Diary of a Bridge Pro #29

Springfield, Illinois - April 12

Warning: Long blog ahead!

Yesterday, the weather here in this midwestern city was all over the map - chilly in the morning
when I zipped across Edwards Street to visit with the Friends of Bill - normal in the afternoon
when I visited the poker game - like the recovery meetings (and like bridge tournaments too),
these poker games help keep me “tethered”. Then the climate was turbulent in the late
afternoon when I rode to Stevenson Parkway on the west side, windy and rainy. Finally, sunny
and glorious with mild temperatures in the late afternoon and early evening.

Back at the Frost Library on-campus in Massachusetts, I learned the venerable aphorism, as
apt here as it was there:

“If you don’t like New England (Midwestern) weather - wait an hour.”

*****

Now I want to present some bridge hands or bidding/lead problems from tournaments I've
played recently. Writing this blog, I paused minutes ago to renew the old ACBL membership.

Three more years. I have a phobia (perhaps it can abate one day) about electronic transactions
- I'm always pleased and relieved when one clears.

Like the old-school CEO’s who needed the help of their Executive Secretary to open their
email, Some of us feel we are challenged in that area, dontcha know.

*****

​Board #3 from my second session with Wall Street Walter serves to illuminate several themes:

Let's start with Walter's opening bid problem, he was South on the hand above: QTx, x, AKJx,
Kxxxx:

Fans of the "Prepared Rebid School" prefer to start with One Diamond - they figure they can
then rebid Two Clubs, if partner responds with the feared One Heart.

After 1C - 1H we might be in an awkward spot: Can’t bid One Spade (only 3), can’t bid 1NT
(only one heart, we’re supposed to have two or three), can’t rebid the clubs (only five, and they
aren’t very good), can’t reverse into diamonds (that takes 17 or at least 16 points, with 13 we’re
way short of that).

I am not a fan of the prepared rebid school. I like to dismiss these concerns by pointing out,
“You know, if you open every hand with 7 No Trump, you’ll never have a rebid problem....”
This generally goes over like a lead balloon, I’ve noticed.

But let us look at this problem in greater depth - do we have re-bid problems on other auctions
as well?

How would we bid at our second turn if we open One Club and partner responds, say:

One Diamond: Raise to Two Diamonds - or raise to Three Diamonds, if you’re feeling frisky.

One Heart: I’m a fan of 1NT, Two Clubs is an option - reversing is out of the question - One
Spade with three, well - you might get away with it. Whichever rebid you choose, select it before
you open the bidding - then make that bid in tempo.

Thought for the Day: Play honest!

Other possible responses from partner, and your case-by-case re-bid:

One Spade: Raise to Two Spades - only three trump, but 13 HCP and a side singleton - think
of this as a happy raise to Two Spades.

One No Trump: Partner denies as many as four hearts with this bid, and we only have one, so
- I recommend you “take back” to Two Clubs.

My hand, as you may have seen in the diagram, was AKx, KQT8x, QTxx, x - While Walter’s
style suggests a One Diamond Opening, with his awkward 3=1=4=5 pattern, and this is a better
penalty pass opposite One Club Opening than it is opposite One Diamond, it’s a pretty good one
in either case.

You can hardly blame my RHO for overcalling One Heart with JT, AJxxx, xx, AQ97.

Had partner Opened the bidding with One Club, I would have an automatic penalty pass (poor
fit for partner, big stack in the opponent's suit, excellent hand - after One
Diamond,  I considered it almost as clear-cut, since the opponents were vulnerable and we
weren’t - whatever we collected was likely to be more than the value of our (NV) game.

While any of the four suits might be a reasonable lead, I believe I started with a low diamond. I
think Walter should push his singleton trump through at Trick Two - that’s usually the best
defense on these hands.
​
Regardless of the defense, we eventually tallied 800 points, for 93% of the matchpoints. I have
no idea, but: How did the rest of the players with our cards fail to achieve this same score?

*****

As I’d hoped from the outset, I find that writing a blog is an exercise in personal growth. If any
of our readers are considering taking one on, I'd like to encourage you to do so.

Note: Personal growth can be painful!

*****

I'm working hard to develop my new agency (hard for me, not hard compared to someone who
truly works hard), and progress continues. Paulo has pointed out to me that soon we will
celebrate our one month anniversary, one month since we began in Louisville in March.

We have a handful of nascent achievements to celebrate: This blog, the WBS website, multiple
strong affiliations with top pros - all in all, a pretty good first month.

Also, number this among our achievements: I began to circulate our bidding method (WBS) for
responding to One No Trump openings:

Since it's likely there are tons of students of bidding systems among our readership, let me
recount that system here:

Responses to One No Trump:
2C: Stayman
2D/2H: Transfers
2S: Range Ask / Clubs
2NT: Both Minors
3C: Diamonds
3D: Diamonds, To Play, 6-7 HCP
3H/3S: Singletons, both minors
3NT: To Play
4C: Ace-Asking
4D: Transfer to Hearts
4H:Transfer to Spades
4S: To play
4NT: Idle bid

We'll look at the follow-up auctions in a future blog. This really represents a better mousetrap, I
do believe.

Paulo has been doing a great job working with a couple of new clients that have emerged.
I phoned a young banker in New York yesterday. He had told me that he wants bridge lessons
(mostly so he can use bridge to advance his banking career and extend his social circle).
Ethan Wood wrote in with a great long letter, outlining how he'd like to help me build the
organization. Lots of friends are coming around and offering to help - this is, naturally, hugely
thrilling for me.

Walter, my partner defending 1H doubled in Florida on today's deal, wrote back to say that he's
good to play the first two days at the Fairfield regional in July. So I've got that booking to look
forward to.

Not too much more to say right now - let me close with some Pro Tips, inspired by Today's
Deal:

1) Prefer the best bid, in your longest suit, at your first turn. Making an inferior bid to avoid a
potential rebid problem is what I call "Wrong Thinking".

2) If the opponents overcall in your five card suit, pass, and consider playing for penalties.

3) When defending deals like today's, play your trump through declarer early - this will reduce
the chance that partner will later suffer a “trump endplay”. Also, if you don't play it when you’re
on lead at Trick Two, then partner in entitled to assume you don't have one.

Closing Thought: I heard it said (well, written) elsewhere, not too long ago, that:

Matchpoints is about making max tricks and collecting numbers.

IMP's is about bidding your games and reaching good slams (and staying out of bad ones).

Next Up: Blog #24 - More hands from South Florida