Hand of the Week 2 - August 3, 2020 - Glenna and Vic

Problem: The second hand show someone opening 1S with 5 spades then after his partner passed, he goes to 3S.  I thought you could only bid a suit a second time if you have 6. 

Glenna:

A jump from 1 to 3 should show 16-18 pts and a card suit. Think the person with 3pts and 4 ♠️ should pass. The opener has a very minimum and not enough to bid at the 3-level. Usually another bid at the 3 level shows about 15 points. So the power of preempts works again.  They bid on light values, not allowing you to show your hand and that’s why they’re difficult to play against. You have to chalk those hands up as difficult and take however many tricks you can take. Just because you open the bidding, it doesn’t mean you can keep bidding.

Vic:

Wow! A whole bunch of horrible bidding going on here. 

East: The spade rebid promises at least a 6-card suit. It also promises at least 16-17 points. East just lied to partner big time. That is not illegal, just bad bridge. EW are vulnerable. If they play the hand doubled & go down, NS accumulates points at 200 (down one) 500 (two) 800 (three) 1100 (four). Going down more than one gives NS (nonvulnerable) more points than they would earn by making game in hearts. 

Playing in 4S on this hand, East deserves to go down at least two (possibly three) & that is only because of a major stroke of luck with respect to West spade holding. East 3S bid was slot machine (Ho Chunk) bridge - push the button & cross your fingers you win. 

South: The jump to 3H has the same meaning as an Opening 3H bid would have had (preemptive - 7 hearts - weak). Is South weak? Their subsequent 4H bid suggests they may have been kidding about the weak. But the suggestion comes too late to find the heart slam NS deserve to make. That is correct. South can take 12 tricks in hearts. A much better bidding plan for South would have been to DBL (takeout) 1S, then bid 4H next regardless of North response. That tells partner they have a strong hand with a gangbuster heart suit. 

West: Given that partner has promised 6 spades & 16-17+ points, west did well to bid 4S. 

North: Gold star for sticking with the green card.

Hand of the Week 1 - August 3, 2020 - Glenna and Vic

Problem: The first hand has 1NT opening.  The overcaller also had close to 1NT opening.  I had balanced distribution.  I was at a loss as to what to do with something like this. I doubled which confused my partner.

Glenna:

Do not overcall any NT bids just because you have points. Keep still and let the NT bidder have great difficulty in making his bid!!! If you do want to bid, you should have a 6-card suit or at least a 5-5 hand. And, most, if not all your points should be in your suit!!! When you pass a NT opener, you are what we call “trap passing”: points with nothing to bid.

Vic:

There are many scenarios in bridge which you need to have discussed ahead of time with your partner & reached an advance agreement about how you will go forward. This is one of those scenarios. With no advance agreement there is no particular reason either you or partner should know what the other is doing. Sounds like that is what was going on here. 

A very common advance agreement is that DBL over an Opening 1NT promises a matching hand. That is, Overcaller is saying that they have a 1NT opening hand also. In this example, South is one point short of the commonly agreed upon 15-17 points required to open 1NT. South should Pass. I would expect West & North to subsequently Pass as well, leaving East to play 1NT. East deserves to go down, giving a plus score to NS. 

Hand of the Week - Glenna and Vic- July 27, 2020

Problem: North and South have excellent hands to overcall except that neither have a five card suit to overcall.  What do you do?

Glenna:

   You are totally correct that you must not bid unless it’s a 5-card suit. So the person in 2nd seat had to pass. When 3rd seat passes. 4th seat becomes the "balancing seat” which has totally different requirements than the other 2! 

   Balancing Seat:   Needs a K less than in regular seats to do any of the following actions

               Takeout Double: 10 or so points and at least 3-cards in the unbid suits

               Overcall: 5-card OR longer suit and the suit should hold 3 of the top 5 honors - especially if vulunerable

               1NT:  Shows 11-14pts and 3 suits stopped, but 1 of the stopped suits has to be the enemy’s opening suit

  If you and your partner had known the requirements for balancing, whoever would have followed the above guidelines in 4th (Balancing) Seat.

