Comments for Bridge Blog

Comment on Grand or Not? Results 8/26 by Hugh Knipmeyer

Hugh Knipmeyer — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:00:05 +0000

For what it is worth, here is how Bill and I bid the grand
1 S (2QT) P 2 H (game forcing ) P
4 H (lousy hand, P 4 NT(RKCH) P
4 H’s)
5 C (1 key card) P 5 NT (ask for specfic P
kings)
5 S (nice bid by Bill, P 7 NT (making
knew K Q was more important)
Knip

Comment on SOS Redouble 6/3 by Dan Cabot

Dan Cabot — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:44:03 +0000

(This question is attached to the Mini-Roman blog. I’ve copied it here.) Dan - not a comment, but a question. As you may remember I was south and Gail Farrish was north on the hand from 6/3 that you posted on the blog. We have discussed the bidding ad nauseum and are curious about how you would find the spades given the bidding through your SOS? Thanks in advance and thanks for the blog - it is great fun and informative!
Patsy: It’s hard for N-S to get back in the auction after 2Hearts! It’s going to be up to North (Gail) who has the big hand. When 2Hearts is passed around to you, you have nowhere to go. But if North doubles, I think I would think it is for penalties and leave it in, which will get a bad result as it turns out. Perhaps the safest for Gail would be to cue-bid 3Hearts. Since that can’t be to play, it has to be asking you to support diamonds or bid spades or maybe NT. You would bid 3Spades (not 4Spades with your 5 HCP), which she would probably pass.

Comment on Mini-Roman 5/29 by Patsy McCOrnack

Patsy McCOrnack — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:18:35 +0000

Dan - not a comment, but a question. As you may remember I was south and Gail Farrish was north on the hand from 6/3 that you posted on the blog. We have discussed the bidding ad nauseum and are curious about how you would find the spades given the bidding through your SOS? Thanks in advance and thanks for the blog - it is great fun and informative!

Comment on Results 5/6 & 5/8 by dan-cabot

dan-cabot — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:26:30 +0000

The answer is that sometime you don’t have an even number of pairs who want to play. The game is set up as if there were an even number, but one pair is a “phantom” pair. When it’s your turn to play against the phantom pair, you sit out that round. You can watch a set of hands (usually 3 or 4) you’ve already played in an earlier round, or go for a walk. This means that each hand will be played one fewer times than if there were an even number of tables, because each set of hands “sits out” when the phantom pair would have played them. If there were 5 1/2 tables in play, the game is set up for six tables, but instead of a range of scores from 0 to 5, the range will be 0 to 4, because each hand will be played only 5 times.
In a tournament, there is almost never a sit out, and each hand is played 13 times (top score is 12). Dan

Comment on Results 5/6 & 5/8 by Rick Mello

Rick Mello — Thu, 08 May 2008 21:57:16 +0000

What does it mean to have 5 1/2 or 4 1/2 tables in play? I thought Bridge needed 4 players per table.

Comment on Vineyard Bridge 4/17 by Dale Collinson

Dale Collinson — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:45:03 +0000

Nice column. But the focus on the void may be only part of the story. Seagram & Lee say not to use Blackwood with an unprotected side suit (one without first or second round control). Because South cue bid the Diamond Ace, the old fashion way never showed the void. It was the heart situation that needed to be covered.

Comment on Vineyard Bridge 4/17 by Sue Collinson

Sue Collinson — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:29:13 +0000

I kind of guessed this was the hand you would pick to write about but as you know it depends on the communication of the partnership. Sometimes it isn’t all that easy to know how your partner will interpret your bid.