HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: bharat@cs.uiuc.edu (R. Bharat Rao)
Subject: Re: question
Reply-To: bharat@cs.uiuc.edu
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept. of Comp. Sci., Urbana, IL
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 17:30:14 GMT

irad@neit.cgd.ucar.edu (Irad Yavneh) writes:
>KTX
>KXX
>AK
>AQXXX

>AXXX
>AQJ
>QXXX
>T8

>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?

At the beginnig you have 9 top tricks.  A successful club hook
followed by a 3-3 split gives you 4 clubs tricks and so clubs are the
best option.  So I'm not sure about what you mean by the second
mistake since going after clubs immediately gives you the best shot.

After the club J flops at trick two, it appears clear that
clubs are splitting badly (if W played the J from KJx more power to
him).  So, abandon the clubs for now -- you need the entry to the club
threat in the end game.

So you have 2 club tricks, 3 hearts, 3 diamonds, and two spades for 10
tricks ... if your diamond spots are truly bad, then in all likelihood
you need a decent spade split for your 11th trick; so you have to
squeeze E in the minors and will need the club entry.

You need to concede a spade and hope the opponent who wins it won't
return a club.  On balance, West is less likely to realize that a club
will kill you, and so I would simply lead a low spade away from dummy
at trick 3, and duck hoping E will get careless and play his lowest
spade (from 3).  If West returns a heart now, win, unblock diamonds,
and cash hearts, diamonds, and spades ending in hand.  

After HQ (Trick 1), CQ, spade (losing), HJ, DA DK, SK, SA, Sx
(pitching club), DQ (pitching another club),

		_,K,_,Ax
_,xx,_,K		_,_,J,9x
		_,A,x,T

On the HA, E is squeezed in the minors....

>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 strong NTs, 1D-2C-2NT-6NT seems to be the likely auction (2NT
is a limited bid in some versions of 2/1GF)

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: mike@archsci.arch.su.oz.au
Subject: play
Organization: Dept of Architectural & Design Science, University of Sydney, Australia
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 05:57:59 GMT

Re playing of:

Ax        Q10
AK9       Q10xxx
KJ98      10x
J9xx      AK10x

spade lead.

There is 1S, possibly 2D losers as most certainly E has those cards for
his overcall. If you take the club finesse and it loses - you go down.

The simplest way is to bank on 3-2 trump break and no worse than 4-2 clubs.
Take the spade A, and give up two diamonds by club to CQ and lead D10 - 
after next spade win return and give up another diamond.
Draw trumps ending in N and cash. 5H, 1S, 2D, 2C.
From: vlucht@accucx.cc.ruu.nl (vlucht)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: 1S, 2S, or 2NT?
Date: 13 Apr 92 12:57:46 GMT
Organization: Academic Computer Centre Utrecht

In <1992Apr10.195134.28250@ramon.bgu.ac.il> avir@chen.bgu.ac.il (Avi Roy Shapira) writes:

>varvel@cs.utexas.edu (Donald A. Varvel) writes:
>: I was recently rereading Kit Woolsey's _Matchpoints_ and found
>: a hand similar to one discussed on the net some time ago.  On
>: p.41, review problem 9:  E-W vul., South holds:
>: AJ93 A3 A42 KQJ9.  You open 1C, partner responds 1H.  Your bid?
>:
>: Woolsey's discussion:
>:
>:     Time to bypass a four-card spade suit with a 2NT rebid?
>:     Certainly a potential gain if North doesn't have four
>:     spades, as South would welcome a spade lead.  But what
>:     if North does have four spades?  Then 4S is almost
>:     certainly worth an extra trick over notrump, for South
>:     has strong spades and a weak diamond holding.  Therefore,
>:     South's best rebid is 2S.
>With all due respect to Woolsey, I think that to rebid 2S with the above hand is an abomination. This is a sure way to miss mino

>I fail to see a problem with 2N. Partner has only 2 sign off bids. Pass and a
>simple rebid of his suit. 3C can be used as a check back, or as a natural bid,
>either way, partner has the option of showing his spades en-route to 3NT.

