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Fireside Chat
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FIRESIDE CHAT OCTOBER 2003
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome and Announcements
Believer's FireSide Kindling
Bidding with Bridgboy
Fifee's SolidGold
Dealing With Dann
Moogal's FireSide Log
Treble's Table Talk
And Finally Kaltica
=======================================
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Hi all!
Welcome to the September, 2003 issue of FireSide
Chat, our monthly newsletter written for and about
our FireSide friends and events.
We hope you enjoy all of this month's articles and
features. Please feel free to write to us with any
comments, questions, ideas, or whatever, that you may
wish to share. This newsletter is for and about you,
and we want you to feel welcome to participate. Just
email Believer at sarastobbe@aol.com or Moogal
at Moocake@aol.com.
A special thanks to all of you who have been sending
us contributions for our "giggle breaks". We appreciate
everything you send, and use as many as we can. Keep
'em coming, please! :-)
You can find current and past issues of this "FireSide
Chat" newsletter posted at our FireSide web site:
http://www.firesides.net/thechat.htm
If, for any reason, you do not wish to receive
these mailings, please write to Believer at
sarastobbe@aol.com to be removed from our mailing
list.
===========================================
CURRENT FIRESIDE SCHEDULE
Day Pacific Time Commentator
MON 11:00 A.M. POOKA
MON 5:00 P.M.* BRIDGBOY
TUE 11:00 A.M. BRIDGBOY
TUE 5:30 P.M. WINTAKA
WED 11:00 A.M. FREDW3
WED 5:30 P.M. DIANEW
THU 11:00 A.M. POOKA
THU 5:30 P.M. WISHTRIK
FRI 11:00 A.M. BLUEBEE
FRI 5:30 P.M. KALTICA
Commentators may change without notice,
according to their availability.
(*starts 1/2 hour earlier on Monday night)
*******************
Although there is no set fee for participating in
these "open to all" sessions, please note that FireSide
Bidding Practice Sessions operate with the support of
those in attendance. For information about how to
become a supporting member, please contact Kaltica at
kaltica@mts.net, Moogal at moocake@aol.com, or
Believer at sarastobbe@aol.com.
Thanks to all of you for supporting the FireSide sessions
in all the many different ways you have of doing so.
We want to thank our commentators for their dedication
and caring. Please, think of them when you are thinking
of taking private lessons, paying a professional to play
tourneys with you, getting involved in a group session
mentoring program... most, if not all, of our commentators
and contributors to this newsletter are available for those
services. Just think how much easier it is to learn
from someone who's already a friend!
*******************
All articles herein (c) 2003 by FireSide Chat.
All rights reserved.
===============================================
BELIEVER'S FIRESIDE KINDLING
============================
Hi all :-)
By now, I'm sure you are all used to me nagging you
to support the FireSide activities. That's so
important, I'll surely nag you again in the future,
but today I want to thank all of the supporting
attendees of FireSide, and FireSide special activities,
including the Sunday night Mentor Cup Team Games.
Thanks to your enthusiasm and support, we can continue to
provide great programs for all of you to enjoy and
participate in.
I want to give a special 'thanks' to a FireSider who
recently donated a computer to the FireSide computer
fund. What a special thing to do :-) We all were amazed
that anyone would do that, and appreciate his generosity.
The computer found a very good home :-)
Clearly we need your contributions to survive, but
supporting the FireSide activities comes in many forms --
financial, attendance, word of mouth, participation... we
need all of these types of support to be able to function
and grow. We thank all of you for your continued support
of our efforts.
********************
You can write to Believer (Sara Stobbe) at:
sarastobbe@aol.com
===============================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to Benson for these:
ONE LINERS!!!
If all is not lost, where is it?
A little lie is like a little pregnancy it doesn't take long
before everyone knows.
If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in
your pocket then giving Fido only two of them.
If at first you don't succeed, see if the loser gets anything.
Diamonds are a girl's best friends. Dogs are man's best friend.
So which is more intelligent?
Nothing is fool-proof to a talented fool.
Syntax is all the money collected at the church from sinners.
The trouble with life is, by the time you can read a girl like a
book, your library card has expired. (M. Berle)
The aging process could be slowed down if it had to work its way
through Congress.
Asking if computers can think is like asking if submarines can
swim.
File not found. Should I fake it? (Y/N)
Anything you lose automatically doubles in value.
If I save time, when do I get it back?
He who laughs last thinks slowest.
A client asked his lawyer how to plead. The lawyer said, "On
your knees!"
I don't have a big ego, I'm way too cool for that.
I panicked and hung up! What kind of sick company has an actual
PERSON answer their phone?!
Those who say they "sleep like a baby" obviously haven't got one.
I took a course in speed waiting. Now I can wait an hour in only
ten minutes. -- Steven Wright
=================================================
BIDDING WITH BRIDGBOY
=====================
I tell all my students in lesson one that the object of the
game of bridge is to discover who has what cards -- without
peeking! To succeed in this game we need to develop the ability
to visualize the unseen cards to discover things that
may not be obvious. Silently asking ourselves the right questions
will see us through this seemingly hard thought process.
Here is a simple hand to show exactly what I mean. Playing
matchpoints I picked up:
S K743
H K2
D AQ103
C Q96
I open 1D and the auction progresses
1D-P-2D-2H
P-P-P
I lead the diamond ace and see this dummy:
S 4
H 97
D K742
C J108432
What should I be thinking?
The result on this hand will hang on the question: Where are
the spades? Partner could not bid 1S so he is limited to 3 of
them. I can only see 5 others so that gives declarer a 5 card
side suit! Therefore his heart suit must be at least 6 cards
long.
Everyone follows at trick one to my diamond ace lead so I can
see at least 12 of the 13 cards in declarer's hand! I also
know he will try and ruff his spades on the dummy. So to
prevent that I will lead the H-king now to stop spade ruffs
and maximize our side's trick taking potential on defense! We
end up winning two spades, one heart and one diamond -- a 76
percent matchpoint score for minus 140! There was little
declarer could do once I saw his five spades and his need to
ruff them out.
