Thanks for filling in Renee! I look forward to this every week, so it’s nice not to miss out. Board 1: I bid 6D over their 5D. Making for 85%. Board 2: Same. Board 3: I opened this hand, against my better judgment, because I had a reasonable holding in the majors and I knew I had the best hand. Ended up in 5HX-4 (I misplayed it) after E bid 4S. 0%. Lesson learned, I hope. Board 4: Same. Board 5: Made an overtrick when they failed to switch to a D. 92% Board 6: Same auction and contract, but I let it make when I cashed my DA. Your logic for not doing that is undeniable (in retrospect for me, sadly) 14% Board 7: I played for the drop, (despite restricted choice) because I wanted to try to discard my C. 4H+2 for 64% Board 8: Same contract, but i misplayed it and made no overtricks. 21% 50% overall.
On board 2 it is strictly better to play the 7 of spades rather than the queen of spades since you have the option to travel to dummy with the king over and queen as well as to travel from your hand with the jack to queen.
Hi, the robots are not leaving 5C because of the silly system they play on here (5 card majors). There is always some doubt as to the short minor opening - is it 4 cards or not!!!!
Thank you Renee - could you just explain why that Jack popping as you put in on board 7 is the way to go - brought up on 8 ever 9 never - so interested to hear your new theory (to me) on taking that finesse.
Hi Jane, So this is based on the Law of Restricted Choice. When an honour pops, it is odds on to finesse for the other honour. The logic behind it is that, if the player has QJ, they can play either card, whereas with only a stiff honour they are forced to play this one. This means that playing for the finesse to be onside is twice as likely (two thirds) to QJ (one third). If you are interested in the statistics behind it, the Monty Hall problem is the analysis behind such a play. In contrast, "8 ever 9 never" occurs when you have an 8 card fit missing the Q of a suit. Comparing the suit combination AKJx opposite xxxx, it is right to cash a top honour before finessing. However, with a 9 card fit missing the Q, say AKJx opposite xxxxx, it is right to play for the drop. The difference between these 2 is that Restricted Choice occurs conditionally on an honour dropping. "8 ever 9 never" works based on the number of cards the opponents have. So, without an honour dropping, cashing the K is the normal play. Hope this helps! Let me know if I can explain in more detail.
Thank you - I've just spent 20 mins looking at cars, goats and doors to get my head round this! So it didn't matter it was the Jack - same principle if it had been the Q that popped out? Don't now go for the drop with 9 cards - finesse has better odds once that honour makes a sudden appearance? Wow - weird. Thanks for explaining - I will have to try and explain it to my partner. This will be a long conversation.
Haha yes, that would be the one! Its a bit of a strange story, but illustrates the problem well enough. Exactly. Provided an honour drops, regardless of which one, the same principle applies. It's the defference of conditional probability (on the condition that an honour drops) from unconditional probability. In the conditional sense, Law of Restricted Choice applies. For unconditional, "8 ever 9 never" applies. Best of luck with the conversation!
Board 1 is a reminder that if you make a takeout double at any point, the robot will assume that you have good support for all suits no matter what you do subsequently. I recently had a strong hand with AKJxxxxx of spades. I started with a double of 1H. When partner showed the values to bid 4D over their 3H, I jumped to 6S. GIB converted to 7D. GIB's holding? Qx spades and 6432 of diamonds. On B1, I bid 4C rather than double and GIB Blackwooded us into a ridiculous 7C.
Hi Andy, On board 1, I think it is much more favourable to X as it brings both 4S and 3NT into the picture. If your partner has H cards and a couple of C's, 3NT could be a great spot while 5C has too many losers. Similarly, 4S could be ideal even on a 4-3 fit (if partner has 5S, it is likely to be). The reason is that you will be ruffing H losers in the hand with short trumps, rather than shortening yourself. While your C suit is nice and your shape is not a traditional double, after a 4C bid it is much harder to get to these contracts. (And yes, I know the robots can have some pretty strange auctions, see the video above). Good luck on your 7C contract! At least you played in your fit (I didn't manage that).
#1 6C S 6 86% I bid 4C instead of doubling. #2 4H S +1 50% I super accepted. #3 3S W +2 71% I passed in first seat as well. #4 P 4% I obviously screwed up. I understand rule of 15, but a suit headed by the jack is not opening 2S, and 1S seems a bit much with Qx being 2 of our points. #5 4H S +1 46% I opened 1 NT with 18 to avoid opening prep diamond (its a thing I do, not expecting others, I bid 2NT with 19 and same distribution). Texas transfer and right sided the contract. Didn't do anything. #6 4H E -1 43% I competed 4D (figured 4C would show only 5 diamonds), evidently it didn't matter as they went to game with you. I led K for count also, but then treated 6 from p as suit preference for spades. #7 4H S +2 64% Same bidding, Played drop on hearts. Figured there was still a chance to pitch my king of clubs if QH doesn't drop, if player with Q had 4 diamonds. #8 3D S +1 71% Same 54% overall.
Hi Nick, On board 1, I think it is much more favourable to X as it brings both 4S and 3NT into the picture. If your partner has H cards and a couple of C's, 3NT could be a great spot while 5C has too many losers. Similarly, 4S could be ideal even on a 4-3 fit (if partner has 5S, it is likely to be the best spot). The reason is that you will be ruffing H losers in the hand with short trumps, rather than shortening yourself. While your C suit is nice and your shape is not a traditional double, after a 4C bid it is much harder to get to these contracts.
Thanks for filling in Renee! I look forward to this every week, so it’s nice not to miss out.
Board 1: I bid 6D over their 5D. Making for 85%.
Board 2: Same.
Board 3: I opened this hand, against my better judgment, because I had a reasonable holding in the majors and I knew I had the best hand. Ended up in 5HX-4 (I misplayed it) after E bid 4S. 0%. Lesson learned, I hope.
Board 4: Same.
Board 5: Made an overtrick when they failed to switch to a D. 92%
Board 6: Same auction and contract, but I let it make when I cashed my DA. Your logic for not doing that is undeniable (in retrospect for me, sadly) 14%
Board 7: I played for the drop, (despite restricted choice) because I wanted to try to discard my C. 4H+2 for 64%
Board 8: Same contract, but i misplayed it and made no overtricks. 21%
50% overall.
Thank you Renee. Enjoyed this and your analyses.
Thanks
Really helpful Renee!
Hi Renee. I enjoy your youtube bridge column, where can I watch more of your teaching game? V
On board 2 it is strictly better to play the 7 of spades rather than the queen of spades since you have the option to travel to dummy with the king over and queen as well as to travel from your hand with the jack to queen.
Renee you are bright
Hi, the robots are not leaving 5C because of the silly system they play on here (5 card majors). There is always some doubt as to the short minor opening - is it 4 cards or not!!!!
Thank you Renee - could you just explain why that Jack popping as you put in on board 7 is the way to go - brought up on 8 ever 9 never - so interested to hear your new theory (to me) on taking that finesse.
Hi Jane,
So this is based on the Law of Restricted Choice. When an honour pops, it is odds on to finesse for the other honour.
The logic behind it is that, if the player has QJ, they can play either card, whereas with only a stiff honour they are forced to play this one. This means that playing for the finesse to be onside is twice as likely (two thirds) to QJ (one third). If you are interested in the statistics behind it, the Monty Hall problem is the analysis behind such a play.
In contrast, "8 ever 9 never" occurs when you have an 8 card fit missing the Q of a suit. Comparing the suit combination AKJx opposite xxxx, it is right to cash a top honour before finessing. However, with a 9 card fit missing the Q, say AKJx opposite xxxxx, it is right to play for the drop.
The difference between these 2 is that Restricted Choice occurs conditionally on an honour dropping. "8 ever 9 never" works based on the number of cards the opponents have. So, without an honour dropping, cashing the K is the normal play.
Hope this helps! Let me know if I can explain in more detail.
