A 4 player trick-taking card game where opposing partners try to either take the number of tricks they bid or prevent their opponents from doing so.
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What Are The Key Features Of The “Fantunes” Bidding System?
Zia Mahmood's Bridge column for the Guardian newspaper today tells of two players with world titles to their names, Fulvio Fantoni and Claudio Nunes, who apparently have an intriguing bidding system:
...
4
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1answer
125 views
In bridge, what are exceptions to “third hand high?”
You are sitting "East" (with dummy to your right), and your partner West leads a low (presumably fourth best) card in a suit against a 3 no trump contract. When dummy plays low from "nothing," and you ...
11
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3answers
988 views
Why is there a bonus for holding honors in bridge? Isn't having 4-5 of the highest trumps privileges enough?
After I read about honors in bridge, I quickly started wondering why they were added to the scoring system. Its obviously a privilege to be holding the cards required, so I can see why the scoring ...
4
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3answers
361 views
In Bridge, Can I Ask About Previously Played Cards to the Current Trick?
In Bridge, one is allowed to look at the four cards played to the last trick (if the next round hasn't started).
Can I similarly ask about cards played to the current trick?
I was sitting at East, ...
2
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1answer
168 views
In Bridge, What is the Merit of Taking a “Double” Finesse?
Suppose I am declarer, and dummy has a "side" (non-trump) suit with AQx or AQxx, and I have xxx in my hand. I have been told NOT to finesse the Q (a 50-50 chance), except as a last resort, or late in ...
3
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1answer
66 views
What are ways to “read” the shape of your opponents' hands early on?
Toward the end, the shape of opponents' hands can be read by "counting" (playing out two or three suits and inferring the shape of the remaining one(s)).
In the beginning, one looks for more subtle ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
What is the penalty for failing to follow suit?
Assume the mistake is unintentional, what course of action should be taken when this occurs and is discovered?
If the person discovers themselves that they earlier made the mistake, is the penalty ...
12
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2answers
146 views
Hesitating as bluff
The contracting player leads a trump. As the next player I make an obvious hesitation before playing my singleton 10 of trumps. At the end of the hand my opponent, who did not call the director, ...
8
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2answers
160 views
In bridge, what are some exceptions to “second hand low?”
Most beginners are taught to play "second hand low." That is, play a low card if one is led to them, to give the partner a chance to take the trick. This is particularly to avoid situations where ...
29
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8answers
1k views
Why is the strong 1NT so prevalent in Bridge?
Bridge is widely considered to be the queen of card games on both sides of the Atlantic. However, there's one huge difference between the way that (most) Americans and (most) Britons play. In ...
7
votes
4answers
716 views
What happens when a deal is passed out in Duplicate Bridge Tournaments?
I understand how duplicate bridge works, but I'm still missing one small conceptual part of the scoring, being the outcome when a deal is passed out. Is the score for that hand just assumed to be 0 ...
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2answers
92 views
In bridge,should a responder devalue her hand if short in opener's suit?
I opened a "strong two clubs." Partner bid 2 NT, which between us, meant "9-plus points, slam interest."
I bid my suit, 3 spades, with the following: (s) AKQxxx (h) AKx (d) Ax (c) xx. That's a ...
0
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1answer
88 views
Which way to capture a queen?
This is a problem from today's New York Post.
You (South) are in a stretchy major suit contract with only 22 high card points. You have four top tricks outside the trump suit, and have just won a ...
2
votes
2answers
105 views
How do you decide which way to finesse for an ace?
This is from the New York Post, which is to say that it is a "problem."
You are declarer (South) in a 3 no trump contract. You get a "friendly" lead in a suit where you have three winners (two in ...
5
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2answers
131 views
In Bridge, what is the punishment for misclaiming tricks?
Down to the last two rounds in rubber bridge. Declarer claims remaining tricks only to discover that he has miscounted. He claims the two tricks with Q-10; however, opponent holds the J and ...
9
votes
2answers
122 views
Can't understand the meaning of 'heart finesse'
What does the phrase heart finesse mean? It appears to be a card term:
http://www.confsudbridge.org/hits/brbm0014i.aspx
Think about it a little: if the heart finesse was necessary to the
...
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3answers
110 views
Are there times to pre-empt with a “strong” six trumps in bridge?
Suppose you have something like AQJxxx of clubs (and no other values). If it were any other suit than clubs, I'd open with a with a "weak two" bid.
But two clubs is the STRONG two bid. Meaning that ...
