HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: irad@neit.cgd.ucar.edu (Irad Yavneh)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: 6-suit squeeze
Date: 8 Apr 92 19:36:52 GMT
Organization: Climate and Global Dynamics Division/NCAR, Boulder, CO

Does anyone know what a squeeze, whereby both defenders are
squeezed in three suits, is called? Does the following 
qualify, or is it just a form of double guard squeeze?
-
AXXX
KXXXX
AXXX

AKX
KTX
AQJXXX
K

Matchpoint-masterminding you find yourself in 7NT. Qc is
led. What's your plan?

Try playing W for two (or one) hearts, led by an honor. Run
pointed-suit winners, coming down to
-
AX
-
AX

X
KTX
_
_

E must keep three hearts, and therefore cannot guard clubs. Hence,
W must keep two clubs, but also two hearts, lest you cash Ah and
make thirteenth trick by heart-finesse. This leaves no room for
spades, so you enter dummy and squeeze E in the majors.
From: grove@triangle.Berkeley.EDU (Eddie Grove)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: 2 Problems (IMPS)
Date: 16 Apr 92 21:24:05 GMT
Article-I.D.: agate.skr9lINN84d
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
NNTP-Posting-Host: triangle.berkeley.edu

In article <1992Apr15.202855.1077@linus.mitre.org> bs@gauss.mitre.org (Robert D. Silverman) writes:
>In article <35125@uflorida.cis.ufl.edu> nair@astro.ufl.edu (Nair) writes:
>: 7x
>: AQ10xx
>: AKJx
>: Kx
  
>: Auction :
  
>: You    LHO    Pard   RHO
>: 1H     2C      2S     P
>: 3D     P       3S
  
>: these days.  But I think the right bid definitely is 3NT, saying :
>: I have 1 stopper with exactly the hand shown.  So if he/she doesn't
>: have a stopper he/she should pull it out to 4S.  I've shown 2 suits
 
>No! No! No!   Partner will sit, for example, with:
 
>AKJxxx
>x
>Qxx
>xxx

>because your 3NT shows some expectation that spades will run OR a double stopper
>in clubs.

Assume 3-2 spades (or 4S is going down).
Is it so bad to be in 3N opposite this hand?  In 4S, they start with 2 clubs and
a ruff.  I guess you cash SAK and hope the Q drops.  In 3N, you make if they
don't lead a club, or if clubs are 7-1, or if the SQ is onside.

Change the SK to the SQ and 4S is awful, while 3N makes if the SK is onside
guarded at most twice.

>Since 3S does not promise a solid suit, 3NT should announce a fitting card in 
>spades or a double stop.

Agreed in theory, but note my argument above.

>Suppose you held:
 
>Qx
>Axxxx
>AKJx
>Kx
 
>wouldn't you bid 3NT with this hand??   If so, how can partner make an
>intelligent decision when to sit if you bid 3NT with this hand and the
>one above????

I fully expect partner to pass 3N, with neither a club stop nor running
spades.  I still think it is the best chance for game.


Eddie Grove
From: desj@idacrd.UUCP (David desJardins)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: hesitating with a singleton
Date: 13 Apr 92 20:24:16 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: IDA Center for Communications Research

In article <1992Apr8.221748.10734@welchgate.welch.jhu.edu> ted@welchgate.welch.jhu.edu (Ted Ying) writes:
>	First of all, the common misperception is that you can pause to
>	look at the dummy at your first opportunity to play.
>
>	It is correct to play to the first trick as soon as you know what
>	you will play to the trick and then pause after the trick is
>	played out to consider the whole hand.  You can pause to
>	consider the trick if you have a problem with the trick, but not
>	because you are considering the whole hand.

I take strong exception to this.  It is my right to pause at any time
during the play.  The only exception to this, as far as I know, is
that I may not use my tempo to deceive one's opponents or to convey
information to my partner.  In the event that this does occur, an
adjustment and/or a disciplinary penalty are in order.

However, this absolutely does not mean that my opponents are entitled
to know when I have a problem, and what kind of problem that might be.
They draw any inferences entirely at their own risk.  It is entirely
within my rights, under the rules, for me to always hesitate before
playing rather than after, so as not to give my opponents information
about what kind of problem I have.

