March 26th, 2013 ~ paul cronin ~
7 Comments 
For the great majority of duplicate bridge players the amassing of masterpoints is simply a matter of time – you play for thirty, forty, or fifty years, and you have 1600 MPs, or 2400 MPs, or 3800 MPs. In short, the number of masterpoints you have is mainly proportional to your age, not to your level of skill (although in most cases skill level does increase with age). But there is a world of difference between these MPs, and the 1821 MPs earned last year by USA Junior (25 years or under) Justin Lall. His points, along with those of others like Joel Wooldridge, Joe Grue, John Hurd, etc., are not a function of age but rather of skill. And this goes as well for some of the “older” experts, whose masterpoint totals exceed 30,000. These people don’t play the same game that the rest of us do – they are truly in a different world. Is it not time then, at least at Sectionals and Regionals, that they were required to play in events with a bottom masterpoint limit of at least 5000? Why are so many now lumped together in a 3000 and up MP event? Or worse yet, in a 2000 and up MP event? For those of you who want the thrill of getting thumped by the experts, and supposedly learning thereby, you could still play up and receive your thumping. I have to wonder though if you really believe that you’re going to “learn something” by playing against Meckstroth, when there is no possibility that you could even conceive of what goes on in his mind when he plays. In short then, how about two streams at tournaments – expert, and the rest of us?
March 24th, 2013 ~ paul cronin ~
16 Comments
In a hand from Saturday’s Vanderbilt,
Welland Auken
98542 K
K2 A85
Q76 AK94
AK10 J5432
took ten bids to reach 3NT.
Whatever happened to 1S –> 3NT ?
Now, maybe going (much) more slowly than 1S –> 3NT would discover the 6C that does make, but it wasn’t found by either side.
What have we come to indeed !
February 23rd, 2013 ~ paul cronin ~
6 Comments
BBO has various ways of describing one’s “expertise” – Private, Novice, Beginner,Intermediate, Advanced, Expert, World Class.
As there are an astounding number of “experts” on BBO, it was a surprise yesterday to partner one humble enough to classify himself as merely “advanced”.
On one hand, where I held J983 876 1042 AQ7 , the auction went as follows:
South Me North “Advanced Partner”
P P P 1C
2H X P 2S
P P 3H P
P P
3H duly made, and we were -140.
Now, as an “expert” yourself, and given that your “advanced partner” let 3H sit, what is your picture of your “advanced partner”‘s hand?
Did you envision AK10642 A J87 J108 ?
Always eager to learn, I queried partner as to why he opened 1C instead of 1S. His reply – “shut up beginner”.
The bright side is that now I don’t have to fret over what my BBO classification should be – been done for me!
February 21st, 2013 ~ paul cronin ~
9 Comments
Have found it interesting in responses to previous blogs that a number of players feel that “anything goes” when overcalling a strong 1C or 2C opener.
How about (i) 1C 1S = not a 6-5-1-1 hand, or (ii) 2C 2H = any thirteen cards
February 20th, 2013 ~ paul cronin ~
8 Comments
Several blogs back we talked about a hand where a strong 2C opener was overcalled by 2D, which was alerted and explained as either hearts or hearts and a minor. I was surprised that no one raised the issue of the 2D being a bid with which most pairs would be unfamiliar, and hence would not have discussed how they would handle same. Would like to hear opinions as to whether bids for which most opponents are not prepared should be allowed, particularly when they are not intended to play but rather simply to disrupt. Additionally, there are other nuances here with which opponents would not be familiar, as in what is the difference between LHO bidding 2H in this auction, or just passing and swinging it back to either opener or partner? What would “redouble” by LHO show? What would 3C by LHO show ? And the beat goes on !
February 6th, 2013 ~ paul cronin ~
5 Comments
A thought from the last post.
If both members of a partnership have agreed that they will always false-card in such a situation, does this constitute a partnership agreement that is unknown to opponents?
Are they giving full disclosure when they say “We play upside-down signals” and they know that partner is false-carding?
February 3rd, 2013 ~ paul cronin ~
7 Comments
You are in 3NT – your dummy is KJ10 Kx AQx AKQJ10
You hold Qxx Qxx J10xx xxx
The auction was Partner RHO You LHO
2C 2D* DBL 2H
3C P 3NT P
P P
The 2D by RHO is explained as (a) hearts and a minor, or (b) hearts
LHO leads aheart, K from dummy, A from LHO,small from you.
RHO continues the HJ, you duck, LHO follows, small from dummy.
RHO now leads the H10, and you inquire what opponents signals are. The answer is upside-down.
You win with the HQ, LHO shows out, and you continue by ???
January 3rd, 2013 ~ paul cronin ~
9 Comments
Declarer is in 5S, and after ten tricks have been played has lost one trick.
Although declarer has three spades left, his RHO holds both the ace and king of spades, and therefore the contract is going to be down one.
But wait – when delarer leads a spade at trick eleven, RHO fails to follow suit.
Declarer then leads another spade at trick twelve, and RHO claims the last two tricks.
Declarer points out the established revoke, and states that the contract is now making.
As director, how would you rule?
December 9th, 2012 ~ paul cronin ~
9 Comments
Now that the San Francisco NABC is over, am wondering if the ACBL ZT policy was in effect.
Were ZT announcements made by the director before every session, as mandated by the ACBL?
Did anyone hear a ZT call for a director?
Did anyone see or hear of any ZT penalties being assigned?
Did anyone encounter inappropriate behaviour at the table? If so, did you call for a director? If you didn’t call for a director, why not?
October 19th, 2012 ~ paul cronin ~
2 Comments
Am leaving 6 a.m. tomorrow morning for a 31 night cruise to South America – will be back November 21st . Will leave from Boston – then Port Canaveral – Fort Lauderdale – San Blas Islands, Panama – Panama Canal – Manta, Ecuador – Salaverry, Peru – Callao, Peru –Coquimbo, Chile – Santiago, Chile – Puerto Montt, Chile – Puerto Chacabuco, Chile – Chilean Fjords – Amalia-Glacier – Canal Sarmiento, Chile – Beagle Channel, Argentina – Cockburn Channel, Chile – Straits of Magellan – Puntas Arenas, Chile– Ushuaia, Argentina – Cape Horn, Chile – Puerto Madryn, Argentina – Montevideo, Uruguay – Buenos Aires, Argentina.Taking my tablet, so hopefully can enjoy my favourite blogs while away. First time aboard Holland America – ship is the Veendam – weather should be good as just coming into spring there.
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