HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ttllarsa@eua.ericsson.se (Lars Andersson)
Subject: Re: Some problems from the Finnish Pair Ch
Reply-To: ttllarsa@eua.ericsson.se
Organization: Ellemtel Telecom Systems Labs, Stockholm, Sweden
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 14:01:26 GMT

In article 2922@nntp.hut.fi, m36150p@kaira.hut.fi (Janne Veikko Petteri Kallunki) writes:
>Oops...I wrote to the problem 1 wrong deal but the situation is anyway same.
>This was the deal I meant:
>
>E/ALL
>S (you)
>AK5
>Q742
>T6
>AQ62
>
>E   S
>2S  ?
>
>What do you bid?
>Is there any difference between these two hands?

Yes. The hand above is much weaker than the second one. 
There are (at least) two reason for this;
* Holding KJ8 behind a weak twobid improves this holding a lot, it is now worth
  about 1.9 tricks, initially it might have been 0 tricks. AKx is two tricks
  regardless of who opens.

* In the second problem (below) your LHO has passed, thus decreasing your chanses
  of going for a number.

What would I bid with the first hand (AKx/Dxxx/Tx/AQxx)? Well I feel strongly
for passing (especially at matchpoints where any plus-score rates to be good.

>
>>Problem 1
>>N/NS
>>W (you)
>>KJ8
>>KQJ8
>>AJ4
>>J85
>>
>>N   E   S   W
>>p   p   2S  ?


--lars



Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From:  (martino@courier6.aero.org(Nick Martino))
Subject: Re: Some problems from the Finnish Pair Championships
Followup-To: rec.games.bridge
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 20:58:44 GMT

In article <1992Nov16.081448.17820@nntp.hut.fi>, m36150p@kaira.hut.fi
(Janne Veikko Petteri Kallunki) wrote:
> 
> Results:
> 1. Backstrom-Backstrom 61.6 %
> 2. Kivipensas-Koistinen 58.8 %
> 3. Ukkonen-Viitasalo 57.9 %
> ----
> 35. Kallunki-Lehtonen 47.6 %
> 
> Problem 1
> N/NS
> W (you)
> KJ8
> KQJ8
> AJ4
> J85
> 
> N   E   S   W
> p   p   2S  ?
>
> 2S=weak 6 cards
> What do you bid?
>
2NT.  This is not a close decision.
 
> Problem 2
> E/EW
> E (you)
> QT
> A9532
> KJ5
> KJ4
> 
> N   E   S   W
>     1H  2D  D (take out)
> 2S  p   p   D
> 3C  p   3D  D
> p   p   3H  D
> p   p   3S  D
> p   p   p
> 
> What do you lead?
>
I'm balanced, sounds like partner is balanced, and they are outgunned. 
Also, South rates to be very short in Clubs.  Therefore, I lead a trump
(Queen??).
 
> Problem 3
> E/-
> N (you)
> KQ5
> AKQJ
> 5
> Q8643
> 
> N    E    S    W
>      1S(1)p    p
> D    2D(2)D    p
> ?
> 
> (1)=0-11 points, free hand
> (2)=5 cards
> 
> What do you bid?
>
3D. At the 2-level, my rule of thumb is 4 trumps to hit it, 2 trumps to sit
for it.   I won't break the rule on this problem (though pass could be
best), especially since partner might expect me to have some Diamonds.  I'm
not sure what your agreements are over the fert (e.g., how much can partner
have?) but, when in doubt, the unassuming cue bid.
 
> Problem 4
> E/EW
> S (you)
> K732
> 98
> QT64
> 752
> 
> N   E   S   W
>     1C  p   p
> D   3NT p   p
> D   p   p   p
> 
> What do you lead?
>
Not much to go on, but I lead a spade.  First, if partner wins it, I know I
can stand the return.  Secondly, he needs a little less in Spades to run
the suit.
The Queen of Diamonds could work out and is not too dangerous.