   Sometimes you balance and it helps the opponent to get a better board. For instance they open 1 ♣️, 4th seat balances with 1 ♥️ and opener jumps to 2 NT so you have just helped him describe his hand!!! So nothing you learn to do will work all the time and it’s important to remember that. Sometimes it gives you the top board.

Vic:

As you point out, North has enough points to overcall, but no 5-card suit. North should definitely Pass.

Once East also Passes that leaves South in what we call the "balancing seat". A player is in the balancing seat if they Pass will end the auction. South  does not only have enough points to overcall. South has enough points to open. South should not Pass.

South knows they have 13 HCP's. They have reason to believe West also has at least 12-13 HCP's, maybe as many as 21. They have reason to believe east has less than 6HCP's. They know it is very possible that partner (North) has some points (maybe even an opening hand themselves), but lacked a way to show those points (no 5-card suit, for example). It is possible in other words that South & partner deserve the auction. They need to compete.

South should "balance" the auction by making a takeout DBL. North should subsequently bid their longest suit at the lowest available level. Having their choice of hearts or spades, North should bid 2H. I would expect East to then Pass again. South should subsequently Pass as well, ending the auction at 2H in the North.

West, by the way, made a very poor choice of opening bids. Clubs are longer than diamonds. West should open 1C not 1D. If west opens 1C, EW may be able to push NS to 3H where they deserve to go down one trick.

Summary of Blog Posts

Monday Morning and Wednesday Morning Bridge Information 

• Vic Johnson's and Glenna Shanahan's Bridge Hand Analyses

Monday Morning General Information

• Monday Morning Bridge Requirements- What you need to play Monday Morning Bridge
• What to do if you do not receive an invitation to play bridge when you logon in Monday Morning

Wednesday Morning Bridge General Information 

• 199er Game - Questions and Answers 
• Logging onto BBO - Competitive  

• How to Join Competitive Bridge on Wednesday Morning 

• Joining and Obtaining ACBL Membership - Guest Membership
• Joining and Obtaining ACBL Membership - General Membership
•  Adding ACBL Membership Number to BBO

• Purchasing BB$ 

Monday Morning Host Information

• Host Information on copying hands in BBO- 
• BBO Bridge Host Information - Setting Table -  What you need to do if you are a designated Monday morning bridge host

BBO Information

• Explanation of scoring in BBO
• More on duplicate scoring
• Questions and Answers Regarding BBO
• BBO Archive and Data Retention
• Convention Cards Information
• Convention Card Picture
• Competitive Playing Costs Division between Bridge Club of Madison and ACBL

       Videos

• Convention Card Videos - September to October 2021 - Vic Johnson - September 27, October 4, October 11

Hand of the Week - Glenna and Vic - July 20, 2020

Problem:  We couldn’t find a fit and ended up in NT. Big problem was transportation.

Vic: 

With an experienced pair doing the bidding the auction might go:

N          E          S          W

1D          P         1H          P

3C           P          3H          P

4H            P           P            P

It deserves to make 4H with a spade lead. A trump lead by the opponents can hold it to 2H.

Played at several different tables, I would expect various other versions of the auction. Other pairs might be in hearts at a lower level.

At any rate, the fit is obviously in hearts & most pairs should find it.  No trump is a nightmare .

Glenna:

You simply rebid ♥️ at every turn and when partner realizes you have 6 or more, raises ♥️ to game level. The person with 7 ♥️ never lets partner play 3NT.

Convention Card Picture

Convention Cards

If you play competitive bridge you need something called a convention card.  What is it and why is it necessary?  I supplied questions to Glenna Shanahan and Vic Johnson.  The questions with their answers are listed below.

1. Why do convention cards exist?

Vic:  Convention cards exist as a function of two basic rules of bridge.

