clobbered
Lucky is the blogger who can go AWOL for a couple of weeks and return to find she still has readers; thanks for sticking around during the unannounced break. The end of April was a blur — our housekeeper flew the coop, George went to Gatlinburg, Judi and I went to Lake Geneva, second grade Family Heritage week came and went, we celebrated the end of the Seven Year Free Home Trial and got ourselves organized for May and June.
Hanging with Chicago’s #1 Sports Fan is risky business. Last week George surprised me with fantastic seats at Game Six of the Bulls-Celtics series; that edge-of-your-seat, triple-overtime affair. The Bulls won, but not before I drew a foul from Celtic Co-Captain Paul Pierce during the third OT. Ouch.
Alley-oop. We were couch-side for season-ending Game 7. Back to baseball.
I’ve been unscrambling some more mental junk these last few weeks — I struggled through the Houston nationals and have been trying hard to get out of my own way ever since. I’ve been playing a million Robot Race and Reward tournaments on BBO; they’re just 25 minutes long, which suits me perfectly. The Robots are pretty terrible bidders and they don’t seem to have much of any judgment and they’re frequently a little random on defense, but despite all that the cardplay practice is good for me.
Finally about finished with the latest version of our system notes. Yesterday I worked a bit on compiling a list of our general principles; it starts out something like this:
- There are no “extras” in game forcing auctions.
- Good hands start with double.
- Jumps to slam end all auctions.
- We don’t invite in a minor — bid a game or pass. 4m is probably Keycard.
- Don’t hope she has the Queen, ask for it.
Do you keep a set of system notes? One comprehensive document or a desktop stack of hand diagrams scribbled on the backs of cocktail napkins?
May 5th, 2009 at 10:56 am
110 pages of notes, including 6 on gazilli (which we also play after 1D opening).
Played 32 boards against Mr Ralph Katz at the Spring Fours this weekend, but having scraped home against us he was ko-ed in the next round. I guess he might be flying to Vegas now
May 5th, 2009 at 11:44 am
i’m just starting to compile and understand notes, thanks to you. i don’t have much, but that’s OK because i can only absorb so much at once.
welcome back!
May 5th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Great photo!
May 5th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
First of all – welcome back.
As far as the notes question – I have a lot of systematic stuff written up like 2 way new minor forcing. However, the system itself, while it has lots of conventions is basically not something we really need notes for. I play basically the same thing with about 1/2 dozen different people, a few difference but remembering what I am playing is about the one thing I have no trouble with.
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Now as far as your rules, sorry to be critical – but:
1. There are no “extras” in game forcing auctions.
I don’t understand the no extra thing. Game forcing hands come in different varieties – some are game forcing but minimal and some are game forcing with lots of extras. Surely when partner opens 1S and you hold KQx, Ax, Kxx, Jxxxx, that is not the same as KQx, A, Kxx, AJxxxx.
2. Good hands start with double.
In general yes, but there are lots of 17 point hands that start with a simple overcall.
3.Jumps to slam end all auctions.
Sounds like a pretty good rule.
4. We don’t invite in a minor — bid a game or pass. 4m is probably Keycard.
With for example Axxx, x, Kxx, Qxxxx your partner opens 1 heart and you bid 1S. Partner bids 2C. Don’t you raise to 3C?
4m is often keycard – but now when you have not agreed on a suit – 1S-1N, 3D-3H,
4D for example
5. Don’t hope she has the Queen, ask for it. Yes if you don’t want to be in slam without it ask for the queen.
However, yesterday in Flight A GNT finals I had AJ10xx, AKQx, Ax, Qx. I opened 1S and partner bid 3C limit raise. I bid 3D and partner bid 4C showing an acceptance of the game try and at least 2nd round club control. I bid 4N RKC and he bid 5C showing 1 keycard. I decided that I wanted to be in slam regardless and so just bid 6S. Turned out partner held Kxxx, Jxx, Kx, Kxxx. Spades were 2-2.
They did not bid it at the other table when they found out they were missing the Queen. But between the stiff Queens and the 2-2 or 3-1 when decision time comes you are better than 50% to bring it home.
And if you got really lucky partner might have had Ace of clubs (and no club loser – 4C was not doubled and then you are missing KQ of spades and in a great contract.
May 6th, 2009 at 8:38 am
Bob,
As far as #4 is concerned: of course you bid 3c. The point is that we don’t use 4m to invite game in that minor — so in the auction you suggested, instead of 3H, 4D by responder is the no-no bid. Either pass 3D or bid 5.
Funny the story you gave about #5 … one of the other principles on the list which I didn’t include in yesterday’s post is that we bid slams off 1 keycard and the Qxxx of trump, but not Qxxxx.
May 7th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
It is a great photo, and George is a very lucky man indeed. Hope to see you in D.C. (my home event!).
May 18th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Unfortunately you do not appear to be famous enough for the BBC … http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/basketball/8055886.stm …. perhaps winning the Womens Trials will do the trick?