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| Announcing and Alerting on BBO |
As you know, on BBO, players alert their own bids. This is called "self-alerting" and it is opposite to the approach we use at the bridge club. Similarly, we announce our own bids too. If you have any doubt as to whether one of your bids should be alerted or announced then it is wise to alert/announce.
Furthermore, we don't use the 'Table' chat line to explain/alert the bid. Instead, we alert our own bids, just before we make the bid, using the Alert line in the virtual bidding box. This is key, as it ensures that you are not inadvertently telling your Partner what your bid means.
By the same token, if the opposition make a bid which you want explained, just click on the bid on the table and they will be asked to explain it. In both these scenarios the Partner of the player alerting/announcing can't see the explanation.
If you have alerted/announced a bid and the opposition click on the bid again they are asking for a more fulsome explanation. So, for example, if you are in a bidding sequence which you have alerted as Blackwood the opposition may click on the responses to request a more specific description, i.e. exactly how many aces are being shown. Similarly, if you have alerted a bid and the opposition click on the 'Explain' button, please don't give them the same explanation again, give more details.
For more information on alerting/announcing you may find this YouTube clip useful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5d7dBV1pmk&feature=youtu.be
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| Of course it was for take out, not penalties! |
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| If that’s how she treats her partner … |
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| "I favour light opening bids ... |
... When you get to my age you're never sure they're going to get back to you in time!"
Oswald Jacoby, aged 77
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| "Many games provide fun, but bridge ... |
... grips you. It exercises your mind. Your mind can rust, you know, but bridge prevents the rust from forming".
Omar Sharif
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| "Never pre-empt against weak players because ... |
... it takes away all those levels that they could be using to confuse themselves!"
John Levinson
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| "Bridge is the most ... |
... entertaining and intelligent card game the wit of man has so far devised"
W. Somerset Maugham
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| "No matter where I go ... |
... I can always make new friends at the bridge table"
Martina Navratilova
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| Bridge never gets boring because there are ... |
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| Did you hear about the woman who shot and killed her husband because .. |
. . . he played bridge badly! She was found not guilty too! Click here to read all about it
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| The road to hell is paved with ... |
... good conventions!
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| Syllabus? |
I was reading an article which said that the entire syllabus for their bridge class was a poem! I have adapted it a little so it complies more with the system we teach at Tudor. It has it's limitations such as weak twos, pre-emptive hands, Blackwood etc, but I can see how it could be used as a starting point. See what you think.
With 12 or more points, I'm required to speak
And mention a suit that's not very weak.
With five cards or longer, I need not be cute;
I merely will open with one in that suit.
With 12 to 14, one No Trump will do,
And with 20 to 22 I'll open with two.
When opponents have opened, now I have trouble;
I've an opening bid and I say so by "double".
The opponents have opened, my back's to the wall!
I have good points and length, so I must overcall.
My partner has opened, and I'm in a fix
Because I must pass with less points than six.
But if my count is six points to ten,
I must respond once, but need not again.
Now eleven or twelve points is pretty nice;
I will plan to respond, not once, but twice.
With thirteen or more points, I would be to blame
If I let it end before we reach game.
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| Agreeing The System |
With thanks to Jean who found this poem. Attributed to Philip Statham.
My One No Trump is always weak,
That's twelve to fourteen so to speak;
And with a fairly balanced hand,
No singletons you understand,
Nor with a suit that's very long;
But my No Trump Overcall is strong.
Of course, we'll play Stayman's convention,
And it is my firm intention
To play transfers over ones and twos;
You'll find that way you'll seldom lose,
For after bidding, carefully planned,
The lead comes up to opener's hand.
Against their No Trump the best defence,
The only one that makes much sense,
Is Mr. Pottage's convention,
A really wonderful invention,
The details I've no doubt you've seen
In the latest Bridge Magazine.
I'm fond of opening weak twos;
It's the Benji system that I use.
Jump overcalls are never strong,
About ten points and a suit that's long.
When opponents bid pre-emptive threes,
The opportunity I'll seize
To bid Three No Trumps for what you've got;
I think that Fishbein's awful rot;
And as for the Optional Double:
That will always get you into trouble.
Blackwood or Gerber - whichever seems best -
Fourth Suit forcing, as for the rest:
The Unassumig Cue Bid I rather like playing
And SOS Redoubles, that goes without saying.
