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How hard is it to get a consistent plus score in club bridge? I returned to the game this year and I lost every single session.
#141
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Posted 2025-April-09, 12:57
My partner, who has been around bridge at least as long as I have, put me in a 4-3 fit yesterday. When I mentioned Al Moyse and "Moysian fit", she had no idea what or who I was talking about.
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As for tv, screw it. You aren't missing anything. -- Ken Berg
Our ultimate goal on defense is to know by trick two or three everyone's hand at the table. -- Mike777
I have come to realise it is futile to expect or hope a regular club game will be run in accordance with the laws. -- Jillybean
As for tv, screw it. You aren't missing anything. -- Ken Berg
Our ultimate goal on defense is to know by trick two or three everyone's hand at the table. -- Mike777
I have come to realise it is futile to expect or hope a regular club game will be run in accordance with the laws. -- Jillybean
#142
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Posted 2025-April-09, 12:58
In 4-3 vs 4-2 trumps, there will be one of the following happens:
1. I draw trump and lose control of everything because the last outstanding trump is smaller than theirs, and afterwards they run their suits.
2. I don't draw trump and attempt to play all the side suits. They ruff away our slow winners with small trumps.
I'm talking about situations where we don't have most of the trump honours, for example, we are missing both K and Q in our trump suit.
1. I draw trump and lose control of everything because the last outstanding trump is smaller than theirs, and afterwards they run their suits.
2. I don't draw trump and attempt to play all the side suits. They ruff away our slow winners with small trumps.
I'm talking about situations where we don't have most of the trump honours, for example, we are missing both K and Q in our trump suit.
#143
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Posted 2025-April-09, 13:02
In that situation your best option is probably to try to set up a cross-ruff. I did that on one hand yesterday, and actually made the contract. Barely. 
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As for tv, screw it. You aren't missing anything. -- Ken Berg
Our ultimate goal on defense is to know by trick two or three everyone's hand at the table. -- Mike777
I have come to realise it is futile to expect or hope a regular club game will be run in accordance with the laws. -- Jillybean
As for tv, screw it. You aren't missing anything. -- Ken Berg
Our ultimate goal on defense is to know by trick two or three everyone's hand at the table. -- Mike777
I have come to realise it is futile to expect or hope a regular club game will be run in accordance with the laws. -- Jillybean
#144
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Posted 2025-April-09, 13:29
blackshoe, on 2025-April-09, 13:02, said:
In that situation your best option is probably to try to set up a cross-ruff. I did that on one hand yesterday, and actually made the contract. Barely.
That will require a short suit in one hand and another short suit in the other hand, and I don't always have the luxury of this.
More commonly I am forced to play 4-3 fit because an attempt to identify possible NT has failed, and it is because two hands have the same sort suit without stopper, and our only 8-card (or even 9-card) fit is in a minor which has never been bid.
#145
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Posted 2025-April-09, 13:43
mikl_plkcc, on 2025-April-09, 12:58, said:
In 4-3 vs 4-2 trumps, there will be one of the following happens:
1. I draw trump and lose control of everything because the last outstanding trump is smaller than theirs, and afterwards they run their suits.
2. I don't draw trump and attempt to play all the side suits. They ruff away our slow winners with small trumps.
I'm talking about situations where we don't have most of the trump honours, for example, we are missing both K and Q in our trump suit.
1. I draw trump and lose control of everything because the last outstanding trump is smaller than theirs, and afterwards they run their suits.
2. I don't draw trump and attempt to play all the side suits. They ruff away our slow winners with small trumps.
I'm talking about situations where we don't have most of the trump honours, for example, we are missing both K and Q in our trump suit.
Our experiences differ
Alderaan delenda est
#146
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Posted 2025-April-09, 14:07
mikl_plkcc, on 2025-April-09, 13:29, said:
That will require a short suit in one hand and another short suit in the other hand, and I don't always have the luxury of this.
More commonly I am forced to play 4-3 fit because an attempt to identify possible NT has failed, and it is because two hands have the same sort suit without stopper, and our only 8-card (or even 9-card) fit is in a minor which has never been bid.
More commonly I am forced to play 4-3 fit because an attempt to identify possible NT has failed, and it is because two hands have the same sort suit without stopper, and our only 8-card (or even 9-card) fit is in a minor which has never been bid.
No system is perfect.