It is worth the effort to do this on every hand. This kind of
thought process separates those who play in the dark from
those who turn on the lights! Do it and you will reap the
rewards.
********************
You can find Bridgboy (Bob Lavin) doing his FireSide
sessions on Monday evenings at 5:00 p.m., and Tuesdays
at 11:00 a.m. OKbridge time.
Anyone interested in one-on-one lessons on any topic of
the game may contact Bob at bridgboy@charter.net
===================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
We got this one from at least a dozen of you!
jsut wreid
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at an Elingsh uinervtisy, it
deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the
olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteer is at the
rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll
raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey
lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe.
=============================================================
FIFEE'S SOLIDGOLD
=================
SolidGold Defensive Carding
By Patricia Anderson
Defense is the most difficult part of bridge. You can see only
thirteen of the twenty-six cards available to your side whereas
the declarer can see all twenty-six of his cards. On defense you
need to spend most of your time signaling partner where your
strengths and weaknesses are. It is important because you defend
twice as often as you declare. The basics of standard defensive
signaling are simple. There are three kinds of signals:
1) ATTITUDE - showing whether you want partner to continue
the suit he has led,
2) COUNT - showing how many cards you hold in the suit led and
3) SUIT PREFERENCE - showing which suit you would prefer partner
to lead.
TO SHOW ATTITUDE, play a high card in the suit led by your
partner only to show you want it continued; play a low card if
you do not want it continued. Be careful not to encourage with a
card that might take a trick later. Remember give ATTITUDE only
when partner is leading the suit.
TO SHOW COUNT, play your lowest card when declarer leads to
indicate an odd number of cards in the suit led. Show an even
number of cards by playing "high-low". Partner can usually deduce
the exact number of cards in your hand by looking at the dummy,
his hand and listening to the bidding.
TO SHOW SUIT PREFERENCE, play a high card to indicate you want
partner to switch to a higher ranking suit. A low card indicates
you want him to switch to a lower ranking suit. This can be used
when you and partner have bid and raised a suit and partner is
leading a winner in "your suit."
SUIT PREFERENCE is also used when you know partner is out of a
suit and going to trump your lead. You can lead a suit preference
card to suggest to partner what suit to return after he trumps.
Highest possible card for partner to trump would ask for the
higher of the two remaining suits. Lowest possible would ask for
lower.
The obvious question is: "How do I know which signal partner is
using?" The answer is priorities.
First: show attitude on the opening lead.
Second: show count if partner knows your attitude (example:
partner plays the ace from AK and the Qxx is in the dummy).
Third: show suit preference if count is unnecessary (example:
partner leads the jack and the dummy has AKQT9 in that suit- good
chance to show partner suit preference for future defense.)
Most of the time your signal will show attitude. Occasionally
your signal will show count and rarely it will show suit
preference. The two most common situations for suit preference
are: 1) when you are following suit after partner leads and there
is a singleton in dummy and 2) when you are leading and giving
partner a ruff.
Remember your priorities change slightly if an opponent leads. Do
not show ATTITUDE. It is reasonable to assume that your side does
not want the suit led by the opponents. Therefore the first
priority is to show count. Second is suit preference.
There are some helpful devices that go with the signaling
process. One is to play the Queen under partner's lead of the Ace
or King. This shows a singleton Queen or that you also hold the
Jack. This allows partner to underlead his high honor if, for
some reason, he wants you to be on lead. Be careful that you do
not play "high-low" with Qx. Partner will think you can win the
next trick and disaster will befall upon you.
Also you can give a false signal. Sometimes it's correct to lie
to partner to get him to do the right thing. For example, if you
hold
S 962
H 853
D 752
C 8642
you should encourage whatever partner leads. Although you do not
really like the suit partner has led, it's better for partner to
continue that suit than search for something that is not there
(probably losing an unnecessary trick in another suit.) So a good
rule to follow is Do not discourage in the suit led unless you do
want partner to switch to another suit. This goes for all
defensive situations. Do not lead new suits unless you have a
very good reason. Let declarer do his own work.
Use common sense. Treat signals as information, not royal
decrees. Partner's signal at trick three may have no bearing on
what you should do at trick ten. Stay focused on the big picture:
what is happening and what you can do about it. Do not woodenly
follow signals - you may know something partner doesn't know.
Signaling is easier than it appears. A little practice will allow
you to defend effectively in most situations. There is no greater
satisfaction than defending a hand well. Bridge is a partnership
game and defense highlights a good partnership. When you and your
partner are "on the same page" you both will enjoy the process of
the game more. Be sure to discuss what signals you wish to use
with your partner.
Today we have discussed "Standard Defensive Carding." Other
popular methods of defensive carding used today are UDCA (Upside
Down Count and Attitude), Lavinthal Discards and Odd Even
Discards. It is wise to be familiar with all of these so that you
can read your opponent's signals when you are declaring !
Please email me at bandersn@mountain.net with any questions or
comments. Good luck at the tables :-)
==============================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to Benson for this giggle:
The first grade teacher. Miss Johanson asked Little Bennie,
"Bennie if I gave you two bunnies, and then two more bunnies
and then two more bunnies, how many would you have?"
Bennie replied, "Seven bunnies, Miss Johanson."
The teacher asked again, "Listen Bennie, If I gave you two
bunnies, plus two more bunnies, plus two more bunnies, how
many bunnies would you have altogether?"
Bennie smiled, "That's easy, Teacher, I would have seven."
"Ok Bennie," Miss Johanson said. "Let's try it a different
way. If I gave you two cans of Coke, plus two more cans of
Coke, plus two more cans of Coke. How many cans of Coke would
you have?"
"Six cans," Bennie answered.
