From: shamrake@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Danil Suits)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Assess the blame
Date: 27 Jan 1993 02:44:13 GMT
Organization: Zansellquasure Flamarion Bridge Club
NNTP-Posting-Host: huey.cc.utexas.edu
Summary: old topic, new thoughts, and some info



I asked Don Varvel to look up some notrump overcall ranges for
me, and he gave me the answer by phone.

According to the source we used, I was (no big surprise) out in
left field.  _Play My Card_ by Max Hardy, if I remember correctly,
indicates that most top pairs played 15-18, with plus and minus
signs appearing on either number.  A few 16-19's (one or two as I
recall), Bergen (14-16 not vulnerable) and a *few* 15-17's...
none of whom I recognized.

It is of course possible, since the book was published some years
back, that the expert practice has changed since then, but I think
that it is more likely that the 15-17's I remember seeing are being
played by NON experts, who have chosen the range to match their
strong notrump openings.

If anyone can suggest a more updated source for a similar expert
survey, I would be happy to do some leg work, but as it stands
I yield.

[Here it comes...]

I still think highly of the double (less highly than before)

    1. Competing will be easiest in spades, if we can find a fit,
       and I expect that to be easier after a double

    2. Double brings clubs into the picture more easily than does
       bidding notrumps

    3. Diamonds are only likely to be an issue when partner has 5.
       (with more, I expect that he will mention the suit over 
       a notrump overcall anyway, admittedly with less enthusiasm)

    4. I personally have very bad luck when I bid notrumps having
       a point count HIGHER than what the bid shows.  Perhaps it is
       karma, but my partner's never seem to invite when I do that
       (of course, when I shade up, then love to jump to game on
       skimpy values.  Maybe I should just always bid my range.)

       On the same point, it is my guess that a hand with 19HCP is
       on average about a king stronger than the average 15-18 notrump
       overcall.  I intend to try to confirm this, but I think that
       someone with a more powerful simulator might be able to do a
       better job.

       Any takers?

       ( part of the problem is programming the opening bid in front
       of the overcall, I'll give it my best, but perhaps someone else
       can do better? I fear I am handicapped by a partly retarded
       computer dealer. )

The downside, of course, is that I will probably end up in 2nt or
diamonds far more often than I would like.  I might get half a
matchpoint from Boyin. :-)

I think that double has another horse running for it as well.
It is moderately likely that at some tables, rho will not open
in front of you (less so in an expert field.) It may be necessary
extra effort must be made to catch up with the wests at those tables
who were able to start a bit more naturally.

Our heart holding should tell us something about that.  Does
AQT9 suggest that rho might be playing free and easy with the
conditions?

[There may not be much too this. After all, it figures to be 
a hand that will generate some unusual calls, even uncontested]

-- 
A sepulchral voice reverberating through the cave says, "Cave
closing soon.  All adventurers exit immediately through main office."