					David desJardins
From: eric@pencom.com
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Pridding Boblem
Date: 7 Apr 92 20:51:59 GMT
Distribution: rec.games.bridge
Organization: Pencom Software

In article <1992Apr2.152353.26077@linus.mitre.org> bs@fatima.mitre.org (Robert  
D. Silverman) writes:
> In article <1992Apr2.112307.7736@lth.se> f84beo@efd.lth.se (Bjorn-Erik  
Olsson) writes:
> :In article <1992Mar31.142637.28135@linus.mitre.org> bs@gauss.mitre.org
> :(Robert D. Silverman) writes:
> :> 
> :stuff deleted.....
> :>
> :>It is a SURE sign of a weak or novice player when they want to open 2C
> :>based on playing strength alone without defense. Or when they want to open
> :>2C with strong 2-suiters.

> By the way, what point were you trying to make by bringing up this hand?
> Your post seemed rather pointless in that it said nothing constructive.

I think the point he was trying to make is that is not necessarily
a sign of fishiness to want to open the hand 2C.  I saw an example
in our local paper this morning of a suggested bidding sequence :

AKQxxx
Kxx
-
AKxx

That starts off with a strong 2C bid.
Of course the paper is geared to be read by everyone in Austin,
and nuances of defnsive bidding are glossed over, but it might
be that your point is overstated.
chen.bgu.ac.il!avir
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Hexagon Squeeze
From: avir@chen.bgu.ac.il (Avi Roy Shapira)
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 04:22:22 GMT
Organization: Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel

bjpt@mullauna.cs.mu.OZ.AU (Benjamin Thompson) writes:
:
: Straight from the encyclopaedia (more or less)
:
: A hexagon squeeze is apparently a double guard squeeze that acts
: simultaneously.  The example given is
:
: 			Q
: 			AJ
: 			x
: 			-
: 		K		A
: 		Kx		Q
: 		Q		Kx
: 		-		-
: 			-
: 			x
: 			AJ
: 			A
:
: S leads CA.  West is squeezed in 3 suits into dumping the SK.  N pitches
: the diamond.  Now East is standardly guard squeezed.

This example is a bit contrived, since dummy can pitch the HJ, and the
hand becomes a simple (:-) guard squeeze against W. E will discard
the HQ but will be squeezed in S-D on the play of small to the HA.

:  Which would still be
: rare enough to keep me happy if I had played it.
:
: Ben

Me too.

Avi
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: asya@ux5.lbl.gov (Asya Kamsky)
Subject: Re: Misalert
Reply-To: asya@ux5.lbl.gov (Asya Kamsky)
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 21:34:32 GMT

In article <1992Apr16.071500.8583@cfa.harvard.edu> willner@cfa.harvard.edu (Steve Willner) writes:
>From article <1992Apr14.202126.28049@porthos.cc.bellcore.com>, by
>atleung@troy.uucp (27354-leung): 
>> Partner (North) is the dealer 
>> S  Q 10 8 7 6            N      E      S     W     
>> H  x		          1NT(0)2C(1)   2H(2)  pass   
>> D  x		          2S    pass    3C     pass   
>> C  K 10 9 x x x         3NT   pass    pass   pass   
>> (0) 15-17 HCP
>> (1) Alert as heart and a minor
>> (2) Transfer to spade (it was properly alerted)
>
>> The committee ruled that no injustice has been done in my team.

>Although in the minority (of one ?), I question the ruling.  On the

I think it's because you missed all the facts (and many other netters)

>facts reported, it appears that the E-W agreement was that 2C was
>natural.  If this is correct, West committed the infraction of

No, what he said was 2C was a one-suiter (any suit, not necessarily
clubs)  I would guess he actually had hearts on this hand and the
opponents aren't in trouble at all.

>the whole hand to be sure, though.  If South is given a correct
>explanation, surely he will double.  Can E-W escape?  They have a
>nine card heart fit, so perhaps they can.  Perhaps.

See above.

-- 
"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: atleung@troy.uucp (27354-leung)
Subject: Re: Misalert
Reply-To: atleung@troy.UUCP ()
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 92 14:37:29 GMT



Again, this is the originator postor of this subject.  Thank you for all the
comments.  There are a few more points I want to clarify:

1) I really had no idea that a misalert has been occurred until the declarer
   was called.  Another reason I passed 3 NT was that bidding 4C could
   induce my partner to bid 5C which could have gone down more.  I am
   sorry about the appearance of double shoot (I am serious).