"OK," said the teacher. "Now think of that with this question.
If I gave you two bunnies, then two more bunnies, then two
more bunnies, how many would you have?"
"Seven, Teacher." Bennie replied.
Exasperated, Miss Johanson asked, "Why seven?"
Bennie replied, "Because I already have one bunny at home!"
=============================================================
DEALING WITH DANN
=================
Lebensohl III
All right bridge fans, here's one last kick at the can -- if
you read this column regularly you know I have been doing a
series on Lebensohl and its applications and possible uses.
So, here goes Lebensohl 3.
First this month, I will cover how we use Lebensohl when
responding to partner's double of a weak 2 opener.
An example to begin:
2S-Dbl-p-?
Assuming that we are comfortable with Lebensohl, the idea is
introducing a response of 2NT as a relay to 3C. This shouldn't
seem too radical in this position. What we lose is a natural
2NT call, but that is a very seldom used bid (take my word for
it.)
Giving that up allows us to gain: Now we can show partner (the
doubler) 8+ points, or fewer than 8. With fewer than 8 we bid
2NT, relaying to 3C with less than 8 points. Now we bid our
normal response to the double with 8 to an upper limit. The
upper limit will be less than what we want to bid game with.
This is similar to jumping a level after pard's one level
takeouts, but the jump to invite isn't possible once opps
start at the 2 level).
So, some example hands:
S-84 After 2S-X-p, here we can
H-KJ106 bid a cheery 3H and partner is aware
D-KQ92 we have invitational values.
C-J85
S-Q10985 Again, after 2S-X-p, here we
H-K5 still pass for penalties - no rocket
D-AQ75 science required.
C-102
S-4 ok 2S-X-P-?
H-KJ93 4H - again don't get blinded by the new science,
D-AQJ76 we can show pard a weak or invitational type hand now.
C-Q52 Don't forget the tried and true method of
showing a game type hand.
S-1042 Yup, now we love Leb - we can warn pard of a bad hand
H-J93 after 2S-X-p-2NT! -which is alerted! Pard bids 3C
D-Q9532 and we correct to 3D (but we have told pard we have
C-42 fewer than 8).
Now with a bad hand and clubs we can pass 3C no need to correct.
OK, the show is back over to the original takeout doubler - if we
have a good hand (some hand where we can make a game opposite
fewer than 8 points in pards hand) and partner responds 2NT - we
break the relay! ie: bid something other than 3C-this forces pard
and tells them we know they have fewer than 8 and we are still
interested in game (NOTE! we NEVER Break the relay over Lebensohl
after NT interference!)
A sample hand we might break the relay with:
S-A4
H-KQJ975 Here after 2NT do not bid 3C!
D-AQ10 This is a 3H call, telling pard great hand -
C-K5 too good for a simple overcall, and not quite
good enough for a jump to 4H (which would tell pard
we have 10 tricks in our hand, no help required).
With any normal takeout double, accept the relay to 3C (also
alertable) - note, when the weak 2 allows we can still jump to
show an invite and bid the suit naturally with few values
eg: 2D-X-P-?
2H/S-weak response
3H/S-invitational values
Now for the keen scientists out there - after an auction that
starts with a weak two in a major, double from pard - pass-
if we use the 2NT relay, and bid 3NT over partners 3C bid,
we ask partner to bid 4 of the other major with 4 in that suit,
and to pass with only 3. That way we avoid 4-3 fits when 3NT
is an option
OK, and a final possibility for use of Lebensohl - after the
partnership reverses we can employ a form of Lebensohl
which will clarify further auction developments.
After a reverse we can play a 2nt bid from responder as showing
a minimum response, and anything else is constructive and game
forcing
eg: 1D-p-1S-p-
2H-p-?
here 2S shows a 5th spade and some decent 8+ hcp's
2NT is Lebensohl (showing pard a poor response and no game
going values opposite the reverse).
2NT after a reverse request's opener to rebid their original suit
3C- should be natural and forcing
3D-shows a fit for D's and is constructive (game force),
allowing pard to either initiate a q-bidding sequence or
try 3NT with a poor reverse
This is similar to Lebensohl over weak 2's with a reverse that
we were going to game regardless of pards count - we refuse to
accept the 2NT "relay" to our original suit after 2NT - a rebid
of openers first suit is non forcing - any other call forces
responder for 1 round.
Good luck employing Lebensohl in all of it's forms
and happy bridging all!
********************
You will find Pooka (Dann Kramer) doing his FireSide
sessions on Monday and Thursday mornings, at 11:00 a.m.
OKbridge time.
Dann is available for one-on-one lessons, group mentoring
sessions, and/or tourney play.
For more information, write Dann at: pspeard@telusplanet.net
===========================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to DelB for the following:
Ten Words Bridge Players Need (or need not) to Know:
British novelist Evelyn Waugh once said, "One forgets words as
one forgets names. One's vocabulary needs constant fertilization
or it will die." Editors at MSN Learning & Research picked some
of their favorite words to nourish your vocabulary. Some of them
you may even use.
1. Defenestrate: "throw somebody or something out of window: to
throw something or somebody out of a window (formal or humorous)"
It is quite entertaining to defenestrate paper airplanes.
(...and losing Bridge hands)
2. Garbology: "study of waste materials: the study of a cultural
group by an examination of what it discards"
Garbology might be a good career choice for dumpster divers.
Recycling may make the job of future garbologists extremely
difficult--they'll have less to study. (...discards by angry
Bridge players)
3. Digerati: (dijj-ratee) "computer experts: people who have or
claim to have a sophisticated expertise in the area of computers,
the Internet, and the World Wide Web"
Not too long ago, computer expertise was considered nerdy. These
days, many people strive to be among the digerati. (Especially on
OKBridge)
4. Antipodes:
1. "places at opposite sides of world: places at opposite
sides of the world from each other, or the areas at the side of
the world opposite from a given place"
2. "opposites: two points, places, or things that are
diametrically opposite each other"
One could say that Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli and Warren "Potsie"
Weber are antipodes. (as are Colin and I at the Bridge table).
