HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: bs@gauss.mitre.org (Robert D. Silverman)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Bid these hands
Date: 31 Mar 92 20:45:43 GMT
Article-I.D.: linus.1992Mar31.204543.10832
Organization: Research Computer Facility, MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA

In article <2300@accucx.cc.ruu.nl> vlucht@accucx.cc.ruu.nl (vlucht) writes:
:In <ktfehkINNiq0@bovina.cs.utexas.edu> varvel@cs.utexas.edu (Donald A. Varvel) writes:
:>North:    S    H    D    C
:>          A    A    A    x
:>          K    x    x    x
:>          x    x         x
:>          x    x
:
:>South:    x    K    x    A
:>               Q    x    K
:>               x         Q
:>                         J
:>                         T
:>                         9
:>                         x
:
:Playing a more or less standard natural system I would think
 
Stuff deleted.....


Why all the fuss over this hand??  It isn't particularly hard to bid.


On the other hand an interesting competitive question was raised about
a 1516 hand and I haven't seen ANY postings except my own.

--
Bob Silverman
These are my opinions and not MITRE's.
Mitre Corporation, Bedford, MA 01730
"You can lead a horse's ass to knowledge, but you can't make him think"
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: A couple of hands.
From: baseggi1@husc8.harvard.edu (Franco Baseggio)
Date: 17 Apr 92 03:20:44 GMT

eric@pencom.com writes:

>White-White You (South) hold :  x/AKJxx/Qx/AJ109x

>Bidding proceeds :
>E       S        W         N
>P       1H       P         3H(1)
>4S      ???

>(1) Normal limit raise with 4+

>Is a pass forcing?
Absolutely.
>Given that it is, what is your proper action.
Pass.
>Given that it is not, what is your proper action.
I don't accept your hypothesis.
>Assume that you are playing with a trusted partner, but
>not an established partnership.
Pass.  A trusted partner knows that when you have the balance of 
strength and a fit, this pass must be forcing.
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: info 
From: murat@otago.ac.nz
Date: 17 Apr 92 12:26:06 +1300
Organization: University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

I would like to get some information on two books that I am trying to get
hold of.

1) Win with Romex  (written by George Rosenkranz)
2) Modern Ideas in Bidding (presumably written by the same author)

I will appreciate if anyone knows these books and posts the necessary
information so that I can order them.
Thanks

Murat Genc
Econ Dept
Universit of Otago
Dunedin, New Zealand
From: varvel@cs.utexas.edu (Donald A. Varvel)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: *My* Thoughts on the Jihad and ACBL
Date: 9 Apr 1992 14:17:25 -0500
Organization: U Texas Dept of Computer Sciences, Austin TX
NNTP-Posting-Host: levelland.cs.utexas.edu

In article <2887@sol.deakin.OZ.AU> doug@cm.deakin.OZ.AU (Douglas Newlands) writes:
>In article <1992Apr6.180648.11308@linus.mitre.org: bs@gauss.mitre.org (Robert D. Silverman) writes:
>:In article <1992Apr3.173629.20707@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu> milord@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu (Milord) writes:

>:There is too much cheating now that goes on in ACBL tournaments.

>:Can you imagine what it would be like with cash prizes???

>Hearing Bob say this and having had some interesting email
>discussions with others I am coming to realise that US
>players accept that pairs cheating is a normal part of
>competition play.

>Do other US correspondents agree about the amount of cheating?

As one of the correspondents, I'll take this up.

LHO opens 1D.  Partner overcalls 1S.  RHO passes, and I bid 2S.
LHO frowns, looks at me suspiciously, and in a suspicious tone
of voice says, "Pass."  Partner passes and RHO reopens 3H with
xx KJxxx xxx xxx.  LHO, of course, had a balanced 18-count, which
was about what I expected from her manner.  I called the director
who watched to see that we actually set 3H (we couldn't make 2S).
LHO was incensed that anyone would question her perfectly normal
demeaner.

Mike Lawrence gives an auction where his partner bid hearts
artificially three times and RHO looked just *really* happy every
time.  LHO led a heart, of course.

The immediate bid after the skip bid warning is such a way of
life in the lower levels of tournament play that in some settings
I don't bother giving the warning.  I would be calling the director
once a round.  These people have been told and hear the warning.

*Good* players don't do these things, of course.  In general the
best players are the most ethical.

Each of these things goes beyond carelessness.  It's cheating,
with the expectation of gaining an advantage.  It is done by
people who are outraged that anyone would accuse them of cheating
when they're just acting normally.

I really don't know how things are in other parts of the world.
I've never played in a money-bridge club, but I have a hard time
believing this sort of thing would be tolerated.  I wonder if it
isn't a result of a *lack* of serious money bridge.