2) As the commentors probably guessed already, I am an novice (just became
   a junior master - WOW :)
   I like to play in more challenging events because what is a better way
   to learn about your mistakes than letting them explode before your face.
   I would try to be much more careful to avoid breaking of rules (whether
   it is intentionally or not :) ) in the future (I am also serious).

PS Loss that match (28 boards Swiss) by 5 imps.  I think that I would
   not repeat the same mistake for a long, long time.  :( 
     
Thank you again for your comments.

Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: valley@gsbsun.uchicago.edu (Doug Dougherty)
Subject: Re: Pridding Boblem
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Distribution: rec.games.bridge
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1992 02:05:37 GMT

asya@ux5.lbl.gov (Asya Kamsky) writes:

>In article <1992Apr10.215207.22095@midway.uchicago.edu> valley@gsbsun.uchicago.edu (Doug Dougherty) writes:
>>Can it be considered an infraction to do this (I.e., psyching a strong
>>artifical opening is a no-no) ?  I had an LOL open 2C on a solid
>>9-bagger and a 12 count.  We competed to 4S, but were understandably
>>reluctant to go on to 5 when she bid 5H (Which was down 1) (Both Vul).
>>
>>We yelled at her; we should have yelled for the director.

>Hmm, do you really think her intent was to misdescribe her hand?  Haha.

Well, that's the question: Is intent necessary?

>I'm sure yelling at her had the desired effect...

True.


BTW, in case it wasn't clear from the above, we can make 5S - I had a
whale of a hand and normally would have bid it, except that I assumed
that over half the deck was on my left...  (5S X making was a common result)
****************************************************************************
The Slug		valley@gsbsun.uchicago.edu

"Can I shake your hand or would I be violating about 15 federal laws ?"

(THis [sic] message should be assumed to have been smiley captioned for the
humor impaired)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: irad@neit.cgd.ucar.edu (Irad Yavneh)
Subject: question
Organization: Climate and Global Dynamics Division/NCAR, Boulder, CO
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 16:17:54 GMT

This hand appeared in a top-class team event in Israel, and was
reported by a normally flawless columnist, who chooses to write 
anonymously (possibly because he reports on hands he played himself.)

KTX
KXX
AK
AQXXX

AXXX
AQJ
QXXX
T8

Everyone was in 6NT, except the French team, who stopped at 4NT after
a quantitative raise by N. This allowed the French to reach the finals. 

The play in 6NT is reported as follows. W led 10h. S won in hand
and led 8c, J, Q, X. A second club was played to the 10 and W's
K. W exited with a diamond to dummy, and when the Ac was cashed,
revealing the 2-4 distribution in the suit "and E could not 
squeezed (later)" (says the columnist), there was no chance.

That is true, as the cards lay, but it seems to me that S erred
twice in the play (albeit in an interesting way.) My questions:
1. What's the right play?
2. What's the right auction? (S dealer, no opposition.)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Some Bidding Problems
From: baseggi1@husc8.harvard.edu (Franco Baseggio)
Date: 17 Apr 92 02:55:53 GMT

bs@gauss.mitre.org (Robert D. Silverman) writes:


>All of these are IMPS, against a HORRIBLE team.
Well, this beats doing work.
>You hold, none vul.  J9x/x/AKQ8xxx/QJ

>You LHO Part RHO
>1D  3C   3H  4C
>4D  P    4S  P
>??
5D.  6 might be on (I assume 4S is a cue establishing diamonds) but I'm
not sure and I don't expect the other team to get there.  I don't want to
give up a game swing against a HORRIBLE team.

>(2) None Vul.   x/Q109x/Qxxx/Kxxx

>RHO  You  LHO  Part
>1NT   P    P   6S
>Dble. ??

>I am not joking.

>What has partner got?? 
Good question.  He has a 6S bid, whatever that is, unless its Ezra.

>What do you do??
4S.  or Pass.

>(3) All Red:    Axxxxxx/Jx/Qxx/x

>LHO  You
>1C    ??
Pass.  This is too far from any of my possible bids, although I might bid
1 or 2S if feeling ill.  If partner bids, I'll be happy to trot out my
7 bagger.  If not, I'll try defense.

>(4) Vul vs. Not   AKxx/AKxxxxx/J/x

>Part RHO You LHO
> 1D  P   1H   P
> 1NT P   ??
2S followed by 3H if no raise (assuming this is forcing, playing IMPS it had
better be.).  I want to give partner a chance to cue a minor.  If he doesn't 
get the chance I'll bring out jerkwood.  If he passes up the chance, I'll want 
to stop in 4.