5. Hallux: "first digit on the foot: the big toe on the human
foot, or the first digit on the hind foot of some mammals, birds,
reptiles, and amphibians (technical)"
The ballerina had her hallux insured for $10 million! (What you
sometimes put in your mouth at bidding.)
6. Otiose:
1. "not effective: with no useful result or practical
purpose"
2. "worthless: with little or no value"
(Will OKBridge make traditional face-to-face games otiose? )
7. Cullet: "glass to be recycled: broken or waste glass returned
for recycling"
Don't forget to take the cullet out to the curbside, and be sure
to put it next to the trash, not in it. (The glass of wine that
was supposed to sharpen my Bridge thinking.)
8. Pellucid: "clear in meaning: easy to understand or clear in
meaning (formal)"
The police officer's warning was pellucid: drivers must not
exceed the speed limit in the school zone. (like Bridge
bidding - only while Colin is explaining it)
9. Borborygmus: "stomach rumble: the rumbling sounds made by the
movement of gases in the stomach and intestine (technical)"
If you lay your head on someone's stomach, you are likely to hear
borborygmus. (Especially by declarer during a difficult
play.)
10. Embrangle: "perplex somebody: to confuse, perplex, or
entangle somebody or something (archaic)"
As Lord Needlebottom attempted to explain the rules of cricket,
his American friends became more and more embrangled.
.....that's me at Bridge folks, totally embrangled.
===========================================================
MOOGAL'S FIRESIDE LOG
======================
OKB Tourneys
Well done to all our Fireside friends who excelled in
the tourneys this past month!!
Wed Sep 3 06:00 2003
Rank Team Score Boards
1 EEProf/mabel 74.60 12
Mabel is the wife of our contributor Richard Pavlicek.
Sat Sep 6 11:00 2003
Rank Team Score Boards
1 Kaltica/moogal 64.29 26
Mon Sep 15 20:30 2003
Rank Team Score Boards
1 dloye/lano 2.92 12
Tue Sep 16 16:00 2003
Rank Team Score Boards
1 Pringle/Unicorn 2.01 27
Sat Sep 20 19:00 2003
Rank Team Score Boards
1 meerkat/RF-Leach 68.48 12
Mon Sep 22 12:30 2003
Rank Team Score Boards
1 Kaltica/moogal 3.51 12
Mon Sep 22 16:00 2003
Rank Team Score Boards
1 fifee/simsim35 3.85 12
Sun Sep 28 20:30 2003
Rank Team Score Boards
1 szeps/tuna 75.27 12
There are now 12 tourneys a day, not possible for me
to check each one....so if you win a tourney, let me
know! We want everyone's name up in lights!
****************************************************************
NOVICE MENTOR TOURNEYS
Congrats to our winners of the two Novice-Mentor tourneys in
September.
And well done to all our top finishers:
Thu Sep 11 18:00 2003
Rank Team Score Boards
1 gandalf/jundith 64.54 20
2 Frodo/melody 55.57 20
3 chy1/pengra/TournNov 54.94 19
4 ra3qc/tictac 51.63 19
5 dbaugh/maureen1 51.32 18
6 macc2/moth 51.07 20
Sat Sep 20 12:30 2003
Rank Team Score Boards
1 alvins/moen 62.75 17
2 johnroy/larrys 62.22 15
3 bernied2/poinq 60.54 17
4 ana/NRJHHO 58.93 14
5 lalady/robken 55.47 16
Mentors and novices, join us this month on the 9th
and on the 18th - email Sandra at sandree@attbi.com
if you would like to find a partner ahead of time.
We'll do our best to match you up! I promise
you a fun evening.
****************************************************************
FIRESIDE'S MENTOR CUP GAME
Our September winners are:
09-21-2003 Team JANETE: JanetE, Jundith, Aif49 & Claire
09-07-2003 Team XIMENA: Ximena, Bootsie, Amuse & TerryS
Visit our website at www.firesides.net/mtc.htm for info and
lists of all our top placing stars. To get on the email reminder
list for these games, contact me moocake@aol.com - all welcome!
****************************************************************
Get well wishes to Betty (BRINKER) who is having some foot
surgery and will be away from the computer for a few weeks.
We look forward to seeing you back online, Betty!
****************************************************************
A belated Happy Birthday to my husband Bob, to Colin's wife
Denise, and Danilo's wife Laura. Quite a coincidence -- they all
share the same birthday on September 19th!
****************************************************************
The House on Phantom Lane by Richard Pavlicek
Guess what? You're invited to a home team game! The address
is 666 Phantom Lane, and it starts at midnight. You wouldn't
miss an opportunity like that, would you? Fritz is dying to
be your partner, so don't be late!
http://www.rpbridge.net/7x49.htm
Results of the September bidding poll "Crossroads of Eternal
Hope" will be posted October 3.
Contest/Quiz: http://www.rpbridge.net/7y49.htm
Analyses: http://www.rpbridge.net/7y56.htm
Scores: http://www.rpbridge.net/7y55.htm
Overall: http://www.rpbridge.net/7w97.htm
Bot Results: http://www.rpbridge.net/7y97.htm
****************************************************************
What makes a bridge player an expert? Several players
contributed to a discussion of this topic, and I want to share
a few of their thoughts from time to time, starting this month
with the opinions of our own Pam Aikman (PAMA):
1. Card Play
a. They have natural talent to work with
b. They took the time to learn proper technique,
how to figure % and use both at the table as if a natural
habit
2. Bidding
a. They have a "good" partnership approach to bidding. They
know their system and how to use it together. They look to
improve their bidding in a manner that works for the
partnership.
The system is almost always a never ending work in
progress but new things are not added on the spot...in
other words- they know their system (all 500 pages of
notes) when they show up for a big event.
b. Most are very aggressive..in fact I would say at the highest
level they are all aggressive at least as a partnership.
