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Fireside Chat
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FIRESIDE CHAT SEPTEMBER 2004
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome and Announcements
Believer's FireSide Kindling
Bidding with Bridgboy
Hand of the Month
Dealing With Dann
Bridge For the Club Player
Special Treat
Moogal's FireSide Log
Treble's Table Talk
And Finally Kaltica
=======================================
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Hi all!
Welcome to the September, 2004 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@bellsouth.net.
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/FIFEE
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@bellsouth.net,
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) 2004 by FireSide Chat.
All rights reserved.
===============================================
BELIEVER'S FIRESIDE KINDLING
============================
Congratulations to PollyE, our winner of September's
book -- "How To Read Your Opponents' Cards", by Mike
Lawrence. Thanks for supporting the Fireside sessions,
Polly. Hope you enjoy your new book :)
Next month we'll be giving away the classic "Play of
the Hand" by Louis Watson. Be sure to get your checks
in the mail, or go to www.firesides.net/support.htm, and
contribute by using your charge card or PayPal. Every
time you send your support, your name will go into the
drawing.
Please remember to play in the Novice/Mentor tourney this
month on Thursday, Sept 9. OKb runs these fun, stress-free
tourneys for the Novice to Intermediate players each month
so you can play in them and enjoy playing with others at the
same level. Hope to see you there!
Lots of good stuff in our newsletter this month! Thanks
to everyone who contributed. Remember that you can send
us your stories too, we love to print news about our
Fireside friends! I also am starting to run a little low
on jokes for our giggle-breaks, so if you get any good
jokes be sure to forward them on to me!
See you at Fireside!
********************
You can write to Believer (Sara Stobbe) at:
sarastobbe@aol.com
===============================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to Arrow for this groaner:
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time,
which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He
also ate very little, which made him rather frail, and with
his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him . . .
a super-calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
===============================================================
BIDDING WITH BRIDGBOY
=====================
The mark of a good bridge player is the ability to make it
appear that the cards are distributed one way, when in
actuality they are distributed differently. This imagination
can corral many a declarer as well as defenders from making
the right play. Here is a classic hand that will prove my
point.
You carefully arrive at 3NT rather than 4S because of the
balanced nature of both hands. Now it is up to you to take as
many tricks as possible because the game is matchpoints!
S A432
H K42
D A62
C K102
S KQJ5
H AQ3
D K84
C J94
The opening lead is the heart Jack, and you are delighted to
see 10 sure winners and are already celebrating your top
score. So you win the heart in hand and lead the jack of
clubs, finessing the 2 and it wins!
Realizing the queen must be onside you carefully lead the nine
of clubs planning on finessing again, only to have the rug
pulled out from underneath you as LHO shows out! Now your
dream of a top score just went to the basement as RHO takes
five club winners with his AQxxxx of clubs.
Think about it - RHO made a play that gave a completely
different picture of how the cards were distributed around the
table. He gave you a chance to make an error and you, as a
competent but greedy declarer, had to try for as many
overtricks as possible. It is that greed for the top that
enabled him to draw you in with a no cost duck of both club
honors. All he did was give you the one trick you were
entitled to early rather than later with a great chance for
him to take five if you tried it again! Tell the truth -- how
many of us would not have tried for 11 tricks only to realize
too late that on this hand you were only going to make 8! It
was very pleasant to see declarer's smile drop and a groan
take its place as we reeled in 5 tricks on this unbeatable
hand.
********************
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
Thanks to Benson for this giggle:
8 Dumbest Questions Asked By Cruise Passengers!
Does the crew sleep onboard?
What time is the midnight buffet?
Which elevator takes me to the front of the ship?
Do you generate your own electricity?
Is this island totally surrounded by water?
Is the water in the toilet salt or fresh?
What do you do with the ice carvings after they melt?
How high above sea level are we?
===========================================================
HAND OF THE MONTH
=================
This month we are thrilled to present our 'Hand of the Month'
feature, with a big "thank you" to Gail Wix for formatting it
for us.
From The 2004 Daily Bridge Calendar. For more information
call 1-888-453-1976, or email: calendar@interlog.com.
********************
Vul: none North
Dlr: S S K6
H K53
D QT7
C QJT83
South
S T54
H AJ2
D AKJ
C K964
West North East South
1NT
p 3NT all pass
Opening Lead: H6
"You pay a great too dear for what's given freely" --
Shakespeare
West leads what appears to be his fourth-best heart. How
would you advise South to continue?
********************
S K6
H K53
D QT7
C QJT32
S Q973 S AJ82
H QT864 H 97
D 96 D 85432
C A8 C 75
S T54
H AJ2
D AKJ
C K964
Contract: 3NT Lead: H6
*******************
Be careful when an opponent favors you with a generous opening
lead. What you get free at trick one might cost plenty later
in the play.
West led his fourth-best heart, East played his H9, and South
won his jack. Visualizing possible overtricks, South started
clubs and West took his CA on the second round. What was West
to do now?
Obviously, a heart continuation would lead nowhere, and a
diamond shift was equally unpromising. So West shifted to a
low spade. The payoff was substantial. Dummy's SK went to
East's ace, and it was easy for the defenders to collect three
more spade winners for one down.
How could South have improved his chances with both missing
aces in the wrong place?
At trick one, instead of accepting the free finesse, South
should have won dummy's HK. When West wins his CA, he will be
in the dark about the true heart position. Understandably,
West will likely continue with another heart, giving South his
free finesse after all. This time, South gets not only the
free finesse, but his game with an overtrick as well.
********************
Hand and analysis by Bobby Wolff, courtesy of the Daily
Bridge Calendar, published by Ashlar House Inc., Brampton,
ON, Canada. Reprinted with permission. (Special thanks to
Lee Daugherty and Dann Kramer.)
===========================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to MaxJ for this giggle:
*When Aging Reality Sets In*
Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about
your age and start bragging about it.
Don't let anyone tell you you're getting old. Squash their
toes with your rocker.
The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line
for.
Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me. I want
people to know why I look this way. I've traveled a long way
and some of the roads weren't paved.
