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.
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) ...
9
votes
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 ...
8
votes
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 ...
1
vote
2answers
174 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) ...
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 ...
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. ...
6
votes
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, ...
6
votes
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 ...
5
votes
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 ...
3
votes
1answer
211 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 ...
7
votes
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 ...
4
votes
2answers
337 views
Is Duplicate Bridge (standard Matchpoints) a game of pure skill?
I'm inclined to say "no" because because each of the following could be considered lucky:
A finesse can be tried 2 different ways and your partnership selects
the one that works
You play a routine, ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
In Bridge, what are “proper” responses to a “strong” 2 club bid?
Bidding Standard American, and opening a "strong" two clubs (typically 22 HCPs and a six card suit), I like to hear responses of 2 diamonds (0-8 points, no more than game interest), or 2NT (9+ plus ...
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 ...
13
votes
4answers
685 views
Why are beginning to intermediate bridge players told to delay learning how to bid certain types of unusual hands?
When learning modern bidding (Standard American 5 card majors in my case), I noticed that the system's bidding techniques and common conventions described good ways of getting to a reasonable contract ...
4
votes
5answers
660 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 ...
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 ...
8
votes
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 ...
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 ...
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?
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 ...
0
votes
3answers
415 views
What caused this world-class player' to respond inappropriately to her partner's transfer bids?
Zia Mahmood's Bridge column today relates an amusing tale of disaster at the World Championships. A player on the apparently very talented Netherlands ladies team, holding the following 6-3-2-2 hand:
...
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 ...
5
votes
3answers
209 views
What Is a “Reverse” In Bridge?
Partner opened one diamond. I responded 1 NT with the following hand.
♠Txxx ♥Axx ♦Txxx ♣Ax
Partner then rebid two spades. I raised to four spades, reading my partner for 17 points or so. We went ...
7
votes
1answer
221 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
138 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 ...
5
votes
1answer
203 views
In Bridge, What Is “Playing the Card You Are Known to Hold?”
If you're a declarer, and West leads the queen of spades, with dummy showing the Kx of the suit, while you have Axx in the closed hand, you might take the trick with the K from the dummy, thereby not ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
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:
...
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 ...
9
votes
5answers
745 views
When will playing Rubber Bridge vs. Duplicate Bridge affect your decisions?
In Rubber Bridge, you are trying to get more points than your opponents. In Duplicate Bridge, you are trying to get more points than the other people playing the same hand later on do. For a while I ...
6
votes
1answer
178 views
How do I Detect/Defend Against an Endplay In Bridge?
When I see declarer draw trumps, and then start to "eliminate" (ruff out) one or more plain suits, my biggest fear as a defender is of an end play. That is, the declarer will put me on lead because ...
4
votes
3answers
194 views
In Bridge, What Are Some Defenses Against Squeezes?
My understanding is that squeezes are most likely to occur when one defender holds all the key cards in say, two different suits. And in most cases, they are what I call "secondary" cards (e.g. Kx, ...
4
votes
3answers
362 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, ...
7
votes
3answers
602 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 ...
7
votes
4answers
1k views
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 ...
4
votes
1answer
75 views
In Bridge, How do I Differentiate Between My Partner's Signals on Defense?
On defense, there are attitude, suit preference, and count signals. My guess is that the play to the first trick would represent an "attitude" signal for a suit. Beyond that, how do I differentiate ...
5
votes
3answers
270 views
In contract bridge, what are bonus points for?
I am a beginner and could not find out the application or the use of those bonus points above the line in contract(rubber) bridge. If the winner in a contract bridge is the pair that first achieves 2 ...
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 ...
2
votes
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
votes
1answer
132 views
In “Standard” American, Is It Possible to Bid the Opposing Suit “Naturally” Over a Takeout Double?
I dealt and bid one heart with the following:
♠Axx
♥AQJxx
♦Jxx
♣xx
Left hand opponent doubled for takeout. Partner passed with something like K♦, Q♣ ...
-1
votes
3answers
829 views
Is A Good time Make a “Penalty” Double When Your Defensive Tricks Exceed Your “Allowance”?
Most contracts are predicated on the supposition that the defenders will win some tricks. If game can be made with "26 points and eight trumps," this leaves 14 points and five trumps to the defenders ...
11
votes
3answers
989 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 ...
1
vote
2answers
191 views
Does a Takeout Double Apply to a “Passed” Partner?
Using Standard American my left hand opponent bid one heart. Partner passed. Right hand opponent raised to two hearts. I was in the "balancing" (fourth) seat and held:
(s) Axxx (h) x (d) KJxx (c) ...
1
vote
4answers
230 views
In Bridge, Do You Count Defensive Points In the Opponents' Suit When Making a Takeout Double?
Left hand opponent opened 1 heart. Partner doubled for takeout. Right hand opponent passed. I "had to" bid 2 clubs with something like (S) xxx (H) xx (D) Jxxx (C) Jxxx.
We were doubled for penalties, ...
9
votes
2answers
186 views
In Bridge Play, What is Meant by “Combining Your Chances?”
I was in a NT contract. After the initial rounds of play, the last few (visible) cards were something like these in two suits (call them spades and hearts):
dummy:
spades KJx
Hearts xxx
Me:
Spades ...
4
votes
3answers
530 views
In Bridge, What's the Difference Between the Blackwood And Gerber Conventions?
I have an idea that both conventions are used to check for aces in slam bidding, and that one starts at four clubs and the other at 4NT. Beyond that, I'm confused.
Why would a bidder use one over the ...
4
votes
2answers
299 views
In Bridge, When and Why Do People Sacrifice Overtricks to Be Sure of Making Game?
Most players I've seen will often sacrifice potential overtricks in "rubber" bridge to be sure of making game. Apparently, that's not the case in "duplicate." Why is that?