3
votes
1answer
210 views
Confused with Bidding in Contract Bridge
I'm building an Android game based on Contract Bridge, where 4 players will be playing simultaneously once they are connected with the Game Server.
I have no prior experience of playing any card ...
4
votes
4answers
211 views
In bridge, are there some 13 point hands that should not be opened?
Suppose you have: (s) Jx (h)KQxx (d) KJxx (c) Kxx.
That's 13 points, by the usual count. But I can think of at least two things wrong with it.
First, there are no aces, meaning that the hand has ...
8
votes
2answers
295 views
What is the Purpose of a “Ducking” Play In Bridge?
Sometimes I will have Axx in a key suit, opposite dummy's holdings of Kxxxx. In such situations, I was taught to make a "ducking" play by playing a low card from both sides, instead of playing an A or ...
2
votes
1answer
66 views
In bridge, is an “uppercut” a special case of a “forcing game?”
In a standard forcing game, you the defender, may have four (or more) trumps, and ypu lead a long suit in which declarer is void in order to force him to ruff, thereby shortening his trumps to your ...
2
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1answer
59 views
How to identify when to try a “Merriamac Coup” in bridge?
A "Merrimac Coup" in bridge usually refers to the "suicidal" lead of a king, in order to force out an opposing ace before the opponent is ready to use the ace as an entry. If that hand (usually dummy) ...
3
votes
3answers
137 views
Can a takeout doubler pass a redoubled contract?
South opened one diamond. West doubled for takeout with the following hand:
s) Axxx (H) Kxx (D) Kxx (C) Qxx
North redoubled. This took me (East) off the hook with something like s) xxx (H) xxx (D) ...
8
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2answers
342 views
Bridge - Counting and Visualising
Been playing Bridge for a couple of years now. Have improved in bidding, strategy and other stuff. But one place where there is no improvement is counting and visualising.
At best, I can keep track ...
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3answers
231 views
What is the purpose of “underruffing” in bridge?
Sometimes declarer will lead a long suit from one hand, for a "ruffing finesse" in order to ruff with a void in the other. If the intervening opponent ruffs with say, the 9, the declarer might ...
9
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3answers
457 views
Response to “convenient” minor bid.
My partner opened 1 Club. I held Spade J732, Diamond Axxxx, Club QJxx, Heart VOID. She was upset that I bid two clubs rather than 1 Spade. I did not think the Spade suit was good enough to bid. What ...
2
votes
1answer
107 views
In Bridge, should a defender “encourage” with a "stranded honor?
In the example in Today's New York Post, the bidding went: S 1 spade, N 2 clubs, S 2 NT, N3 spades, S 4 Spades (East and West passed throughout).
West led the 9 of hearts, which as between these ...
2
votes
1answer
284 views
Can “SWOT” analysis be useful in bridge
SWOT stands for (an analysis of) strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats. There are four "fields" and yes, four suits.
Here's an example from this deal, which came up in today's New York Post. ...
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2answers
173 views
In bridge, can the “rule of 20” be used outside of opening bids (e.g for takeout doubles)?
Here's another example from today's New York Post. West opened 1 club. (He had a 19 point 1NT hand, and was planning to re-bid 2NT.) North made a (takeout) double with (s) KQxxx (h) Qxxxx (d) xx (c) ...
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4answers
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Do good bridge players memorize all cards played?
Certainly, they track the quantity of each suit and the high value cards, but I'm curious if good bridge players also remember, say, whether someone ducked the ace using a 7 of spades vs a 6 of ...
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2answers
136 views
What Are the Requirements for a “Jump” Bid Opposite a Takeout Double in Bridge?
My left hand opponent opened one diamond. Partner doubled. Right hand opponent passed. I was sitting in fourth seat with eight points, and something like
(s) KJxxx (h) Jxx (d) xx (c) Kxx.
I ...
3
votes
1answer
95 views
Is it right to refrain from making a takeout double in borderline situations?
In today's bridge column, this example was given:
North opened with one diamond. East doubled with (s) Qxx (h)AQxx (d) x (c) ATxxx.
This double technically met my 14 point requirement (12 for high ...
6
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2answers
108 views
Doubleton Negating High-Card Points
I play bridge casually and mostly have learned from other players (and occasionally from online resources). While playing recently another player suggested that I was counting my hand's points ...
6
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1answer
147 views
Is it legitimate/ethical to treat the same bid from different people in different ways?
I play in a bridge "round robin" using Chicago scoring, with three other people. Call them, A, B, and C, with three different styles.
A will open, say one spade with as few as ten high card points ...