************************************************       
                                                                           
                                                                           
                         
    martino@courier6.Aero.org (Nick Martino)                            
   
    The Aerospace Corporation                                            
                                                                        
************************************************
From:  (martino@courier6.aero.org(Nick Martino))
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Another alert problem
Date: 17 Nov 92 22:16:11 GMT
Followup-To: rec.games.bridge
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation

In article <1992Nov17.134545.11879@eua.ericsson.se>,
ttllarsa@eua.ericsson.se (Lars Andersson) wrote:
> 
> I was asked for advice regarding a simple (?) question on the local club yesterday;
> 
> S/EW vulnerable
> 
>         Axx
>         QJxx
>         -
>         KQTxxx
> xxx             KQJx
> Kxx             ATxx
> AKTxxxx         Qx
> -               xxx
>         Txx
>         xx
>         Jxxx
>         AJxx
> 
> The bidding;
> S        W        N        E
> P        1C(1)    3C(2)    D(3)
> P        3D       P        3H
> 3S       P        4C(!)    D
> P        4D       P        P
> P
> 
> (1) 10-17 hcp, 0-4 spades, 3-5 hearts (!)
> (2) agrement = preemptive with clubs, alerted and explained as 5+ spades and another
>                5+ suit
> (3) Negative double
> 
> Both pairs compete at the highest national level.
> 
At what game, poker?  Seriously, 1C shows WHAT?  And a preempt on the NORTH
hand (white vs red, no less)?  Actually, against this unwieldy EW bidding
system, I can see where it would pay to preempt on just about anything.  On
the auction above, the preempt has East taking a preference from a 6-2 fit
into a 3-4 fit.  

> The director and I thought that North had committed an infraction when he bid 4C.
> However, to judge what would have happened if N did not bid 4C was very difficult.
> The board had been played at the other table (5D making 6). We decided to throw
> the board out and give NS a 3 imp procedural penalty. Essentially NS lost 13 imps.
> 
> Any comments on the decision?

4C is outrageous.  North has fewer Clubs and more Spades than he rates to
have for his "preempt".  The decision was good.    


************************************************       
                                                                           
                                                                           
                         
    martino@courier6.Aero.org (Nick Martino)                            
   
    The Aerospace Corporation                                            
                                                                        
************************************************
From: zilch@planb.Eng.Sun.COM (John Hoffman)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Problems from Portland
Date: 17 Nov 1992 19:16:17 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems
Distribution: world
Reply-To: zilch@planb.Eng.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: planb

> 1. None vul. East dealer. You are West: AJ9542, T, Q7, AT32
>
> West   North   East   South
>                pass   pass
> 1S-1   1N-2    pass   2D       1. 11-15 HCP, at least 4 spades
> pass   2H      (all pass)      2. 15-17
>
> After West passed, South announced that there had been
> a failure to alert, and that 2D was a transfer to 2H.
> The director then permitted West to take back his final
> pass if he wished.  What do you do?

Pass anyway.  This is a team game.  Partner could have doubled to show
decent values, or could have bid a new suit (non-forcing) over 1N.

> 2. Both vul. South dealer. You are East: T74, KJ52, K7, Q975
>
> West   North   East   South
>                       1D-1     1. Shows at least 4
> dbl    1S      dbl-2  1N       2. Responsive, 6-9 HCP
> pass   5D      ?

Double.  The pluses: You're at the top of your range, your responsive double 
suits are as short as possible, your partner also lacks length in your suits,
and you know that you do not want to try 5H to make or save.
The minuses: you have no aces, you have no shape, you have no place to run to.

> 3. NS vul. West dealer. You are West: Q863, J63, 632, AQ6
>
> West   North   East   South
> pass   1C      2N-1   3H       1. 6-12 HCP, at least 4 spades and 4 diamonds
> 3S     4H      pass   pass        with at least 9 cards total in the 2 suits
> ?

Pass.  You've already bid your hand and so has partner.

> 4. Both vul. South dealer. You are North: QJ95, T97, AKT762, void
>
> West   North   East   South
>                       1S-1     1. 11-15 HCP, at least 4 spades
> pass   2C-2    2H     pass-*   2. artificial, forcing to game
> 3H     ?                          opener may not pass short of game
>                                   2C bidder may pass short of game on misfit
>
> * - To help with the bidding system:
>
>   double - would be for penalties
>   2S - would show 5
>   2N - would show a heart stopper
>   3m - better than minimum opening plus a suit
>
> so the pass says only 4 spades, no heart suit or decent stopper,
> not a distributional hand, and on the low end of the HCP range (11-13).
> In other words, your basic garbage balanced opener with 4 spades.

3S.  Set the trump suit, assuming there is no other bid that explicitly does this.


> 5. NS vul. East dealer. You are South: 9, J4, AK7654, JT94
>
> West   North   East   South
>                pass   ?
>
> Do you preempt or not?

3D.  Must bid something on this hand, and it just doesn't rate a 1D bid.


So have I blown another match?
From: baseggio@deshaw.com (Franco Baseggio)
Subject: Re: bidding question
Organization: D. E. Shaw & Co.
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 22:19:00 GMT

In article <6300@tivoli.UUCP> taylor@foraker.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Eric Taylor) writes:
>In article <1e6gnlINNnh7@sol.deakin.OZ.AU>, doug@cm.deakin.OZ.AU (Douglas Newlands) writes:
>|> I was playing okbridge yesterday when this hand came to afflict me.
>|> We were playing 2/1 and this dropped me right into an unfamiliar area and I
>|> didn't know how to bid it, so any suggestions which explain clearly what to do
>|> and why are welcome.
>|> 
>|>      QJ2       KT73               W        E
>|>      AKJ5      T6                1D        1S
>|>      A985      J                 2N        3C
>|>      AT        KQ9874            3S        3N
>|> 
>|> I don't think there are any problems with the first 3 bids but I was unsure
>|> how to introduce the clubs.
>
>It all depends upon your goal in the auction.  With your cards,
>I would be interested in slam.   If you rebid 4C, you are showing real
>length in clubs and probably the shape you have (partner should be able
>to figure out your predicament.)

Why shouldn't partner assume you don't have a predicament?  Suppose
you hold AQxxx/x/xxx/Axxx, what would you bid?  I think there is a
good case for 4C (adjust the strength if you disagree) showing 1st
round control and interest in a spade slam.  How about just admiting
that 2/1 can't reach 6C on these hands? 

Franco
From: kibler@turing.ICS.UCI.EDU (Dennis Kibler)
Subject: Re: Bidding over preempts - assess the blame
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Date: 20 Nov 92 18:48:20 GMT



>In rec.games.bridge you write:
 >Assess the blame.
 Well at least you were positive.

>Matchpoints. NS vul. West dealer.

>North: KQ7xx,  86x,   KQ6,  J7
>South: Ax,     AKJx,  xxx,  A8xx

>West  North  East  South
>pass  pass   3D    pass
>pass  pass

Here's what i would do:


   p     p*  3d  X**                *2 spades if non-vul
   p     4S  p   p                           ** Life is tough
   p

Not a fun hand to play, on likely 4-2 spade fit, but it has
chances on J of diamonds  lead to A and diamond back.

dennis

Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: ttllarsa@eua.ericsson.se (Lars Andersson)
Subject: Re: Problems from Portland
Reply-To: ttllarsa@eua.ericsson.se
Organization: Ellemtel Telecom Systems Labs, Stockholm, Sweden
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 07:47:45 GMT

In article 2100@rayssd.ssd.ray.com, sgm@sgfb.ssd.ray.com (Steve Myerson) writes:
>These hands are from the Flight B Open Pairs in Portland, Maine (Nov 14).
>
>Get any two correct and you win the event.
>
>1. None vul. East dealer. You are West: AJ9542, T, Q7, AT32
>
>West   North   East   South
>               pass   pass
>1S-1   1N-2    pass   2D       1. 11-15 HCP, at least 4 spades
>pass   2H      (all pass)      2. 15-17
>
>After West passed, South announced that there had been
>a failure to alert, and that 2D was a transfer to 2H.
>The director then permitted West to take back his final
>pass if he wished.  What do you do?

