[agusaris]

I wonder if my experiences playing against some Polish Pairs online is shared by others.

A recent typical example
W     E
2 clubs   2 diamonds
2 spades   2NT
3 clubs   3 diamonds
3NT

West's opening bid was alerted as 11/15 and 5+ clubs. Easts bids were alerted as relays and none of West's subsequent bids were alerted

On lead I asked East (privately) for explanations, no response. I led a spade and dummy hits with a singleton spade, three hearts, four diamonds and 5 clubs.

The result is un important but this type of bidding requires the pairs to explain their bids clearly. If their English is not sufficient to be able to understand and reply to requests for information they must surely understand a query posed as 2♠ = ? and be able to reply 0/1♠ or 4♠ or whatever it is.

[Codo]

Bad explanations online is a general problem, not just a polish one.

In WJ2005 (and the older versions) dummy showed a hand with 5 or 6 clubs, 4 spades and a stopper in one red suit (I guess hearts, but I am not sure about this).

(And WJ2005 is "The" polish system.)

So, to bid a singelton was uncommon and not normal. There is no excuse not to alert this bid. (Sometimes people forget to alert, because it is not alertable in their country. F.E. I was very surprised to learn that in the US a weak two opening in diamonds is not alertable, but it is here).

So these guys just have bad manners or no idae what they are doing.

If you play in a tourney and care about your result, call the TD.
If you play in the MBC, don't care about it. If you cannot stand to play with them, look for someone new and explain to them why you do.

[zasanya]

Playing Power precision 2♦ asks for majors. 2♠ denies majors and shows a weak opening 11-13.But then in power 2♣ is 6 carder.So perhaps these guys were playing their own version of precision and were unable to explain all this due to language problem.
Why mention the country? This type of behaviour is shown by quite a few from different countries.

[helene_t]

Hi Michael, nice to see you here

[bid_em_up]

Codo, on Jul 22 2009, 01:12 AM, said:

If you cannot stand to play with them, look for someone new. and explain to them why you do.

eom

[babalu1997]

agusaris, on Jul 21 2009, 11:57 AM, said:

I wonder if my experiences playing against some Polish Pairs online is shared by others.

Players from several countries do it too, but it is more common for European players from countries where precision is the dominant system.

I play some conventions which I pre-alert, and I tell opps about carding. I have an european partner partner who has told me not to pre-alert or state system and carding when the opps come from his country because his compatriots never do so. So i look at the nationality of the opps before stating system and carding.

BTW, another partner from the same country told me the same thing the other day!!!

But this is not restricted to precision or polish club, take the sequence

1h-p-4h-DBL or pass?

The meaning of 4h can be different , especially if the opps are playing bergen raises.

So my double there can have different meanings.

Upon inquring, I was told mine was a stupid question, was reported to the TD and then booted from the game because the opps were regulars of the game.

So I go graze in greener pastures.

[Codo]

bid_em_up, on Jul 22 2009, 10:01 PM, said:

Codo, on Jul 22 2009, 01:12 AM, said:

If you cannot stand to play with them, look for someone new.  and explain to them why you do.

eom

You really prefer to be booted without a word?

WoW.

[bid_em_up]

Codo, on Jul 23 2009, 01:55 AM, said:

bid_em_up, on Jul 22 2009, 10:01 PM, said:

Codo, on Jul 22 2009, 01:12 AM, said:

If you cannot stand to play with them, look for someone new.  and explain to them why you do.

eom

You really prefer to be booted without a word?

WoW.

Who said anything about booting anybody?

That may have been the intention of your statement, but I did not understand that way. Sorry for the confusion.

[jillybean]

Did someone say booting? Off topic however, I was booted by an expert the other day, before I’d even mis played a hand. His reasoning is that he liked only experts, when I pointed out that anyone can be an expert on BBO he said he was a true expert, a Life Master. I couldn’t help myself and said that either a. means you are a reasonable player or b. you’ve been playing for a long time. Just as I hit enter on that message, I received his message saying “and Ive been playing for 55 years” I didn’t say anything after that.

Just play with friends or expect these things will happen often online.

[Lobowolf]

jillybean2, on Jul 23 2009, 04:50 PM, said:

Did someone say booting? Off topic however, I was booted by an expert the other day, before I’d even mis played a hand. His reasoning is that he liked only experts, when I pointed out that anyone can be an expert on BBO he said he was a true expert, a Life Master. I couldn’t help myself and said that either a. means you are a reasonable player or b. you’ve been playing for a long time. Just as I hit enter on that message, I received his message saying “and Ive been playing for 55 years” I didn’t say anything after that.

Just play with friends or expect these things will happen often online.

By definition, anyone who thinks "life master" = "a true expert" is not a true expert.

[helene_t]

babalu1997, on Jul 22 2009, 03:43 PM, said:

Players from several countries do it too, but it is more common for European players from countries where precision is the dominant system.

Well players from countries where Precision is popular are likely to play Precision
Polish players are likely to play Polish Club.

Maybe Polish players ought to know that their agreements are less common on BBO as a whole so they have to be extra careful to alert correctly when playing with people from other countries. OTOH people playing "standard" 5-card majors often forget to alert their artificial 2♣ opening, and 3+ minor suit openings. So I don't think it's fair to single out Polish players.

[Free]

The best description I ever got for a Polish 1♣ opening was "12+ any". I think this one was just lazy or tired of explaining their country's standard system over and over again...