Maturity means being emotionally and mentally healthy. It is
that time when you know when to say yes and when to say no,
and when to say WHOOPEE!
How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?
When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth,
think of Algebra.
I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the
top.
The golden years are really just metallic years, gold in the
tooth, silver in your hair, and lead in the seat.
Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at
the age of 80 and gradually approach 18.
One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it
is such a nice change from being young. One must wait until
evening to see how splendid the day has been.
Age seldom arrives smoothly or quickly. It is more often a
succession of jerks.
Yeah, being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
Old age is when former classmates are so gray and wrinkled,
and blind they don't recognize you.
If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have
anything to laugh at when you are old.
============================================================
DEALING WITH DANN
=================
NT Interference
After a recent Fireside, I thought a review of common bidding
methods we can use over 1NT openers by our opps should be
reviewed:
First, DONT - or Disturb Opponent's No Trump
This conventional approach is to remove opponents from NT.
The double shows a single suited hand, asking partner to bid 2
Clubs and we will pass, or correct to our real suit. (Note: if
responder has a suit of their own that they wish to play in,
they just bid it instead of 2 Clubs.)
With single suited hands handled by a double, that frees up
all suit bids to show 2 suited hands, so a bid shows that suit
and an unspecified higher ranking suit. Therefore:
2C = C & ? (D/H/S)
2D = D & ? (H/S)
2H = H & S
Now, the way we find out partner's other suit is by bidding
the suit above partners first bid suit. We play that as pass
or correct, so if pard bids 2C to show C & ?, we bid 2D and
pard will either pass or bid H/S depending on which suit is
their other suit.
Note: DONT is designed to get opps out of NT! It's not meant
to get us to our best spot. If we have 3+ cards in pard's
first-bid suit we pass - a fit is found. Our goal is to get
opps out of NT! Once a fit is found, we stop disturbing!
This method is more effective at Match Points than IMP's,
where a huge bonus exists for making NT contracts!
Next, Hamilton (or if it doesn't work, Cappeletti.)
CAPP/Hamilton tries to allow for a combination of hands to be
shown.
Our first bid is Double, which shows values or is for penalty,
however we define it as a partnership (Values - we show
points; penalty - we say we are setting 1NT, so pass pard.)
The suit bids are a bit tricky
2C = single suited hand (partner bids 2D as pass/correct, or a
suit of their own with no interest in our suit)
2D = both majors - partner chooses
2H/S = H/S and an unknown minor (if we want to hear pards
minor 2NT requests same)
Capp/Hamilton allows penalty doubles so people like to use it
against a weak NT. The system's use depends on the cards -
some days it works great, other days the hands don't fit the
convention. This was pointed out by Fred Hamilton (yes that's
where Hamilton comes from) when asked about what to call the
convention, and did he mind "CAPP" being used. His Response
was: "Call it Hamilton when it works and CAPP when it
doesn't!"
I hope that was a quick brush up for you! (Not that we have
to admit it wasn't; no test here, that's at the table!)
********************
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
One of my favorites :)
A frog goes into a bank, and hops up to the loan officer.
The frog says, "Hi, what's your name?
The loan officer says, "My name is John Paddywack. Can
I help you?"
The frog says, "Yeah, I'd like to borrow some money."
The loan officer finds this a little odd, but gets out
a form. He says, "Okay, what's your name?
The frog says, "Kermit Jagger."
The loan officer says, "Really? Any relation to Mick
Jagger?"
The frog says, "Yeah, he's my dad."
The loan officer says, "Okay. Ummm...do you have any
collateral?"
The frog hands the loan officer a pink ceramic
elephant and says, "Will this do?"
The loan officer says, "Hmmm...I'm not sure. Let me
go check with the bank manager."
The frog says, "Oh, tell him I said hi. He knows me."
The loan officer goes back to the manager and says,
"Excuse me, but there's this frog out here named
Kermit Jagger who wants to borrow some money. All
he has for collateral is this pink elephant thing,
I'm not ever sure what it is.
The manager says: "It's a knick-knack, Paddywack,
give the frog a loan, his old man's a Rolling Stone."
============================================================
BRIDGE FOR THE CLUB PLAYER
==========================
The Learning Staircase
This particular bit of philosophy has become a standard
"spiel" that I seem to give to all of my students eventually.
Usually I wait until it seems as if they are becoming
frustrated. Then I explain that frustration signifies that
they are ready to progress to the next step on the stairs.
My "staircase of learning" goes like this -- please start
reading from the bottom:
HABIT ("NOW I've got it...")
ACTION ("I stopped, I thought, I did it right!")
INACTION ("I knew better, but I did it wrong anyway")
HINDSIGHT ("Aaagh! I did it wrong!")
VAGUE AWARENESS ("I think there's something I should know")
OBLIVIOUS ("I never knew that" or "I thought I did it right")
For all of us, there are some bids/plays that are HABITS and
some things about which we are OBLIVIOUS. This is normal.
The goal is to move as many aspects of this game up to the top
of the stairs as possible.
Just so we have a point of reference, let's look at some
examples. These 'stairs' apply to both bidding AND card play,
but card play is easier to show by example.
How do you play these card combinations for the maximum number
of tricks? (Answers appear at the end):
a) Axx opposite QJxxx
b) AQ9xx opposite Jxxxx
c) ATxx opposite Kxxx
d) Ax opposite JTxxx
e) AKxxx opposite Jx
f) Kxxx opposite Qxxx
How did you do? If you KNOW that you got them all right,
congratulations! But the point of this article is to
understand how to emotionally handle it if you missed one (or
more). All this means is that you are on one of the first
steps of the stairs -- and everyone MUST start somewhere! Did
you not know the right play (Step One)? Did you have the
feeling you should know but couldn't get it right (Step Two)?
Let's talk about the steps of learning...