-- Don Varvel (varvel@cs.utexas.edu)
From: vlucht@accucx.cc.ruu.nl (vlucht)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: What to bid?
Date: 13 Apr 92 07:06:59 GMT
Organization: Academic Computer Centre Utrecht

In <1992Apr9.223231.8220@pencom.com> eric@pencom.com writes:

>South, You hold :

>KJ109xx
>-
>AK10xxx
>A

>Bidding has proceeded :
>W       N       E      S
>2H      P       P      3H(1)
>P       3N(2)   4H     ???

>1)  Michael's
>2)  Natural

>Constructive bids anyone?
>When
>   a)  You trust partner's judgement in this situation.

Ah lovely. An intelligent partner will understand "pass and pull", so
pass (FORCING) and subsequently 4S over partners expected double. Whether
s/he will bid 6S with two Queens is doubtful, but bidding to the five level
all by yourself is a bit too risky i believe.

>   b)  You don't trust partner's judgement in this situation.

Then just 4S is quite enough. Too many disasters are achieved on competitive
hands when players are looking for perfect hands with their partner. I would notbe surprised if 5S goes down on this hand, especially with bad breaks to be 
expected.


Maurits van der Vlugt			Voice: +31 30534559
Faculty of geographical sciences	Fax:   +31 30540604
University of Utrecht			Email: vlucht@cc.ruu.nl
P.O. Box 80115
3508 TC  Utrecht
The Netherlands

***************************************************************************
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: bharat@cs.uiuc.edu (R. Bharat Rao)
Subject: Re: Problems from Pasadena
Reply-To: bharat@cs.uiuc.edu
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 16:03:49 GMT

eric@pencom.com writes:

>I have noticed that in the following sequence :
>1H  P  2D  4C
>P   P  4S

>That almost everyone thinks 4S is non-forcing.

If 4S is forcing then basically what you are saying by apssing 4C is
that, partner either we defend 4C or 4Cdbld, OR we play at the 5 level
(or if you check out some responses, only at the 6 level).  True, once
in a while you will miss a great slam, butit better to play 4S as
strongly forward going, but not forcing.

>What does parner have to do to get you to bid when he has 6-5
>in diamonds and spades?  Get out his cattle prod?

>I cue-bid seems rather outlandish, a double is for penalty.

Bid 4S and hope that you will carry on.

>Besides, why don't people think :

> 	QJT - AJ7xx - Kxx - Jx

>Is a good hand?
>If partner is 6-5 in diamonds and hearts, slam is so
>close to reality, I don't see why people keep WANTING to
>pass.  Your holding in hearts is excellent opposite shortness.
>Why not give partner the benefit of the doubt and take simple
>preference?  You lack of enthusiam will warn him about
>club losers.

In a post that I made earlier, I said that at IMPs going forward
(bidding 5D) is a reasonable idea and should be advocated - 5D is
quite likely to be safe.  However, AT MATCHPOINTS, settle for the very
good score you will get for playing in 4S.  

Let assume that diamonds make 12 tricks, but you play in 4S making 5.
Then will lose to the pairs in slam (obviously) but beat everyone
else, for what (should be) a decent (60%) score.  However, if slam
does not make, then get a clear top when spades make game (why risk 5S
down 1, when 4S +420 should be 85%).  The key to matchpoints, IMO, is
realizing when you have a decent score coming to you, and accept that
rather than going for the home run.  The time to shoot the works when
you are headed for a bad score.  The `classical' example is when you
arrive at 5 of a minor when 3NT seems to be scoring more, and shoot
the works by bidding 6 of the minor.

Bharat
--
R. Bharat Rao, E-mail: bharat@cs.uiuc.edu (bharat@kbesrl.me.uiuc.edu)
AI Group, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
405 N. Matthews, Urbana, IL 61801  (217)-244-1263 (O) 244-8371(F)
Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana
From: willner@cfa.harvard.edu (Steve Willner)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Taxes
Date: 13 Apr 92 19:20:53 GMT
Organization: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA,  USA


In article <1992Apr8.220855.10368@welchgate.welch.jhu.edu>,
ted@welchgate.welch.jhu.edu (Ted Ying) writes: 
> 	If we were to start offering cash prizes then it could be
> 	considered a form of either professional sport or a form of
> 	gambling.  In any event, the government could require that
> 	people report winnings of this sort as additional income to be
> 	taxed.

Bridge winnings are already taxable as personal income (in the US).
So are fees received from clients, for that matter, not to mention
royalties from books or articles written.  One bright spot is that if
you earn income from playing bridge, expenses related to playing
ought to be deductible from income.  On the other hand, if your
bridge income is self-employment, you have to pay both shares of the
Social Security (FICA) tax on the net income.

Local entertainment taxes are a different matter.  Anybody know for
sure whether tournament entry fees are taxed, and if not, why not?
It's not clear to me whether money prizes would change the situation;
no doubt it would depend on local and state laws.  It might even be
that in some jurisdictions, offering money prizes would make entry
fees non-taxable.
-- 
Steve Willner            Phone 617-495-7123         Bitnet:   willner@cfa
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA                 Internet: willner@cfa.harvard.edu
  member, League for Programming Freedom; contact league@prep.ai.mit.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: asya@ux5.lbl.gov (Asya Kamsky)
Subject: Re: not another jihad
Reply-To: asya@ux5.lbl.gov (Asya Kamsky)
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Distribution: rec
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 07:09:42 GMT

In article <199210.1527.2214@channel1> "michael benveniste" <michael.benveniste@channel1.com> writes:
>First, I think the ACBL is overly conservative.  When a convention

This may be true.

>achieves the popularity of the Multi-2D, it's well past time to
>permit it at the sectional and regional levels.  There is plenty of
>source information on how to defend.  Of course, look at the

Not here there isn't.  It's popular in the rest of the world, not here.

>organization you're dealing with.  Does the ACBL have a PC-based
>program for club use yet?  They didn't in 1990.  Bidding Boxes?

Yes. They did. THey do.  What does that have to do with anything?

>Too complicated.  Some sort of way to find a club game, possibly

Yes, they do.  They provide them.  They encourage their use. CLubs
have the final say.

>through a phone response system?  Forget it.

They provide a directory of all ACBL sanctioned games with schedules
and contacts.  What do you want -- voice mail?


-- 
"In nature there are no rewards or punishments, only consequences"

Asya Kamsky	      e-mail: asya@ux5.lbl.gov                   Go Red Sox
"In order to command you must first learn to submit" - chinese fortune cookie
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: bs@fatima.mitre.org (Robert D. Silverman)
Subject: Re: What is going on?
Keywords: No cue after strong jump shift?
Organization: Research Computer Facility, MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 14:16:44 GMT

In article <kumeq4INN1ia@bovina.cs.utexas.edu> varvel@cs.utexas.edu (Donald A. Varvel) writes:
 
stuff deleted...

:
:How about Kx AJTxxxx KQ KQ?  *I* wouldn't jump-shift on that hand, 
:but Goren probably would have.  Goren also wouldn't have cue-bid a 
:king in this situation.  It's the only hand I can think of that 
:*some* authority might have bid that way.
:
:Of course, 4NT is better than 4H.
 
I discounted this possibility, because with this hand 4NT simply jumps
out as the obvious bid over 3H. One can also construct similar hands.

**MY** best guess for 2H would be something like:

Kx  AJ109xx  xx KQJx

i.e. the jump shift was done because of the additional club fit. This
hand can't bid Blackwood because of 2 quick diamond losers.

:
:>:2] What should partner's hand look like?
: 
:>Who knows? His 2H bid was impossible, and he failed to cuebid at the 4 level.
:
:How good is partner?  I would suspect Kx AJTxxxx x KQx, a really bad
:jump-shift.  Now partner realizes the suit wasn't up to standard and
:tries to avoid the worst by signing off.  Slam is still on, but reverse
 
Huh? Even with the hand immediately above, the bad suit doesn't matter
because presumably the raise to 3H showed 3 card support. This hand has
2nd round control in every side suit! How can it sign off???

Furthermore, one thing you should NEVER do is fail to cuebid because you
think you overbid earlier. 

To me, the entire auction makes no sense, but I am not used to playing
with people who make jump shifts on these kinds of hands.

--
Bob Silverman
These are my opinions and not MITRE's.
Mitre Corporation, Bedford, MA 01730
"You can lead a horse's ass to knowledge, but you can't make him think"
Xref: sparky ucb.general:245 rec.games.bridge:2795
From: fogel@purina.berkeley.edu (Micah E. Fogel)
Newsgroups: ucb.general,rec.games.bridge
Subject: Cal Bridge Club
Date: 13 Apr 1992 20:46:22 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley Math. Department.
Distribution: ucb
NNTP-Posting-Host: purina.berkeley.edu


	Come play at the Cal Bridge Club.  We meet Tuesday evenings at 7:30PM
in room 2515 Tolman.  All experience levels welcome, no partner necessary.
Questions?  Please respond to this account.

