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Balancing (bridge)
In the game of contract bridge, balancing (or protection in Britain) refers to making a call other than Pass when passing would result in the opponents playing at a low level. Balancing is done by the player in the ''balancing position'', i.e. to the right of the player making the last non-pass call. This is in contrast to bidding in the ''direct position'', i.e. by the player to the left. Balancing is normally done with values unsuitable for direct action, but only after the opponents' bidding has demonstrated weakness or minimal strength. The aim of the tactic is to find a makeable or nearly-makeable contract for one's own side or to "push" opponents a level higher. It is more common in matchpoint games, where even a defeat and loss of 100 points is a relatively better result than the opponents' gain of 110-140 points. Examples After an opening bid is passed by responder Balancing situation result from sequences like: Note that a Pass in this ''balancing position'' would resu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Forcing Bid
In the card game contract bridge, a forcing bid is any that obliges the partner to bid over an intermediate opposing pass. Owing to the partnership's bidding system or a bridge convention, partner must "keep the bidding open", i.e. not pass, thereby preventing his left-hand opponent from ending the auction with a pass and enabling the "forcing bidder" to bid further. A forcing bid that creates no further obligation is called ''forcing for one round''. A bid that is ''forcing and promises a rebid'' creates an obligation on the forcing bidder next round (typically, up to some level of the auction). A ''game forcing'' bids creates a mutual obligation to continue bidding at least to game level, or to double the opponents. All bridge bidding systems use forcing bids. For instance, one over one and two over one responses to one-of-a-suit opening bids are treated as forcing in almost all bidding systems. Also, introducing a new suit at three level is generally treated as forcing prov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hand Evaluation
In contract bridge, various bidding systems have been devised to enable partners to describe their hands to each other so that they may reach the optimum contract. Key to this process is that players evaluate and re-evaluate the trick-taking potential of their hands as the auction proceeds and additional information about partner's hand and the opponent's hands becomes available. Hand evaluation methods assess various features of a hand, including: its high card strength, shape or suit , , fit with partner, quality of suits and quality of the whole hand. The methods range from basic to complex, requiring partners to have the same understandings and agreements about their application in their bidding system. Basic point-count system Most bidding systems use a basic point-count system for hand evaluation using a combination of high card points and distributional points, as follows. High card points First published in 1915 by Bryant McCampbell in ''Auction Tactics'' (page 26), the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Takeout Double
In the card game contract bridge, a takeout double is a low-level conventional call of "Double" over an opponent's bid as a request for partner to bid his best of the unbid suits. The most common takeout double is after an opponent's opening bid of one of a suit where the double shows a hand with opening values, support for all three unbid suits (at least three cards in each) and shortness in the suit doubled (preferably, no more than two). Normally, the partner of the doubler must bid his best suit but may pass if (a) his right hand opponent intervenes or (b) on the more rare occasions when his hand is such that he wishes to convert the takeout double to a . Requirements Commonly a double is considered for takeout whenever one of the following conditions is met (but see balancing double below): *Opponents have previously bid only one suit, and the player did not have chance to double that suit before. *Opponents have previously bid two suits, and partner has passed. *Opponents ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Lawrence (bridge Player)
Michael Steven Lawrence (born May 28, 1940)According to the State of California ( CA Birth Index). AFamily Tree Legends Retrieved 2009-07-02. is an American bridge player, teacher, theorist, and prolific writer. Biography Lawrence was born in San Francisco. He started playing bridge while he was a chemistry student at the University of California; as result of a self-inflicted hand injury, he had to postpone the final exams and started playing bridge as a pastime. Bridge became his major interest and he devoted his subsequent life to it. In 1968, he was invited by Ira Corn to join the newly formed Dallas Aces team. He formed a partnership with Bobby Goldman, with whom he played a 2/1 game forcing system. They started by winning several North American Bridge Championships and, after a long Italian Blue Team reign, returned the world crown to America by winning the Bermuda Bowls in 1970 and 1971. Lawrence and James Jacoby left the Aces in 1973. Under Ira Corn's mentorship, La ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Overcall
