Vil Gravis's blog

PB + PD = PR

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Fri, 06/04/2018 - 12:02

(Poor bidding and poor defence leads to poor results) .. in case you were wondering.
Board 8 from Thursday 5/04/2018
Dealer W Nil Vul

KQ876
873
JT854
5
9642
A62
AK962
93
AJT87
KJ54
Q3
AJT42
KQ53
QT9
7

Free Gravis and for Nothing

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Fri, 30/03/2018 - 12:26

Have you ever been dealt a hand with 28 high card points? I bet you haven't - unless you were sitting South last Thursday. Such huge hands are not always that easy to bid, though. In fact they are notoriously difficult to bid to the optimum contract, as we can see when we look at the combined results in all our X-Clubs Thursday evening sessions.

Board 6 from Thursday 29/03/2018
Dealer E EW Vul

J65432
J3
532
92
Q9
T97654
T7
KQ7
87
Q82
9864
J843
AKT
AK
AKQJ
AT65

A Bonus 4441 Hand

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Sat, 24/03/2018 - 18:19

I just had to add this one to the previous article because it was another 4441 hand that was very badly handled by all those at the table: at least in most cases that was so. The deal also requires better declarer play and defence than was evident in our Thursday session, maybe those aspects were better at other clubs. Let's take a look at:
Board 5 from Thursday 22/03/2018
Dealer N NS Vul

Q9
65
98543
KT92
A72
J7
72
AQJ865
KJT5
Q832
KQJT
4
8643
AKT94
A6
73

That old “4441” Syndrome

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Fri, 23/03/2018 - 14:48

I wonder how many of the pairs that were overboard on this one tried to blame it on the “4441” syndrome? Amazing how many players find the 4441 hands difficult to bid to the optimum contract. Take a look at:
Board 3 from Thursday 22/03/2018
Dealer S NS Vul

KT8653
3
KT
KT62
QJ
T864
QJ72
Q75
A972
AQJ9
853
94
4
K752
A964
AJ83

Slam Dunk!

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Fri, 16/03/2018 - 14:05

Lest you should think that I am too fixated on slams, let me assure you that I am. They are fun to bid and fun to play. But the main reason that I am writing this deal up is this: One week ago I wrote another chapter for “13 Tricks”. It involved bidding of very strong distributional hands, and I did not imagine for one moment that a very similar deal would occur at the club the very next week. Having read that chapter, the reader would have had little trouble arriving at the available grand slam, but only one of the nine pairs at our club did bid to it. Let's have a look:

Ruminating on Openings

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Fri, 09/03/2018 - 19:08

Board 21 from Thursday 8/03/2018.
Dealer N NS Vul

Q64
A43
A87
9632
3
QJT7
T5
AKQJ74
AJ9872
K965
J2
5
KT5
82
KQ9643
T8

  • Would you open the East hand a weak 2S?
  • Would you open it ONE spade?
  • If East opened 2S, what would you do as West?

Model of a Contested Auction

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Fri, 02/03/2018 - 09:11

A number of quite amazing hands this week, I really don't know which to report. We've had quite a few discussions on slams, so maybe this week we'll talk about something different, a hand which was very competitive in nature and also required some good declarer play.
Board 22 from Thursday 1/03/2018.
Dealer E EW Vul

92
AJ75
3
AQ6543
AKQJ63
4
AK84
T2
75
Q93
JT9752
97
T84
KT862
Q6
KJ8

Doubling 1NT

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Sun, 25/02/2018 - 10:21

It seems that in this super modern age of bridge the low-level penalty double is obsolete. But surely most of us still play that a double of a weak 1NT opening as basically a PENALTY double? What do you need to double a 1NT opening? I go along with the theory that if you have a better hand than the 1NT opener, you should double. If you're playing ACOL opponents that means at least FIFTEEN high card points if your hand is balanced, or seven reasonably certain tricks, e.g. a solid suit and an outside entry. But let's just stick to the “15+” one for now.

Board 13 From Thursday 22/02/2018
Dealer N ALL Vul

9764
A9
QT762
76
J32
QJT74
54
J52
Q85
K52
A98
KQT3
AKT
863
KJ3
A984

Winning & Losing with Precision

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Fri, 16/02/2018 - 17:18

Do you play Precision? If not, have your ever thought of taking up the “Big Club” system? It definitely has a lot of merit if you want to try it.

That Grand Feeling ...

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Fri, 09/02/2018 - 09:55

As long as you know how to bid a slam, there is usually no need to bid a grand slam in a normal match-point session, especially on club nights. But nevertheless does it not feel great when you do bid and make a grand slam? I believe that this one is biddable no matter what system you employ.

Board 27 from Thursday 08/02/2018
Dealer S Nil Vul

A
AKT532
AKQ52
K
T865
J94
73
Q876
QJ32
87
JT64
JT3
K974
Q6
98
A9542

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