ENJOYABLE BRIDGE
BELOW THE MASTER'S LEVEL
A chronicle of an individual's
learning process
just in case he wants to look back
or sell his thoughts
by
H.L.Otto
to
one of those many file boxes
specifically folder 142
Atchison Kansas
January 1990
Runner: Writing bridge wile.
APPENDIX G - BRIDGE IN A WHOLE LIFE
To play bridge takes time, and
to play well takes
study, in the sense of a scholar -
Scholar. 1a:one who attends
a school or studies under
a teacher :PUPIL, STUDENT. 2b:a learned person; esp:one
who
has the attitudes (as curiosity, perseverance, initiative,
originality, integrity) considered essential for
learning.70
Student. Being interested
in bridge, and having a
willing partner, I and she enrolled in a local community
class named Intermediate Bridge.
Initiative. Being bogged
down with another project
and leaving it unfinished for the moment, I visited the
subject card catalog of the local library. Under Bridge
____________________
70 "Webster's third new international
dictionary of
the English language" (1961,1986).
Bridge
Theory W a292
Whist (I don't know why), I found the stack numbers and
proceeded to checkout the three thinest books with sensible
titles.
Of course, this new project will
probably also bog
down. Yet I have added a sense of efficiency to my lifelong
process of pushing my interest until I get bogged down -
that of writing as my activity proceeds. Thus this project
smacks of non-fiction!
The real payoff comes if this
process example supports
greater life effectiveness. And now back to that project
which I stopped. Now which one was that? Well, I
do know
that it's not file 142 (that's this one).
Perseverance.
Nobody can play and enjoy
this game by blindly
following any set of rules. The appeal of
the game lies
in the almost infinite variety of problem
situations....This is definitely a THINKING person's
game, and learning HOW TO THINK is important.
The idea
is that if you are exposed to lots of the right
type of
thinking, maybe some of it will rub off on you.
(2 xi)
Then after marketing the bridge
book with the above
principle, and after 90 hands shown in the book without a
break in sequence or apparent summary, the author concludes
with the following.
They should rewrite all the
textbooks and devote more
space to the factors that really determine who wins
at
bridge. Perhaps I should get out and play
more instead
of tapping away at my typewriter. (2 227)
Thus I seek to define the difference
between the rules
Bridge
Theory W a293
and the factors. And further to understand the factors.
I
need to logic out the factors first before I can integrate
dozens of hand examples. Or add to the factors by
experiencing or reading hands.
Curiosity.
Nowadays players have plenty
of choices: they can
adopt old-fashioned methods: they can play Precision,
Blue Club, Roman Club, Neapolitan Club, Livorno
Diamond,
the list is endless. (3 21)
In analyzing 170 table situations,
the above methods
are not linked with any hard factors. Several soft factors
form chapter focus.
4....If you are lost anyhow,
a departure from
normality can hardly cost much and will, on happy
occasions, persuade the other side to go wrong.
(3 42)
6....Some players are very knowledgeable
about
safety-plays, end-plays and other technical maneuvers;
other are clever at inducing a mistake from their
opponents. It is nice to be good at both but
if I had to
choose, my money would go on the man who gives the
opposition a chance to go wrong. (3 66)
7....You will defeat many contracts
unexpectedly if
you maintain a steady belief that the contract CAN
be
defeated, somehow....Think to yourself, what is
the
LEAST that partner can have that will give us a
chance?
(3 87)
Bridge
Theory W a294
Works referenced
Annotation indicates no citation
in the text of this
paper.
1 H.Phillips (1960) Bridge with Goren. New York: Citadel.
Fifty bridge hands identified
with roman numerials!
2 F.Stewart (1984) Better bridge for the advancing
player: An introduction to constructive thinking
at the
bridge table. Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice-Hall.
3 B.Schapiro (1976) Bridge analysis. New York: Sterling.
4 A.Grant & E.Rodwell (1984) The joy of bridge.
New
York: Arco.
"Eric developed the system and
Audrey designed and
tested the teaching methods on over three thousand
students." (xi)
Bridge
Theory W a295
Table G46 - The logic of bridge in Theory W language
____________________________________________________________
Act Verb Descriptor Noun
Pre Who Table
___ _______ ___________ _______ ___ ___________ _____
1 count hand
points 5 all
G47
2 bid distributed points
1 opener G48a
overcaller G50
responserOP G49
responserOV
rebidOP
rebidOV
3 note other
bids 2
4 deal 4 13 card hands
5 arrange SHDC
suits 4
6 develop winning tricks
8
7 count suit
losers 3
7 count notrump
winners 3
8 use jacoby's
gadget 7
____________________________________________________________
Source: M.McVey (1982) "Bridge basics" and "Play bridge."
Lexington: KY Educational Television.
Seven lesson and 14 lesson videos adapted
from the
McVey book on the universal American Standard bridge system
(Goren) funded by The United States Playing Card Company.
The night of November 4th, 1991 after studying the basic
videos I played bridge so badly that I immediately attempted
to work bridge logic with Theory W. First realization was
that the Theory W data base handles task sequence but not
logic sequence. The logical sequence of bridge appears
here
in scholarly form. The 14 lesson set emphasizes notetaking,
stimulation, and universal (standard) practice.
