Editorial by Paul Bowyer
Welcome to the sixteenth issue of V-Blue, the e-magazine for those learning the wonderful game of bridge.
In this edition we are considering declarer-play and the all-important topic of Counting. This depresses some players who find the effort to count, count, count just too much, but we can assure you that it is an essential weapon in your armory. There are two series of six deals. One concerns the distribution of the opponents’ honor cards, so you are counting points. How are they split between East and West? Can you use that information to locate key cards? The second series concerns counting hand patterns, or shape. Here, you have to determine the original distributions of the opponents cards, allowing you insight into how to play a critical suit.
Anyway, as ever, VuBridge will be close by, looking over your shoulder, helping and hinting and making sure you are on the right path.
When you have worked your way through these dozen deals, you may like to try the “General Series” of eight assorted hands. Here there is a mixture of eight deals, some you play as declarer and some as a defender. All the fun of the fair – you don’t know what’s coming next.
We also have a quiz for you to enjoy. Ten questions on reverses. Here, we hope to clarify your ideas as to what constitutes a reverse and to what is forcing and what can be Passed. Good luck.
Series #2421 - The Art of Counting - Part I (SA)
This series is about counting the hand. This technique is vital if you are to make a good bridge player. What, though, does it mean?
There are two series in this edition of V-Blue. In this series we are looking at how the opponents' points (by which we mean their high cards) are distributed. As you play the hand as declarer you can (or at least, should) count out how many points each opponent has shown up with.
How might that affect your thinking? Well, you may be able to deduce the location of a vital missing card if you reflect on what you know about the previous bidding and how the play has progressed.
Reverses Quiz
We are looking into the murky world of the Reverse here. Remember that a reverse is a bid that asks for preference at the three-level, usually by bypassing a suit that responder has neglected to bid.
Reverses show 16 points (well, give or take) and are forcing (responder may not Pass).
Click here to run the Quiz.
Series #2422 - The Art of Counting - Part II (SA)
This series is also on counting the hand but its focus is less on counting points, more on counting shape. If you can work out your opponents' distributions you can often discover remarkable details about their hands.
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