					Micah Fogel
					fogel@math.berkeley.edu
From: varvel@cs.utexas.edu (Donald A. Varvel)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: question
Date: 9 Apr 1992 14:47:53 -0500
Organization: U Texas Dept of Computer Sciences, Austin TX
NNTP-Posting-Host: levelland.cs.utexas.edu

In article <1992Apr9.173014.13323@m.cs.uiuc.edu> bharat@cs.uiuc.edu writes:
>irad@neit.cgd.ucar.edu (Irad Yavneh) writes:
>>KTX
>>KXX
>>AK
>>AQXXX

>>AXXX
>>AQJ
>>QXXX
>>T8

>>2. What's the right auction? (S dealer, no opposition.)

>Its awfully tough not to get to 6NT.  After a 13-15 NT by S, North may
>just raise to 6NT.

Playing a 12-14 NT, I rather like either an immediate 4NT response
or 1NT-2C; 2S-3C(1); 3NT-4NT(2).  (1) Game force with clubs;  (2)
quantitative, of course.  In the first case South has a hard time not
going to 6NT.  In the second, though, the known misfit and bad heart
holding may be a sufficient warning.

-- Don Varvel (varvel@cs.utexas.edu)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: bharat@cs.uiuc.edu (R. Bharat Rao)
Subject: Re: Bharat takes the Big Ten
Reply-To: bharat@cs.uiuc.edu
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 19:03:00 GMT

cjvg8608@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Christopher J. Vandemore) writes:
>Maillacheruvu represented Iowa, while the others represented Illinois.
>This board set the tone in the 14-board final against an all Illinois
>team:

>Dealer West
>E-W Vulnerable
	[embarassing hand deleted]
>550 N/S vs. 80 N/S at the other table

Way to go, Chris -- had to go and post the one hand from the entire
tournament that I am totally embarassed about --- OK, OK, the sooner
the details of one `inspired' defense to a 3NT in the pairs event are
forgotten, the better off the world will be.

Don't let Chris's post get you.  There were some pretty delightful
hands in the final.  Hiroshi had to execute a squeeze to earn a push
in 4H (the kind opening lead at our table presented declarer with his
10th trick).  Hiroshi when playing the hand chose to follow the
time-honored tradition -- ``anyone can lose a contract on a finesse,
its takes a good player to go blow the contract on a squeeze!'' --
Seriously, playing 4H in...
	AQxx,xxx,AQTxx,Q
	KT,QJ9xx,Jx,KQ9x

on a non-diamond lead you have a good shot.  At our table, there was
no interference and a spade lead gave declarer his 10th trick.  Our
RHO overcalled 1D with 2C and after a club lead and followed by 3
rounds of hearts (best, else declarer ruffs his small club for his
10th trick), Hiroshi squeezed RHO in the minors to make 4H.

And then there was the 4S that made at one table on a marginally
better line for a big swing.  Kris (my partner) played superbly to
make a 3NT contract which required perfect timing, and showed great
judgement in stopping in 3NT on another hand to earn two big swings.

The hands in the pair event were pre-dealt with hand analysis, and
I'll post a few tomorrow.

It was fantastic to hook up with my old partner, Kris from my
undergraduate day in India; it also proved, that Deon Thomas
notwithstanding, Illinois and Iowa can hit it off in sporting events :-)

Congratulations also to the two Michigan teams that made the trip from
Ann Arbor -- they played very well, each losing only to the two teams
in the finals.  Michigan I was somewhat unlucky to lose in the
semi-finals by 10 imps in a very close game.  Well played guys, and
hopefully a lot more Big 10 teams will come down for future events.

The organizers deserve a lot of applause for organizing the tournament
very well -- and hopefully this becomes a popular yearly event (maybe,
I can talk Chuck into donating a trophy -- Whatcha say Josh:-); and a
lot of teams show up from different schools for a lot of bridge.

>Chris Vandemore

More hands tomorrow...

Bharat
--
R. Bharat Rao, E-mail: bharat@cs.uiuc.edu (bharat@kbesrl.me.uiuc.edu)
AI Group, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
405 N. Matthews, Urbana, IL 61801  (217)-244-1263 (O) 244-8371(F)
Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: bs@fatima.mitre.org (Robert D. Silverman)
Subject: Re: Sound openers style.  (Was: Re: What is going on?)
Keywords: No cue after strong jump shift?
Organization: Research Computer Facility, MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 14:23:27 GMT

In article <1992Apr14.194737.17193@midway.uchicago.edu> valley@gsbsun.uchicago.edu (Doug Dougherty) writes:
:bs@fatima.mitre.org (Robert D. Silverman) writes:
:>:
stuff deleted...