The Unusual No Trump you really must play,
And Michael's Cue, which in its way
Is, I think, an even cuter
Means of bidding a two suiter.
Against a strong One Club show what you've got
By bidding a la mode Truscott.
I like the Double called Sputnik;
It's very clever, very slick;
You show two suits with just one bid;
I don't know how I lived without it, but I did.
I like Minor Suit Inverted Raises,
And that new convention that's rather droll
Named after Mr. Leibensohl.
What is that you're trying to say?
It will have to wait another day.
The Director is just about to speak:
You'll have to keep it 'til next week.
We'll play as we have just agreed;
I think I've covered all we need.
Just 'keep it simple'; that's what I say;
It is the only way to play.
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| "Let's put it this way, no more tennis, no more football, and no more doubling of small slams unless you have two quick tricks!" |
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| "My cardiologist says I can't play bridge!" |
" Oh no! You have a heart problem?"
"No, he knows I can't play!"
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| Book title "Beat Phobias - Spiders, Public Speaking and Bridge"! |
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| He's no fun in the evenings ... he's solar powered! |
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| Bridge is a game of probabilities .... |
... as the plays develops, watch how the odds change!
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| Leads ... |
. . . provide significant clues about where key cards lie!
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| Why didn't they play bridge on Noah's ark? |
The elephants were sitting on the deck!
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| Partner, every day your bridge gets worse ... |
... and now you're playing as if it's tomorrow, already!
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| ALERTING ON BBO |
We have all been playing on BBO for a long while now and because we are now familiar with it and because we play against people we have played against for a considerable while, many of us (and I am not excluding myself) have become a bit lazy about alerting or providing a description of your bid. This is true even when people are asked. So, a few guidelines to help: -
- 1NT Openings – Yes, I know most of us play a 12-14 NT but not everyone and it’s often difficult to remember who does what. It takes just seconds to type 12-14 or 12-15. This doesn’t mean that if your downgrade a 15 point hand to 14 points that you can’t still open 1NT you can. All you are required to say is what your partnership agreement is.
- Stayman & Transfers – These should always be specified as ‘Stayman’ and ‘Hearts’ or ‘Spades’.
- Weak Twos – Always announce as ‘Weak’
- Strong Two’s – Always announce as ‘Strong’
Anything in between (and there are some legitimate bids) are announced as ‘Intermediate’. You also remember that for a strong bid (Benji 2c or a strong two which require 8 playing tricks) you must have at least 16 HCP not including voids or singletons (otherwise it’s not legal). Pre-empts at the 3, 4 & 5 level do not need to be alerted. 1NT Overcalls (& doubles) – This is the most common area where many conventions are played and so it is important to alert your opponents straight away. For example, my partner and I play a convention called ‘Lionel’ in this position. So our 2c overcall shows Hearts & Clubs, so we type it in as below, before we make the bid "Hearts and Clubs, 12+ points|". This is what I expect my Partner to understand by the bid.
When you Double 1NT for penalties, you do not need to announce or alert this as it is an accepted principle that this is for penalties. If you double 1NT but it is not for penalties then you do need to alert it. Natural Overcalls of 1NT should be described simply as that ‘Natural’. So, if you overcall 1NT with 2H for example and you don’t play any conventions for this you don’t need to alert. However, because many people do play conventions here you may get asked what it means, if so just state ‘Natural’.
Blackwood does not, in theory, need to be alerted, but Roman Keycard Blackwood (or Keycard Blackwood) does. Simply state RKCB. The partner of the RKBC bidder should describe what their response means. (“2 Keycards” for instance).
When someone asks you to describe a bid you have made but which you have not discussed with your partner, you should just say ‘No Partnership agreement’. The opponent’s are only entitled to the same information that you expect your partner to have. However, one excellent way to avoid having to describe a lot of standard bids is to announce a brief synopsis of your system as you join the table and introduce yourselves. We all tend to say hi or good evening, but this can be combined by copying to your clipboard and then ‘pasting’ as you join the table so for example, or by using the Chat Manager functionality. ‘Good evening both, we play Benji Acol (Strong 2C/2D) with 12-14 NT, Stayman, Transfers and a Weak 2H & 2S’. That way it shouldn’t be necessary to announce everything. If asked of course you should explain (as it is possible for people to miss the initial chat line).
Nigel
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| Should we have a Post Mortem now? |
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| An Ode To Finessing |
There once was a lady called Bess,
Who found a new way to finesse,
She made up excuses,
To lead up to deuces,
And loses without having to guess!
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| The Eric Morecambe approach to bridge |
"I'm playing all the right cards, but not necessarily in the right order!"
A direct quote from a Tudor member playing on BBO
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| What makes a good bridge player isn't the ability to play the difficult hands ..... |
it's the ability to avoid messing up the easy ones!
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| In bridge ... |
. . . a good bid is one that resembles the cards you hold!
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| I think of myself as one of the great bridge theorists . . |
but only after I have seen all four hands!
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| Playing good bridge is 80% statistics, the other half is good luck! |
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| "We're not to supposed to exchange meaningful glances, so stop grimacing when I kick you" |
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| "Our bridge teacher says you should always lead the first card face down!" |
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| "According to this, they're using Standard Signalling!" |
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| "It's like dieting - lose it for one second and WHAMMO, a big bottom!" |
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| "It looked so easy in the bridge column!" |
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| "But when I use the 'STOP' card to tell partner to stop bidding I always alert it! |
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| "Next time we decide to go on a bridge cruise, I'm doing the booking!" |
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| "I can't be playing bridge 8 days this week!" |
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| "Even if I thought someone had bid too much, I don't think I would say 'double'!" |
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| "Don't call me 'Dummy', Fathead!" |
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| “Finesse” is defined as a refined gesture, subtlety in problem solving etc. If you don’t understand that, under no circumstances attempt to have it explained by a bridge player |
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| "A day without bridge wouldn't kill me, but why take the chance?" |
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| If ever you feel inadequate at the bridge table, be grateful you're not this guy! |
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| Lead with the wrong suit! |
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| Life is like a game of bridge - only a dummy puts all their cards on the table! |
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| "Mirror, mirror on the wall .... who is the best bridge player of them all?" |
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| "What do you mean you haven't enough patience to play bridge? You have enough patience to sit in front of that T.V. all night long!" |
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| "How did you hurt your leg?" "My partner signals a lot!" |
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| ".. and then he told me about how on the next hand he tried the 'rule-of-nine', and that didn't work, and I knew just how he felt, so I let him jump!" |
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| "Well, let's put it this way... No more tennis, no more handball, and no more doubling of small slams unless you have two quick tricks!" |
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| Work is for people who can't play bridge |
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| "Oh, thank heavens, a fourth!" |
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| "I presume you record that hand as 'Passed Out'!" |
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| "I never DREAMT you’d leave me in 7!" |
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| "For Heaven's sake Gerald! We all lead the wrong suit sometimes." |
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| "At our age bridge is the only way we will get to 4 Clubs in one evening!" |
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| "I'm posting our Duplicate Scores on the fridge. It should be a good appetite suppressant!" |
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| "If they have a 'STOP' card, you would think they would have one that says 'I GIVE UP'!" |
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| "I know I should have tried for a slam that time, but I just didn't have the nerve!" |
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| "Mum's playing 6 Hearts doubled. Bet she won't hear you take the lid off the cookie jar!" |
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| "He's been getting all the answers right to the bridge problems in the paper. You don't suppose he's delirious do you?" |
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| Meet your new bridge partners |
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| Bridge in the modern world |
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| "I feel sick. All night long I dreamed we were playing canasta!" |
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| There are only 3 reasons not to lead partner's suit . . . |
1. you don't hold any cards in their suit
2. you have a fabulous suit of your own
3. you don't want to partner them next week!
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| If you only had one wish . . . |
Whilst polishing a lamp he saw a flash and a genie appeared. "I will grant you one wish" the genie said. "I would like world peace" came the response. "What? I'm only a genie!" The man thought again. "OK" he said, "make me a winning a bridge player". "Hmmm" the genie pondered, "let me see what I can do about world peace"
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| "You woke me up when you screamed 'RUFF A CLUB! RUFF A CLUB!'" |
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| "Of course we're not going to experiment on you - we just needed a fourth for a game of bridge |
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| Duplicate Bridge - the only game |
where getting an average is considered good!
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| Most bridge players prefer ... |
... consistency in their bridge partners rather than brilliance!
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| One advantage of bad bidding ... |
... is that you get practice at playing in atrocious contracts!
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| Ever heard of the Elvis Presley lead? |
It's when your left hand opponent leads from Ace, Queen round to your King. The King is not dead!
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| In bridge .... |
... try and learn from the mistakes of others - you won't live long enough to make them all yourself!
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| "Your play was much better tonight ... |
... so were your excuses!"
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| PASS |
is frequently the most difficult bid
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| "Where is the hand ... |
... you held when you were bidding, partner?"
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| The brain is a wonderful thing .... |
.... it starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you sit at the bridge table!
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| An Ode To Bridge |
I’m giving up bridge – tonight’s my last night!
It’s 'amen' to Stayman. I give up the fight.
The insults and muddles are giving me troubles.
I can’t sleep at night for thinking of doubles.
My cards are all rotten
And I have forgotten
Who has played what and what is trump
Whilst sitting for hours on my sore rump
So it’s all over tonight – I’m off to the backwood
I’m bidding goodbye to Gerber and Blackwood.
I can’t stand the pain,
Or getting rubbish cards again.
My partner’s a dope,
I’m losing all hope.
When opponents say “double”
I know we’re in trouble.
My points are not high,
but Partner bids up to the sky!
We’re in seven spades, I doubt if it makes
But then Partner all the tricks she does take.
The defenders feel sick
My partner’s really slick.
Then gone is my sorrow,
I’ll play tomorrow!
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| "How should I have played that hand, Partner?" |
"Under an assumed name!"
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| When you are Declarer and don't know what to do next . . . . |
. . . put the opponents on lead. Why should you make all the mistakes?
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| STANDING AT THE FRONT OF THE CLASS .... |
... the bridge tutor tried a new approach. "Please stand up if you think this game is too difficult for you".
After a while a gentleman at the back stood up.
"Do you think bridge is too difficult for you?" the tutor asked.
"No, I just hate to see you standing there on your own".
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| “Didn't we tell you? In hot weather we dress quite informally for bridge” |
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| I discovered too late that my second Ace of Spades was a club! |
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| BRIDGE IS . . . . |
A test of your skill versus the opponents' luck
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| "Do me a favour, take a few minutes off from playing bridge online. Your eyes will appreciate it!" |
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| "Trust me ... |
... I'm your Partner
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| The Opening Lead Dilemma |
He was told never to lead away from a King and so he never did. One day he passed away and found himself in a bridge game. He was on lead against 4♠ holding:
♠ Kx, ♥ Kxx, ♦ Kxxx, ♣ Kxxx.
Right then and there he knew where he was!
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| Reversing - a definition |
Her reverse was four-four
And I'd told her before,
That reversing shows strength.
And as for the length,
The first bid should always be more!
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| Duplicate Bridge is not about the cards you hold ... |
it's about how you play them!
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| A Limerick |
There once was a player from Tudor,
Who really couldn't be cuter.
He overcalled 1♠ ,
Died as he played,
The post mortem - a four card suiter!
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| "We had a partnership misunderstanding ... |
..... my partner assumed I knew what I was doing!"
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| There are three types of bridge players ..... |
.... those who can count and those who can't!
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| Many a true word . . |
The difference between genius and stupidity at the bridge table, is that genius has its limits!
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| Many a true word . . |
South: "Alert!"
East: "Yes?"
South: "I'm requested to further misdescribe my hand."
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| Many a true word . |
The real test of a bridge player isn't in keeping out of trouble, but in escaping once they're in it!
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| An Ode to Deciding Which Card to Lead |
When dummy is to your right, lead the weakest suit in sight,
When dummy is to your left, lead through heft,
Don't be cute - lead partner's suit
You will lose face if you underlead an Ace,
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| A man noticed three men and a dog playing bridge in a pub. |
“That is a very clever dog,” the man commented.
“Not so clever.” said another man, “Every time he gets a good hand he wags his tail!”
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| MINUTES ON THE WEBSITE |
The minutes from committee meetings are now published and available to the membership. The purpose of this move is not only to demonstrate transparency but also to publicise the subject areas which the committee are discussing and to encourage your input.
You will find the recent minutes located under the 'Membership' tab towards the base of the left hand navigation bar. To see the minutes you will need to register on the site. If you have any problems or issues doing this please contact Christine on 07876334921 who will do her best to help you.
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