Bridge players game arranging thread - Page 4

TCO · June 11, 2002, 11:17

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger

Precision is very popular among advanced bridge players. The thing is, if you want to learn it later on, you need to unlearn SA, which can be very painful.

At this point it would be counterproductive to switch in the middle. I've got a decent handle on SA anyway. I'd rather p[erfect play of the hand and some more subtle things. I expect that with mastery will come more urge to try newfangled systems.

TCO · June 11, 2002, 11:18

It's still the suit to attack.

Rex Little · June 11, 2002, 11:32

Is Precision still popular where you live, UR? I used to play it when I lived in Mass. in the 70's, but after I moved West I never found anyone else who knew it. Great system, IMO.

TCO · June 11, 2002, 17:33

Thanks for making my point, Rex. Learning great (but rare) systems is not going to push me forward mnost expeditiously. (It's Futile Willyish.) I want to be a great living room player first. I'll worry about the next step if I get into competition, etc.

Right now, I think I'm leaving tricks on the table from my dummy and defender play. I think that's where I can make large improvements. (Guess I am answering my own question.)

Bird · June 11, 2002, 23:23

Defense is without a doubt the hardest thing at which to excel, and it is half the game. One of the reasons it's the hardest thing is because you need to understand good bidding in order to draw the right inferences from the opponents' bidding and you need to understand good declarer play in order to do the same from your opponents' play. So you'll never be a good defender without a sound foundation in bidding and declarer play.

The best way to learn is to analyze the hands afterwards. I have as much fun at the bar afterwards as I do at the table, and not just for the obvious reasons. You LEARN at the bar. You DISCUSS things you've encountered and either reach understandings with your partners about newly encountered situations or you simply learn from the experience of others. I have never been to the bar after a game and not had at least one hand that either included a situation that had never been discussed or which led to recognition of a situation that could arise that had never been discussed.

The important thing about analyzing the hands is to recognize that the best possible result at the table might not be the long term best result. Just because a slam makes if you drop two singleton kings having 9 card fits doesn't mean you shouldn't take the finesse. Sometimes the good players go down and the bad players make the hands.

TCO · June 12, 2002, 03:05

what is the nbar of which you speak?

Bird · June 12, 2002, 14:51

Any bar will do, as long as the beer's cold and the scotch reasonably priced. GP, are you still in Colorado? I'm supposed to be in Denver, arriving Monday night for a Tuesday morning deposition. That could change, but I'll know by Friday. I was planning on sticking around until Thursday to fish, but the fires may change those plans.

TCO · June 12, 2002, 15:42

Back in Atlanta. Season is over, even at A-basin. Only skiing is if you want to hike into some really high backcountry.

Good luck with the deposition. We will have some beers some day. Sten said you were fun to talk to.

Urban Ranger · June 15, 2002, 12:58

Quote:

Originally posted by Rex Little
Is Precision still popular where you live, UR? I used to play it when I lived in Mass. in the 70's, but after I moved West I never found anyone else who knew it. Great system, IMO.

I can't tell if it is popular around here since I am out of touch of the bridge scene here. I want to get back to it soon though.

My advice is find somebody who is interested in learning the system, then spend time teaching him. When I first entered college, there was only me who played bridge. AFAIK, anyway. That didn't stop me. I started teaching others how to play. When I was a junior we had enough good players to have two swiss teams entered into regional tournaments. Some of the people I taught are now life masters.

TCO · June 19, 2002, 02:12

The bird is the word is the word is the word is the word is the word is the word...

War4ever · June 23, 2002, 22:03

i wish i knew how to play bridge

Urban Ranger · June 24, 2002, 00:22

If you are in college/univserity, go join the bridge club (or gaming club if there's no bridge club). If not, find a bridge club in Vancouver. I am sure there is at least one. I think there are also players at community centres.

War4ever · June 24, 2002, 09:54

is it a tough game to play?

TCO · June 24, 2002, 10:46

you can play on line too. Pogo.com

Urban Ranger · June 24, 2002, 23:47

It's not a tough game if you are wondering whether there are a lot of rules to remember before you can start.

Bird · July 5, 2002, 17:46

Hey guys. No bridge lately, not much fun either. Anyway, I'm going to DC in two weeks to play in the Summer Nationals. Just the first (extended) weekend. We'll see what happens.

Hey War4, don't let anyone fool you. Bridge is much more than automated bids and plays. There's a lot of poker involved.

Urban Ranger · July 6, 2002, 00:17

Good luck. Swiss teams?

Bird · July 6, 2002, 07:43

We're only playing three days and won't play in any team events. The plan is to play in the life master pairs, which is a 3 day event, with each day reducing the field. If we're out after the first day, we'll play in the red ribbon pairs, which is a two day event that you have to pre-qualify for. We would kind of like to play in that b/c we've never done it before and this will probably be the last one that we can play in, but success in the life master pairs is more prestigious.

Maybe we can have some fun here with some of the hands once I get back.