My understanding is that high-level competions tend to have close to an 'anything goes' philosophy, but that these kind of tactics aren't always allowed or encouraged in other games. Or may require additional alerts for opponents.

Adjusting that seems way out of line. Even in low level games you get a psych a session until it becomes excessive, and then illegal.

Yeah, that's what I thought too. Honestly, I don't really care about having a top changed to an average+ (lol masterpoints), but I do feel like my bid is completely justifiable.

http://www.acbl.org/assets/documents...tion-Chart.pdf

DISALLOWED
2. Psyching of artificial or conventional opening bids and/or conventional
responses thereto. Psyching conventional suit responses, which are less than
2NT, to natural openings.
3. Psychic controls (Includes ANY partnership agreement which, if used in
conjunction with a psychic call, makes allowance for that psych.)

Nothing wrong with psyching a suit when you don't have any of them. Just wrong to psych a 2C opener or 2D flannery/mini-roman opener

I've had the director called on me for psyching before. All there is to say it that you psyched a spade bid when you didn't have spades, and you don't psych more than once a session. All director should do is make a note of it, and make sure you don't get called for psyching the rest of the day.

One per session is a club-specific rule. There's no law against psyching in general, but some clubs have no psyching rules. You'd never be adjusted against at a regional+ pairs game.

But that said I don't love the psyche. Especially if the opps were weak enough that they called the director, you'll be doing fine just by jumping in diamonds and letting them figure it out from there. At worst you'll be with the field and defending better (or bad opps will play worse).

Remember that you start every board in this field slated for about 60%+. It's also real bad to psyche here when pard has a bunch of spades and a stiff diamond and never let's you off the hook. And opps are slated for 4h or 3n or something.

That's true. My partner and I are playing light weak 2's, so I expected the opps to have 9+ spades at this vulnerability (even though pard is in second seat). I thought that 2 also has the added benefit of taking up a bit of space for the opponents. It looks to me that game for them is extremely likely, and unimpeded, they could probably find the slam, if one exists.

Not sure though.

sometimes when they have 9 spades they can't handle or they misguess the 4-0 split

When I do this it always goes like:

p-p-2C-2S
3H-4S-5H-p
p-5S-dbl-6D
dbl-all pass
-1100 with no slam for opponents.

R/W BAM

This is from the juniors class I'm doing. I'm playing 2/1 with a partner for the first time, and I'm not sure who our teammates (or opponents) are.

(4)-5-(5) to you.

Q
K T 9 7 5
A K T 9 5
T 5

What should we bid?

I have no idea what 5nt would mean but it seems like the obvious choice

I feel like a simple 6C wins here a lot. I mean, what can partner possibly have here but some really amazing clubs?

This is a fairly easy double imo

Partner was under huge pressure when he bid 5C, so playing him for a hand that makes slam is optimistic. I'd like him to have solid clubs and Ad, but he can bid 5C with a lot less. Sometimes you just gotta bid your 8-card or quit playing bridge.

Hey guys,

I'm looking to start learning bridge ACOL bidding and was wondering if any of you knew where to find good free resources?

Any recommended reading would also be great.

Thanks in advance.

B

My thoughts too, especially when playing with an unknown junior. Those ****ers are crazy.

Hell, if partner has AKJxxxx, high chance it is Qxx offside.

I also ended up doubling, largely because I'm not sure how good partner's clubs are.

We got 5X-3, but can definitely make a club or heart slam. Partner has:

8
A J 4 2
4
A K Q 9 6 4 3

Does it make sense for him to pull the double, or do pre-empts just work in this case? Also, is there a reasonable way to find the heart fit?

I'm sure there are good ACOL resources available, but I don't think many ACOLers are active in this thread, and I can't find much on the bridgebase forums.

Maybe this?

You might get better responses by starting a new thread on the bridgebase forums in the beginner/novice section.

Cheers man

Thanks for your help

I posted here to get a "young" perspective on things but I guess it's all the same.

Take care.

B

For what it's worth many of the posters I would expect to answer this question on the bridgebase forums are young. Many of them played on English junior teams, and we occasionally get a thread about starting a bridge club at different Unis, so that's why I suggested it.

If you don't want to start a thread there, PM me and I'll do it and let you know what results it gets.

Also if you'd like to talk to a guy in Dublin who actively works with young Irish players, I can get contact info for you. Might be another good resource depending on what exactly you want.

He can't pull the double. You both did fine in the bidding. Preempts sometimes just work. Partner has a monster and you still have to find Qh. Even if they find the slam on the other table, you can still get lucky.

That would be really great thanks. Yeah I was looking to start playing because I have been interested in playing for a good while now and having moved from the UK I thought it might be a good way to make some new potential friends.

If he wanted to call it a 2 suiter, he could have bid 4NT over 4S planning on pulling 5D to 5H. Other than that, auction is fine, preempts work.

Agree with the double.

It makes me curious what is the worst hand we should over-call 5c with in that auction (from either 2nd or 4th position).

For example, non-vulnerable vs. vul would the hand below be a good 5c bid (in either position)?

xK
Jx
AT
QJ87632


4N (minors) I tend to compete with very slight values in 4th. For instance I bid 4N with

64
K
JT832
QJ964

aftert 4H-P-P non-vul vs. vul

Here's a link to some learn to play bridge software - ACOL edition.

http://www.ebu.co.uk/education/ltpb


Also the Standard English Acol Foundation System Level pdf from the same site: The English Bridge Union.

http://www.ebu.co.uk/documents/laws-...ystem-file.pdf


I am also a big fan of buying used bridge books. I might recommend something like Tony Sowter's "Step-By-Step Constructive Bidding" for 4-card majors, although I am not particularly knowledgeable on those systems.


Edit: Site with additional links

http://www.bridgeguys.com/ACOL/acol_bridge.html