>(5) None    10xx/Jx/AKQx/AQJx

>You  LHO  Partner  RHO
>1NT   P    3C(1)   4C       (1) A weak, minor two suiter.
>5C    P    P       6C
>P     6H   P       7H
>??				Might you double for a diamond lead?

Sounds like X is for a spade lead on this auction.  I'll trust partner to 
realize they think they can make 7H on a club lead.  Pass.

>(6) Vul vs. not   AKJx/Qxxx/AQx/xx

>You  LHO  Part  RHO
>1NT  Dble  P    P
>??

With my regular partner, pass forces rebouble.  I suspect here that this
is not the case, though.  If I were masterminding, I'd bid 2C and then
SOS over the expected double.  Of course, I could go for 6-800 :-).  I'll
just pass (partner could have bid, right?) and teach partner my
runout system if we go down badly.  I sort of suspect a lot of clubs coming
my way, but too bad.

>I have some stories to relate from these and a few others.
>The stories are Ghastly.

Aren't they always when you play a HORRIBLE team.

>Bob Silverman

Franco
From: baseggi1@husc8.harvard.edu (Franco Baseggio)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: NT Runouts (Was Re: Bidding Problems)
Date: 17 Apr 92 18:23:45 GMT
Referencs: <9204170910.aa25586@Paris.ics.uci.edu>

kibler@turing.ICS.UCI.EDU (Dennis Kibler) writes:

>The answer here depends on your agreements.

> We play:  1nt x  red=transfer to clubs
>                  c/d/h  transfers to next higher suit
>                  pass:  forces 1nt-er to redouble.
>                         Now  Part either leaves it in with
>                         a good hand or starts bidding 4 card
>                         suits up the line.

Since I like to play 10-13 NTs (not vul) a runout system is essential.
(We also play this over 15-17 NTs and NT overcalls.)  I have found this
to be extremely effective:

over 1N-X:
   -XX is a request to bid 4 card (or longer) suits up the line.  If the
    opponents ask, opener makes sure to say "or longer" if he is about
    to bid a 5 card minor :-).  Since you're not vul and you avoid
    matchpoints, pass anything out undoubled.
   -P forces XX which can be passed or pulled with a 1 suiter.
   -Bid shows that suit and a higher suit.  Again, pass out anything 
    undoubled.  *Very* difficult to penalize profitably.
(Actually, a defense to this and similar systems would be useful.  Can
anyone recommend one?)

   Finally, XX is always SOS.

I have played this for 3 years (probably around 3-5000 hands) and I believe
that it has gone for 500 or more against a part score exactly once.

Franco
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: secan@cory.Berkeley.EDU (Erik Secan)
Subject: Re: Cheating?
Organization: University of California, at Berkeley
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 22:04:11 GMT

>>My favourite is the auction:
>...
>Here's another common one:
>
>	1S - 2C - X(*) - ?
>
>(*) Duly alerted as negative, etc.
>
>At ?, righty asks if the negative double shows hearts or not.  Guess how
>many hearts he has?  Guess what suit he wants led?

My favorite defense to our Strong club:
1C 2C (no questions) its Michaels

1C 2C (is that  artificial) its natural

Toucan

Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: apearlma@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Andrew Pearlman)
Subject: Re: Bid this hand
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1992 16:38:41 GMT

In article <1992Apr1.114022.9957@linus.mitre.org> bs@faron.mitre.org (Robert D. Silverman) writes:
>In article <1992Apr1.052156.17144@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> apearlma@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Andrew Pearlman) writes:
>:
>:You have this hand:
>:S K10x
>:H A2
>:D AKQ1098
>:C Ax
>:
>:Bidding goes
>:2H(weak2)-?
>The redouble was wishful thinking. You have only 8 tricks even assuming
>diamonds break, are missing the A spades and have only 1 heart stopper.
>If the 2H bidder had Ax KQJ10xx x xxxx  You could be going down 2 tricks.
>
>In fact, his double strongly suggests this is happening.

If he has that, I still make 8 tricks.  I assume he has a max hand of 10
points.  I have 20 points.  LHO opponent passed the opportunity to go to
4H and didn't double.

RHO can't have the K of hearts, the A of spades, and the K of clubs and make
his bid.  So he is doubling based on a missing trick.  If partner has any
of those cards, then I make easily.  It is like bidding a small slam.  If
there is a 50% shot of making, you generally should.

Andy Pearlman




From: wallace@hpscit.sc.hp.com (David Wallace)
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 1992 17:43:17 GMT
Subject: Re: Not another jihad!
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Santa Clara, CA
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge

> chen@informatics.wustl.edu (The Chenster) /  7:27 pm  Apr  4, 1992 /
> Year 1995:  The United States Chess Federation has felt that it's about 
>   time to put some restrictions on wild, crazy and just plain stupid 
>   openings.  The commitee deciding what openings should be allowed 
>   has done a very thorough and methodical study.  The list of 
>   allowable openings include almost all of the popular openings --
>   K's Gambit, Q's Gambit Sicilian, Caro-Kahn, King's Indian have
>   most of their main lines preserved. Also the commitee will meet 
>   every year to allow in new openings as demonstrated by TN's (Tech Novelties)
>   and phase out old openings.  This is to prevent weak players from adding
>   more "randomness" to the result by using nonstandard techniques that
>   are probably unsound anyway.  

There's a difference between bridge and chess.  If faced with an unfamiliar
opening at chess, you can improvise based on general principles and try
to work out the best line over the board.  The problem with doing this
at bridge is that you have a partner, and even if you work out the technically
best line, your partner may not be on the same page as you.  Seasoned
partnerships can, of course, develop a general set of principles for
dealing with the unfamiliar.  However, this is definitely a handicap
for casual or pickup partnerships, no matter how good the individual players
are at improvising.

Dave Wallace		(dwallace@dtc.hp.com)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: bs@faron.mitre.org (Robert D. Silverman)
Subject: Re: Rules about psychs?
Keywords: Psychs, artificial bids
Organization: Research Computer Facility, MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1992 00:59:58 GMT

In article <92Apr1.183546est.8761@orasis.vis.toronto.edu> lufeng@vis.toronto.edu (Feng Lu) writes:
:In article <1992Mar30.175029.17298@linus.mitre.org> bs@gauss.mitre.org (Robert D. Silverman) writes:
:>
:>It is illegal to psyche STRONG FORCING ARTIFICIAL OPENINGS.  It is not
:>illegal to psyche artificial bids.
:
:I have a question about a psyche. In a hand in yesterday's club game, one
:opponent opened 1D, which was alerted as "showing 4 spades, nothing about
:diamonds, 11-15 hcp". It turned out that he had 0 points (he did have 4
:spades though). Is this psyche legal or not? Does it make any difference
:if he had no spades?
 
I just said (and you quoted me) that only strong artificial forcing 
openings may not be psyched [and artificial responses to same].

So why are you asking this question??

--
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
Organisation: European Space Operation Centre (E.S.O.C)
Date: Wednesday, 15 Apr 1992 21:15:46 CET
From: <DNASTASZ@ESOC.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Cheating?
 <1992Apr6.180648.11308@linus.mitre.org> <2887@sol.deakin.OZ.AU>
 <1992Apr15.112301.13397@cs.hw.ac.uk>

Good Evening,
Ian Crorie writes:

>A digression: one thing I would like to see in Scotland is for players
>of all standards to realise that a call to the Director doesn't
>automatically mean you are accusing the opponents of improper behaviour.
>I don't think that Directors are called often enough here, from club
>games up to Trials level; my experience is that in England they are
>called more often.

Ian, I can assure you that in England, Germany, Austria (and I expect
most of the rest of the world) the cry of DIRECTOR! is a cry with the
expectation of "divine retribution" to descend upon the opponents of
the caller, and sets the tone for a confrontation.

Of course, there is a difference between calling "DIRECTOR!" and
"director". The real trick is to re-educate the people who use the
former, to use the latter. It makes your opponents happier as well.
This is not always easy in the heat of battle!

Naturally, this whole behavior is most amusing. I think most people
(and all directors) disregard "volume".

BUT..... Back to your original point:
If you cry "director" and your opponents take this as "DIRECTOR!"
then I agree, the opponents have a problem. Perhaps there's a hint here
of the Scottish Calvinistic idea of sin that was drummed into us on
our mother's knees:  Call to authority = Definite Transgression.
Interesting theory! :-)

Dave Nastaszczuk. ESOC, 6100 Darmstadt, Germany.