•  #1 - Secret bidding agreements or signals are illegal. The opponents are entitled to listen to any  conversation you have with your partner both during the auction & during play of the hand for the 50% of the hands you are playing defense. Your opponents are entitled to know the      meaning  of any call or signal you make. 
•  #2 - You are not allowed memory aides at the table. The card is for your opponents.

2. What are the reasons to fill out a convention card?

Vic:  You fill out a convention card as a courtesy to your opponents to inform them of your bidding agreements & signals.

Glenna:   We fill out a convention card because all partnerships play what those 2 people like to play—none of my cards are the same for any partner except the person I’m playing with that day.

 We also keep it on the right corner of the table so that opponents can look at it to know what you are playing/

3.  Is a convention card for a person or is a convention card for a team of two people?

Vic:  Every player is required to fill out a convention card. You & your playing partner’s card should be identical. I highly recommend huddling with partner to fill out your convention cards prior to every game. Doing so is excellent preparation.

Glenna:  The convention card is for the pair playing together,

4.  Are they actually used by the Madison Bridge Club? For what?

Vic:  Madison Bridge Club is an ACBL affiliated club. It is required to follow ACBL rules which require convention cards as stated above. Do the MBC Directors make an obvious point of enforcing this rule? Not often. But if a disagreement arises & your side has no convention card, then your side will lose.

Glenna:    Yes, each pair should have matching cards. If 1 person does not have a card, the director can say some conventions cannot be used until both players have filled one out.

5.  In Madison Bridge Club competitive play (Monday-Saturday) the directions are to tell people of the conventions before you start a set with another team.  Some people do that and they come up with weird acronyms that make no sense (to at least me). I play with people that simple state, “We play American Standard”.   What acronyms are applicable to convention cards?

Vic:  The rules stipulate that agreements must be clearly explained. Acronyms are not acceptable. If someone gives you an acronym you are not familiar with, just politely ask them to explain. If they refuse or give you a hard time, then call the Director. Having said that, there are certainly some acronyms that are pretty universally understood: “Stayman” for example. Telling MBC opponents you play “Standard American” is a courteous thing to do, because most North America players have at least some idea of what the various Standard American agreement are. In reality, however, you have no right to expect that they have even a clue. And if they are from Europe or Russia or any place in Asia, they probably do not. The rules do not allow you to simply toss your opponents an acronym & then cop an attitude that implies they are ignorant if they do not know what the acronym means. Unfortunately, there are experienced players who do that routinely, especially against opponents they tag as less experienced. Do not let them get away with it. Politely ask them to clearly explain their agreement.

Glenna:     Wdp: well done partner. BRB: Be right back ty: Thank you. USDC: upside down carding.  GL: good luck. WDO: well done opponent

5.  What happens if you have no idea what is on your convention card?  Can you be penalized?

Vic:   You fill out your own convention card. I am not sure how you could not know what is on it. But yes, you can get in trouble for a convention card that is marked with an agreement you do not play or do not understand. That is misleading your opponents.

Glenna:   If an opponent asks you the meaning of something and you haven’t discussed it with your partner: Do not make something up. Simply say we have No Agreement or We have never discussed this.

6.  Do convention cards become more important as you get better in bridge?

Vic: Yes.

Glenna: No, the reason to have one never changes for the opponent. For you it might become more important: For instance you receive a 0 on a board and you made 3NT so what happened?  You look at your card, find the score and see that you misplayed it—could have made 4 or 5

7.   Who is in charge of making sure convention cards meet either Madison Bridge Club or ACBL criteria?

Vic:  The Director of the game in question.

Glenna: You and your partner must make sure they match. If they match and are pretty complete, no one will complain. Hope this helps. 

Extra

Vic:  I am supplying a convention card marked as I feel new players (at the level of your Monday morning group) should aspire to understand & use with your playing partners. Feel free to ask me about anything that is not clear. Click here for the convention card.