Pass or 2S, anything could be right. Since my first impulse was to pass I go for
that. I would have opened 2S.

>
>2. Both vul. South dealer. You are East: T74, KJ52, K7, Q975
>
>West   North   East   South
>                      1D-1     1. Shows at least 4
>dbl    1S      dbl-2  1N       2. Responsive, 6-9 HCP
>pass   5D      ?
>
>Your call.

Pass, why is this a problem. I have described my hand perfectly, my diamond king
seems to be a dubious value. If North is 5152 I have an almost useless hand?

>
>3. NS vul. West dealer. You are West: Q863, J63, 632, AQ6
>
>West   North   East   South
>pass   1C      2N-1   3H       1. 6-12 HCP, at least 4 spades and 4 diamonds
>3S     4H      pass   pass        with at least 9 cards total in the 2 suits
>?
>
>Your call.

Pass. We have pushed the opponents to a game the field is probably not going to reach. 
Why would I sacrifice, let's hope for one down. In the perfect world I would
double since there is so little to loose. If you believe 4S is correct on this
hand, why not bid it immediately?

>
>4. Both vul. South dealer. You are North: QJ95, T97, AKT762, void
>
>West   North   East   South
>                      1S-1     1. 11-15 HCP, at least 4 spades
>pass   2C-2    2H     pass-*   2. artificial, forcing to game
>3H     ?                          opener may not pass short of game
>                                  2C bidder may pass short of game on misfit
>
>* - To help with the bidding system:

>In other words, your basic garbage balanced opener with 4 spades.

I bid 4S. How about 4C (splinter) in the first round?

>
>5. NS vul. East dealer. You are South: 9, J4, AK7654, JT94
>
>West   North   East   South
>               pass   ?
>
>Do you preempt or not?

Not. I have a bad suit, good defensive strength, side suit, vulnerability, bad position
these are all minuses in my little black book.

>
>Steve Myerson (sgm@sgfb.ssd.ray.com)
From: taylor@foraker.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Eric Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: A question of Tactics
Date: 19 Nov 92 14:34:24 GMT

In article <83916@ut-emx.uucp>, shamrake@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Danil Suits) writes:
|> You hold:
|> 
|> K98xxxx
|> AKQxx
|> --
|> x
|> 
|> You    RHO     Pard   LHO
|> 1S     P       2S     X
|> ??
|> 
|> How do you plan the rest of the auction?
|> 
|> More specifically, if you plan to shoot out 6S,
|> is there a good way to encourage a diamond lead?

How about the Zia method?
The opponents have so many HCP, they will probably
double you at 5.

I suspect that any sacrifice they make will be a good one
so that making even an undoubled game will be good
score.

I will PASS here, and always bid 1 more than them
later.

Exactly who are you playing against?
I thinks it makes a difference.
From: bpwing@phoenix.princeton.edu (Ben Wing)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: what does this double mean?
Date: 17 Nov 92 09:38:06 GMT
Organization: Princeton University
X-Subliminal-Message: You can quit reading news anytime you want.

In article <1992Nov16.205656.3270@wuecl.wustl.edu> geppo@spot.wustl.edu (Giuseppe Bianchi) writes:
|
|A friend of mine, who cannot post, gave me a problem.
|
|   > you hold QJx, QJT9x, x, KTxx. Both red, matchpoints. 
|   > You pass. Lefty opens 1C.
|   > Partner bids 1D. Righty bids 1S. What do you do? 
|
|
|And followed with a much more (IMHO) interesting question:
|
|   > What would a double show in this position? [of course without
|     specific agreements]
|

How about it being an optional double?  I suppose in "pure" Standard it
should be penalty, but that seems to be a waste of a valuable bid.  As
an optional double, you show not very much support, overall values, and
values in the suit doubled, and allow partner to bid on or not as he
chooses.

ben

--

"Can't we all just get along?"
From: bshields@tartarus.uwa.edu.au (Bill Shields)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: MS-DOS Bridge wanted!
Date: 23 Nov 1992 23:40:57 GMT
Organization: The University of Western Australia
NNTP-Posting-Host: tartarus.uwa.edu.au

Hiya people!

