Bridge Birthday

A riotously personal note here for family and close friends who peep this blog.

Yes, my birthday is coming up. Yes, bridge is my obsession. And, yes, I have gift ideas for the uninitiated:

1. I'd really like a subscription to The Bridge World magazine.
2. I'd also like to get some back issues of BW starting with 2007. Binders and issues can be found here.
   
3. There are tons of books on my Amazon wishlist.

So, if you are inclined to spend money (which you know I wish you weren't) there are some ways to spend it.

Monday, Monday

No blog post of any substance today. Wound up being up most of last night sick, so I'm hardly in the mood.

Before being sick, however, I played a solid set of hands on BBO and might post one or two later this week. I feel weird doing that, knowing that what I found puzzling at the table usually is born out of ignorance rather than a real judgment call.

Anyway, talk to you all more later.

Brain = extra crispy

So, as I've noted before, I'm spending some of my free time trying to pull together a bidding 'study guide' for myself (and any future pard) based on BWS with added gadgets. I've jokingly called it 'KFC Standard', which sounds more pleasingly more like fast-food chicken heaven than anything related to bridge.

Thankfully, I'm getting close to being done. I've put a fair amount of work in and I'm starting to burn out. A couple things have crossed my mind during this exercise:

1. I still have a massive weakness in competitive/defensive auctions. On the plus side, I know this and can at least work to address it.
2. Beyond the written law of BWS, it's just amazing the variations in bidding style that are out there. 4-card majors versus 5, natural versus completely artificial, etc.
   
3. With all that variation, it becomes clear that a well-constructed, standard system will serve you awful well... Assuming you know it inside and out.

I'm just still amazed, I guess, by the emphasis that's placed on bidding. While it's obviously important to reach the right contracts, you aren't going to get very far bidding thin games and slams without the cardplay skills to pull them off.

I'm not saying I have the cardplay skills either... I just think I'd take that over ultra-scientific bidding prowess anyday.

Well, I thought I said...

Playing on BBO the other night under one of my alter egos. I pick up the following sitting south:

♠ AJT3 ♥ ♦ KQ8432 ♣ KJ9

West	North	East	South
	1♣	p	1♦
1♥	2♣	p	?

What do you bid? You've played 10-12 boards with this pick-up, 'expert' pard and thus far they've really seemed to know their stuff.

Well, I decided to try what I thought was a splinter in ♥s since I figured we had at least game in ♣s, if not more.

West	North	East	South
	1♣	p	1♦
1♥	2♣	p	3♥*
p	4♥	p	5♣
p	p	p

Partner stewed and stewed over their bid, finally calling 4♥. So what is P's 4♥ bid? If it's a cue, then what to bid next? I chickened out, scared that I hadn't splintered as intended, so I bid 5♣ to end the discussion.

♠ K ♥ JT72 ♦ AJ ♣ AQ7652

♠ AJT3 ♥ ♦ KQ8432 ♣ KJ9

As it is, we missed a cold slam. Pard was irate, stating that my 3♥ bid should either be a limit raise in ♣s or a natural bid. I'm not sure I see it that way. I figure 2♥ would be some sort of limit-y raise, but 3♥ would seem to show fit and some degree of shortness.

On the low heart lead from E, 5♣+2 was good for a whopping -2IMPS since the majority of the field was in 6♣. Truth is that I could care less about the botch and overtricks. I just want to know that I bid right.

So, how would you bid the S hand?

Benito's rules

1. You must have a good reason not to lead trumps
2. If you don't lead a stiff, you don't have one.
3. Every card on defense should mean something.
4. These rules have exceptions, learn them.

Robert J. Fischer (1943-2008)

Work, work, work...

Well, work and real life have been pressing in on bridge. This is a good thing, since I need to keep my priorities in line. However, I still want to be able to improve and time is the needed commodity.

I am continuing to see improvements in my ability to plan a hand. I study dummy much more thoughtfully (as declarer and on defense) than I have. I'm still not thinking as intentionally as I should, but I'll take the baby steps for what they are.

I've been enjoying getting to kibitz people still, since I can log hands while I'm working on other things and study them later.

What benefit from reading?

The reader (as in singular), Warren, asked if I was finding all the reading I was doing helpful?

I have to admit that the reading has been exceptionally helpful to me. I am seeing consistent improvements in my game each time I play. Note that I said consistent, rather than drastic or massive. So, why has reading been helpful to me?

• I've always been a good 'book study'. I read well, and retain facts/concepts that I read pretty readily. I know this is not true of everyone.
• Book selection has helped a lot. I've been fortunate to get books (thanks to BBO forum threads like this and especially this) that are appropriate for my level and solid on content.
• I read fast, but I read very carefully and re-read tough sections as many times as it takes.
  

To be completely honest, reading has been good to me but I am confident it is not optimal. A better approach would be consistent work 'over the table' with a mentor. I tend to like answers to 'why' questions, and unless the book furnishes that for me I'm out of luck. In addition, I think the immediacy of having someone watch/correct your play would be critical.

Unfortunately, that's just not an option for me right now. I wish I had more time available to be online playing, but that just ain't it.

What approaches have you found helpful as you learn the game?

It's a New Year, baby

Well, we're back from the holiday break. And when I say 'we', I really mean 'me' since I think there are very few others here.

Anyway, I plan to return to a regular posting schedule including trying to incorporate a bit more news from around the bridge world. Don't know if it will amount to anything, but....

As far as my personal game goes, there are more books on the way. I'm ordering the following titles off my amazon wishlist:

• Two Kelsey books, Killing Defense and More Killing Defense
• Meck's Win the Bermuda Bowl with Me

More on those when they get here. Happy New Year, and good bridge.