Gee what a strange name. Why not Odds and Ends? Well how many
times as a bridge player have you tried to draw trump before discarding losers
or taken a finesse in spite of the odds. This page will be used for some of the miscellany that seems
to collect and/or pop up then and now and most of the postings will be
temporary. If you see something you like, copy it because it may be gone today
and here tomorrow or something like that. Bridge players seem to have a penchant
for the versa vice. We will attempt to keep this page printer friendly with page
breaks. Please let us know if you
have any items to share.
Doesn't the animation remind you of your actions the last time
you tried to play a big impossible no trump contract that your partner placed you
in? There is just no way out. Eleanor; we couldn't use a cat because it
would shed all over the pages of the site and clog up all of the links.
For those of you that are having trouble finding the bridge club we have
included an overhead view of our bridge club. You may click on the picture for
an enlarged view.
For a little strategy help when playing in team events
WINNING
Or at least not losing in Swiss Team Events
1. DON'T DOUBLE PART SCORES WITHOUT A TRUMP STACK
2. On close decisions, BID YOUR GAME OR SLAM, especially vulnerable.
3. DON'T SACRIFICE, unless you are only going down one trick.
4. See No. 1
5. In competitive auctions the FIVE LEVEL BELONGS TO THE OPPONENTS.
6. In competitive auctions, use the PRINCIPLE OF MINIMUM REGRET to decide
whether to compete
Example Two -50's are better than two -420's
7. Don't double part scores without a TRUMP STACK.
8. BE BOLD ON DEFENSE: risk an overtrick to beat a contract.
9. When declaring, MAKE YOUR CONTRACT. Don't risk it to make
overtricks.
Gamble to make a contract. See corollary below
10. DON'T DOUBLE PART SCORES
11. Make SOUND PREEMPTS ( AK seventh, KQJT seventh)
12. Make FRISKY RAISES TO THE TWO-LEVEL. The opponents are not going to
double two level contracts.
Corollary to #9: It's ok to go down 3 when
gambling to make a contract rather than
making the safe play to go down
one.
The Duck
A declarer has four small opposite a doubleton king. He leads a low
card, plays low from dummy, and the ace appears on his right. What
is name of this play.
Borrowed from "The New York Times Bridge Book" by Dorothy and
Alan Truscott a book that makes for great reading.
The answer to the question is obvious; it is called "A Peeking
Duck".
The" Finesseless Coup"
A few bridge quotes
It's not enough to win the tricks that belong to you. Try also for some
that belong to the opponents....Alfred Sheinwold
The real test of a bridge player isn't in keeping out of trouble, but in
escaping once he's in....Alfred Sheinwold
If you have the slightest touch of masochism, you'll love this game.
Bridge is a great comfort in your old age. It also helps you get there
faster. One gets used to abuse. It's waiting for it that is so
trying....Rueful Rabbit
Bridge is essentially a social game, but unfortunately it attracts a
substantial number of antisocial people.
One advantage of bad bidding is that you get practice at playing
atrocious contracts...Alfred Sheinwold
"Where's the hand you held during the auction?" ... a comment Jan
Janitschke has made when dummy hits.
South: Alert! East: Yes? South: I'm requested to further mis-describe my
hand.
It is not the handling of difficult hands that makes the winning player.
There aren't enough of them. It is the ability to avoid messing
up the easy ones....Alan Sontag
Most bridge players prefer consistency in their partners rather than
brilliance...Matthew Granovetter
The sum of all technical knowledge cannot make a master contract
player...Ely Culbertson
The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its
limits.
Card sense is when it's technically right to do something, the little
man that sits on my shoulder or anyone else's shoulder says,
"Don't do that." And you say to yourself, "Well, wait a minute, that's
the right way to play." And he says, "Yeah, but you don't
wanna play that way." That instinct is card sense. It's almost an
ability to feel where the cards are. It's something that you can't
buy, you can't find; you're born with it. The ability to do the right
thing at the wrong time or really to do the wrong thing at the right
time....Barry Crane
I'd like a review of the bidding with all the original inflections.
The average defender operates in a fog of uncertainty...H. W. Kelsey
Regardless of what sadistic impulses we may harbor, winning bridge
means helping partner avoid mistakes...Frank Stewart
A player who can't defend accurately should try to be declarer...Alfred
Sheinwold
The real secret of the expert is to make logic seem like flair...Hugh
Kelsey
If you play bridge with your wife as partner, you need at least 20
points to open, and it wouldn't hurt to have 25...Joe James
Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make
them all yourself... Alfred Sheinwold
I favor light opening bids. When you're my age, you're never sure
they're going to get back to you in time....Oswald Jacoby at 77
Years ago there were only two acceptable excuses for not leading the
suit your partner had opened: having no cards in the suit, and
sudden death....Alfred Sheinwold
I think we're all a little masochistic. Otherwise, why would we continue
to play bridge?
We had a partnership misunderstanding. My partner assumed I knew what I
was doing.
My partner is 20 years behind the times. Nowadays you pay your money to
bid. My partner still thinks you need cards.
Your play was much better tonight, and so were your excuses.
We play forcing hesitations.
A fellow had made a bad bid and gone down for 1400. "I'm sorry," he said
to his partner, "I had a card misplaced." Asked his partner
innocently, "Only one card?"... Charles Goren
If I did everything right, I wouldn't be playing with you!
When I take a 50-50 chance I expect it to come off 8 or 9 times out of
10....Hideous Hog
The strange hand where any direction can play at three no
trump and make the contract.