In contract bridge, an overcall is a bid made after an opening bid has been made by an opponent; the term refers only to the first such bid. A ''direct'' overcall is such a bid made by the player seated immediately to the left of the opener, i.e. next in the bidding rotation; an overcall in the 'last seat', i.e. by the player to the right of opener, which is made after two intervening passes, is referred to as a '' balancing'' or ''protective'' overcall. Objectives The overcaller has one or more of the following objectives: *To secure the contract *To suggest a good lead from partner *To induce the opponents to a higher-level contract *To find an effective sacrifice *To hinder the opponents in their bidding Suit overcalls In most bidding systems, an overcall in an unbid suit is natural, denoting length and strength in the suit bid. The common requirements include: * A good five-card or any longer suit; the features that qualify a suit as 'good' are subject to partnership agreem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michaels Cuebid
The Michaels cuebid is a conventional bid used in the card game contract bridge. First devised by Michael Michaels of Miami Beach, FL, it is an 's cuebid in opponent's opening suit and is normally used to show a two-suited hand with at least five cards in each suit and eight or more points. After the opponents have opened at the one-level, the overcaller bids the same suit at the two-level; the two normal cases are: #Over an opponent's minor opening, a cuebid shows both majors. For example, 1 – 2 shows hearts and spades. #Over an opponent's major opening, a cuebid shows the other major and a minor suit. For example, 1 – 2 shows hearts and either clubs or diamonds. Partner can make a 2NT relay bid to request partner to bid his minor suit, or a 3 pass-or-correct bid. Partnerships who have incorporated Michaels cuebids amongst their agreements usually also play the unusual notrump convention. Requirements Point count requirements vary and are a matt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Law Of Total Tricks
In contract bridge, the Law of total tricks (abbreviated here as LoTT) is a guideline used to help determine how high to bid in a competitive auction. It is not really a law (because counterexamples are easy to find) but a method of hand evaluation which describes a relationship that seems to exist somewhat regularly. Written by Jean-René Vernes for French players in the 1950s as a rule of thumb, it was first described in English in 1966 International Bridge Academy Annals. It received more notice from appearing in The Bridge World in June 1969. In 1981 Dick Payne and Joe Amsbury, using their abbreviation TNT (Total Number of Tricks), wrote at length about it for British readers. Later, in the US, Marty Bergen and Larry Cohen popularized the approach, using their preferred abbreviation: 'the LAW' (all capitals). It was prefigured in S. J. "Skid" Simon's 1945 book '' Why You Lose at Bridge'' in his aphorism "When in doubt, bid one more". Definition LoTT can be stated as f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jacoby Transfer
The Jacoby transfer, or simply transfers, in the card game contract bridge, is a convention in most bridge bidding systems initiated by responder following partner's notrump opening bid that forces opener to rebid in the just above that bid by responder. For example, a response in diamonds forces a rebid in hearts and a response in hearts forces a rebid in spades. Transfers are used to show a long suit, usually a major, and to ensure that opener the hand if the final contract is in the suit transferred to, preventing the opponents from seeing the cards of the stronger hand. The use of the 2 and 2 (and often 2) responses to an opening 1NT bid as transfers is one of the most widely employed conventions in the game. Less commonly, partnerships may agree to use transfer-style bids in a variety of other situations. History and purpose First described in a series of articles by Olle Willner of Sweden in ''Bridge Tidningen'' in the early 1950s, transfers were popularized for English ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acronym
An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as in ''Benelux'' (short for ''Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg''). They can also be a mixture, as in ''radar'' (''Radio Detection And Ranging''). Acronyms can be pronounced as words, like ''NASA'' and ''UNESCO''; as individual letters, like ''FBI'', ''TNT'', and ''ATM''; or as both letters and words, like '' JPEG'' (pronounced ') and ''IUPAC''. Some are not universally pronounced one way or the other and it depends on the speaker's preference or the context in which it is being used, such as '' SQL'' (either "sequel" or "ess-cue-el"). The broader sense of ''acronym''—the meaning of which includes terms pronounced as letters—is sometimes criticized, but it is the term's original meaning and is in common use. Dictionary and st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |