Back to School Special
Until September 30th, 2022 bridge teachers can save even more on class sets.
Every time an opponent shows out
Piecing together the shapes of the missing hands is so crucial. You move from complete uncertainty to complete certainty as the deal progresses.
Never Put Down an 8-Card Suit in Dummy
This hand was dealt in the Life Master Pairs at the 1997 ACBL summer championships in Albuquerque NM, and it generated some lively discussions after the game.
1NT with 5-card major?
By Larry Cohen Courtesy of Larryco.com Should I Open 1NT with a 5-card Major? This is the #1 question. If bridge teachers had a dollar for every time this question is asked, they’d be wealthy …
DON’T GET DIVORCED FROM DUMMY!
In notrump, your opponents, who have no sense of humor, usually lead their strongest suit. This, invariably, is your weakest suit.
Openers-Six-Card-Repeat-Line
Repeating a suit strongly suggests six cards. Indeed if you (i) do not play reverses as showing extra values and (ii) always open or rebid notrumps with a 5332 shape (yes – even with a five-card major – the modern style and much recommended by your columnist), then repeating a suit GUARANTEES six cards.
Improve Your Opening Leads
What’s the most difficult skill to master in the play of the cards? To a beginner, it may be a finesse. More experienced players might answer that it’s executing endplays or coups or squeezes.
Learning to Improve
In this one article, I wish to provide ‘universal’ information on learning how to get better at bridge. Sure, you can take many lessons and read many books. A good memory is useful, but it is not the key ingredient to improving your bridge game.
DON’T MULTI-TASK!
It is a known fact that some are able to multi-task and some just cannot. We are not going to suggest which gender can and which cannot but we all know. BUT at the bridge table, no-one should multi-task!
Sacrificing
Sacrificing means bidding over the opponents, expecting to fail. You hope that either you will be cheaper than the opposing making (game) contract; or your opponents bid one more and go down.
A tribute to my first bridge teacher
Bridge and its players lost one of their most ardent fans — and I lost the woman who taught me this great game — when Cathy Smith, 64, of Wood River IL died in February, 1997.
Cathy was an ACBL member for over 30 years, but had few opportunities to play competitively.