1) Oblivious: Understand that we ALL start off bridge (and
life) oblivious to everything! Oblivious is just another way
of saying "I don't know that YET." It is nothing to be ashamed
of! It is just the unavoidable first step. Keep reading, and
listen to your teachers/mentors and the better players who are
willing to share their knowledge. (PICK carefully who you
listen to! Well-meaning but poor advice has led many a new
bridge player astray!) And remember, until you admit that you
DON'T know, you cannot learn.
2) Vague Awareness: This means that somebody or something has
told you the right play or bid, but it just won't come to the
front of your mind. We have all had that vague feeling that
we've missed something or that 'there must be a better way'.
The key is to remember that this is a GOOD sign -- you are on
the road to improvement! Go over the hand afterwards (without
beating yourself up!), and think about the bid/play. This
will help to bring it from the back of your brain closer to
the front.
3) Hindsight: This can be especially frustrating -- when you
realize your error IMMEDIATELY after you have committed it!
("woulda, shoulda, coulda...") DON'T get down on yourself.
DO try and tell yourself that this is just the next step up
the staircase, and that you will soon be getting it right. DO
try and remember not to play/bid too quickly!
4) Inaction: You thought about it, but then you did it wrong
anyway. We have all done this, especially in the bidding!
Maybe you lost your nerve, or weren't quite sure enough of the
'right' bid or play. Old habits and comfort zones have a
funny way of not wanting to go away! Remember you are that
much closer to doing it right next time, and MUCH closer than
the people who don't even KNOW the right play (yet).
5) Action: You thought about it, and you did it right!
Congratulations! If the bid or play does NOT work, though,
keep the faith! In bridge, the 'right' move works USUALLY,
not ALWAYS! Keep it up, and pretty soon this particular
action will be a...
6) Habit! As far as THIS particular play goes, you have
arrived!! By now you have found out that there are about 50
zillion OTHER bids/plays that you are not aware of . . . YET.
Rejoice! THIS is why we play bridge instead of Go Fish,
right?
Happy learning! Jack Brawner (Trojanowl@AOL.com)
********************
ANSWERS:
a) Cash the Ace, then low toward the QJxx, repeating if
necessary.
b) Start with the Jack, playing low if not covered. (Do NOT
start by playing towards the Queen. You will be very
disappointed if it wins but the next player shows out!)
c) Start with the King, then low towards ATx, playing the TEN
if no honor appears.
d) Play the Ace, then low from BOTH hands. DON'T play the Jack
or Ten until the third round. (This is a toughie.)
e) Start by playing low to the Jack.
f) Decide (if you can) who is either more likely to have
either the Ace OR a doubleton. Then, lead THROUGH that
hand towards the opposite honor, and if it wins follow
by playing small from both hands at round two. (You are
hunting for the doubleton Ace to make it "catch air".)
********************
Jack welcomes students of all levels for lessons.
Contact him for information at trojanowl@aol.com
============================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to Luc for this giggle:
Sitting on the side of the highway waiting to catch speeding
drivers, a State Police Officer sees a car puttering along at
22 MPH. He thinks to himself, "This driver is just as
dangerous as a speeder!" So he turns on his lights and pulls
the driver over.
Approaching the car, he notices that there are five old ladies
-- two in the front seat and three in the back - eyes wide and
white as ghosts.
The driver, obviously confused, says to him, "Officer, I don't
understand, I was doing exactly the speed limit! What seems to
be the problem?"
"Ma'am," the officer replies, "You weren't speeding, but you
should know that driving slower than the speed limit can also
be a danger to other drivers."
"Slower than the speed limit?" she asked. No sir, I was doing
the speed limit exactly... Twenty-Two miles an hour!" the old
woman says a bit proudly.
The State Police officer, trying to contain a chuckle explains
to her that "22" was the route number, not the speed limit. A
bit embarrassed, the woman grinned and thanked the officer for
pointing out her error.
"But before I let you go, Ma'am, I have to ask... Is everyone
in this car OK? These women seem awfully shaken and they
haven't muttered a single peep this whole time." the officer
asks.
"Oh, they'll be all right in a minute officer. We just got off
Route 119."
===============================================================
SPECIAL TREAT
=============
Thanks to Kaltica for this fun story about Cora the Corgi :)
Cora at the Vet
***************
Cora the Corgi has worn her welcome out at
most veterinary clinics in town. Indeed, it gets
harder and harder for us to find her an animal
hospital where she isn't "corgata non grata".
Now, it isn't that she doesn't like veterinarians.
It's just that she prefers them with mayonnaise.
It was time for Cora's annual checkup. Denise
told the new vet (note that Cora's veterinarians
are always new ones) insistently and repeatedly that
a muzzle would be required before handling the dog.
But would he listen?
"Nah," said the man. "She looks like such a
friendly little pooch. I need to check her teeth
first. I'll just put my hand in her mouth..."
I'm thinking that this won't be hard. In
fact, I'm thinking that if the vet puts his hand
within three feet of Cora it will be in the dog's
mouth soon enough.
As usual, Cora's sweet smile evaporated as
she saw the hand reach toward her. She must have
thought to herself: "I was in the mood for something
more meaty, but if fingers are all they are serving
here..."
Fortunately, Denise intercepted Cora in
mid-lunge. The veterinarian still has his knuckles
but none of them have any hair on them anymore.
"Whoa!" shouted the man. "That was lucky!"
I was left to ruminate as to whether having
gross disregard for caution go unpunished constituted
"luck". After finally putting a muzzle on the dog
the vet conducted his somewhat invasive examination.
Cora seemed to appreciate none of this attention.
When it was over we moved out to the reception area.
Once there, we removed the muzzle and paid our bill.
Before we left, though, Cora tried to insist that she
had some "unfinished business" back in the examination
room. We thought it best to drag her outside instead.
No doubt, once unmuzzled she just wanted to
"thank" the vet for the attention that she'd received.
================================================================\
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to Pringle for these giggles:
GREAT FUN PUNS!
I fired my masseuse today. She just rubbed me the wrong way!
A pessimist's blood type is always B-negative.
"Incontinence Hotline...Can you hold, please?"
Dijon vu: The same mustard as before.
Energizer Bunny arrested - Charged with battery!
