The return trip from a long bridge tournament is always sad. At NABCs (and most mid-Atlantic regionals) I can't keep still and rest. It's ten days of non-stop social activity and mental stimulation. Tomorrow resumes a much more mundane life but I still have a lot going on in August including 2 bridge tournaments and a tennis tournament.
Personal totals for the tournament:
26 sessions of bridge, including 8 midnight games
208 deals in matchpoint games
336 deals in imp scoring
32 masterpoints won (3 platinum, 22 gold, 7 red)
3 different partners (6 deals each with Josh and Shaz, the rest with Sean)
34 alcoholic drinks
5 visits to Chipotle
4 meals of Indian food
We managed 2nd place four times (in a bracketed KO and 3 midnight games) but did not win anything so did not come back with any of the maple syrup section top prizes.
A wise top-notch bridge player (jlall) has said that in matchpoints when the auction goes 2NT-P-P, you should double. When the opponents have 20hcp opposite a near yarborough, they go down much more often then they make because of having to lead from hand so often. In side games on the last day, I got a chance to try this theory out twice. Both times dummy hit with a nice 4-count and we wound up giving up an extra overtrick in desperation, scoring -1090 and -690. Maybe next time we'll get +800.
We now have at least one more person on board the Swedish Canape train. Yay.
Sent from my iPhone
I have heard a probably-apocryphal story about 2NT-P-P-X in a couple different places. Supposedly an expert at some club said the same thing as your wise top-notch bridge player, in earshot of several other players, so the next time one of them heard her partner open 2NT with the expert on her left, she passed with a good 8-count...
ReplyDeleteIf enough players start adopting that strategy, it'll become good practice to pass with a 10-count.
ReplyDeleteSoon everyone will be on board dre. After all it is just natural bridge.
ReplyDeleteExcuse me but why would any rational person entertain such a notion? To me this is just ill conceived. Look: 2NT = 20 to 21 HCP This announces possession of half the deck's high card points. And even more, defenders must now lead into this high card strength--not a good thing, sacrificing their scarce high-card strength without necessarily promoting any particular high card strength. You may get luck but the odds are against you do so.
ReplyDeleteyou didn't mention that Stephen was you partner for at least one match.
ReplyDeleteTo counteract people passing with 10 counts, what if instead of always doubling you adopted the following agreement: We always double 2NT in the pass-out seat when we hold either black 10. This will happen about 44% of the time (maybe less if openers tend to upgrade holding 10's). This counteracts the opponents strategy of passing if they know we do this since they can't be sure if we will double. Similar to balancing your range (or leveling) in poker. Would an agreement like this be legal?
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