3. Other Qualities
(IMHO these are the ones that make the difference between the
wannabees and those that consistently won at the highest levels)
a. They have an innate desire to win - killer instinct- or
whatever you call it that cannot be satiated with one or
two or even 20 BIG wins. However this personality trait
seems to taper off with birthdays.
This seems to be the bigger difference in "older" players.
Not only is our mind not quite as sharp and quick after
the early 50's but getting that total killer mindset is
sometimes extremely difficult.
Some would even call this a personality defect because it
often affects how they relate to other people other than at
the card table. At one time earlier in my life I was on my
way to be a world class player. I had the opportunity
to play and hang out with many of the US stars. Many
circumstances occurred that caused me to drop out of
bridge. I still want to win and hate to lose...but many
more things in life are much more important to me.
My killer sort of got crushed....
b. Partnership will always be an important factor...even the
BIGGEST and BRIGHTEST stars of bridge all had a partnership
that brought out the best in each other at the table. If
they didn't then they did not win enough to be in the
ELITE of bridge.
c. The most successful partnerships have one that is more
aggressive and one that is more "dependable"...they have
been called a pitcher and a catcher.
d. They know bridge is a game of mistakes. On a good day it is
the opps that make the costly ones. That is what aggressive
bidding is all about...trying to make the opps mistakes cost
them more than yours.
Thanks Pam for letting me reprint this. So what do you think?
Got any ideas on the subject that you would like to share?
Please send them to me, and you do NOT need to be an expert to
join in!
****************************************************************
That's it for this month, hope all is well with all of you! An
easy fast to our Jewish friends on Yom Kipur!
Hugs....Janice
****************************************************************
While we list the lessons offered by the commentators who
write for The Chat, we want to note that our other
commentators also give lessons in most shapes and
sizes....mentoring games, tourney play, partnership coaching,
just about whatever type of lesson you could envision.
Please feel free to contact any of them for lessons:
Colin/Kaltica kaltica@mts.net
Bill/Wintaka btreble@shaw.ca
Lynn/Wishtrik lynn@lynndeas.com
Dann/Pooka pspeard@telusplanet.net
Bob/Bridgboy bridgboy@charter.net
Diane/DianeW diane@walkersweb.org
Bernard/Bluebee Bernardh@btinternet.com
Fred/FredW3 Please msg on OKB
The lessons can be more affordable than you might
think, especially mentoring games. We think our
commentators give you your money's worth when you
chose private lessons, and they really value your
business. Maybe you can hint to a loved one what
you would like for your next birthday!
***********************************************************
We know that it isn't always easy to find a 'friendly' game.
We hope this new site will be a plus in your OKB experience
by helping our friends schedule games with each other.
Visit:
http://www.firesides.net/playdate.htm
and follow the directions to set up a table others can join, or
to join a game someone else has scheduled. You'll receive emails
notifying you as others join the same games.
If you wish to reserve a seat in one of the listed mentoring
games, which are supported by the people attending, we
suggest you do so, and also contact the mentoring commentator
for info.
We have tested this site, but we won't be surprised to hear
of a bug or two. Please let us know at kaltica@mts.net if
you encounter any problems serving, joining, or canceling a
game, or if you have any suggestions.
Have fun!
********************
Have a comment you'd like to make about the FireSide program?
An event or announcement you'd like to share with the rest of
us? A question you'd like answered? Here's a great place for
us to visit every day and keep up with each other:
http://www.firesides.net/chatline.htm
********************
Can't remember if this is a Mentor Cup week or when the next
Fireside session is? Get the complete schedule of events at:
www.firesides.net/whatsup.htm
Bookmark this page, and check back often. You don't want to
miss anything!
For those of you who use a credit card to support Fireside,
it's easy now! Go to:
www.firesides.net/support.htm
*********************
FIRESIDE UTILITY SITES
http://www.firesides.net/checker.htm
http://www.firesides.net/dealhand.htm
********************
And if you haven't had a chance to check them out yet,
here are some links to some of the quizzes that Colin has
developed to enlighten us:
www.firesides.net/staymantest.htm
www.firesides.net/sayctest.htm
www.firesides.net/sarctest.htm
www.firesides.net/spectrumtest.htm
www.firesides.net/bidstest.htm
www.firesides/net/IGITSAP.htm
(Note that IGITSAP must be in CAPS.)
Give them a try! They are fun and instructive.
**********************************************************
October Events: (All times Pacific)
===============================
NOVICE/MENTOR TOURNEY:
Thursday, October 9, 6:00 P.M. and Saturday,
October 18, at 12:00 P.M. A low-key introduction
to the tourney experience, sponsored by Fifth Chair...
see www.fifthchair.org for more info on this and
their other services, including getting a mentor.
FIRESIDE MENTOR CUP TEAM GAME:
Sundays, 5:00 P.M. October 12 & 26.
See www.firesides.net/mtc.htm for info and lists
of past winners. To get on the mailing list for
this game, email me at moocake@aol.com.
OKSCRIPT SEMINAR:
OKScript seminars are held as demand warrants.
Email Kaltica to schedule a session, usually available
on the same Sunday as the Mentor Cup Game, at 2:30 p.m.
OKScript is an add-on program that saves you many
keystrokes while playing on OKB by sending
prepared text to the table, opps, or lobby at the
push of a button. Try to download the program BEFORE
the seminar by going to www.firesides.net/okscript.htm.
For more information, email Colin at kaltica@mts.net.
FIFTH CHAIR INSTRUCTIONAL EVENTS:
=================================
Interested in getting a mentor to play with you periodically
in your learning of this wonderful game? Please contact
tarsh1@mindspring.com and ask for a mentor.
SAYC Novice Team Game:
Saturdays, at 8:00 a.m. PACIFIC. Newcomers very
welcome! In addition to the team game, there will be
an open table for those waiting to join the team game.