If the link above did not work click on https://madisonbridgeclubmondaymorning.blogspot.com/2020/07/convention-card-picture.html
to see a picture of the convention card.

Note:  If you cannot get either link to work Email Vic Johnson at vrayjay42@gmail.com and he will email a copy to you.

ALERT: You will need to tweak the Convention Card by hand as follows. Go to: LEADS (versus suits) in lower left hand corner.

Find:  x x x  (change lead from the last x to the first x)

Find:  A K x  (circle A)

Find:  x x x x  (change lead from the last x to the first x)

Find:  x x x x x  (change lead from the fourth x to the first x)

Note: The change to the first x makes it a "top of nothing" lead.

More

You can go to the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) and obtain more information on Convention Cards by clicking here.

Monday Morning Bridge Requirements

People requested information on the requirements for  joining the Madison Bridge Club Monday Morning Bridge playing.  You can log onto BBO by clicking on this link:

https://www.bridgebase.com/v3/

This is the list of the requirements you need in order to play on Monday:

1. You must have a Bridge Base Online (BBO) logon id.  Your email address and BBO logon id should be sent to Ralph Patterson at rcpatterson@charter.net
2. You must get out of bed by 8:45 a.m. and be ready to play by 8:55 a.m.
3. There is no restriction on the amount of Masterpoints for you to play.
4. We want to keep the Monday Morning Bridge sessions filled with people from the Madison Bridge Club.  However, there could be exceptions if you make the case for an exception.
5. Table assignments are made each week.  People are rotated so they play different people each week.  If you have a preference to play with a particular partner, then that can be accommodated.  However, there will be no table set up with the same four people each week.
6. If you are asked to be a host, please be a host.  Being a host is not difficult.  There is a how to on the bridge blog and Ralph can bring you through it on Monday morning, if you wish.
7. Because this is casual and not competitive please note the following:
1. Each table has a host who is to set up the table.  Ralph cannot set up all of the tables in BBO.
2. If someone leaves while you are playing you will need to employ a robot to take there place.  BBO may charge you  for the robot.
3. Warning!! If the host does not choose the option of requiring a person to join a table, you will see  the table filled automatically with someone from anywhere in the world if someone leaves your table for an instant.  You may be surprised that one of your players will be playing with someone from Japan.  The host should make sure they approve any new players.
4. Unlike a competitive game, there is no time limit on how long to play a hand.
5. Each team is charged to end the session.  Most people end the session at 11:00 or 11:30.
8. Have fun.  Be nice.  The scores are irrelevant.  BBO does retain a history of some of the hands.  See the bridge blog for information on the hands.
9. There is no cost unless you need a robot for a position (N, S, E, W) that is not filled.  If you are not a host, the bridge playing is totally free.  If you are a host, the bridge playing is totally free unless there is an open position.

Glenna's and Vic's Hand Analysis - Your Bid is Taken - July 13, 2020

Problem

What do you do when your bid is taken?  The 1H bid by East prevents South from opening !D.  South cannot double because there is no support in spades.

Vic Johnson's Opinion

1) I agree with your initial plan to open 1D. That would promise at least a 13-14 pt hand & at least 3 diamonds.

2) Your Question: RHO foiled your plan by bidding 1H which means it is no longer possible for you to be "Opener". You now take off your "Opener" hat & switch it for an "Overcaller" hat. What are your bid options now as an Overcaller?

3) Answer: It depends! This is the most common initial answer to many bridge questions.

4) Option: If your hand was stronger, you could overcall 1NT. That would promise a 15-18 pt hand & a "stopper" in LHO heart suit.

5) Option: If you were shorter/weaker in hearts (not more than two) & had four spades, you could make a Takeout DBL. That would promise an opening hand, shortness in hearts, & "tolerance" in the three unbid suits. It is a forcing bid asking partner to bid their longest suit.

6) Option: If you had 5+ diamonds, you could bid 2D. This would promise a solid opening pt count & at least a five card diamond suit. Overcalling at two level can get you in deep doodoo against experienced defenders (partner may not have much at all), so you need to be solid, especially vulnerable.