>If one is so concerned about missing the spades, bid 1S. Partner should pass this with 5-6 points and 3 spades, so nothing is lo

>I prefer an immediate 2NT, since it shows both my strength and distribution at
>once.


>: Every time a 4-[2,3]-[3,2]-4 hand with 18-19 HCP comes up,
>: somebody asks "Why not bid 2NT?  Partner can check back with
>: 3C."  The answer is in two parts.  First, this is *far* from
>: standard.  Second, there are good reasons why many of us
>: consider it inferior to both alternatives.
>:
>: -- Don Varvel (varvel@cs.utexas.edu)
>I wonder how you play 1C - 1(RED); 2NT 3C. Will you consider passing?
>Avi

Avi, I have been following this thread with growing astonishment, and 
could not agree with you more.

In this part of the world, very few competent players, playing ANY natural
system, would consider anything but 2NT as a rebid. In their opinion 2S is 
GF AND SHOWS AT LEAST 5-4, whereas the opinions about whether 1S is forcing 
differ. If it is considered forcing however, it usually shows a hand with 
the wrong shape to open 1NT.
NOBODY worries about the spade-fit after 2NT because either you have some kind
of relay available, or responder just bids 3S over 2NT with a 4-card suit.

Now can anyone from "the greatest country in this whole damn world" tell me
what, in their style of bidding (i.e. S.A. I suppose), is wrong with this
approach? You really have me puzzeled.

Any comments highly appreciated.



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
Subject: Re: Bid these hands
From: bclaus@cs.wright.edu (Brian Clausing)
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 03:12:52 GMT
Organization: Wright State University

From article <baseggi1.703185475@husc8>, by baseggi1@husc8.harvard.edu (Franco Baseggio):
> avir@chen.bgu.ac.il (Avi Roy Shapira) writes:
> 
>>Finally there are no good references to the system in English. Probably the
>>only source is a pamphlet published by Edgar Kaplan many years ago, which
>>is now out of print. If Bob has a better source, I'd appreciate if he will
>>publish it here.
> 
>>Avi
> 
> I own a book by E Kaplan called "The Complete Italian Syatem of Winning
> Bridge."  (New American Library, 1959)  It contains about 80 pages each 
> on the Roman Club and the Neapolitan Club as well as "Standard Italian"
> and some discussion of defenses to all three.
> 
> I have not read very much of it, so I can't review the book right now
> (someone suggested posting book reviews:  seems like a great idea to me).
> 
> Franco Baseggio

It's an interesting book.  I own it, too.  It may be suitable for
studying the Roman Club with a view to defending against it, and
the example hands are useful.  But, doubtless as a concession to
1959 readers, there is no mention anywhere in the book of the
Roman losing-trick evaluation method -- without which you can't
bid unbalanced hands!  

Kaplan published two sets of notes.  The first was something like
"Notes on All Three Italian Systems."  This is an outline of Blue Team,
Roman, and Arno, with a view to defending against the systems,
and (I think) was prepared for the team he was coaching back in
the 70's.

The second, an extensive description of the Roman Club, looks
sufficient to play the system and covers the losing-trick method.
If The Bridge World is still selling this one, buy it.

Brian Clausing
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: asya@ux5.lbl.gov (Asya Kamsky)
Subject: Laws was Re: hesitating with a singleton
Reply-To: asya@ux5.lbl.gov (Asya Kamsky)
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Distribution: usa
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 1992 20:34:06 GMT

In article <davidm.702936874@rutabaga> davidm@rutabaga.Rational.COM (David Moore) writes:
>Apparently, here in the US, statements like "No clubs partner?" are not
>frowned upon. When I played in Australia, making such a statement would have
>caused the immediate calling of the director (and rightly so). Another practice
>that is common here and which I find obnoxious is people alerting their partner
>that they have made an insufficient bid.

Why should they be frowned upon?  They are 100% legal.  It would "rightly"
cause a director call, if it were not explicitly made legal.