--------------------
As for tv, screw it. You aren't missing anything. -- Ken Berg
Our ultimate goal on defense is to know by trick two or three everyone's hand at the table. -- Mike777
I have come to realise it is futile to expect or hope a regular club game will be run in accordance with the laws. -- Jillybean
As for tv, screw it. You aren't missing anything. -- Ken Berg
Our ultimate goal on defense is to know by trick two or three everyone's hand at the table. -- Mike777
I have come to realise it is futile to expect or hope a regular club game will be run in accordance with the laws. -- Jillybean
#147
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Posted 2025-April-09, 19:31
blackshoe, on 2025-April-09, 12:57, said:
My partner, who has been around bridge at least as long as I have, put me in a 4-3 fit yesterday. When I mentioned Al Moyse and "Moysian fit", she had no idea what or who I was talking about.
I get the impression that all of your "hopeless" bridge partners are female, but I guess you've got find a partner somewhere
I haven't heard of Al but I do enjoy playing in moysian fits, or in bad trump breaks. It gives you an opportunity to completely rethink and replan your declarer play. I love that cross ruffing with my little trump.
"And no matter what methods you play, it is essential, for anyone aspiring to learn to be a good player, to learn the importance of bidding shape properly." MikeH
“Let me put it in words you might understand,” he said. “Mr. Trump, f–k off!” Anders Vistisen
"Bridge is a terrible game". blackshoe
“Let me put it in words you might understand,” he said. “Mr. Trump, f–k off!” Anders Vistisen
"Bridge is a terrible game". blackshoe
#148
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Posted 2025-April-10, 13:40
It's funny. At this point I can't remember how I got started playing with either of my current partners. Or any of my former partners either. I've had male partners. Gender doesn't really seem to make any difference. And I don't think anybody is "hopeless".
--------------------
As for tv, screw it. You aren't missing anything. -- Ken Berg
Our ultimate goal on defense is to know by trick two or three everyone's hand at the table. -- Mike777
I have come to realise it is futile to expect or hope a regular club game will be run in accordance with the laws. -- Jillybean
As for tv, screw it. You aren't missing anything. -- Ken Berg
Our ultimate goal on defense is to know by trick two or three everyone's hand at the table. -- Mike777
I have come to realise it is futile to expect or hope a regular club game will be run in accordance with the laws. -- Jillybean
#149
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Posted 2025-April-10, 15:11
blackshoe, on 2025-April-10, 13:40, said:
And I don't think anybody is "hopeless".
A few games with me would change your opinion.
#150
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Posted Yesterday, 15:55
I have finally got a good result in club bridge, 64.38% in a full 5 1/2-table Howell, with a first time partner.
There were no highly competitive auctions and no slams in the whole evening, and mostly we just stayed out of the auction once a misfit was shown, watching their misfits going down.
There were no highly competitive auctions and no slams in the whole evening, and mostly we just stayed out of the auction once a misfit was shown, watching their misfits going down.
#151
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Posted Yesterday, 17:22
Very nice result! Hang onto that partner.
"And no matter what methods you play, it is essential, for anyone aspiring to learn to be a good player, to learn the importance of bidding shape properly." MikeH
“Let me put it in words you might understand,” he said. “Mr. Trump, f–k off!” Anders Vistisen
"Bridge is a terrible game". blackshoe
“Let me put it in words you might understand,” he said. “Mr. Trump, f–k off!” Anders Vistisen
"Bridge is a terrible game". blackshoe
#152
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Posted Yesterday, 23:38
Congratulations! Well done.
#153
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Posted Today, 02:18
However we still made two huge mistakes at the evening. One was when I declared, I miscounted a certain suit and discarded a wrong card at trick 12, turning a plus into a minus and obtained a 0. Another was that my partner did not lead the only unbid suit, which both of us were strong in, against a 3NT contract which resulted in 3 additional overtricks.
#154
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Posted Today, 07:03
Yep. That's what keeps everyone coming back, you can always do better.
"And no matter what methods you play, it is essential, for anyone aspiring to learn to be a good player, to learn the importance of bidding shape properly." MikeH
“Let me put it in words you might understand,” he said. “Mr. Trump, f–k off!” Anders Vistisen
"Bridge is a terrible game". blackshoe
“Let me put it in words you might understand,” he said. “Mr. Trump, f–k off!” Anders Vistisen
"Bridge is a terrible game". blackshoe