5th Thursday IMP Pairs - July 2020

From Thursday 30th July, we will play an IMP Pairs session then, and each subsequent 5th Thursday while we continue to play in the online club,

Below are extracts from an aricle published by Bridgewebs where the bones of the IMP scoring system are outlined as well as a few suggestions about how to approach the game with IMP scoring in mind.  

The internet is full of other commentaries and complex analysis of the pros and cons of IMPs for those wishing to know more.  Meanwhile, come along, play in the event and experience it for yourselves.

(extracts from Bridgewebs – “What is Imp Pairs- FAQ")

The score at your table is compared to the score at every other table and the result converted to IMPs just as if each were a team match.  This gives you your average IMPs compared to all other tables.

IMP scoring is more like 'real bridge' in that making your contract, especially games and slams gets a suitable reward, whereas the few points for an overtrick are almost irrelevant.

There is little to choose between 3NT and 4 of a major and the few points difference is almost irrelevant, so you should choose the safer game when playing IMPs.

Safety plays that risk not getting an overtrick in return for greater safety are a luxury that you (usually) cannot afford at matchpoints. Yet a lot of bridge literature is about this very topic and may well have figured significantly in any lessons on the game you may have taken. It is nice, at least for a change, to have a form of scoring where safety plays may figure more prominently.

 How should we adjust our game with this sort of scoring?

You could write a book about this, but briefly:

a. When choosing which game to be in, you should choose the safer option.

b. You should not fear being in 5 of a minor so much as you do at matchpoints, especially if you want to investigate the possibility of slam.

c. If you think your side has the majority of the points, but not a game, then the opponents bid over you, you're in a situation where you will need to think if you should bid one more yourself, double the opponents or just pass. This is a very common situation. Often at matchpoints you should double and pass is commonly the wrong answer. The reason is simple enough - if the opponents can make their contract you're getting a poor score anyway, so the extras they get for making a doubled contract won't hurt you very much, if at all. Whereas an extra 50 or 100 if you can get them off may make quite a difference to your matchpoint score.
At IMPs the maths is a little different - the extras they get for making a doubled contract, particularly if you double them into game, will hurt you badly. And, if they're off, the extra 50 or 100 won't benefit you very much.
In any case, at IMPs, if it is a partscore board that your side should be getting a plus for, it will, at least, not be a bad board for you if you collect any sort of plus at all.

d. At matchpoints, if you have a close decision between bidding game or not, then it is generally right to be conservative in your approach. The reason is simple, if the game turns out to be worse than a 50/50 bet then the advantage of staying low is obvious. And if it is a 50/50 bet then, by staying in the partscore, you will still pick up a few matchpoints from those who have got into the wrong denomination (which is more common than one might think), provided, of course, that you don't get too high yourself. At IMP scoring the game bonus is worth pursuing especially vulnerable and you should be more aggressive in your game bidding (marginally).

e. At IMP scoring generally you should play to ensure your contract as overtricks are of little value. And in defence you should play to get the contract off even if this risks giving away an overtrick.