It's everyone's responsibility to draw attention to irregularity, which an
insufficient bid is.  What's your problem with the partner of the bidder
drawing attention to it, rather than the opponents?  It doesn't change anything.
-- 
"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: altus@leland.Stanford.EDU (Steve Altus)
Subject: Re: what to lead from three small
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 92 19:19:05 GMT


I don't personally lead MUD, but I thought it would be good
to mention the argument a reasonable player I know has for
it:  on your second card, you can either show true count (if
partner needs to know!) or play the lower card to falsecard
declarer.  In my opinion, not enough of an advantage to playing
a lead convention which can potentially both confuse partner AND
let declarer know where all the high cards are, but hey, whatever
floats your boat.

I did play against a pair in a club game a few months ago who
had nicely done computer convention cards with TONS of agreements
on them, but claimed (1) never to have discussed what they lead
from three small and (2) never to have seen each other lead from
three small, and therefore not to have any idea.  This incident was
the one that finally did it for me. . . i've not played in a club
game since, nor do I ever plan to again.  I guess i should thank
the pair. . .  :-)

--steve altus


Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: ago@splinter.coe.northeastern.edu (Andrew Ofiesh)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Fixed
Date: 13 Apr 92 18:32:32 GMT
Organization: Northeastern University
In-reply-to: jao@megatest.UUCP's message of 9 Apr 92 14:58:25 GMT

Sounds like expert bidding to me. North probably inferred that south must
have inferred that South pulled the 3N (which is clearly to play since
they have no prior agreement) because of a void.  Which gives South
3 first round controls.
Organisation: European Space Operation Centre (E.S.O.C)
Date: Friday, 10 Apr 1992 16:13:05 CET
From: <DNASTASZ@ESOC.BITNET>
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: question
 <1992Apr9.173014.13323@m.cs.uiuc.edu> <ku97r9INNl08@levelland.cs.utexas.edu>
 <1992Apr9.221127.16098@overload.lbl.gov>

Good Afternoon,
Asya Kamsky writes:

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

Playing Acol,12-14 NT I would expect:

1D      1S
1NT(1)  3C
3H(2)   ?(3)

(1) 12-16 (go on, flame me for using a 5 point rebid)
(2) bidding out shape, denying 3 spades, most likely 2452, possibly 1453
(3) I wonder if the suit texture is a bit borderline to bid 3S at this point
    asking for decent doubleton support. Assuming 3S is used....

       3S        (4) King of spades doubleton (revealing 2452)
4S(4)  5C(5)     (5) Ace of clubs
5D(6)  5H(7)     (6) Ace of diamonds
6C(8)  6D(9)     (7) Ace of hearts
6H(10) 7S(11)    (8) King of clubs
                 (9) second round control diamonds
                 (10) King of hearts
                 (11) Knows about KS, AD, KC, KH, 2452, -> club ruff needed

..seems an elegant (and not too contrived) way of reaching 7.

Go on, I dare you to accuse me of masterminding :-)

Dave Nastaszczuk. ESOC, 6100 Darmstadt, Germany.
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: miyauchi@cs.uiuc.edu (Hiroshi Miyauchi)
Subject: Re: Rules about psychs?
Organization: Beckman Institute, University of Illinois
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 13:35:04 GMT

In article <1992Apr7.165556.6183@clouso.crim.ca> reiher@crim.ca (Eric Reiher) writes:
> Playing five cards majors, if you open with only four, it's not considered
> a psych.
> How about if you play 4 cards major and open with 3?

It depends on hands.  I show examples.  If you open 1H with

	AJx AKQ xxxx xxx,

I don't think it is a psych.  But opening 1H with

	KJxx Jxx x AQxxx

is a phych.

--
Hiroshi Miyauchi		miyauchi@cs.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: daveshao@leland.stanford.edu (David Shao)
Subject: hesitating with a singleton
Originator: daveshao@leland.Stanford.EDU
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 92 18:36:47 GMT

Suppose partner has made an opening lead in a suit in which you have
a singleton, and your usual practice is to spend a few moments
studying the dummy.  Declarer plays a card almost immediately after
seeing the dummy.  Do you have to play the singleton at the 
fastest pace at which you play a card, or can you take your usual
time after the opening lead?