Shotgun wedding: A case of wife or death.
Did you hear about the dyslexic devil worshipper? He sold his
soul to Santa!
Is a book on voyeurism a peeping tome?
Corduroy pillows are making headlines!
Condoms should be used on every conceivable occasion.
Reading while sunbathing makes you well-red!
A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your
mother.
A hangover is the wrath of grapes.
What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches? A nervous
wreck!
Without geometry, life is pointless.
And remember... A good pun is its own reword!
============================================================
MOOGAL'S FIRESIDE LOG
=====================
OKB Tourneys
Well done to all our Fireside friends who excelled in
the tourneys this past month!!
Mon Aug 9 12:30 PM
Rank Team Score
1 Kaltica/moogal 67.22
Sun Aug 15 11:00 AM
Rank Team Score
1 Kaltica/ulrika 69.61
Tue Aug 17 05:30 PM
Rank Team Score
1 Caitlin/fredw3 3.13
Thu Aug 26 12:30 PM
Rank Team Score
81 Kaltica/moogal -4.08
Drat, how did that get in here?:)
Mon Aug 30 09:00 AM
Rank Team Score
1 jin/Kaltica 69.03
And congrats to our Flight B/C placers:
KNYEE, TODD, ELGRINGO, ASK1, BIRDIE, DESIREE, ARROW, CLAIRE,
POTTS
We encourage you to change your flight to B or C so that you
are competing on an appropriate level -- you can do this on
the OKB website home page. Look for "Change my flight" in the
box where you icon appears. This is OKB's way of letting
everyone have a chance to get some pond points. And, as more
and more of you change your flights, the flighted results will
be more realistic. And, remember, if you do place in the
overalls, you are still eligible for the higher awards!
I know I must have missed a few of your names here. I can't
check every result -- believe it or not I do have a day job :))
Please email me and let me know about your good results.
We want everyone's name up here in lights!
**********************************************************
NOVICE MENTOR TOURNEYS
Congrats to our winners of the Novice-Mentor tourney this
month.
And well done to all our top finishers:
Rank Team Score
1 bobowen/queenhrt 67.92
2 artie2t/cin 60.42
3 andyh/neilnz 60.42
4 paige_R/Shade 57.92
5 albck/gosi/TournNov 53.64
Be sure to show up on the second Thursday each month (Sept 9th
this month) for your chance to play in this fun, easy-going
session of an OKB mini. You may be encouraged to try the daily
ones!
**********************************************************
FIRESIDE'S MENTOR CUP GAME
Our August winners are:
08-15-2004 Team BOBOWEN: Bobowen, Queenhrt, Pringle & Unicorn
71 VPs
08-29-2004 Team PETER_5: Peter_5, PKV, Todd & Skillick
71 VPs
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 us at firesider@aol.com
- all welcome!
**********************************************************
It is with great delight that I can report that the ANGELFISH
award for September goes to our very own (and nice to be able
to say that!) Lynn Deas (WISHTRIK). Here's what Tuna has to
say in the September Spectator:
Who says World Class bridge players are cold and aloof? We
are lucky at OKbridge to be able to get to know many of these
great players and find out just how warm and giving they
really are. This month we want to honor one of the nicest and
most giving players we've met so far.
Lynn Deas (WISHTRIK), of Schenectady, New York, one of the top
women players in the world, is a dedicated commentator at
Fireside Bidding Practice. Despite options to spend her time
in more lucrative ways, her dedication to the OKbridge novices
who attend is always evident. Her health problems can keep her
out of action for long stretches, but she has been known to
leave the hospital and head straight to her computer to do her
Fireside session.
Lynn has mentioned how much it means to her to be able to give
back to the bridge community, and the folks at Fireside are
grateful recipients of her vast knowledge and love for the
game. With her fighting spirit and her passion for teaching,
she truly is an inspiring ambassador for bridge, and a great
example of OKbridge "family."
Congrats, Lynn, from all of us at Fireside. We all know how
very much you deserve this.
And congrats to Sara (BELIEVER), a past Angelfish herself,
who was nominated again this month!
**********************************************************
John R. Mayne (JRM) has announced his retirement as Ethics
Director of OKbridge. During his 4 year tenure, he and Tuna
were instrumental in cleaning house of some of the worst
offenders on OKB, closing 150-200 accounts. As a frequent
tourney player, I can attest to the difference in attitude
pre- and post-....not having to arrive at a table, eye the
opponents, and know we were in for a bottom (Well I still do
that, but now it is due to their being better bridge
players!).
We wish John well, as he must attend to his own career away
from OKB. All the best to you, John!
************************************************************
Congrats to Judith (JUNDITH) who recently attained the rank of
Life Master, and had her achievement noted in the ACBL Bridge
Bulletin! We're proud of you, Judy!
***********************************************************
Think you had a bad week? Listen to the one that Olivia
(BAOL) had:
Monday morning I awoke to find puddles of water on my kitchen
floor. I had left the water running overnight and it backed up
into the dishwasher and since the washer wasn't turned on it
did not force the water out. It is Okay now and the carpet
dried without leaving any marks. It was clean water
thankfully.
Tuesday I misplaced my diamond ring and a hearing aid. I knew
they were in the house but I hunted for about 36 hours before
I tried in desperation to shake out the bathroom rug--and
there they were --just as good as new.
Wednesday I called the gas company who had installed a new
furnace the week before, including a new thermostat. I
couldn't turn the air conditioning off. They came promptly.
The service man fixed it but in the process discovered there
was a gas leak outside my house. So those guys came. They
didn't finish until Thursday morning--and so that problem is
fixed now.
But in the meantime, I tried to dry some wash and the dryer
wouldn't heat. So I called a service man and he discovered
that the gas was still turned off--and so, of course, the gas
dryer wouldn't heat. So that problem was solved. (The
appliance repair man who came did not charge me anything.)
Meanwhile I have been having intermittent problems with
dropping off the internet. Verizon finally sent a technician
to the house. He worked about 3 hours before he discovered
that there was a booster coil installed on my line at the
telephone pole. So he climbed the pole and now claims I no
longer have a problem.
