Taking On The World - First Steps - 22nd Oct 2009

I hope that sooner or later most of you will feel ready for some form of competitive bridge. This will either take the form of going to a club to play duplicate pairs, or else playing Teams matches in your own home in one of the many leagues organised by the LMBA (London Metropolitan Bridge Association - http://www.metrobridge.co.uk/).

With this in mind and after chatting to some of you about it we have entered a team into the London League Newcomer's Division. I've arbitrarily appointed John Cox as team captain and he has rounded up some others already to join in. The team can be up to 8 people so if you're interested let John know. Home matches will be hopefully played at the Princess of Wales.

A team consists of 4 people. In a match, a pair from Team A sit N/S & a pair from Team B sit E/W at one table. At the other table these positions are reversed. All the boards (hands) are then played at both tables and the difference in the scores by each team is calculated. If Team A N/S make 3S + 1 they score 170 [120 tricks and 50 bonus for the partscore]. If Team B N/S, however, bid the game and make it they score 420 (non-vulnerable) [120 for the tricks but 300 bonus because they bid and made game]. The difference is +250 to team B. And so on.

The newcomer's division is specifically designed for those who've never played any competitive bridge before, so is a great way to have some fun and learn at the same time.

In a recent Team match this hand occurred:

Board 6: Dealer: East, EW vulnerable(!)

....................... A652
....................... K9873
....................... A6
....................... K2
Q107................................ 8 43
QJ54 ............................... A6
Q1097 ............................. J432
6 ...................................... AJ974
....................... KJ9
....................... 102
....................... K85
....................... Q10853

West .... North .... East .... South
................................pass .... pass
pass ...... 1H ......... pass .... 1NT
all pass

This looks like the "right" auction at table 1 and made with an overtrick after a spade lead (+120 to N/S "A"), but at table 2 it went:

West .... North .... East .... South
................................pass .... pass
pass ...... 1H ......... 2C! .... all pass

2C (not doubled!) went 3 off for -300 to N/S "B" so on the hand "B" were 180 to the good on what looks on the face of it like a fairly uneventful hand. 2C here is a bit of a "cappucino" bid - all frothy with no substance. Vulnerable you want a double shot espresso. Actually East was lucky to "only" go down 3 for -300. It could have been more and it probably should have been doubled (-800). The North hand should nearly always re-open with a double IN CASE partner can pass it for penalties.

Compete like a shark in a sardine tin. This is a classic example of why, when we are vulnerable, we like to be better protected when we overcall, especially at the two level. 3 down NOT vulnerable is only 150 to NS who had 120 anyway in 1NT +1, not so terrible. Here vulnerability is all. Vulnerable, you are under a desert sun with no sun-block. Be careful when you venture into the glare. Take extra protection. Make your hat a big floppy one.

If you like we could have practice team matches on occasional wednesdays if you feel ready, just to get you in the swing of it all?