It seems to me that if you must play as fast as possible, you
automatically tell both partner and declarer what you holding is
if they are familiar with your habits.

It also seems to me that later in the play there can be situations
where allowing pauses would minimize the inferences that a defender
could draw about his partner's holdings.  For instance, if declarer
plays two rounds of trump, partner capturing the second round, and
you started with two trumps, then a pause by partner would always
imply he has at least one more.  And why would he want to pause with
only one card left?  Perhaps he wants to think about his discards
should declarer run the rest of the trumps.  But my understanding
about the rules is that one can never pause later in the play when
you have no choice about which card to play.





Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: sgm@sgfb.ssd.ray.com (Myerson)
Subject: Re: What is going on?
Organization: Raytheon Company
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 18:14:25 GMT

danil@boreal.owlnet.rice.edu (Danil Patrick Suits) writes
in <1992Apr14.163320.9104@rice.edu>:

* IMP teams, everybody green   Axx, KQx, xxx, Axxx.  Absolutely spotless.
* 
* Second chair, playing Standard American, you open
* 1C. Partner skips the bidding up to 2H (strong)
* you raise to 3H....
* 
* Partner bids 4H.
* 
* 1] What is going on?
* 2] What should partner's hand look like?
* 3] What do you call?

1. Partner has the weakest strong jump shift possible. Or miscounted
   the hand and is now an ace short.
   By the way, do you play 3N waiting in this sequence?
2. I'm having a hard time coming up with a hand that qualifies as a
   strong jump shift and refuses to at least investigate slam.
   No ace of diamonds or king of clubs?
3. I trust my partner. I pass.

Steve Myerson (sgm@sgfb.ssd.ray.com)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: dif@bhpcpd.kembla.oz.au (David Faulkner)
Subject: Re: A few questions
Organization: BHP Coated Products Division, Research & Technology Centre
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 92 17:09:02 EST

eric@pencom.com writes:

>In article <1992Apr7.152307.1@mscf.med.upenn.edu> shankar_k@mscf.med.upenn.edu  
>> Is :  QJT9xxx Qx xxx J a good preempt?  At all vulnerabilities?  If not, what
>> is?
>
>This is a matter for partnership debate.
>But anyway, you expect to take 5 tricks opposite NOTHING.
>Therefore you are within 4 tricks of making 3.
>This is not a SOUND preempt at any vulnerability.

I don't really agree with this reasoning. Opposite NOTHING the opps will
surely be making slam. Only red vs white and doubled would 4 light be a
bad thing in this case.
I would pre-empt with this hand in most situations.

  -dif-
-- 
Dave Faulkner, Research Officer                     (dif@bhpcpd.kembla.oz.au)
BHP Coated Products Division, Research and Technology Centre
Port Kembla, New South Wales, Australia.
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: ted@welchgate.welch.jhu.edu (Ted Ying)
Subject: Re: Cheating?
Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ. Welch Medical Library
Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1992 22:33:29 GMT

In article <1992Apr15.193916.17041@midway.uchicago.edu> valley@gsbsun.uchicago.edu (Doug Dougherty) writes:
>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?
>
>This is really a tricky one.  Lotsa people play "negative doubles" in
>lotsa different ways.  It *is* a legitimate question.  Some will say
>that the alerter/explainer brought it on himself by naming the
>convention, rather than explaining what it meant - but you tell me how
>he should have dealt with it.
>
	If an opponent answers a question with a conventional name, it
	is appropriate to ask, "What does it show?"  Not ask if it holds
	anything specific.  When you label something specific, you alert
	partner to the fact that you are interested in a specifi
	holding.

	Asking if the negative double shows hearts is IMHO definitely
	unethical, since I can't think of a version of negative doubles
	that doesn't show the opposite major.  However, the borderline
	question is "Does the negative double guarantee diamonds?  And
	how many".  This implies interest in diamonds to partner.  The
	correct question when they say "Negative double" is to ask,
	"What do your negative doubles show?"  or "What does it show?"
	and they will describe their version.  This doesn't inform
	partner what information you are interested in.