I guess the only fitting remark is, "All's well that ends
well."
P.S. Add to it that this morning when I wanted to go to the
hairdresser my car wouldn't start. I had left the dome light
on. Never did that before. Otherwise today was uneventful.:)
Well, Olivia, things have to go up from here! Good luck!:)
***********************************************************
It's been a while since we had a story from our travel maven,
Gail (GAIL37) -- here's her most recent adventure:
Guess I'd better let y'all know about my New York experience.
After a lot of emails flying back and forth, it was decided
that on Wednesday, July 14 Judy (JUNDITH) and I would play
afternoon and evening. And Bob (HAWES) and I would play on
Friday evening and 2 sessions on Saturday. Friday afternoon
Mindy (MINDY) and I would play.
Wednesday, things went ok...not wonderful, we didn't place at
all, but Judy and I had a nice game and it was fun seeing her
again, and meeting some of her friends. During play, we saw
Max (MVAIGHT) and Bernard (BLUEBEE) and of course had to stop
and have hugs and greetings all around. Max was playing with
his regular pard, Eric, from Toronto and Bernard was
kibitzing. At the next break, Bernard had a gift for his
"long suffering TM", a box of wonderful chocolates from
Harrods in London. OOOPS....there went my diet!
Plans were made to meet the next day, before their team game
started. It was Laura (LBROWN) and Bernard, and Max and Eric.
I had no plans to play so I kibitzed during the afternoon
session, and went with them to dinner. That evening I met
another online friend (not an OKb friend) for drinks and
noshes. She is a cutie and we had a great time.
Also met RCOOP, played against her in one of our sessions...
think it was Thurs, when I played w/ Jundith. Nice lady!
So fun to meet folks!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch (my daughter's house), Mindy is
trying to reach me by phone. There are messages flying back
and forth and we are playing serious phone tag for two days.
Finally we got it together and the plan was for Mindy to take
the train from Port Jefferson...I'd get on at Huntington and
we'd meet on the train and ride into The City. It was a good
plan, and, will miracles never cease?, it WORKED! This was a
day of firsts for Mindy. This was the first time she'd been
on a train since her severe accident several years ago. She
has always been afraid of the gap between the platform and the
train. But for me, she did it! It was the first time she had
played face to face bridge, and her first tourney! We didn't
do well at all, but we had fun, and it was good to see Mindy
again.
No time between sessions to eat, Hawes and I met up at the
break, quickly got a CC together and sat down to play. Here
we managed to just place, and picked up a few points. After
the session, Bob and his lovely wife, Rhonda, went one way and
I another trying to find Judy as I was going to share a room
with her and her friends that night. Well, she wasn't in the
playing room cause her session had ended. So I figured I'd
check the bar. Didn't find Judy, but I did find Bluebee who
was having a drink with Richie and Raija (POMO and RAIJA) and
Tubby Stayman, who I'd met at another tourney, Phoenix, I
think. So I sat down, giggled and tee-hee'd for a bit, when
Judy found me! She'd found Bob and Rhonda first, and dragged
them with her.
The next day, Bob & I played the morning session, and the
afternoon session. We didn't do well, darn it all, but was
nice to see him and meet Rhonda. And that was the extent of
my NABC's. I got an earlier train back to Long Island than I
had all week, and was "home" by 9:30 pm.
A couple of weeks later, I was driving to Massachusetts for my
50'th High School reunion and I stopped in Fairfield, CT to
have lunch with Judy and see her tree (look at Judith's OKb
pic). I always told her if I was ever in the area, I wanted
to see it. Of course her pic was taken in the winter and in
early August the Sassafras tree is in full leaf so it doesn't
have that character of the picture. Then I went on to the
Hawes house. We went out to dinner...I've owed Bob dinner
since Boston and that's how many years ago?...a long time
anyhow. Had a great meal at a Chinese Buffet. The variety
was wonderful and the food was really good! Then we went back
to their house and they showed me some of their wonderful card
collection. Truly amazing! Cards from the mid-1800's that
originally were a give-away in tobacco packages, one per
package. Cards from France, England and Russia. They buy and
sell these cards and they are quite valuable. They were kind
enough to let me use their guest room for the night. Bob left
very early in the morning so I didn't see him, but Rhonda and
I had a great visit after he went to bed, and the next morning
before she had to leave for work.
The next time I'm in NY, we'll try to get together again. I
had so much fun with/ them. Great people!
Thanks Gail...where are you off to next?:)
**********************************************************
The Verdict in 48 Hours by Richard Pavlicek
Did you ever wonder what was the longest time ever taken by an
appeals committee for a bridge ruling? I didn't think so, but
the title offers a clue to the tournament in which these six
bidding problems occurred. But don't worry about that! Just
choose your call as South. Try it! It's fun.
http://www.rpbridge.net/8w01.htm
Results of the August contest "The Modern Hexathlon" will be
posted September 3 at 21:00 GMT. For these, and everything
else related to the polls and contests, go to:
http://www.rpbridge.net/rppc.htm
Along with the contest info last month, Richard had a sad tale
to tell....when he returned from the New York NABC, he
discovered thieves had broken into his house and taken most
everything of value...including his computers. He was busy
trying to put his life back in order...and recovering as many
files as possible from his laptop. Along with this month's
email, he included this P.S.:
"With all bad, there is some good... just finished setting up
two new computers (3.4 GHz, almost top of the line), so it's
beginning to feel more normal around here. I also made a wise
decision some years ago to let my bridge trophies be on
display (mainly 3 Vanderbilt cups worth about $3500 each) at
another location, and to think I was worried that that
location might be robbed!"
We're very glad you still have your trophies, Richard!
***********************************************************
Moyesian Slam? How about a 4-2 fit?