This table will also have a commentator.
2/1 Team Game for intermediate players:
Saturdays, 1:30 p.m. Pacific. Novices are welcome in
spectator mode.
Look for the words FIFTH CHAIR beside the server's name,
in the table notes, to attend either of these sessions
You can also go to the Fifth Chair Foundation webpage:
www.fifthchair.org if you have any bidding questions.
After clicking on the webpage, find the Ask Anything section.
Write an email to Lucy, and she will be most happy to answer
your questions.
OKbridge offers us an email discussion opportunity,
the Discuss List. You can join that list by emailing them
at Discuss-Request@okbridge.com and put the word 'subscribe'
in the subject line. You can also participate in the
discussions via the OKbridge web site now, just go to the
members area at www.okbridge.com and you'll find the Discuss
List there at the bottom of your opening page.
********************
Moogal (Janice Kofman) stays busy collecting all sorts
of news about our FireSide family members to share with us.
Please help her out by emailing her any news or stories you
are willing to share with the group.
Janice's email address is moocake@aol.com
=====================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to Wheels for the following giggles:
Something to ponder over
I was thinking about how a status symbol of today is those
cell phones that everyone has clipped on. I can't afford one
so I'm wearing my garage door opener.
You know, I spent a fortune on deodorant before I realized
that people didn't like me anyway.
I was thinking that women should put pictures of missing
husbands on beer cans!
I was thinking about old age and decided that it is when you
still have something on the ball but you are just too tired to
bounce it.
I thought about making a fitness movie for folks my age and
call it "Pumping Rust."
I have gotten that dreaded furniture disease.... that's when
your chest is falling into your drawers!
You know when people see a cat's litter box, they always say,
"Oh, have you got a cat?" Just once I wanted to say, "No, it's
for company!"
Employment application blanks always ask who is to be notified
in case of an emergency. I think you should write, "A Good
Doctor!"
Why do they put pictures of criminals up in the Post Office?
What are we supposed to do . . . write to these men? Why don't
they just put their pictures on the postage stamps so the
mailmen could look for them while they delivered the mail?
========================================================
TREBLE'S TABLE TALK
===================
(Re)Action and Thought
All of us have read, no doubt, in a book or publication
about the inspired bid or bold decision that marked the
turning point in a vital match. Perhaps we've studied
admiringly the double squeeze or Vienna Coup that a maestro
like Chagas, Hamman or Zia executes to bring home that tenuous
game or slam. The thought creeps into the recesses of the
mind that a regular club player can never attain the vision or
insight to reach the top-flight level.
The truth is that yes, the best players are wizards of card-
play technique and know the percentages inside and out. But
there is far more to their success than that. Aside from the
more obvious instances of their brilliancy, they also do the
"grunt" work. They are consistent in their bidding style and
discipline their minds, giving each hand, no matter how easy
it appears on the face of it, sufficient thought to make the
right choice. Bridge has it's magical moments, but even the
"glamour boys" derive their mastery of the game from attention
to detail, and making sure to dot the I's and cross the T's.
Now, everyone has their opinion on the subject of weak
two-bids. I freely admit that I am "old school", in that I
prefer sound weak two-bids in first and second seat, with two
of the top three honours in the primary suit. One of my
regular partners, Dave McLellan, is a lot friskier in his use
of the bid, often doing it on considerably weaker suits. Now,
if partner wants to open 2H on:
a) S-- xx H-- K10xxxx D- xx C-- Jxx
instead of
b) S-- xx H-- KQ10xxx D-- xx C-- Jxx
that's fine with me. What is likely to push my hot button,
though, is if partner decides to venture the weak two-bid on
something like:
c) S-- Ax H-- J9xxxx D-- Kx C-- xxx
I have a basic rule that a weak two-bid is NEVER made with
more than a trick outside the long suit. Why? Well, suppose
responder has:
S-- Jxx H-- Axxx D-- AJxxx C-- x
With this hand, 5H is a clearcut bid opposite hands a) and
b), but opposite hand c), we have just taken a phantom sacrifice
over a non-making 4S. The bottom line is that while I'm not that
rigid on suit quality, I AM quite insistent that a weak two-bid
bidder have very little defense outside hir suit. Here is an
example from the Calgary Regional last month:
North
S 8
H A973
D K982
West C J752 East
S A S J107632
H K104 H J5
D Q10743 D A6
C A863 South C Q94
S KQ964
H Q862
D J5
C K10
East-West vul at board-a match teams, the auction went:
Table 1 Table 2
N E S W N E S W
pass 2S pass pass pass pass 1S dbl
dbl pass pass pass pass pass pass pass
At the other table, East wanted to stir the pot so he
ventured forth with a 2S opening. Well, he managed to create
some action but not the kind he was looking for, being left to
flail about helplessly in 2S doubled. I made a disciplined pass
at our table only to hear South open 1S on a moth-eaten 11-count,
and got to register a plus score on our side of the ledger after
partner made a takeout double and I passed.
Here is another instructive hand from the evening session of
the Flight A pairs in Calgary, in which I was playing
with Dan Bertrand of the host city:
North
S 73
H K7
D 1086
West C Q9743 East
S J82 S 105
H J6 H AQ10982
D AKQJ93 D 75
C J8 South C K102
S AKQ964
H 543
D 2
C A65
Both vul, the auction went:
South West North East
1S 2D pass 2H
2S 3H pass 4H
pass pass pass
South, with good spades, "reflexed" out the 2S rebid after the
overcall and the 2H bid on his right. Overcaller, with
tolerance for hearts and knowing that partner was not likely
to have many spades, elected to compete with 3H instead of
rebidding diamonds, cognizant of the form of the game. Now
East, having been raised in his six-card suit, went on to game
which is unbeatable as the cards lay. On a 27 top, EW got
23.5 matchpoints. Regardless of whether you think West's 3H
bid is justified, the opponents would never have reached game
if South had just passed at his second turn. Yes, he has a
sound opening bid with a good suit, but so what? There is a
vulnerable overcall on the left and a forward-going 2H by
advancer on the right, with partner unable to take any action
at his turn. South has to realize that his side is simply
outgunned. If he passes, LHO rebids diamonds since it is no
longer a contested auction, and East will pass or rebid 3H,
which ends the proceedings.
