A nice bit of foresight but could it rebound e.g. if West held a 1-5-1-6 shape with SK alone? Then running the J walks into CQ and an overruff whereas a spade to the Queen allows the 3rd club to be ruffed high. Having said that, there is still the HA to lose plus the SK, a club, a potential overruff and a slow diamond loser so the difference is between 1-off and 2-off. So, bang goes another bright idea although what TOCM would do to Jim2 can be imagined all too easily.
If playing pairs and in dire need of a good result (to qualify for something, say) or at IMPs if well behind, perhaps declarer should bash down the SA hoping for a miracle but I’d be interested to know how often in your experience such desperate measures are needed or effective.
Regards,
Iain
bobbywolffJanuary 30th, 2024 at 2:16 pm
Hi Iain,
And speaking of foresight, your questions, following discussion and reference to Jim2’s
well known malady of all good fortune going South for the winter and, for that matter, also the other three seasons, sums up the declarer’s play difficulty into a neat bundle.
And to directly answer to your dire need, in search of a good result, please save those lower percentage situations (singleton K of spades with West) for someone else to try.
Not that once in a while it doesn’t occur, but you, being a winner at the bridge table, have not achieved your status by taking low percentage actions, in spite of the fervent desire to, if it appears, to pull it off.
Furthermore, since sometimes we are all wrong with what is happening at the other table or tables so let that be one’s calling card, while letting all your opponents commit
their own individual suicides.
In more simple terms, I do not have any way of precisely remembering how effective
unusual, but low percentage actions could be taken, but if never done, that could still be slightly, too often. Better yet, make it a New Year’s resolution to make it already be the last time you did it, but “I believe”, quote the Raven, Edgar Alan Poe’s, “Never More”!
Iain ClimieJanuary 30th, 2024 at 3:11 pm
Hi Bobby,
Thanks for the words of wisdom and, as you say, never underestimate the potential for the oppo to go into lemming mode (yes, I know they don’ really do that, but I still like the metaphor). A gentle shove on occasion might not go amiss, though, while I saw an interesting bit of advice for pairs play by D avid Greenwood many years ago. If needing good scores to qualify (say) consider slight underbids just as much as slight overbids e.g. not making a marginal game try. After al, at pairs, the total amount scored is irrelevant if you can somehow get +120 in a field of mostly -50s with one or two +400s and the odd silly score.
Regards,
Iain
bobbywolffJanuary 30th, 2024 at 3:30 pm
Hi Iain,
To find the most convenient and successful strategy sometimes becomes us to merely
play the best we can and not try to accomplish more than necessary, by attempting
below percentage actions.
While any reasonable action may fit the bill, I, personally, did not try to boldly bid nor play with any odd habit other than hoped for common sense to guide me. To my way of thinking, there is enough strain to follow correct percentages, rather than to fly to others to which I did not know.
IOW, I worried more about following the rules and not violating ethical standards, rather than any particular method of beating the percentages. Stay loose and allow others
to make mistakes, rather than trying to be ultra brilliant and too often falling flat on my face.
Above all, play well, but even more important, be thankful we all learned the greatest competitive mind game, having thrills with every session, good results or bad.
Yes, I am always trying to encourage Jim2 to play, not to go fish.
jim2January 30th, 2024 at 10:25 pm
None of those things happened to be at the Mud Cup, but I still got a cold bottom.
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Bridge-related
Hi Bobby,
A nice bit of foresight but could it rebound e.g. if West held a 1-5-1-6 shape with SK alone? Then running the J walks into CQ and an overruff whereas a spade to the Queen allows the 3rd club to be ruffed high. Having said that, there is still the HA to lose plus the SK, a club, a potential overruff and a slow diamond loser so the difference is between 1-off and 2-off. So, bang goes another bright idea although what TOCM would do to Jim2 can be imagined all too easily.
If playing pairs and in dire need of a good result (to qualify for something, say) or at IMPs if well behind, perhaps declarer should bash down the SA hoping for a miracle but I’d be interested to know how often in your experience such desperate measures are needed or effective.
Regards,
Iain
Hi Iain,
And speaking of foresight, your questions, following discussion and reference to Jim2’s
well known malady of all good fortune going South for the winter and, for that matter, also the other three seasons, sums up the declarer’s play difficulty into a neat bundle.
And to directly answer to your dire need, in search of a good result, please save those lower percentage situations (singleton K of spades with West) for someone else to try.
Not that once in a while it doesn’t occur, but you, being a winner at the bridge table, have not achieved your status by taking low percentage actions, in spite of the fervent desire to, if it appears, to pull it off.
Furthermore, since sometimes we are all wrong with what is happening at the other table or tables so let that be one’s calling card, while letting all your opponents commit
their own individual suicides.
In more simple terms, I do not have any way of precisely remembering how effective
unusual, but low percentage actions could be taken, but if never done, that could still be slightly, too often. Better yet, make it a New Year’s resolution to make it already be the last time you did it, but “I believe”, quote the Raven, Edgar Alan Poe’s, “Never More”!
Hi Bobby,
Thanks for the words of wisdom and, as you say, never underestimate the potential for the oppo to go into lemming mode (yes, I know they don’ really do that, but I still like the metaphor). A gentle shove on occasion might not go amiss, though, while I saw an interesting bit of advice for pairs play by D avid Greenwood many years ago. If needing good scores to qualify (say) consider slight underbids just as much as slight overbids e.g. not making a marginal game try. After al, at pairs, the total amount scored is irrelevant if you can somehow get +120 in a field of mostly -50s with one or two +400s and the odd silly score.
Regards,
Iain
Hi Iain,
To find the most convenient and successful strategy sometimes becomes us to merely
play the best we can and not try to accomplish more than necessary, by attempting
below percentage actions.
While any reasonable action may fit the bill, I, personally, did not try to boldly bid nor play with any odd habit other than hoped for common sense to guide me. To my way of thinking, there is enough strain to follow correct percentages, rather than to fly to others to which I did not know.
IOW, I worried more about following the rules and not violating ethical standards, rather than any particular method of beating the percentages. Stay loose and allow others
to make mistakes, rather than trying to be ultra brilliant and too often falling flat on my face.
Above all, play well, but even more important, be thankful we all learned the greatest competitive mind game, having thrills with every session, good results or bad.
Yes, I am always trying to encourage Jim2 to play, not to go fish.
None of those things happened to be at the Mud Cup, but I still got a cold bottom.
We were EW and they played it in 3N.