Last month, I printed a fun hand from Richard's web site
detailing a Moyesian slam. That prompted the following story
from Dick (RHenry) who did him one better:
A candidate for "Misunderstanding of the Month":
Playing on BBO, with a partner whose main fault is not
understanding what partner will think his bidding means, we
held:
HIM
---
AQx
AK
AKTxxx
AQ
ME
--
xx
QJxx
Qxx
Kxxx
HIM ME
2C 2H(1)
4NT(2) 5C(3)
5NT(4) 6C(5)
6D(6) 6H(7)
Pass(8)
1. Positive and at least 4 hearts. (I would not have done
it without the heart Jack, really!)
2. Regular Blackwood, which I took to be RKC in hearts (last
bid suit).
3. 0 or 3 key cards.
4. Asking for number of Kings, which I took to be asking for
specific Kings.
5. King of clubs, which he took to be no Kings.
6. To play, which I took as asking for the spade King.
7. Signing off at 6H.
8. Ok, pard, I'll play in your long suit.
The opening lead was a spade. I pulled trumps in 4 rounds,
pitching Dummy's two spade losers and claimed 7.
Thanks for sending that in, Dick!
P. S. It really gives a boost and keeps us going month after
month, when we receive something that shows that someone is
actually reading what we wrote. So feel free to send any of
us your comments, anecdotes, questions, anything relevant (or
not!). And we never print anything without your permission!
***********************************************************
Vacations all over....kids back to school....hope you are
easing back into the fall routine! "Shana Tova", a happy new
year, to our friends who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kipur this month -- we wish you an easy fast!
Hugs....Janice
*************************************************************
While we list the lessons offered by the commentators who
write for The Chat, we want to note that some of our other
commentators and newsletter contributors 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
Patricia/Fifee andersonscorner@atlanticbb.net
Nightowl/Jack trojanowl@aol.com
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
choose private lessons, and they really value your
business. Maybe you can hint to a loved one what
you would like for your next birthday!
***********************************************************
Rainbow and Spectrum Series Online!
The popular Rainbow (SAYC and play) and Spectrum (2/1-GF)
series have been automated for your convenience. You can take
any of the lessons at your leisure simply by clicking on
either of these links:
http://www.firesides.net/rainbows.htm
http://www.firesides.net/spectrums.htm
Enjoy!
**************************************************************
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 with PAYPAL! 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.
*****************************************************
September Events: (All times Pacific)
===============================
NOVICE/MENTOR TOURNEY:
Thursday, September 9, at 6:00 PM, OKb time. 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. September 26. (Only one
game this month as Moogal will be away one weekend,
and Labor Day is another.)
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 firesider@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@bellsouth.net
=====================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to Benson for these:
ONE LINERS!!
"The worst thing about him is that, when he is not drunk, he's
sober." - W. B. Yeats
"If advertising encourages people to live beyond their means,
so does matrimony." - Bruce Barton
"There's one way to find out if a man is honest: ask him; if
he says yes, you know he is crooked." - Groucho Marx
"When you are down and out, something always turns up -- and
it is usually the noses of your friends." - Orson Welles
"I wish there was a knob on the TV to turn up the
intelligence. There's a knob called brightness, but it doesn't
work." - Eugene P. Gallagher
"If love is the answer, could you please rephrase the
question?" -Lily Tomlin
"When you sit with a nice girl for two hours you think it's
only a minute. But when you sit on a hot stove for a minute
you think it's two hours. That's relativity." -Albert Einstein
"The best work in the world is done by people whose bosses
don't know what they're doing." -Anonymous
"Conway's Law" In any organization there is one person who
knows what is going on. That person must be fired.
"I have an inferiority complex, It's just not a very good
one."
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a
dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx
"Time flies like an arrow, and fruit flies like a banana." -
Groucho Marx.
"Iron Law of Distribution" Them that has, gets.
========================================================
TREBLE'S TABLE TALK
===================
Evaluation Time
In the course of our bridge development, we'll expand our
bidding vocabulary by adding several new conventions over a
period of time. Most players tend to go overboard in the
amount of new stuff they decide to play, but there's nothing
wrong with that. You can always shed the excess baggage if
some of your toys prove to be ineffectual. However, there are
six basic issues which have two or more alternate treatments.
The debate will rage eternally on which is the best way, and a
solid partnership requires both individuals being on the same
page on these kinds of auctions. So here they are, in no
particular order:
1) Major Suit Single Raises. This won't be an issue in SAYC,
as the point range will always be 6 to a bad 10 in those
methods. In 2/1, however, some partnerships go with
constructive raises, where the direct two-level support will
be 8-10. Meanwhile, the 6-7 point raises are handled with a
forcing 1NT response followed by two of opener's major.
However, many partnerships will retain the 6 to a bad 10
parameters for a single raise, so that a forcing 1NT response
will explicitly DENY support if responder takes a minimum
preference on the next turn. In this method, responder could
still have support if he JUMPs in opener's suit on hir rebid.
Let's survey two auctions to see the pluses and minuses of
constructive raises.
1S 2S 1S 1NT
2any 2S
In the first auction, the constructive raisers will have the
best of it since opener will be able to safely try for game
with a good 15 to 17 HCP. Opposite the 6-10 point raise,
trying for game with 15 or 16 points could easily lead to a
minus if partner has a dog for the single raise.
In the second auction, the constructive raisers will be at a
disadvantage since responder could have 6-7 with three-card
support or 6-9 with a two-card preference. A game try will
probably be safe opposite 6-7 with support or 8-9 without
support, but comes to grief if partner has a minimum hand
without support.
Moreover, there is a dilemma if the opponents balance, we have
to make a choice whether to sally forth, and the answer is
going to depend on whether partner has support. The 6-10 point
raisers have an easier time since the second auction denies
support so that opener will know whether to try for game and
also whether to compete further if the opponents balance.
When I first learned about constructive raises, I was quite
enamored with them and used them in a 2/1 framework. As time
has passed, I have almost come full circle back to the point
where I believe it's best to show support immediately. Now I
have a fair degree of skepticism about constructive raises. Of
course, with 6-10 point raises, that now affects how to
structure our game tries, but we'll take up that matter at
another time and place.
