Instant Matchpoint Competitive Auctions
In general the practices of the average player are lacking in the efficient use of a competitive double. It is rare to find a partner who can perform this amazing feat. As a result such players...
View ArticleA Best Laid Plan
The following problem was suggested by mystery man Jim Priebe who in a team game defended a slam in which both declarers went down. The problem involves a fundamental probability calculation after a...
View ArticleSpecificity and Probability
Normal English conversation tends more towards vagueness than specificity. ‘What exactly do you mean by that?’ is considered an impolite challenge to the speaker. The requirements of mathematics demand...
View ArticlePass or Bid?
It is generally acknowledged that the side that opens the bidding gains an advantage. That attitude has spread to the side that faces a light opening bid – it is better to get into the auction early...
View ArticleHighly Defective Bids and Plays
Frank Stewart is a respected bridge columnist whose work appears regularly in the ACBL Bulletin. In the Dec 2012 issue Frank turns angrily upon a fellow contributor who had the audacity to describe as...
View ArticleHooray for Matchpoints
In the Dec issue of the ACBL Bulletin a letter writer, Bob Chambers, took exception to the statement by Joel Wooldridge that ‘matchpoint scoring is not real bridge.’ Bob pointed out the many technical...
View ArticleMixing It Up
Getting into the bidding with a weak hand can cause confusion, and if you can get partner involved, so much the better, confusion-wise. Some believe that distribution is everything, so they will enter...
View ArticleToo Scientific?
Bidding to a contract is a process. At each step more information is made available. At each turn one may ask, ‘do I have enough information to place the contract with confidence?’ If the answer is...
View ArticleMatchpoints and Democracy
The matchpoint game is the most democratic form of bridge. Like it or not one finds oneself thrust into a mix of humanity of various abilities and mistaken beliefs. It is reminiscent of the week I...
View ArticleRestricted Choice: What Lies Behind It
This blog is in response to Linda Lee’s post Do you “believe” in Restricted Choice? Bayes’ Theorem always applies where play probabilities are involved. Restricted Choice as generally understood is...
View ArticleThe Great Two-over-One Debate
In the May ACBL Bulletin readers were given arguments for and against the concept of 2/1 forcing to game. Larry Cohen approved of 2/1, Fred Stewart didn’t, suggesting Standard American is better....
View ArticleLow Level Doubles in a High Level Match
In the 2013 USBF Trials the young and vigorous Kranyak team came out triumphant. One of the features of their style which sets them apart from the older players is their penchant for doubling part...
View ArticleThe Pendulum Swings
In the USBF Final the Kranyak team of 4 young players came out victorious against the Fleisher team of 6 seasoned veterans. When I first played a team game, an experienced teammate advised, ‘bid your...
View ArticleDisclosure and Uncertainty
There is no escaping death and taxes, however, death is pretty well a cut and dried affair, whereas tax laws are subject to interpretation. Recently when I discussed estate planning my lawyer...
View ArticleInference after a Weak Two
In the USBF Women’s Final the Baker team lost a close match to Sonsini partly due to their losses on boards in which the opening bid was a weak 2. As originally conceived by Howard Schenken the weak 2...
View ArticleThe USBF Women’s Final
We have to thank the USBF for providing fans with the double dummy results for the hands played in their tournaments. Of course, we have been warned not to judge an expert’s particular play on the...
View ArticleThreeee Nooo Trump!
While watching the 2013 Spingold Finals, I was reminded of the dearly departed Simon Marinker, one of my favourite Precision partners, who became famous locally for his frequent calls of ‘Threee Nooo...
View ArticleRestricted Revisited
What is the principle of restricted choice? How should we apply it? There are two questions to be answered. The first question deals in generalities, the second with specifics. The Principle arises...
View ArticleGrand Slam Percentages
I have heard that the world championships at Bali were an outstanding success. All the better, as it was a long time coming to this enchanting location. It has been said in the past of world...
View ArticleMinor Suit Slams at Matchpoints
A local Grand Master examined the scores and shook his head sadly after my partner and I bid a cold 6♣ against him. ‘People just don’t bid minor suit slams anymore’, he moaned. Yes, it was an unfair...
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