By Val Rhead
Which areas of your bridge game should you work on to improve your results? Below is a list of strategies, selected from “How the Experts Win at Bridge” by Burt Hall and Lynn Rose-Hall, Jordan Press, 1996. These strategies will help you achieve a greater level of success.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FAVOURABLE VULNERABILTY
If the enemy is vulnerable and you’re not, this is the best time to push them above their comfort level. If you go one down, it’s only a mere fifty or a scant 100 doubled.
GET YOUR BID IN EARLY
If you don’t get your bid in at the first opportunity, you may forfeit your chance to participate in the auction. For example: You don’t really like your twelve-point hand. Your five-card Spade suit is all little ones, but you do have a doubleton Ace-King in Diamonds and the Ace of Hearts heading a string of three little ones and two little Clubs. If you make an initial pass and the opponents bid 3 Clubs, gone is your opportunity to try to find a contract with your partner. Remember, any five-card major suit is biddable at the one level – open One Spade.
DISRUPT THE OPPONENTS BIDDING
You have a poor eight-card Spade suit and not much else. What could interfere more with your opponents’ bid than making a Four Spade pre-emptive bid. Your opponent is forced to guess and often he will guess wrong.
BATTLE FOR PARTSCORES
Rarely let your opponent stop bidding at the two level if he is happy to be there. After a One Heart, Two Heart sequence, consider bidding your Spade suit at the two level. He will likely make Two Hearts. If he bids Three Hearts, let him be. He may go down.
If however, it appears that your opponents have a misfit, perhaps it’s best to leave them at the two level. They may not make it.
MAKE SACRIFICES WHENEVER FEASIBLE
Make sacrifices, particularly when the vulnerability is favourable. For example: If they are vulnerable and are in Four Hearts, it may be wise to bid Four Spades even if you don’t expect to make it. Down one or two, not vulnerable, even doubled, is a better deal for you than letting them make a 620 game.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT OPENING LEADS
Making the best opening lead can make a huge difference to your success in playing this lovely game. For example: After listening to the bidding, you decide that your partner may be void in Hearts. She is. You can win two or three ruffs that wouldn’t have been possible if you had led a Club.
USE PROVEN MODERN CONVENTIONS
Don’t go overboard on using a plethora of conventions. You or your partner may forget them or make errors when you use them. Use such conventions as those recommended by Writer and Teacher Jerry Helms including Stayman and Transfers, Weak Two bids, Blackwood, and DONT et cetera. But whatever conventions you choose to use, LEARN THOSE CONVENTIONS WELL.
If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group or ask a bridge question, send the information to [email protected] and I will include it in this column.
CANADIAN FEDERATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN (CFUW) MUSKOKA BRIDGE FOR BURSARIES FUNDRAISER
THANKS TO ALL
THE SPRING LUNCH AND GAMES PARTY, Friday, April 21, 2017
At the Gravenhurst Senior’s Centre
WELCOMED 100 participants AND RAISED about $1100
To the Charitable Trust bursaries for the higher education of Muskoka’s young women.
It was a great opportunity to enjoy bridge or other games, companionship and also support young women.
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Games at the Huntsville Club have returned to the Summer schedule Tuesday 7:15 start, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For partners and information call Susan Marshall 705 787-5454 or email [email protected]
PLEASE NOTE: For the Spring, the Tuesday 7:15pm game will continue downstairs in the warm basement. To avoid the long stairs, you also may enter from the door on Main Street.
The following winners are for Tuesday, Apr 25 with 13 pairs playing a Howell movement. 1. Liz Barnes and Rod Dixon; 2. Susan Marshall and Jan Roberts; 3. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 4. Mary Simonett and Kel Andresen; 5. Art Insley and Don Evans; 6/7. Bev Parlett and Barb Forth; 6/7. Liz Graham and Kelly Andresen
MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)
Games for the Bracebridge Club are Mondays 7pm, Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For information or partnerships, call Brian at 705-645-5340 [email protected]
The following winners are from Monday, Apr 24 with 18 pairs playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Mary Whitehead and Helen Pearson; 2. Val Rhead and Joanne Garvey; 3. Kel Andresen and Jim Smith; 4. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 5. Pamela Jardine and Ralph Mitchell; East-West 1. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 2. Art Insley and Don Evans; 3. Joyce Payne and Malcolm Payne; 4. Mary Mitchell and Susan Maddocks; 5. Lynda Mochrie and Wayne Mochrie
Looking for more bridge tips? You’ll find them here.
Don’t miss out on Doppler! Sign up for our free, twice-weekly newsletter here.
0 Comments