Note: a Upon reviewing this 1990 and more 1993 information
the idea of modified chaos came to mind. These divsions
will be tested over the future years in an attempt to modify
chaos and evidence same in writing. From electronic
thesaurus search, the word organization can be seen as camp,
cluster, collection, crew; code, way; coalition, concord,
confederation, consolidation; complex, network, system;
concern, corporation; club, company. Organization applies
to bridge and in turn, the Theory W structure should apply
to bridge. Some of the following code defies decoding.
Bridge
Theory W a296
Table G47 - Point counting
____________________________________________________________
s:4a-1 a0uh61stqjxx2nd weak5=4 (5h=24<short)s&c=c
s:weak5=4 :newforcesr4sak/q105s0
hof=s&ccl1stotherr2nd25h24<shorts&cc
1:13
stp
qj10x
qxxxx
ssp
qj9xx6 snb
:must2q14 snn
snt
snb
:2qxxx5a>3p
qj10x
a
qxxxi
xxxxx
:tod<4
:s<11
:16
:19i
:22i
2:25p52425's236217 game:<72n7qnewor(rebidque?)raise89b3n
3:4:5:<10h-2v-3t7+
:b12t
n:433344325332qx
1:1618
b:892n7510143n15164n17186n217n
u:<852dhs=>84m2c103s<106m4
2:2224allstop
3:2527allstop
r:ifsraised+1t5+t6etc
r:5v3s1dh<4-1t34333
2hi&2loPARTNERSHIPs hiStaysRightCuts allElseLeft
2 deck shuffle deal sort count
aim to win the best contract, 6 book + bid
26NTSH & 29DC points for game contract 33s500,750 37gs1000
lead from declarer's left, dummy hand lays down
follow suit, trumping, part score, game100pts,
rubber2of3g500 (30SHvs20DCpts) suits +NT(40then30)
whist, bridging, auction, contract 6billion
____________________________________________________________
Note: Supports previous table, although somewhat chaotic.
Bridge
Theory W a297
Table G48 - Opener bids
____________________________________________________________
Points Bid guides
based on 26 & 29 points for game
______ ____________________________________________
1levelSHDC
0-12 pass, pts=4a3k2q1j +distribution 1d2s3v
11-12
pass unless third hand
13-15
asking 6 pts to score 60SH40DC,pass misfit
8 total trump?
convenient minor of 3+c w/2 4c majors
&play there if you get raised=misfit
any 5+c suit longer/higher rank first
4/5c suits touching higher first
not touching lower first
(some partners don't bid 4c majors)
lie rank -DC,SH,2defensive tricks,points
NTlevels
4333,4432,5332
15-18
1
hi card points only
18 5332=19s
22-24
2 hi in all suits, at least q in d
25-26
3 hi in all suits, at least q in d
19-21
1s then 2NT(19) or 3NT(20-21)
2s demands game
25 5cs or count 2 losers & 2 quick tricks
23 6cs
1
21 7cs
0
opener rebids - never a 4card suit
13-15
1NT closeout (2NT=strong hand)
+partner's suit
back to opening as last bid
pass to partner's confirmation of opening
17-18
game or encourage game
20+
game or possible slam - jump shift
____________________________________________________________
Note: Supports previous table, although somewhat chaotic.
Bridge
Theory W a298
Table G49 - Responder to opener bids
____________________________________________________________
Points Bid guides
based on 26 & 29 points for game
______ ____________________________________________
can skip 5c rebid
6-9 1s including 4cSH
raise opener's suit but first above
1 N
bid only once with above preference
2 level shows nice hand [but how nice?]
10-12
makeup bid then rebid promotion +1hc1d3s5v
redouble if misfit, opener passes w/good hand
13-15
jump toward game
bidding different suit = opener must rebid
16-18
change suit jump next time toward slam
19+
jump shift
0-6 2N
7+ best suit
0-5 pass
4333,4432,5332
2 DHS drop-dead bid w/o NT distribution
7-9 2N with hicard 5card major
4 3N
15-16
4N
use Gerber4C for ace info w/o NT distribution
17-18
6N
6-9 3 DHS
w/o NT distribution
10+
4 HS
promotion 1d3s5v
2 4cSH 2C asks opener for best 4cSH (Stayman)
2D from opener indicates no 4 card major >j hi
suit bid then indicates 5 cards
____________________________________________________________
Note: Supports previous table, although somewhat chaotic.
Bridge
Theory W a299
Table G50 - Overcaller bids
____________________________________________________________
Points Bid guides
based on 26 & 29 points for game
______ ____________________________________________
overcalls seeing tricks w/no help
1 level
4 notV 5V
2 level
5 notV 6V -
pass,
suit,
not 4c nor weak 5c
6c vs 3level preempt
jump,
hi card strength
11-13
double,a minor 3+c unbids 2-c
bid
13-15
double,a major 3+c unbids 2-c
bid
16+
24game
then bid suit
NT,
game demand
cue
____________________________________________________________
Note: Supports previous table, although somewhat chaotic.