7) Your Hand: You should PASS & hope your LHO raises opener's hearts.

8) Note: If your LHO now passes, partner should strive to either DBL or bid something which would get you two back in the auction. You would then take off your "Overcaller" hat, put on your "Advancer" hat, & get ready for a rockem sockem competitive auction.

Glenna Shanahan's Opinion

You would like to make a takeout double, but can’t with only 2 ♠️ as you promise 3 cards in all unbid suits. You probably shouldn’t bid 2 ♦️ without 5, but with such a nice hand, you want and probably need to take action. If I held that hand, I would bid 3 ♠️ over partner’s 3 ♦️ bid, asking partner if they have a ♠️ stopper and partner should quickly bid 3NT. That should be a successful contract.

A cue bid has 2 different meanings: 1st asking for a stopper to bid 3NT which you just saw in action. The other time is with partner opens the bidding and your right hand opponent (RHO) bids a suit and you want to show limit raise or better values, you cue bid the opponent’s suit. If you just raise partner’s suit, you have a weaker hand.

Information from Vic Johnson

Vic Johnson supplied some helpful information regarding improving your game, interference, and words of wisdom.  Click on the hyperlink to see the pdf document:

• Countering Opponents Interference over Opening 1NT
• Words of Wisdom
• Improving Your Game

Note:  If you cannot the links to work  to see or download the information Email Vic Johnson at vrayjay42@gmail.com and he will email a copy to you.

Glenna’s and Vic’s Hand Analysis - Preemptive Bids- July 6, 2020

Glenna Shanahan and Vic Johnson were supplied a bridge hand.  The player of the hand (me) stated why he bid the hand the way it was bid.  Glenna and Vic then supplied the answer on the correct bid.  Thanks to both of them for their comments.

Why was it bid like that?

The problem was I had six clubs and no five card majors.  I had enough to open.  The clubs were the best part of this hand.  Technically, the bid should have been 2 clubs showing 6 clubs but a 2 club bid means you have more than 17 points.  I did not have 17 points but 6 clubs.  I suppose I could have bid 1 club but that means I have between 3 and 4 clubs and no majors.  So because I wanted to tell my partner I had more than 3 clubs,  I couldn’t bid 2 clubs because I did not have enough points, there was only one bid that I thought would work. That bid was 3 clubs.

Glenna’s Comments

 The Bidding: Let’s make preemptive bidding very clear: All preempts guarantee that you have LESS than an opening bid - usually 5-10 points.  6-card suits are opened at the 2-level, 7-card suits at the 3-level and 8 card suits at the 4-level. If you have 9 ♣️’s or 9 ♦️’s, you still open 4 and not 5. Most off your values (high card points) should be in your suit. This hand doesn’t fit the criteria, so should be opened the same as any other opening hand—1 ♣️  and if responder bids 1 ♦️ or 1 ♥️, your rebid is 1 ♠️ and if partner bids 1 ♠️, you would raise ♠️’s.

Vic’s Comments

Comments with respect to the hand you describe above:

#1 - Most experienced players agree that a 2C opening bid promises 22+ HCPs. I suggest you do so as well.

#2 - Your correct bid was 1C - that promised AT LEAST three clubs - it also promises AT LEAST a standard opening hand - it does NOT DENY that your club suit might be longer than three & your point count higher than standard - that is why partner should strive not to PASS holding at least six points

#3 - imagine your LHO passes & partner bids 1D passed back to you - on your second call you can jump to 3C - rebidding any suit promises AT L:EAST a six card suit - the jump to the three level promises 16-17 points

#4 - suppose partner passes - you could choose to rebid your clubs (to promise six) but should not jump to three level (rebidding even after partner has passed implies a point count on the strong side of opening)

#5 - You should try to avoid lying about length with preemptive bids - opening bids at three level should promise seven cards