5
votes
2answers
221 views
In Bridge, Is “ruffing” a good enough reason to postpone drawing trumps?
Most bridge teachers (and books) teach players to draw trumps at the first possible opportunity. The reason is that you don't want your opponents to take tricks with low trumps. (If they have the A, ...
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5answers
788 views
Is bidding in contract bridge just a matter of applying a set of rules?
Some years ago I tried to learn to play contract bridge with some friends and I never really understood the philosophy (for want of a better word) of bidding. It seemed as if we just had to learn a ...
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2answers
208 views
In bridge, what are the proper followups to a Jacoby transfer?
In bridge, over a 1 NT opening, a responder might bid 2D with five hearts asking the opener to "transfer" to 2H, or bid 2H with five spades, asking for a transfer to 2S. The idea is to try to find an ...
7
votes
3answers
600 views
Is it better to learn to play bridge by reading about it, or just playing?
I'm an avid card player, and I have a particular love for trick-taking games (above all, Hearts and Spades). I've wanted to learn to play bridge for a long time, and I've bought two different books on ...
4
votes
5answers
658 views
How should hands that are EXTREMELY strong in one suit (10+ cards) be bid?
I'm a bit of a bridge noob, but I'm kind of puzzled about this. Say I have a hand that is ridiculously strong in one suit, say at least 10 cards with all 4 honors (I'll use spades for the example ...
6
votes
2answers
173 views
How do you find not-quite-club level human opponents to regularly play bridge with?
What's a good way to to go about finding human bridge players (kids or adults) that is less intense than what you find at duplicate bridge clubs, but more competitive and learning oriented than ...
8
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2answers
344 views
Online resources for learning/practicing bridge
Are there any good online resources to learn the game. By learn, I mean learn attain the knowledge that one would by buying/reading a good book.
For example, are there any "puzzles" that are well ...
2
votes
3answers
276 views
Should I Use A “Negative Double” Over a Possible “Short Club” Bid And Overcall in Bridge?
Playing Standard American, partner opened 1 club. Right hand opponent overcalled 1 spade. I raised to 2 clubs with:
♠xx ♥Axxx ♦JTxx ♣Qxx
Everyone passed. Partner had 13 points and a "short" three ...
3
votes
2answers
229 views
In Bridge, Is There A Way To Shorten “Reaction Time” For “Real Time” Play
I like to solve bridge problems in newspapers. When I do this, I often get the correct answer, or at least come "within sight" (e.g. get the key idea but "muff" the sequence). This process typically ...
5
votes
1answer
205 views
What is “Playing For Top or Bottom” In Bridge?
Apparently it relates to duplicate bridge. Initially, I thought it meant playing the hand in a risky way to score overtricks, and taking the chance of sacrificing a potential game. But then someone ...
7
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8answers
996 views
Getting started with trick-taking games (whist, euchre, bridge, pinochle, etc.) [closed]
I've heard there are a lot of different trick-taking games out there, such as whist, bridge, euchre, pinochle, oh hell, hearts etc. I've heard a lot of good things about these games, but have very ...
3
votes
2answers
140 views
Take out double at first opportunity to double?
I dealt and passed - LH opponent passed, partner passed and RHO opened 1 Heart.
Holding:
♠ K98 ♥ 109 ♦ A986 ♣KJ2
can I double as this is the first opportunity to do so?
7
votes
3answers
334 views
In Bridge, Which Forms of Deception Are Ethical? Does This Include “Moodying?”
Playing in a casual game of bridge, holding JTx of trumps, I "falsecarded" on the second trump lead with the J. Believing that he had drawn them, declarer stopped leading trumps. Later, I trumped one ...
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5answers
1k views
Why Do People Use “Precision” Bidding in Bridge?
As I understand it, in the "precision" bidding system in bridge, you open one club with 16+ points (a greater than minimum opening hand), while all the other "one" level bids show 13-15 (a minimum). ...
7
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1answer
220 views
In Bridge, Does It Make Sense to Pre-empt in Fourth Seat?
In one of my games, there were three passes. Fourth seat elected to "pre-empt," three hearts with something like the following:
♠xx ♥KQJxxxx ♦Jxx ♣x
One of the opponents doubled (for penalties), ...
3
votes
2answers
146 views
In Bridge, Is it Sometimes Good to Lead an Opponent's Suit on Defense?
I was "West," that is, the opening leader. My left and right hand opponents had alternated diamond and spade bids, neither supporting the other, suggesting something like 6-1 misfits in both suits ...
