Month: May 2011

Hi all

If you take a drive towards Oakland you’ll see quite a few billboards of doom.

… And the bible guarantees it.

Pffffff
Hi
Hi
Muahahahahaaa
* snort *

Well, I don’t have to clarify my point of view now, I guess. I thought mankind was beyond this already. Anyway, we’ll be sitting in a plane to The Netherlands, the only screening we will be subjected to is by DHS (not so great either). Three weeks of visiting family & friends, indulging in decent bread & cheese, and play some non-ACBL-cured bridge. Good times.

Here’s a fine deal from a STaC game in San Francisco. I’ve met my LHO before, she’s venomous. The frost at the table is very real, her glares at my partner chill my spine. After pass – pass – 2 – double – pass it’s my turn again:

Lebensohl or no? I decide to take the weak route (2NT) because I hate my King in front of the preempt and a stiff Queen doesn’t give me warm feelings either.

Partner surprises me with a jump to 4. What? Come again?

Suddenly my hand improves by 1.609 km’s and then some. I expect partner to hold a singlesuited monster. And I add four trumps to the Queen – Jack, a singleton, even the King recovered some of it’s grandeur. I’m worth another call: 5. Raised to 6.

1. Lebensohl

This was the full deal:

There was no play to it, two ruffs and then a hook for a possible overtrick. I’m glad my partner decided to sell his hand as a singlesuited hand, I probably would have doubled and then bid NT myself.

Hi all

I’m a bit sore. Sore from carrying sand and tiles to revamp our backyard. But our combined efforts led to drinking Duvel in the sun’s splendor on our new terrace. Life’s good.

Geoff and I had an uncomplicated auction to 3NT.

West leads a small . I don’t want to endanger my contract so I call low from dummy. I win East’s Ten with my Ace, next my Jack gets covered by the King and Ace, and the same happens for the Jack from dummy. Just for sake of symmetry I cross to the Queen, and all four suits have been played in the first four tricks.

I continue cashing out on the black suits ( breaking) and I find myself squeezing West out of his five card suit and the King. All thirteen are making their bow to me… the 7 last…

So the juice I squeezed from my opponent magically turned into beer. Well, coming from Dombo I know, no, I feel! the 7 is a false prophet. The universe revolves around the 8. The 7 outranked in class, suit and number. There’s not a lot more to it than that.

But woe me, the invertebrate! The promise of beer and I set aside my beliefs (be it temporarily).

Hi all

I’m looking to participate in the summer nationals in Toronto. Unfortunately my partners here have other plans/obligations, so here’s me throwing a pitch: Reasonable & imaginative player, often wears colorful pants and has a lot of fun at the table seeks decent partner to wreak some havoc in Toronto. Responses here.

Here’s a deal from me and James again at Quick Tricks.

1. A tad light
2. Kaplan inversion, 4+ at least invitational
3. Take out
4. Let’s just take the least dangerous path

After my opening and rebid James switched on the nitro. For a second I pictured myself on the launch schedule at Cape Canaveral. Lift off complete!

My LHO leads a low and I see that I’m standing on the edge of a very deep cliff. But the strong gust of wind has a friendly directional push, I’m not plunging to my demise just yet.

So we’re off two tricks from the start, but I can pitch three of them on dummy’s , taking care of half my issues. The other half is to locate the whereabouts of that lovely Queen.

I take stock for two minutes and I’ve formulated a small trap I can set for my RHO. I start with pitching three and then on the fourth round of I throw my last , East winning the trick.

East winces for a second and then switches to a .

He fell for it!

Why would he switch to a if the look so much more attractive in their vulnerability? He must have a stiff ! Combine that with his first round pass and then a minors showing take out double. East is 1-2-5-5.

Confidently I play from top and the Queen does make her appearance.

Perhaps I would have taken the right guess anyway, but a succesfully sprung trap offers some extra backing. Check out this story if you’re hungry for more bridge, it is out of this world:http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/crypto.htm