I'm just learning Bridge at the moment and I could do
with the practice but I can't play very often.  I was
wondering if anyone knew of any ftp sites that had
Bridge programs/source code.  If anyone could mail me
some info (and what their opinions were) I would really
appreciate it.

Thanks is advance
Billy Shields
bshields@tartarus.uwa.edu.au

Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: bs@gauss.mitre.org (Robert D. Silverman)
Subject: Re: Problems from Portland - results and summary
Organization: Research Computer Facility, MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 00:45:48 GMT

In article <1992Nov20.151557.27043@rayssd.ssd.ray.com> sgm@sgfb.ssd.ray.com (Steve Myerson) writes:
:I've seen 5 articles and received 2 other responses via email.
:In article <1992Nov16.230024.2100@rayssd.ssd.ray.com> I wrote:
:* Get any two correct and you win the event.
:
:* 1. None vul. East dealer. You are West: AJ9542, T, Q7, AT32
:* 
:* West   North   East   South
:*                pass   pass
:* 1S-1   1N-2    pass   2D       1. 11-15 HCP, at least 4 spades
:* pass   2H      (all pass)      2. 15-17
:* 
:* After West passed, South announced that there had been
:* a failure to alert, and that 2D was a transfer to 2H.
:* The director then permitted West to take back his final
:* pass if he wished.  What do you do?
:
:Correct answer: PASS.
:net.experts: 2 passes (both said they would have opened 2S and avoided
:                       this problem altogether),
 
Huh? I said pass, but did not say that I would open 2S. At least I don't
remember doing so.


Actually, whether to open 1 or 2 spades is an interesting question that
I do not believe has a right or wrong answer. It is mostly a question
of style. I would find either bid reasonable and choose it according to 
who the opponents were.

:             4 reopen (and another vote for opening 2S)
 
This would violate total tricks principles. I think bidding is misguided
because you don't know whether partner has any support.

:* 3. NS vul. West dealer. You are West: Q863, J63, 632, AQ6
:* 
:* West   North   East   South
:* pass   1C      2N-1   3H       1. 6-12 HCP, at least 4 spades and 4 diamonds
:* 3S     4H      pass   pass        with at least 9 cards total in the 2 suits
:* ?
:
:Correct answers: DOUBLE (best) or PASS.
:net.experts: 6 pass (2 suggested that they might double)
 
No. I said I WOULD double. This allows partner to aid in the decision.

:* 4. Both vul. South dealer. You are North: QJ95, T97, AKT762, void
:* West   North   East   South
:*                       1S-1     1. 11-15 HCP, at least 4 spades
:* pass   2C-2    2H     pass-*   2. artificial, forcing to game
:* 3H     ?                          opener may not pass short of game
:*                                   2C bidder may pass short of game on misfit
 
I thought asking about this hand to be misguided. We don't know
enough about your system to know what is right.

Hey! I got all 5 right! Does this mean I can play in flight B events?
:-) :-) :-)   [no offense inteneded]

--
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"
From: grove@triangle.Berkeley.EDU (Eddie Grove)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: bidding question
Date: 16 Nov 1992 20:10:30 GMT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
NNTP-Posting-Host: triangle.berkeley.edu

In article <9211161749.AA16512@calvin.irvine.com> adam@irvine.com (Adam Beneschan) writes:
 
>>     QJ2       KT73               W        E
>>     AKJ5      T6                1D        1S
>>     A985      J                 2N
>>     AT        KQ9874
 
>What you're saying makes sense.  I think 4C is definitely Gerber on
>this auction, unless you have a specific agreement that Gerber applies

I would not be surprised to find out that a majority of players
think 4C is Gerber on this auction in "standard american".

