Bay State Bridge
Release 2.19r
Recent Updates
News Archive
Mar 26, 2025 11:43 EDT
Newsletters
Mar 3, 2025 07:52 EST
Masterpoint Achievements
Feb 13, 2025 11:06 EST
Home Page
Jan 8, 2025 15:36 EST
0 0 0 0 0 0
Pages viewed in 2025
Bridge Tales
Terminology and Notation
..... see less

This page summarises terminology and notation used here and elsewhere. ..........

..... see more
Last updated : Apr 24, 2021 08:22 EDT
Comment
Articles by Pete Matthews, Jr.

Click here for an excellent collection of articles contributed by Pete Matthews, Jr.

Last updated : Jun 13, 2020 09:24 EST
Comment

Click here for video recordings and handouts from Mark Aquino’s Friday morning pregame talks.

Last updated : Jun 13, 2020 09:26 EST
Comment
But I Had My Bid!

Stewart Rubenstein reports this competitive part-score deal from Monday afternoon, 2018 February 26.

West
Stewart Rubenstein
North
 
East
Pete Matthews, Jr.
South
 
  1 2 2
Double (responsive) Pass 2♠ Double
?      

Everybody pretty much has their bids, right?

Stewart asked himself “WWZD (What Would Zach Do)?”

Redouble! +1270. 1551 out of 1551 matchpoints in The Common Game.

Last updated : Jun 6, 2019 16:16 EST
Comment
Bridge Tale: Science and a Ten-card Suit

About one hand in 60,000 contains a ten-card suit. If you play 24 hands a day, five days a week, 50 weeks a year, expect to pick up a ten-card suit about once a decade.

On Friday, 2017 August 25, 163 Norths playing in the morning Common Game picked up ten solid diamonds and three singletons. In Westwood, 11 of 12 Norths declared 5, 5X, 6, or 6X. Ten of them took 12 tricks. With the North hand hidden, only one East found the spade shift to hold North to 11 tricks (but they were in 5X).

I was the final North to pick up those ten diamonds. Lefty opened 1♣, partner bid 2♣ (majors), and righty bid 2♠ (apparently natural). All I wanted to know was how many aces partner held, so I leapt to 4NT (plain old Blackwood?!—what else could it be?). Partner bid 5 (one ace). Imagine his shock and dismay when I passed!

With my hand exposed as dummy, East won her partner’s club lead and shifted to a spade. I was briefly pleased that I’d stopped in just the right contract, until I saw that it was a cold bottom!  —Tim Hill

Last updated : Jun 12, 2020 09:20 EST
Comment