In our recent Winnipeg sectional, I picked up this hand in
the finals of the knockout teams, both vul:
S-- J4 H-- AQJ763 D-- Q64 C-- Q7
Partner passed in first seat and RHO opened 1S. I would
probably have opened 1H if it had come around to me, and my
first inclination was to bid 2H now. But I had seven losers
facing a passed hand, so there was virtually no chance of game
our way. My heart suit was decent but not outstanding, and I'd
be on lead against 4S if that's where the opponents settled
in. So I passed for now. In tenuous overcalling situations,
I often pass for now intending to come back in later on. LHO
responded 1NT, pass by partner and 2H on my right. Upon
hearing this, "later" became never, and I wound up defending a
2S partial. At the other table, my hand made the 2H overcall,
and LHO made a negative double that opener converted for
penalties, for +500. I'm not saying that I was right and the
overcaller at the other table was wrong, as it could have been
a partscore swing in his favour. However, if you curb the
reflex urge to bid 2H and think it over, the overcall can
achieve a marginal gain at best (when you push them to an
eventual 3S and can beat it), whereas the downside can on
occasion be pretty considerable.
That same evening in the pairs game, several declarers
landed in 6H needing to bring home the following trump holding
for only one loser:
Dummy
H-- J1065
Declarer
H-- K7432
Most declarers made the natural play of the Jack of hearts
from dummy. But...take a deep breath and mull it over. If
hearts are 4-0, you are going down. How about 2-2 breaks? If
AQ is on declarer's left, there is no hope, and if the same
holding is on the right, trumps are impossible to misguess.
Leading the Jack wins against Qx on your right (an expert will
NOT cover since you had bid hearts and there are four trumps
on dummy). Playing low to the King wins against Ax on the
right, Qx on your left. Now let's consider the 3-1 breaks. If
either opponent holds AQ9 or AQ8, there is no winning play,
and if the hearts are Q98 in one hand and singleton Ace in the
other, you are similarly doomed. However, if EITHER opponent
has the singleton Queen, you can make the hand by playing low
to the King. That play is considerably superior then, as it
breaks even on the 2-2 splits and wins against the two
RELEVANT 3-1 breaks. For the record, the Jack of hearts was
covered by the Q, but it was singleton and now LHO had two
trump winners with his A98. I spoke with the declarer at our
table after the game, and she agreed on the correct line of
play. She had advanced the Jack from dummy since it seemed
like the natural thing to do, but never realized that a cover
by the Queen on the right might not be such a good thing. It
was a play born of too much habit and not enough thought, an
affliction that plagues a lot of us.
Our final installment for this month is a hand that came
up in the Swiss teams, with EW vulnerable. West picked up
this collection of baubles:
S-- K875 H-- A D-- J62 C-- 97654
The auction went:
North East South West
pass 1NT 2H 2NT*
dbl pass 3H ?
The 2H overcall poses a dilemma for responder, as he has no
convenient action. The hand is not good enough to ask for
spades with a 3H cuebid, as that forces game. Yet West has 8
HCP and can't really sell out to 2H. In a vote, you'd
probably get a split between 2S, which is short a card in the
suit but keeps the bidding at the two-level, and 2NT, planning
to lebensohl into a club partial. However, LHO now doubled
and the overcaller now retreated back to his suit, showing a
distributional hand with not much defense. West now found
himself back in the tank, justifiably so because his side has
the majority of points but what to do now? Colin (Kaltica)
Ward has a useful piece of advice for this situation: When
you're caught up in a hesitation, do SOMETHING, but try to
avoid passing, which invariably leaves partner in an awkward
situation. At the table, West passed slowly and the 1NT
opener doubled which he converted to 3NT. The entire hand is:
North
S 10x
H 9x
D AKxxx
West C Kxxx East
S Kxxx S Ax
H A H QJ8x
D Jxx D Q10x
C 9xxxx South C AQJ10
S QJxxx
H K10xxxx
D xx
C void
Now suppose West was familiar with Colin's advice and taken
some action other than pass once he got caught up in the
hesitation. An immediate 3NT bid would have netted +750 (as
North was doubling) as it would have been difficult for NS to
find the diamond lead needed to beat the contract. A double of
3H nets EW the best LEGITIMATE plus, as West leads clubs and
declarer quickly loses control of the hand if he is forced to
ruff. It's even worse for South if he goes to dummy to play a
heart to the king, as it will now lose the singleton Ace.
The actual bidding gets neither of these results, as a
director call by the opponents would bring into the question
of whether partner's double of 3H is clearcut when responder
might have Kxxxxx of either minor and not much else for the
lebensohl bid. The ruling would have been that opener is not
allowed to double 3H after West's slow pass, and the board
would be adjusted to 3H undoubled.
The moral of this month's article is, then: don't
reflex your bids and plays, but pause to think and THEN decide
your course of action.
See you next month!
********************
You can write to Wintaka (Bill Treble) at: bbtreble@mts.net
You will find Bill doing his FireSide sessions on Tuesdays
at 5:30 P.M. OKbridge time.
Wintaka and Kaltica present classes on:
SAYC (Rainbow Series)
2/1 (Spectrum series)
Precision (Prism Series)
and other selected bridge topics (Kaleidoscope series).
They also offer private/group lessons and/or supervised play
sessions. Email Bill (bbtreble@mts.net) or Colin
(kaltica@mts.net) for more information.
================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to BQ80 for this one:
QUESTION: HOW MANY DOGS ARE NEEDED TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB?
Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got
our whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a
stupid burned out bulb?
Border Collie: Just one. And then I'll replace any wiring that's
not up to code.
Dachshund: You know I can't reach that damned stupid lamp!
Rottweiler: Make me.
Lab: Oh, me, me!!!! Pleeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can
I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I?
Malamute: Let the Border Collie do it. You can feed me while he's
busy.
Jack Russell Terrier: I'll just pop it in while I'm bouncing off
the walls and furniture.
Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in
the dark.
Doberman Pinscher: While it's dark, I'm going to sleep on the
couch.
Boxer: Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the
dark......
Mastiff: Mastiffs are NOT afraid of the dark.
Chihuahua: Yo quiero Taco Bulb.
Pointer: I see it, there it is, there it is, right there....
Greyhound: It isn't moving. Who cares?
Australian Shepherd: First, I'll put all the light bulbs in a
little circle...
Old English Sheep Dog: Light bulb? I'm sorry, but I don't see a
light bulb?
Hound Dog: ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz
===================================================
AND FINALLY KALTICA
===================
Heart Break
***********
Recently I encountered a few problems which, as luck
would have it, happened to center around the Heart suit.
Before we get to that, though, consider this holding:
H- KQ1094
Against 3NT, the books say to lead the Queen, not
the King, so that Partner will know to drop the H-Jack
from, say, H-J2 or even H-J72. Fair enough. But then
these experts go one step further: they say that if
Partner does NOT have the H-Jack Partner should show
COUNT.
This latter point makes little sense. How does
Partner know that we have not led from H-QJ984 when we
lead the H-Queen? Playing the H-7 from, say, H-72 to
show COUNT (thinking you may have been leading from
H-KQ1094) would be a recipe for disaster; opening
leader may well take this as ATTITUDE with H-K72 and
continue the suit into the teeth of H-AK103!
Hence, my approach is simple: face cards ask
for attitude. Period.
Now let us change the scenario slightly. With
our side quiet the auction proceeds:
LHO RHO
1C 1H
2C 3NT
This time you hold:
H-KQJ94
You decide to lead a Heart despite RHO's 1H bid.
But which Heart do you lead?
Many will instinctively lead the King. But are
we not concerned that RHO will have H-A10xx? We need
to know if our Partner has the H-10. One way for us
to discover this would be to lead the H-Jack, but this
will ask for Partner to toss the H-10, which could be
costly if dummy is void and Declarer has H-A8xxx. That
H-8 somehow holds up as a second stopper!
Easier is for us to lead the H-Queen from our
holding of H-KQJ94. Partner will encourage with
H-10xx(x) and discourage if holding nothing higher
than the H-9. Problem solved!
Here was another instructive holding:
Dummy
H-J1032
You
H-K7654
You are in 6H. With plenty of entries back and
forth, how do you play this suit?
The first thing to do is type "Thinking" (although
"Counting" might be more accurate) at the table while
you do some simple arithmetic. And, yes, I know that
for some people--myself including--"simple arithmetic"
may seem to be an oxymoron. :)
H-A+Q+9+8 are outstanding. Our two options are
H-Jack, finessing, versus small towards our King.
So which is better? To discern this, we need to
compare the number of layouts where one works versus
the other.
Case 1: H-Jack, finessing.
This works if RHO has H-Qx, which SOUNDS like
ONE holding but is, in fact, TWO: H-Q9 and H-Q8.
Note that if RHO has H-AQ9, H-AQ8 or H-AQ98 RHO
can cover the H-Jack with the Queen and claim two
tricks. So we don't worry about holdings where
NOTHING is going to succeed.
Case 2: Small towards the King.
This works if RHO has H-Ax (TWO holdings,
since it encompasses H-A9 and H-A8) or if EITHER
opponent has a singleton H-Queen. For RHO, that
is two more holdings (H-Q and H-A98). That is a
total of FOUR holdings where playing small towards
the King works. Since the likelihood of all of
these holdings is approximately equal, Option #2
is twice as good as option #1.
The trick, then, is to STOP and COUNT these
possible layouts whenever you are in such a
critical situation. Note: you aren't really
THINKING, you are COUNTING. The THINKING part
will be EASY once you've done the COUNTING. And
in this case, we are only counting up to four.
Hey, I TOLD you this is an EASY game,
didn't I? :)
**********************
You'll find Kaltica (Colin Ward) doing his FireSide
sessions on Friday evenings at 5:30 P.M. OKbridge time.
Kaltica and Wintaka present classes on:
SAYC (Rainbow Series)
2/1 (Spectrum series)
Precision (Prism Series),
and other selected bridge topics (Kaleidoscope series).
They also offer private/group lessons and/or supervised
play sessions. Email Colin (kaltica@mts.net) or
Bill (bbtreble@mts.net) for more information.
=====================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to PamA for this one:
Here's a new exercise program for all you Web Heads to use to
stay in shape while at your PC. You might want to take it easy
at first, then increase the reps as you become more proficient.
NOTE: ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING ANY EXERCISE
PROGRAM!
SCROLL DOWN TO BEGIN . . .
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NOW SCROLL UP... Feel the burn
=====================================================
Fireside Chat Issues
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F
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D
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Ocbober, 2001
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November, 2001
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December, 2001
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January, 2002
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February, 2002
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March, 2002
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April, 2002
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May, 2002
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June, 2002
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July, 2002
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August, 2002
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September, 2002
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October, 2002
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November, 2002
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December, 2002
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January, 2003
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February, 2003
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March, 2003
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April, 2003
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May, 2003
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July, 2003
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August, 2003
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September, 2003
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October, 2003
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November, 2003
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December, 2003
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January, 2004
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February, 2004
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March, 2004
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April, 2004
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May, 2004
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June, 2004
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July, 2004
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August, 2004
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September, 2004
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October, 2004
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November, 2004
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December, 2004
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