Well, we have all noticed summer's arrival at the club, with smaller games and a warmer room (which we all begged for during the winter...). I hope everyone is enjoying summer living, but I hope you will all remember that your club depends on you for support. Playing live at the club once a week brings 10 times more income to the club than once a week at a pooled game over the course of a year. Think of what face to face bridge brings to you in return: Mental stimulation that you just don't get playing at the computer with all the distractions of home, the chance to communicate more deeply than "Hi" and "well done," discussion of challenging hands after the game with other players, competition from people who are definitely not on the phone to each other while playing, and a play room that doesn't disappear as soon as you finish a hand!
A study in 2000 at the University of California, Berkeley, found strong evidence that an area in the brain used in playing bridge stimulates the immune system! You can read the report at
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/11/001110072337.htm. Be good to yourself and come play live bridge!
— Pamela
At the club this week
Learning opportunities
- Wednesday 9:00: Learning game for those with no more than 20 masterpoints led by Elaine.
- Friday 9:30: Supervised play with Frieda.
This week's games
Every afternoon game this week is an Upgraded Club Championship. Extra masterpoints on tap with no increase in cost. Sounds like a heck of deal!
Extra points continue throughout the month of July, With only one exception, every afternoon game will offer extra matchpoints!
Explanation of opponent's call or play (Chapter2)
Last week we covered the rules governing asking about an opponent's call or play. This column will cover the rules for replying to an opponent's question.
You must disclose both explicit and implicit understandings. An example of an implicit understanding: You partnership has never discussed the minimum strength of your opening bids. However, after playing many sessions together, you know through experience that your partner passes most 11 hcp hands and balanced 12 pointers.This implicit understanding must be disclosed if an opponent ask about the strength of your partner's opening one bid.
You must fully explain your agreements. This includes possibly unexpected tendencies. Example: Your partner seldom opens 1NT with five hearts, but frequently does so with five spades. If asked about your partner's 1NT opening, you need to include this information. Similarly, if partner frequently upgrades a "good" 14 hcp to open a 15-17 point 1NT, you need to include this information if asked about their opening.
You must provide complete information ever if the question is poorly formed. This includes not just naming a convention call (e.g., "Is that Bergen"; "Yes") but describing the call ("four or rarely five hearts with approximately 7 to 10 support points" as an example). You may include the name of the convention, but doing so does not release you from a full description.
'Not discussed" is not the same as "No agreement." Even if not discussed, the partnership might have an implicit agreement. "No agreement" means you have only your general bridge knowledge to interpret your partner's action.
The fact that you alerted, failed to alert, or gave incorrect information about a call cannot be taken into account by your partner in either their bidding or their play. For example, you have agreed to play Flannery 2D (2D opening shows a minimum opening hand with four spades and five hearts). You open 2D and partner does not Alert. You are required to bid (and defend) as if partner Alerted and correctly explained the meaning of your bid.
Similarly, you cannot allow partner's correct Announcement, Alert, or explanation to "wake up." The bidding starts 1S-(P)-1NT-(2H). You, the 1S opener, duly Announces partner's 1NT as "Forcing." Assume your partnership has agreed to play that opener's double of an overcall of your forcing 1NT response is penalty. You double the 2H overcall with A6543-4-KJT4-AQ9 since you forgot your agreement. The opponent next to bid asks what the double means and partner correctly explains that it is a penalty double. You must continue to bid as if you did not hear partner's explanation. That is, you still "know" that partner thinks you made a takeout double.
If your partner incorrectly explains your call (to be clear, this means they did not Alert an Alertable call or gave an explanation that differs from your partnership agreement) you are required to correct the failure to Alert or the incorrect explanation at the correct time. If your side declares the hand, the correct time is before the opening lead is made. If you defend the hand, the correct time is immediately after the thirteenth trick is completed.
Keep in mind that your opponents are entitled to know your agreements. They are not entitled to know what cards you actually hold. Therefore, you are in no obligation to tell your opponents that you misbid or gave the wrong signal,
Rebidding 1NT with a singleton
You hold 2=AT65=AK87=Q765. You open one of a minor and partner, of course, responds 1S. What do you rebid? If you opened 1D, you can rebid 2C. but that makes it hard to find a heart fit if responder has less than a game forcing hand. It also makes it impossible to play 1NT which might well be your best resting place. If you opened 1C, which many players would, your choices are non-existent.
It is common for many experienced players to rebid 1NT despite the singleton in partner's suit. The advantages are obvious. The downside is that partner will be afraid to rebid 2S on a moderate suit for fear of playing in a 5-1 fit when holding a modest spade suit. This fear is an overreaction for several reasons. Firstly, hands that might rebid 1NT with a singleton are rare. Secondly, it clarifies the meaning of auction in which you rebid 2C after opening 1D—you really have a minor two-suiter when you do that. The same logic applies to many hands with five of one minor and four of the other with a singleton in partner's major.
Should you rebid 1NT with a small singleton in partner's suit? There are pluses and minuses with any approach to handling hands with inconvenient distributions. These distributions include:
1=4=4=4
1=4=3=5
1=4=5=3
1=3=5=4
1=3=4=5
3=1=4=5
3=1=5=4
Granted that some of those distributions are more inconvenient than others, but honor location can make all of them a potential problem. For example, 8=AKT4=KQ643=8765 or AKT=8=KJ65=Q9432. Each partnership needs to decide how to handle these types of hands.
New Convention Card
The ACBL has created an editable version of the new Convention Card. Click here to see it. Another version, produced by the Cincinnati Bridge Association is available here.
Bridge trivia answers
Question 1: What English system developed in the 1960s is much like Precision?
Nottingham Club. Feel free to insert your own Robin Hood and Maid Marion joke here.
Question 2: What does above the line mean?
In rubber bridge, the pair who win two games are awarded a rubber bonus. Only the scores for tricks bid and made count towards these games. All other points (penalties, overtricks, honor bonuses, etc. are above the line.
Question 3: What Truscott overcalls?
A system of simple two-suited overcalls used against the opponents strong artificial openings. Over a strong one club opening. 1D, 1H, 1S, and 2C show the suit bid and the next ranking suit (1S shows spades and clubs). A double shows hearts and clubs while 1NT shows spades and diamonds.
Questions for this week
1. In Victor Mollo's Menagerie books and columns, who is the most despised character and why were they everyone's least favorite partner?
2. In Skid Simon's classic book, Why You Lose At Bridge, what was the Unlucky Expert's major fault?
3. Who is St Petersburg Bridge Club's webmaster? He diligently dances his way through the constant updating of our website.
Word of the week
Spuddle
Definition: to work feebly and ineffectively, because your mind is elsewhere or you haven't quite woken up yet. To be extremely busy whilst achieving absolutely nothing.
Guido spent five minutes spuddling before making his opening lead against 1NT when holding 543=543=876=8765