2) Style of Weak Two Bids. There are now three and maybe four
distinctive styles of weak bids.
a) Classical weak two-bids in first and second seat, a six-
card suit headed by two of the top three honors. We have, for
example:
S-AQ10xxx H-xx D-Qxx C-xx
b) Similar to a) but could be shaded with respect to suit
quality and/or loser count. We might have:
S-KJ10xxx H-xx D-Kxx C-xx, or
S-AQ10xxx H-xx D-10xx C-Jx
c) Weak-two's focus merely on point-count, and require only
5-10 points and a six-card suit. It's permissible to have one
or even two high cards outside the long suit, which would be
anathema to the classicists. For example, in this style we
could open 2S on either:
S-AJxxxx H-Jx D-Kxx C-xx, or
S-J10xxxx H-Ax D-Kxx C-xx
d) Finally, some partnerships will open weak two-bids with a
decent five-card suit in addition to the hands that include a
six-card or longer suit.
I was for a long time a firm adherent of style a), but over
the years I've seen the upside of pre-empting more often, and
will now open a weak two-bids with the hands in b) and even
the first hand in c). However, I haven't loosened up to the
extent that I will open a two-bid with a five-card suit in
first or second seat, OR with two outside defensive tricks. I
want partner to be well-placed to make a decision whether or
not to sacrifice if the opponents bid game, and that is just
not possible if you open a weak two-bid with a five-card suit
or the second hand in c).
3) Up-the-line or not? Another theoretical question that has
experienced a good deal of flux is whether to respond 1D or
show a major suit immediately when partner opens 1C. The
habitual up-the- liners, as epitomized by Colin "Kaltica"
Ward, will bid 1D as responder with 4+ diamonds and a four-
card major. Others will respond a major suit with less than
opening values, and will only bypass a major to respond 1D if
hi has 13+ HCP, and was always going to force to game. My
own preference is a hybrid between the two styles. I'll
respond 1D with a major suit if I have a game-forcing hand or
a very poor hand in the 6-7 point range. I'll bid a major
instead if I have 8-11 points. That way, I'm sure of a plus if
partner raises my suit to whatever level and shouldn't have
many problems if he rebids in a new suit or notrump. With 13+
points, I can bid my hand naturally, and with 6-7, I want to
be able to pass a major suit rebid by partner. So if partner
opens 1C, we have these three hands:
a) S-Jxx H-Qxxx D-Kxxx C-xx
I'd respond 1D here, intending to pass 1H or 1S by opener.
b) S-Kxx H-AQxx D-10xxx C-xx
Here I'd bid 1H, as I know what to do if partner raises my
suit and no other rebid by opener is going to pose a serious
problem for me.
c) S-Ax H-KJxx D-AJxxx C-xx
Here, with enough values to insist on game, I bid naturally,
starting with a 1D response.
Anyway, next month we'll continue this line of thought with
three other fairly common situations that still are a point of
contention amongst the theorists. We'll see you then!
********************
You will find Bill doing his FireSide sessions on Tuesdays
at 5:30 P.M. OKbridge time.
Bill is available for private/group lessons and/or
supervised play sessions. Email Bill at (btreble@shaw.ca)
for more information.
================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to PamA for these giggles:
WILL THE REAL DUMMY PLEASE STAND UP? AT&T fired President John
Walter after nine months, saying he lacked intellectual
leadership. He received a $26 million severance package.
Perhaps it's not Walter who's lacking intelligence.
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS: Police in Oakland,
California spent two hours attempting to subdue a gunman who
had barricaded himself inside his home. After firing ten tear
gas canisters, officers discovered that the man was standing
beside them in the police line, shouting, "Please come out and
give yourself up."
WHAT WAS PLAN B??? An Illinois man, pretending to have a gun,
kidnapped a motorist and forced him to drive to two different
automated teller machines, wherein the kidnapper proceeded to
withdraw money from his own bank accounts.
THE GETAWAY! A man walked into a Topeka, Kansas Kwik Stop, and
asked for all the money in the cash drawer. Apparently, the
take was too small, so he tied up the store clerk and worked
the counter himself for three hours until police showed up and
grabbed him.
DID I SAY THAT??? Police in Los Angeles had good luck with a
robbery suspect who just couldn't control himself during a
lineup. When detectives asked each man in the lineup to repeat
the words: "Give me all your money or I'll shoot," the man
shouted, "That's not what I said!"
ARE WE COMMUNICATING?? A man spoke frantically into the phone,
"My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes
apart!" "Is this her first child?" the doctor asked. "No!" the
man shouted, "This is her husband!"
NOT THE SHARPEST TOOL IN THE SHED!! In Modesto, California,
Steven Richard King was arrested for trying to hold up a Bank
of America branch without a weapon. King used a thumb and a
finger to simulate a gun, but unfortunately, he failed to keep
his hand in his pocket. (Hellllllooooooo!)
THE GRAND FINALE (I love this one!!!) Last summer, down on
Lake Isabella, located in the high desert, an hour east of
Bakersfield, California, some folks, new to boating, were
having a problem. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't
get their brand new 22 ft boat going. It was very sluggish in
almost every maneuver, no matter how much power was applied.
After about an hour of trying to make it go, they putted to a
nearby marina, thinking someone there could tell them what was
wrong. A thorough topside check revealed everything in perfect
working condition. The engine ran fine, the out drive went up
and down, and the prop was the correct size and pitch. So, one
of the marina guys jumped in the water to check underneath. He
came up choking on water, he was laughing so hard. NOW
REMEMBER... THIS IS TRUE ... Under the boat, still strapped
securely in place, was the trailer.
===================================================
AND FINALLY KALTICA
===================
Play Small Towards Big
**********************
A popular trick riddle question is: "Which is heavier?
A pound of feathers or a pound of lead?"
The most fundamental rule of bridge is to play a small
card toward a big one. This guideline is so elementary that
other basics such as "second hand low" and "third hand high"
are actually nothing more than aspects of it. Rainbowers
are familiar with the example of someone leading a 2, dummy
playing a 3, as leader's partner proffers the King so as to
force the Ace. 2, 3, King, Ace. Thus, BOTH sides are playing
small towards big! The defence has played a deuce to the King,
Declarer a trey to hir own Ace. This is why we say "PLAY small
toward big" rather than "LEAD small toward big"; the advice
pertains whether we or our opponents have led to the trick.
