[kenrexford]

So, last night was the Christmas Party at the local bridge club. After four beers, my bridge game suffered tremendously. I mishandled two hands because I missed a 13th card on each. My favorite was when I showed partner the spade Ace with three cards left, trumps all pulled, and I had the lead in my hand. I held it up and tod my partner that I would take one more trick but NOT with this Ace. I then lost all three tricks. Nothing like announcing, eh?

My partner's three beers helped our cause. Strangely, however, I noticed that we were in fourth place, right behind my wife and her partner, with one round to go. So, we of course had to sober up for bragging rights.

The key to our one-half matchpoint victory over my wife, after two averages, was the last board. With 3-3-4-3 shape, 11-count, red-on-white, I opened 1♣. Three passes yielded a 1♦ balance. I needed more action, so I rebid 1♥, passed to RHO, who bid the diamonds again. Partner now balanced to keep it alive with 2♥. This yielded a third diamond bid from my RHO, buying the contract for two down, beating the one-trick sets at some other tables. We needed that top to win bragging rights. A well-deserved (?) feat.

In any event, one interesting (?) problem from earlier. Playing Brozel (partner's idea), I passed in first seat, white-on-red. 1NT-P-3NT to me. I whipped out 4♦, because I had 5-4-4 shape (5♦, 4♥, and 4[beers]). This worked, because the opponents went to 4NT, where there are only nine tricks on the diamond lead. This failed because I missed three or four of partners pitches and saved wrong.

However, this got me thinking. What would be the best approach by a passed hand for completing over 1NT-P-3NT? Brozel actually works fairly well, especially if double serves as either both minors or spades and a minor (correct 4♣ to 4♦ with spades+diamonds; pass the redouble as asking, etc.).

[ArtK78]

Clearly too many beers.

[kenrexford]

ArtK78, on Dec 19 2008, 12:58 PM, said:

Clearly too many beers.

I remember a quote from years ago, from the Clintonville Bridge CLub in Columbus, Ohio. Attributed to Jeff Meckstroth was the following:

Jeff: "I have some good news and some bad news."
His Partner: "What's the bad news?"
Jeff: "I'm drunk."
His Partner: "What's the good news?"
Jeff: "I'm still the best player in the room."

If this story is true, Jeff's assessment is probably true also.

In my situation, however, I failed to live up to that claim at our local club. However, I often fail to live up to any claim that Jeff can make.

Of course, the scarier part might be the Rodwell-while-drunk parallel. Mad scientist, and drunk.

[Winstonm]

If you are sober and concerned about how to interfere when the opponents bid 1N-3N, I think you need to take up drinking on a regular basis.

[gwnn]

Hard to argue with Art and Winston.

[Winstonm]

However, a valid discussion is what to do when the opponents open a Gambling 3NT. Maybe that's when you should start drinking if you don't have any other agreements.

[kenrexford]

Winstonm, on Dec 19 2008, 05:22 PM, said:

If you are sober and concerned about how to interfere when the opponents bid 1N-3N, I think you need to take up drinking on a regular basis.

Actually, that's a situation that I learned from experience with a partner of mine. He often bids white on red after 1NT-P-3NT, and nearly always profitably.