A website for the Lima Duplicate Bridge Club, played at the Council on Aging Bldg., 215 North Central Avenue, Lima, Ohio.
Welcome to the Lima Duplicate Bridge Club Blog
Club Games at the Lima Duplicate Bridge Club are held TUESDAYS at 12:30 P.M. and THURSDAYS at 7:00 P.M., at the Council on Aging Building at 215 N. Central Avenue, Lima. The games are OPEN to the public, and ALL are welcome. $3.oo per session is the CHEAPEST duplicate game in the area, and sanctioned by the American Contract Bridge League. The Lima DBC is your venue for special ACBL events, as well.
Check out the CALENDAR at the bottom of this page for upcoming events and games.
If you do not have a partner, or if you have any questions,
please feel free to email the Club Owner/Director, Ruth Odenweller, at: 07bridge@gmail.com.
PARTNERS ARE ALWAYS GUARANTEED!!!
Check out the CALENDAR at the bottom of this page for upcoming events and games.
If you do not have a partner, or if you have any questions,
please feel free to email the Club Owner/Director, Ruth Odenweller, at: 07bridge@gmail.com.
PARTNERS ARE ALWAYS GUARANTEED!!!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
February 2011
Don't miss the new Newsletter, as always in the Newsletter Library to the left side of this page.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Doubling for Penalty
Suppose that you re playing duplicate. Your opponents have hearts; you and partner have spades. After a back-and-forth, you end up pushing all the way to Three Spades, but the opponents, after some thought, bid a VERY hesitant Four Hearts, vulnerable. What happens if you double?
Suppose that there are five tables at play and that only 40% of the field would bid Four Hearts, 60% settling for defending Three Spades. Assume, also, that Three Spades would fail by one trick, for -100. What if Four Hearts makes, but you do not double?
-420
-420
-100
-100
-100
You were -420, for a 1/2 on a 4 top.
Suppose you double, instead. You now get a goose-egg, but this only cost you 1/2 MP.
What if Four Hearts goes set one trick, without the double?
+100
+100
-100
-100
-100
You get a 3 1/2 on the board. Had you doubled, you would get a top, but that only gains the same 1/2 MP that you lost when 4H made. So, a wash.
But, what if Three Spades would have made?
Now, both 4H and 3S makes, let us say. No double, and the scores are as follows:
-420
-420
+140
+140
+140
You get a 1/2 for defending 4H undoubled. Bad score.
However, if you double, you get a goose-egg again, losing 1/2 MP.
Now, what if the opponents cannot make 4H but you make 3S?
Undoubled, the scores are:
+100
+100
+140
+140
+140
You get a darned 1/2 again!
But, if you double:
+200
+100
+140
+140
+140
A top! Gaining 3 1/2 MP!
The point should be easy to see. If you double a minority contract when you were going down anyway, not much is at stake. In the example, you gain a smidge when the contract fails but lose a smidge when it succeeds. Nothing to get too excited about. However, if your contract was making, not doubling costs you a ton on the board.
So, a few principles seem clear. When the opponents bid a minority contract, it seems right to double if you think you were making, even if the contract might be close to making. There is a lot of upside to doubling, and little downside. However, if you think you were over your head, then double if you think they won't make.
The "odds" might be stated a different way.
If you think you were failing, double if their contract seems 51% to fail.
If you think your contract was making, double if their contract might fail every so often.
Suppose that there are five tables at play and that only 40% of the field would bid Four Hearts, 60% settling for defending Three Spades. Assume, also, that Three Spades would fail by one trick, for -100. What if Four Hearts makes, but you do not double?
-420
-420
-100
-100
-100
You were -420, for a 1/2 on a 4 top.
Suppose you double, instead. You now get a goose-egg, but this only cost you 1/2 MP.
What if Four Hearts goes set one trick, without the double?
+100
+100
-100
-100
-100
You get a 3 1/2 on the board. Had you doubled, you would get a top, but that only gains the same 1/2 MP that you lost when 4H made. So, a wash.
But, what if Three Spades would have made?
Now, both 4H and 3S makes, let us say. No double, and the scores are as follows:
-420
-420
+140
+140
+140
You get a 1/2 for defending 4H undoubled. Bad score.
However, if you double, you get a goose-egg again, losing 1/2 MP.
Now, what if the opponents cannot make 4H but you make 3S?
Undoubled, the scores are:
+100
+100
+140
+140
+140
You get a darned 1/2 again!
But, if you double:
+200
+100
+140
+140
+140
A top! Gaining 3 1/2 MP!
The point should be easy to see. If you double a minority contract when you were going down anyway, not much is at stake. In the example, you gain a smidge when the contract fails but lose a smidge when it succeeds. Nothing to get too excited about. However, if your contract was making, not doubling costs you a ton on the board.
So, a few principles seem clear. When the opponents bid a minority contract, it seems right to double if you think you were making, even if the contract might be close to making. There is a lot of upside to doubling, and little downside. However, if you think you were over your head, then double if you think they won't make.
The "odds" might be stated a different way.
If you think you were failing, double if their contract seems 51% to fail.
If you think your contract was making, double if their contract might fail every so often.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Martha Farmer
The Lima Duplicate Bridge Club is grieving the loss of a good friend and bridge partner, Martha Farmer. On Wednesday, January 12, 2011, Martha apparently passed away at her home. Elaine had just spoken with her, and she seemed ready to play on Thursday night. That was not to be. We expect that she instead will have joined in the game upstairs with many of our other friends already at that game.
Martha was quite an interesting person, even away from the bridge table. You can find a story about her at the Lima News, if you have online access. More information will hopefully be available later, as far as memorial services and the like.
Martha was quite an interesting person, even away from the bridge table. You can find a story about her at the Lima News, if you have online access. More information will hopefully be available later, as far as memorial services and the like.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
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