Game Tries

I was reviewing my system notes for what I play with Elwood, and it occurred to me I hadn't mentioned game tries.

These days, it seems like the “default” game try is what is known as a help-suit try. I have to say I have been distinctly unimpressed by this concept, and generally just don't understand them. When I was learning to play, 40-odd years ago, people used long-suit tries or short-suit tries. In either case, you weren't asking for help: you were describing your distribution, and hoping that the additional information assisted partner in re-evaluating his hand. Help-suit tries seem to me to fail to convey any useful information, and how Responder is supposed to judge what is “help” seems (at best) murky.

With that little rant out of the way, I can confess that I do play some game tries with Elwood, but it's a scheme he produced which he calls modified Kokish game tries. To the cognoscenti, that should ring alarm bells, because as well-known a theorist as Kokish is, he is also well-known for producing some of the most complicated schemes you'll find anywhere. (If you don't believe me, check out his “simple” defence to the Multi – it runs about ten dense pages!) But what Elwood put forward is not too bad.

The cunning ploy at the heart of the scheme is that (after a major-suit opening and simple raise) the next step bid is a relay asking Responder to name the cheapest suit in which he would have accepted a help-suit game try. If Responder retreats to 3M (declining all tries) or jumps to 4M (accepting all tries), Opener's hand remains concealed. This also leaves other bids free: there is room for short-suit tries, and also to mention a 4-card holding in the other major (to suggest an alternative trump suit).

The scheme is:

1S-2S,

2NT* asking bid for help-suit tries

3C*/3D* short-suit tries

3H natural, 4 hearts

3S* short-suit try in hearts

1H-2H,

2S* asking bid for help-suit tries

2NT* shows 4 spades

3C*/3D* short-suit tries

3H* short-suit try in spades

I don't know if this arrangement would meet Kokish's approval (I don't actually know what his scheme is), but I like that it seems to be pretty comprehensive.

These bids are off over interference, but Responder being a passed hand isn't a problem. They are also in play after Drury, for example after pass-1S; 2C-2D; 2S-?

Little Old Ladies

There has been a thread in the letters to the ACBL Bulletin (their monthly magazine) about the origin of the term LOL (Little Old Lady) for an opponent. Various people have mentioned hearing the term as far back as the sixties. I finally felt I had to write to the editor, because I'm pretty sure the term originated in England. I can't find any documentation now, but I remember reading that it originated with Richard Lederer back in the 1930s, when he was conducting post mortems with the likes of Skid Simon. If anyone can confirm this, I would be pleased to hear from them.

This strikes a chord because I have a client (just occasionally) who is the absolute epitome of the LOL. She is not too tall, ninety-something years old, with snowy white hair. And her bridge is pretty unique. A few years ago, she was a normal intermediate player, not very good, but fitting in well with the crowd. Now, well, she's starting to lose it, to be blunt. All artificial bids are now mysteries she can't grasp, and the play of the hand is weak (at best). This would probably be a significant problem in a lot of cases, but she gets by because she is also the sweetest, gentlest, just plain nicest person you will ever meet. Partners and opponents alike make huge allowances, because they don't want to upset her. Bidding without any artificial bids is hugely challenging, and basically unworkable for any sensible partnership. I mean, no Stayman, no transfers, no Blackwood, no strong 2C – nothing. I have largely given up opening 1NT, because she typically only has two possible replies – pass or 3NT (regardless of distribution). But once you get used to her style, you can occasionally get to a good contract. Some powers of visualization are required.

 

From past experience, I took the raise to 4H to be based on a pretty good hand with four trumps. Not really a hand worth such a raise, but pretty good, which was indeed accurate. (Of course, you have to get used to occasionally playing game with 17 opposite 6). Then it's a question of evaluating that East hand. It's only 12 points, but it's also only 5 losers. The club suit might be a source of tricks, or perhaps partner has a decent diamond suit. So I went for it, and was immediately terrified when the defence started with two rounds of clubs. But when the feared ruff didn't happen, I could draw trumps and claim, getting a pleased smile from the LOL.

Jump raises of my openings seem to be pretty strong.

 

The club raise seems to be about 11-15, as far as I can tell. I figured 3NT was automatic with my hand, but then the retreat to 4C took me aback. Usually, when I say 3NT, the auction finishes in about two seconds flat. (The LOL is well aware of her limitations, and can sometimes even get quite cunning with “prepared” bids – prepared for me to be declarer.) I figured she must have something unusual, so I bid 5C despite my club suit. The diamond opening lead did no harm, and I quickly wrapped up 12 tricks (ruffed three diamonds and led a spade towards the king). Surprisingly, that was a cold top. Several pairs went down, but I don't know what contract they reached. Quite possibly, North was able to intervene with 2D and scare people away from 3NT, and then declarers failed to handle a seven-card major suit fit.

Every once in a while, she will surprise you in a good way.

 

As he bid 3NT, North commented that they had been getting bottoms all night, so why not. I thought perhaps spades would be our best shot, assuming partner had a diamond trick or two (with little hope if she didn't stop the diamonds). I decided to lead the 8S, to make sure she put up the A or K if she had it. Well, that was a success in a surprising way. The LOL did indeed play the KS. Declarer should grab his nine tricks now, as five other declarers did. But ours ducked – and the LOL switched to a club. Oops. Down three.

This hand has no redeeming qualities, but I have to write it down because it's just so funny.

 

Declarer started with three aces in her hand, and finished with only two tricks. Awesome.

Eastern States

The Eastern States Regional is turning out as disastrously as I feared, for me. First, Agent 99 cancelled on me. We were supposed to play Thursday, and that was the only day she was available. Then I played a round-robin teams with Elwood on Friday, and that was hopeless. After the first four matches, we had a grand total of 3VPs – very discouraging. It was not just us. Elwood and I didn't produce any very good results, but our team-mates had a terrible day also. Between the four of us, we couldn't get anything right. I knew we were screwed after the first match. Not only was it a complete blitz – not even 1 IMP on our side of the sheet – but signs were there that things were wrong at both tables

.  

When you look at this layout double-dummy, it seems obvious that E-W is booked for a big score one way or another. 6S and 6D each have 14 winners, so whether they make 6 or 7 depends only on whether we take the HA at trick one. And if they choose to defend 5H, there are not only 4 top tricks in aces and kings, but also a couple of ruffs to make the butcher's bill 800. In practice, West started with the DAK, so I was able to draw trumps for -300. A good result? Lose 5 IMPs. Teammates also chose to defend (and misdefend) 5H, but neither one of them seemed to have a red card in the bidding box. And they actually felt OK in the post mortem – another bad sign.

Our one victory of the day was against the team that was (on paper) probably the best in the bracket, headlined by Uday Ivatury. For just one match, nobody did anything stupid, and we squeaked out a win by a couple of IMPs. Small comfort.

The next thing to go wrong was a call from Elwood this morning, cancelling our plans for the Goldman Pairs. Which is why I have time to write this post, but I would prefer to be playing. We'll go along tomorrow and see if we can find some teammates in the Goldman failed-to-qualify pool, or maybe try an A/X pairs. I'd like at least one decent result from something, so that the whole Regional doesn't feel like a waste of time.

Miscellaneous Misadventures

The Eastern States Regional is less than a week away. It is one of the two regionals played within the bounds of New York City, and therefore one of the highlights of my year. This year, Elwood and I will try our luck in the Goldman Pairs. This is the most prestigious pairs event in the New York calendar, taking place over two days with a two-session qualifier and a two-session final. When all is said and done, we remain a flight B pair, and can hardly hope to threaten the top pairs. Of some concern, then, is that for the past two or three weeks we have both been struggling, and in the routine club games where we used to consistently win, place or show, we have been struggling to break average. If we continue to perform like this in the Goldman, we will certainly not need to show up for the second day.

We raised a maximum barrage on this hand, to no avail.

   

Encouraged by the favorable vulnerability, I ventured a minimal weak 2 as dealer, which North managed to double with his 20-point hand. Elwood diagnosed slam and raised to 5 hearts, which I thought was a worthy effort. South, however, rose to the occasion, finding a cue-bid, and North selected his trump suit at the 6 level. Just another flat board, in the end.

A session at Honors produced a couple of interesting hands.



As he put down the dummy, South remarked that he hoped he didn't have too much. This lost the post mortem immediately, as North started to berate him before even playing a card. But I held some sympathy for South. North's opening sally was “You know I have game in my own hand. Of course you should go on.” But, absent an Acol 2 opening, or Namyats, or something, I wouldn't know that – I almost never have game in my own hand when I open at the four level. Apparently nobody had a bidding approach up to the task, as the board was flat at +480. Could you have bid the slam?

Another slam hand.



Student's raise to game struck me as being a tad aggressive, but it's ok according to the Losing Trick Count and actually worked well. Student hasn't learned Roman Key Card yet, and Gail Greenberg (sitting North) commented that if I knew I was missing 2 keycards I probably wouldn't bid the slam.

North-South missed a save here.

 

Again Student wasn't shy in the bidding, but my hand was powerful enough to make up for any shortage of high cards. I had considered opening 2C, which probably wouldn't have been a great success if N-S could get busy. Half the field made 5H, and most of the rest conceded 300 in 5Sx or 6Sx. One pair managed to go down in 5Hx, I don't know how.

HelLo

Elwood has expressed his dissatisfaction with Cappelletti (which we were playing against weak notrumps) several times over the past couple of weeks. I'm no fan of it myself, so I was looking for a replacement gadget that would be acceptable to us both. Elwood isn't too interested in Lionel, which is probably better suited against strong no-trumps anyway. Eventually, I came across HelLo, the improved version of Capp that Jerry Helms has invented. So we're playing that now, against weak no-trumps.

The scheme is:

double = penalty, usually balanced 15+, could be fair strength with a good suit as a source of tricks.

2C = either diamonds or a major-minor 2-suiter. Advancer must accept the transfer by bidding 2D, and Overcaller can pass or raise with diamonds or bid his major holding a 2-suiter. As with Capp, Advancer can then use 2NT to ask for the minor.

2D = hearts

2H = both majors

2S = spades

2NT = clubs

3C = both minors

This arrangement keeps a traditional penalty double, which is pretty much de rigeur against a weak no-trump, allows Overcaller to show all varieties of 2-suiter, and introduces a transfer element that Cappelletti doesn't have. Using 2H to show both majors isn't any better than using 2D as in Capp, but at least with this arrangement you get to show a major single-suiter straight away, and you get the partial transfer style.

I'm not entirely sold on the value of the transfer business. I wonder if keeping 2D as both majors and using both 2H and 2S as natural might not be just as good? Still, we'll keep it as specified for now.

Of course, since making this decision, we haven't encountered a weak no-trump, but there are some around. I'll post any interesting results.

Visiting Honors

A student asked me to play at the Honors club, which (perpetually) vies with the Manhattan for the title of being the best club in New York. Rather like rival football teams in the same city, each has its supporters, and most of the time there is little to choose between them. I prefer the Manhattan, but by a very slim margin, and I have no problem with visiting Honors sometimes. After playing well for a stretch, I have found myself in a slump for a couple of weeks. I found the defence on this hand especially gratifying, therefore.

  

I paused for thought. We have three tricks, but the situation is grim. Declarer probably started with six trumps, and even if he didn't the suit is breaking. There's no hope in hearts – declarer certainly has the ace. It's just possible declarer is false-carding and has a third club, but I don't really believe it. That leaves diamonds, but leading a diamond at this point is not without risk. If declarer has the nine, we're leading into a tenace. Is it right to play passively now, returning a club and waiting for the diamond trick later? No: counting tricks, declarer has five spades, two hearts, two diamonds and a club – that makes ten. Wait a minute. Six spades, two clubs, and three diamonds only leaves room for two hearts. A diamond lead now takes out dummy's entry while the heart suit is blocked.

 

Declarer was too fond of finesses, and Student's passive returns gave him enough rope. Even so, a careless club return at the end would have let him wriggle free. I was pleased to work it out, despite being in poor form.

The good luck that seemed to have deserted me recently returned full force on the next hand.

 

But there was still some of the bad stuff around.

 

I really did hesitate before bidding 6, because the flat distribution and the weak diamonds are ominous even before you see dummy. But in the end, I decided that the field would probably be in 6 and went with it. At least we scored average, because that assessment was correct.

One month in

So, I was thinking that after a month, I would be able to gauge my progress with respect to the master points, and I probably would have at least a few hands to write about. That plan is struggling a little, as none of my March master points have yet shown up at the ACBL. Still, I probably should write up some hands. Maybe this evening.

A quest

I haven't been blogging, as you may have noticed. Part of the reason is that my health hasn't been great for the past couple of years, and part of the reason is my bridge hasn't been that great either. Plus, I have been playing a lot with students, which means that even if I was personally having a good day, the chances of really good stuff coming up were a bit slim.

Well, things are changing, at least a little. Most of my students have fallen by the wayside, one way or another. I am playing with Elwood much more regularly, typically once a week. And Agent 99, flushed with success at finally achieving Life Master rank, has resolved to play more often, which may translate to more than once a week with me.

One thing that hasn't changed is that I'm back in a slump, occasionally having a good session, but more often spoiling the card with two or three idiocies that would upset me if a student perpetrated them. I don't really know of a good way out of a slump except to just play through it, trusting that there are still some good days to come eventually. If anybody has any other suggestions, feel free to comment.

So, anyway, I think I'm going to try and blog again. And to give myself some incentive, I'm setting myself a target. My New Year's resolution was to try and play better against good opposition. I feel like I'm stuck in what we used to call "rabbit bashing" mode - beating up the weaker opponents, but with some fundamental sloppiness that is quickly exposed when the opponents have quality. I want to tighten up my game so that even the good opponents worry when I come to the table. But also, my next master point rank is Silver Life Master, and it's about 230 points away. I want to see how close I can get by the end of the year.

That's an average of about a point a day, which is very steep in my current mode. I can perhaps earn some of the load online (I already have met the color requirements, so just pushing the total to 1,000 is all I need).
But that isn't as easy as you might think. The only real strategy is to play at some regionals, winning the points in bunches. That too isn't so easy, or cheap. I'll try and keep you posted on how it's going.