	However, the part that I don't like is when people ask for an
	explanation or a review and then cut it off after they get the
	information that they want...informing their partner what
	information they wanted.  This is strictly against the laws.
	The ACBL Laws explicitly state that you can get a full review,
	or a full explanation, and that you are not supposed to get a
	partial review or explanation (hence you shouldn't cut it off
	when you have what you want, but patiently listen to the whole
	thing).

	Ted Ying			ted@welch.jhu.edu

#include <std.disclaimer.h>

	Tommy Thrush: "Captain Buffalo, I'm hungry, can we eat now?"
	Captain Buffalo: "Well, alright Tommy, how about here?  They
		have a special on Buffalo Wings."
	Tommy: "Can I get the Mud-pie?  It comes with a special Mudman
		action figure!"
	Captain Buffalo: "Hmmmm...."
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Bid this hand
From: avir@chen.bgu.ac.il (Avi Roy Shapira)
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1992 04:09:17 GMT
Organization: Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel

I don't want to get into the argument between Bob and Andy in re this
particular hand (I am completely on Bob's side BTW). I do wish to comment
about redoubles in general.

IMHO redoubles are not used often enough. If you expect to go at most one down,
I think you should redouble very often. Take a typical Imp game, where you
play 4S doubled. By redoubling,
you risk another 100 pts not vul, and 200 vul. You stand to gain 240 + 50.
So the odds for the redouble are 2.9 to 1 not vul, and 1.45:1 vul. The Imp
odds are slightly less.

In addition, redoubling often gets you a reputation. I am reminded of the
story about the LOL who failed to double the late Harrison-Gray in 7NT holding
an Ace and on lead. When asked about it she replied: "You don't know Mr.
Harrison-Gray, he always redoubles" !!!

Of course, if you may go down a lot, when you go down, but only expect to
make if you do, then the rebouble is a losing proposition. Since this is the
case with the hand in question, I consider the redouble unsound.

Avi
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: ted@welchgate.welch.jhu.edu (Ted Ying)
Subject: Re: Cheating?
Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ. Welch Medical Library
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 16:14:16 GMT

In article <92106.211546DNASTASZ@ESOC.BITNET> <DNASTASZ@ESOC.BITNET> writes:
>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!
>
	Oh, definitely so.  I agree that there is a world of difference
	between "Director" and "*DIRECTOR!*".

	I was recently playing with a first time partner in a Swiss
	teams event.  My LHO and my partner got off to the wrong start
	at board 2 of a 9 board match.  Ouch.  At one point, LHO
	bellowed for the director and a friend of mine answered the
	call.  As she approached the table, rather than the usual "How
	may I help you?" as she normally says, she said, "Who am I
	supposed to kill and for what?"

	But as a director of regular novice events, I have found an easy
	way of avoiding this.  I used to get quite aggravated calls for
	the director.  Each time it occurred, I would start with
	something along the lines of "It's alright.  I'm not hard of
	hearing.  You don't need to yell for the director since I'm in
	the same room.  If there is a problem, I'll respond fairly to
	both sides and we don't need to get off on the wrong foot.
	We're all here to enjoy ourselves."  After a few weeks of this,
	I noticed far fewer aggravated director calls.  In fact, some
	people call so mildly now that I don't hear them and rather than
	raise their voice (since they don't want to disturb the tables
	nearby...we have a fairly considerate group), they'll stand up
	and walk over and say, "Ted, we need your help here..." or
	something like it.  Of course, it doesn't always work, but it
	has in most cases.

	Ted Ying			ted@welch.jhu.edu

#include <std.disclaimer.h>

	Tommy Thrush: "Captain Buffalo, I'm hungry, can we eat now?"
	Captain Buffalo: "Well, alright Tommy, how about here?  They
		have a special on Buffalo Wings."
	Tommy: "Can I get the Mud-pie?  It comes with a special Mudman
		action figure!"
	Captain Buffalo: "Hmmmm...."