Thank you - I've just spent 20 mins looking at cars, goats and doors to get my head round this! So it didn't matter it was the Jack - same principle if it had been the Q that popped out? Don't now go for the drop with 9 cards - finesse has better odds once that honour makes a sudden appearance? Wow - weird. Thanks for explaining - I will have to try and explain it to my partner. This will be a long conversation.
Haha yes, that would be the one! Its a bit of a strange story, but illustrates the problem well enough.
Exactly. Provided an honour drops, regardless of which one, the same principle applies. It's the defference of conditional probability (on the condition that an honour drops) from unconditional probability. In the conditional sense, Law of Restricted Choice applies. For unconditional, "8 ever 9 never" applies.
Best of luck with the conversation!
Board 1 is a reminder that if you make a takeout double at any point, the robot will assume that you have good support for all suits no matter what you do subsequently. I recently had a strong hand with AKJxxxxx of spades. I started with a double of 1H. When partner showed the values to bid 4D over their 3H, I jumped to 6S. GIB converted to 7D. GIB's holding? Qx spades and 6432 of diamonds. On B1, I bid 4C rather than double and GIB Blackwooded us into a ridiculous 7C.
Hi Andy,
On board 1, I think it is much more favourable to X as it brings both 4S and 3NT into the picture. If your partner has H cards and a couple of C's, 3NT could be a great spot while 5C has too many losers.
Similarly, 4S could be ideal even on a 4-3 fit (if partner has 5S, it is likely to be). The reason is that you will be ruffing H losers in the hand with short trumps, rather than shortening yourself.
While your C suit is nice and your shape is not a traditional double, after a 4C bid it is much harder to get to these contracts.
(And yes, I know the robots can have some pretty strange auctions, see the video above). Good luck on your 7C contract! At least you played in your fit (I didn't manage that).
3:50 - excommunicated - gold
On board 6, I rebid 4C over 3H, and North still didn't bid!
manudude02
Same here manudude... you get what you pay for...nothing!
Me too...I was having a frustrating game as it was and then that happened!
hi Renee , i would open the first hand 2 (c) forcing counting around 4,5 loosers , then 3 c showing 6 strong c . This is french system biding . bye
Board 6 you have 35 ZP , so 4clubs is a good bid
6C is a fair contract. 5D is silly.
Can anyone tell me how can i play this game..i mean in which website
It's called bridge base online
@@BridgeWithPete Thanks. I was looking for the same info.
#1 6C S 6 86% I bid 4C instead of doubling.
#2 4H S +1 50% I super accepted.
#3 3S W +2 71% I passed in first seat as well.
#4 P 4% I obviously screwed up. I understand rule of 15, but a suit headed by the jack is not opening 2S, and 1S seems a bit much with Qx being 2 of our points.
#5 4H S +1 46% I opened 1 NT with 18 to avoid opening prep diamond (its a thing I do, not expecting others, I bid 2NT with 19 and same distribution). Texas transfer and right sided the contract. Didn't do anything.
#6 4H E -1 43% I competed 4D (figured 4C would show only 5 diamonds), evidently it didn't matter as they went to game with you. I led K for count also, but then treated 6 from p as suit preference for spades.
#7 4H S +2 64% Same bidding, Played drop on hearts. Figured there was still a chance to pitch my king of clubs if QH doesn't drop, if player with Q had 4 diamonds.
#8 3D S +1 71% Same
54% overall.
How did you stop in 6C on bd 1? After I bid 4C, GIB used RKCB and put us in 7. Did you lie about your key cards?
Yes you're right I did. I got a little concerned and bid 5C in case 5D (4 key cards) would cause us to go too far. I actually forgot I did that.
Hi Nick,
On board 1, I think it is much more favourable to X as it brings both 4S and 3NT into the picture. If your partner has H cards and a couple of C's, 3NT could be a great spot while 5C has too many losers.
Similarly, 4S could be ideal even on a 4-3 fit (if partner has 5S, it is likely to be the best spot). The reason is that you will be ruffing H losers in the hand with short trumps, rather than shortening yourself.
While your C suit is nice and your shape is not a traditional double, after a 4C bid it is much harder to get to these contracts.
Never trust the Robot here. The APP carries so many bugs.