:>Not me. Not in 1st or second seat. I don't open 8 loser hands with no spots.
:
:The hand is a 13 count, and not all that shabby of one.  All the cards
 
Points, schmoints. Don't be a Walrus. The hand does have 8 losers and 3
quick losers in diamonds.

:are working (2 Aces and a K-Q)  I think all but the most hard core of
:"sound opener" types would open it.  (Not that I'm not aware of the
:things that can go wrong if you do)
:
:But let's suppose you are playing a sound opening system.  I assume this
:means you have to loosen up the requirements for 3rd & 4th hand openers
:(or else, at matchpoints at least, you will pass out too many hands)
:
:I am curious (honestly) as to how this works.  What are your thoughts on
 
Check any book on Roth-Stone.

Playing sound openings (i.e. no 8 loser hands without 3-1/2 QT etc) one
does indeed open light in 3rd seat. Minor suit openings in 3rd/4th can
be slightly shaded, and major suit openings can be greatly shaded.
[i.e. you open most 8 counts with a decent major suit].  You need Drury
or a similar mechanism so the passed hand can find out about sub-minimum
openings.

--
Bob Silverman
These are my opinions and not MITRE's.
Mitre Corporation, Bedford, MA 01730
"You can lead a horse's ass to knowledge, but you can't make him think"
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: valley@gsbsun.uchicago.edu (Doug Dougherty)
Subject: Reversing the meaning of 1S and 1NT
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1992 23:50:04 GMT


Playing a 5 card major, forcing NT system, what is the arguement for
reversing the meaning of 1S and 1NT over a 1H opening?

I remember having worked this out some time ago, but now can't quite
remember the justification for it.  It seems that one of the benefits is
that it eliminates the "Flannery problem", i.e., what to do is 4-5.
****************************************************************************
The Slug		valley@gsbsun.uchicago.edu

"He's trying to give up drinking, but his girlfriend hasn't left him yet."

(THis [sic] message should be assumed to have been smiley captioned for the
humor impaired)
Organisation: European Space Operation Centre (E.S.O.C)
Date: Monday, 13 Apr 1992 10:25:09 CET
From: <DNASTASZ@ESOC.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Simple(?) percentage problem

Good Morning,
Please help my ailing knowledge of percentages by telling me the correct
play on this 3NT:

North     South       North    South
K97       AJ86        1H       1S
KQxxx     T9          3C       3NT
x         Axxx
AKQx      T98

The lead is a small diamond (they were playing 4th) and I'll give you a clue:
the clubs are splitting 3-3 (so you have 7 on top).

Questions:
1) When do you take the diamond ace?
2) When you do, what next? (and why is it the best percentage line)

Dave Nastaszczuk. ESOC, 6100 Darmstadt, Germany
From: asya@ux5.lbl.gov (Asya Kamsky)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: question
Date: 9 Apr 92 22:11:27 GMT
Article-I.D.: overload.1992Apr9.221127.16098
Reply-To: asya@ux5.lbl.gov (Asya Kamsky)
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

In article <ku97r9INNl08@levelland.cs.utexas.edu> varvel@cs.utexas.edu (Donald A. Varvel) writes:
>>>KTX
>>>KXX
>>>AK
>>>AQXXX
>
>>>AXXX
>>>AQJ
>>>QXXX
>>>T8
>
>>>2. What's the right auction? (S dealer, no opposition.)
>
>Playing a 12-14 NT, I rather like either an immediate 4NT response
>or 1NT-2C; 2S-3C(1); 3NT-4NT(2).  (1) Game force with clubs;  (2)
>quantitative, of course.  In the first case South has a hard time not
>going to 6NT.  In the second, though, the known misfit and bad heart
>holding may be a sufficient warning.

I play a 12-14 NT and I don't think we'd be in slam on this hand.
Transfer to clubs (2S) with 2nt by opener saying they have a bad hand
for clubs and then a quantitative 4nt will have South passing
very fast.


On the other hand, how would you bid these two hands (white, IMPs)
Dlr         Resp
K8        AQJ73
KT42      AQ6
AJ742     6
K3        AQ74

Our auction went:  1NT (12-14)  2H
		   2S           3C  (natural and forcing)
		   3NT          4H  (patterning out)
		   5D           5NT (5D shows good cards and no fit)
                   6S           P   (5NT is pick a slam)

It's not a bad grand (in fact it made 7, but my partner thought that
6D over 5NT would be too much)
-- 
"In nature there are no rewards or punishments, only consequences"

Asya Kamsky	      e-mail: asya@ux5.lbl.gov                   Go Red Sox
"In order to command you must first learn to submit" - chinese fortune cookie