help retrieving the hand records or chat log, please email me at Grizz@GrizzBridge.com. onoway: thanks very much Grizz anegada: thx pete grizz: I teach private individual, pair, and small group lessons. If you would like to know more please email me at Grizz@GrizzBridge.com. bluehi: tu grizz: Thanks to Fred and all the wonderful people at BBO who make this all possible. cdt: thanks Pete :) Wanda21: tk y Pete grizz: Thanks all for coming, and I hope see you next week. grizz: Happy bridging! Grizz out.