Another example is equally familiar: K4 opposite 32.
If we end up having to play from our K4 we will rarely take
a trick, but if we lead small toward our big card (i.e. our
King) we will take a trick whenever RHO has the Ace--a full
50% of the time. Quite an improvement in our chances!
Every rule has its exceptions. The most common is
when we have a doubleton face card on dummy opposite a
strength in our own hand as the opponents lead this suit.
Dummy: C-Q2
Opening Leader: C-6
Declarer: C-A43
As Declarer's LHO leads a "4th best" Club we can see
that the Queen is going to fall on the second round anyway,
so we might as well rise with the Queen and hope it holds.
But if we improve Declarer's holding with a good
spot card we will revert to our normal tendency of playing
"second hand low":
Dummy: C-Q2
Opening Leader: C-6
Declarer: C-A103
Now we can GUARANTEE ourselves two NATURAL tricks
in this suit by playing "second hand low". Even if our
RHO is able to insert the C-Jack our C-103 and C-Queen
will take a natural trick after forcing out the C-King.
Here is a tougher case:
Dummy: C-J42
Opening Leader: C-6
Declarer: C-AK93
When Declarer's LHO leads this suit should we
fly with the Jack or play small? Viewed in isolation,
this is the same as C-A10x opposite C-Qx. We play small.
With AK93 opposite C-42, even if RHO's C-10 forces our
C-King we can play the C-3 to force out the C-Queen and
score 3 easy Club tricks.
But wait! What if we cannot afford to lose a Club
trick?
Dummy: S-AK6 H-K86 D-AK54 C-J42
Opening Leader: C-6
Declarer: S-Q5 H-AQ3 D-9832 C-AK93
In 6NT, if Diamonds are 3-2 we have 3 tricks in all
of the other suits, so we need 3 Club tricks. But with
a sure Diamond loser to concede before we get our third
trick there, we cannot afford to lose a Club trick.
So...should we fly with the Jack or play small from
dummy? Or is it just a 50-50 guess?
Don't answer this question too quickly!
At first blush, it would appear to be a 50% guess
either way--and it is IN THIS SUIT. Our RHO could, after
all, have either the C-10 or the C-Queen. Even so, one
play is preferred over the other. Can you guess which?
Here is a sample layout:
S-AK6
H-K86
D-AK54
C-J42
S-J98 S-107432
H-1072 H-J954
D-Q107 D-J6
C-Q876 C-105
S-Q5
H-AQ3
D-9832
C-AK93
After the C-10 forces our C-Ace we cash three
tricks in each major and then D-AK and another. West
is on lead with the D-Queen and is endplayed.
Similarly, if we rose with the C-Jack and East
covered with C-Q5 we might recover in the same way
(i.e. by endplaying West to lead from the C-10876).
Thus, in terms of percentage of success the two
choices would seem to be exactly equal.
However, against a slam opponents rarely lead
from honour cards. They tend to look for PASSIVE
leads. Hence, East (RHO) is more likely to hold
C-Queen than opening leader. Thus, SMALL from
dummy is best.
"Second hand low" is a good habit to develop.
Practice it so that it becomes automatic in any
close decision.
Now back to our original question: "Which is
heavier? A pound of feathers or a pound of lead?"
Lead, being an element, is measured by the Troy
(named after Troyes, France, where it was first used)
scientific system of measurements, with 12 ounces per
pound. Feathers are measured by the more common
Avoirdupois system, with 16 ounces per pound.
Thus, a pound of feathers is heavier.
Things are not always as equal as they seem. :)
**********************
You'll find Kaltica (Colin Ward) doing his FireSide
sessions on Friday evenings at 5:30 P.M. OKbridge time.
Colin is available for private/group lessons and/or
supervised play sessions. Email him at (kaltica@mts.net)
for more information.
Rainbow and Spectrum Series Online!
The popular Rainbow (SAYC and play) and Spectrum (2/1-GF)
series have been automated for your convenience. You can take
any of the lessons at your leisure simply by clicking on
either of these links:
http://www.firesides.net/rainbows.htm
http://www.firesides.net/spectrums.htm
Enjoy!
=====================================================
GIGGLE BREAK
Thanks to BobW for this giggle:
REAL NOTES TO THE MILKMAN
"Dear Milkman, I've just had a baby, please leave another
one."
"Please leave an extra pint of paralyzed milk."
"Please don't leave any more milk. All they do is drink it."
"Milkman, please close the gate behind you because the birds
keep pecking the tops off the milk."
"Sorry not to have paid your bill before, but my wife had a
baby, and I've been carrying it around in my pocket for
weeks."
"Sorry about yesterday's note. I didn't mean one egg and a
dozen pints, but the other way 'round."
"When you leave my milk, knock on my bedroom window and wake
me because I want you to give me a hand to turn the mattress."
"Please knock. My TV's broken down, and I missed last night's
SOPRANOS. If you saw it, will you tell me what happened?"
"My daughter says she wants a milkshake. Do you do it before
you deliver, or do I have to shake the bottle?"
"Please send me a form for cheap milk, for I have a baby two
months old and did not know about it until a neighbor told
me."
"Milk is needed for the baby. Father is unable to supply it."
"From now on please leave two pints every other day and one
pint on the days in between, except Wednesdays and Saturdays
when I don't want any milk."
"My back door is open. Please put milk in 'fridge, get money
out of cup in drawer and leave change on kitchen table,
because we want to play bingo tonight."
"Please leave no milk today. When I say today, I mean
tomorrow, for I wrote this note yesterday...or is it today ?"
"When you come with the milk please put the coal on the
boiler, let dog out, and put newspaper inside the screen door.
P.S. Don't leave any milk."
"No milk. Please do not leave milk at No. 14 either as he is
dead until further notice."
=============================================================
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