I find it hilarious that if W opened 2N, E could bid Stayman and
follow it with 4C natural and forcing, but in this auction where
distributional information has already been passed, people suggest
there are problems showing the clubs.  Your methods ought to be MORE
expressive on this auction than after a 2N opening.

Surely 3C followed by 4C should show clubs.  The fact some posters
worry about this is a grand jury indictment of the "standard" agreements.

Death to "standard american".  


For what it is worth (i.e. not much), I advocate all 3-level suit bids
to be transfers to the next higher suit.  Responder could follow with
3S on the given auction, and opener would rebid 3N or 4C (or cue)
depending upon hir slam interest in clubs.

Eddie Grove
From: rudy@netcom.com (Rudy)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: Question about MP Results
Date: 21 Nov 92 07:06:33 GMT
Article-I.D.: netcom.1992Nov21.070633.9486
Distribution: usa
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)

In article <6248@tivoli.UUCP> dinah@rockytop.tivoli.com (Dinah McNutt) writes:
>On my MP Results I get from the ACBL, there is a line that
>says:
>QUALS: RR 1
>What does this mean?

That you have one Red Ribbon Qualification.

Actually, their computers are messed up, so the have the count wrong for
many people.  Mine says BR 1 (Blues) and I have about 4 or 5 by my count.
Call them, and they'll fix it if it's important to you.
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
From: daveshao@leland.stanford.edu (David Shao)
Subject: Re: Bidding questions
Originator: daveshao@leland.Stanford.EDU
Organization: DSG, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 92 19:49:47 GMT

In article <BxtKyK.Dyn@irvine.com> adam@irvine.com (Adam Beneschan) writes:
>
>A couple bidding problems came up on one hand in a Swiss Team event.
>
>1)  Vul vs. not, you hold in 4th seat:
>
>    AKQxx  Ax  Ax  AKQx
>
>    LHO    Partner   RHO   You
>    Pass    Pass     3H    ???
>
>How do you plan to bid this hand?

How about doubling and hopefully hearing what partner has to say?

>
>2)  At the other table, the auction went like this:
>
>    West   North    East    South
>    Pass   2D (1)    3H
>
>    (1) weak
>
 
You seem to not be asking about South's bid here, but I will go ahead
and offer my opinion that South should just blast to 7NT.

Since North made a 2D bid vulnerable second seat he
really should have at least KQTxxx in the suit.  At worst South
cashes his winners, counts out the East hand, and makes his decision
on how to play the diamonds.  

I thought about whether South could use 5NT as the Grand Slam Force
in diamonds, but I now believe that there is too much danger of a
misunderstanding (such as partner passing) to risk trying this.
From: taylor@foraker.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Eric Taylor)
Newsgroups: rec.games.bridge
Subject: Re: bidding question
Date: 20 Nov 92 19:31:21 GMT

In article <1e6gnlINNnh7@sol.deakin.OZ.AU>, doug@cm.deakin.OZ.AU (Douglas Newlands) writes:
|> I was playing okbridge yesterday when this hand came to afflict me.
|> We were playing 2/1 and this dropped me right into an unfamiliar area and I
|> didn't know how to bid it, so any suggestions which explain clearly what to do
|> and why are welcome.
|> 
|>      QJ2       KT73               W        E
|>      AKJ5      T6                1D        1S
|>      A985      J                 2N        3C
|>      AT        KQ9874            3S        3N
|> 
|> I don't think there are any problems with the first 3 bids but I was unsure
|> how to introduce the clubs.

It all depends upon your goal in the auction.  With your cards,
I would be interested in slam.   If you rebid 4C, you are showing real
length in clubs and probably the shape you have (partner should be able
to figure out your predicament.)

Partner should like his cards a lot and cuebid his diamond suit.
Since you have a runout to 5S, opener should probably cuebid his
heart ace.  You now have no problem in going to 6C.
From: gary@hpavla.lf.hp.com (Gary Jackoway)
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 14:19:06 GMT
Subject: Re: IMP play problem
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Little Falls Site