tennis, life and a few things in between

Rio de Janeiro

Sunset at Copacabana Beach.

Watching over the sunset from the Café 18 do Forte, I saw the paddle boarders: have to do it.

It was 6:40 when I got to an outfit who was willing to rent me one. The first one to the southern most won’t do it – it’s too late.

The water is relatively calm. By then, all the paddle boarders have returned. I was the only one out there. Shortly after, I saw a huge turtle to my left. Then I began to dream a killer whale swims under neath of my board -:)

I returned a little after 7. Thanks for renting me a board.

Bidding starts bridge game. It communicates between two partners, as  what kind of hand you’ve. It often needs various conventions to nail down the contract, but it’s NOT convention.

^{A few slams that are bid & won}

1. bid 6N, won 7: 36 hcp
2. 6N, 32 total hcp
3. 2025 21 hcp, 32 total
4. my first small slam bid & won, 2023

^{A few unbid slams} 

1. a grand slam with 3 aces
2. a grand slam: 30 total hcp, bid 3♦️
3. grand slam, 34 total hcp, bid 4♥️
4. grand slam fm 5D, 30 hcp & void ⇓
5. bid 3NT won a grand slam
6. won my 2nd slam on the first hand
7. won my 2nd grand slam ^{bid 2NT} asking for aces
8. won my 1st grand slam ^{bid 4♥️}
9. Won my first slam
10. my first slam

Blackwood convention: at 4NT bid, you’re asking your partner for Aces; the response of:

• 5 ♣️ = none of all 4 aces
• 5♦️ = 1 ace
• 5 ♥️ = 2 aces
• 5 ♠️ = 3 aces

At 5N, P response with the following:

• 6 ♣️ = none of all 4 aces
• 6♦️ = 1 ace
• 6 ♥️ = 2 aces
• 6 ♠️ = 3 aces

HCP needed in a slams and the bonus when it comes to scoring:

… the hcp needed to win a slam, really depends. The following hand, we’ve 30 hcp but our hands fit perfectly, and won a grand slam.

Bidding slam with a void:

My hand: 19 hcp, with a void.
My partner: 11 hcp, 6 diamonds

I opened it with 1N, which is wrong. (Control bid or cue bid?)

~ p, 1N, p, 2♦️
~ p, 3♦️, p, 4♦️
~ p, 5♦️, ppp

I didn’t ask for A or K … because I wanted to be the dummy to watch the Australian Open … unfortunately, Coco Gauff didn’t do well, defeat by Paula Badosa (7-5, 6-4), out of Aussie Open in the quarter final.

I’m no expert on fishing, but among the few fishermen by the Tampa Bay in Saint Pete, as we walk toward Mahaffey, only one is using light-tackle spinning/rod and reel, which I consider fishing, the rest are using cast nets on the Tampa Bay. Is this even legal? One throw, they come up with multiple fishes. Gosh … the fun is gone or even more fun this way?

The fish in the video is mullet.

My first hand: 13 hcp, with one singleton. My lho starts bidding:

R1: p, 1♦️, p, 4♦️.

We made 5.

opening jump

My thinking goes: both opponents passed and my partner has at least 13 point. One of the players said, the max jump I should have, is 2 or 3. I did consider to go to 5. But with only 1 ace, I only bid 4.

The first game in 2024. I’ve 13 hcp, 1 singleton and one doubleton, 7 diamonds.

The bidding:

R1: 1♣️ p, p, 4♦️

It tells me my lho has 13+ pt, my partner and rho  have less than 13. Point wise, we might be pretty even but my 7 diamonds and singleton and one doubleton are advantageous. So I jumped to 4♦️, fearing a pretty even hand would not go to the 2nd round. I’d like to go for the game but not knowing my partner’s hand, I settled for less. We ended up making 11/5.

^{My rho bid 1♣️ off the bet: I doubt that he’d make it.} 

One of conventions in bridge is doubles: takeout or penalty. It’s being used so often, that can be taken as a natural call.

I use the penalty double (jericholibrary.org) often, especially when I don’t have a biddable suit. My aim at this stage, is to win under the line points toward game and rubber, and doubling a contract, however successful, wins no such points.

The following two hands were good candidates for penalty double, at my 2023 annual party (cue bid): my rho bid twice my suit and both times, were club.

This hand, I’ve 4 clubs: ♣️Q,J,10,7, with total 13 hcp, not counting the two doubletons.

Round 1 bid: p, p, 1C, 1S – me, who won the bid.

My lho led ♣️4, my partner has ♣️8,6,3,2, which meant my right opponent has ♣️A,K,9, 5. Also, my partner has 9 hcp.

We made 2 (8 tricks in total). If I just doubled him, we wouldn’t win the 20 under the line point.

Interestingly, the same opponent bid my suit the second time, also in club.

This hand, I’ve six clubs: ♣️KQJ432, 17 hcp with two doubletons. Clearly, club is my best suit.

There was only 1 round of bidding: 1♣️, 1♠️ – me, who won the bid. At this point, I didn’t know cue bid, and also wrongfully bid 1♠️ – I think the better bid should be 1N, to show my points.

The take out doubles, on the other hand, is a little complicated, with many factors …

1. essentially, it’s asking your partner to bid the unbid suit
2. you’ve 11+ pts, 3+ cards in each unbid suit
3. …

An unbelievably handsome hand to cap the girls night in.

Joyce to my left dealt, who has 12 hcp, bid 1♥️. My partner passed. Linda paused and then said, 4N. She has 26 hcp: 4 aces, 2 K+J and 1Q.

Me? A lonesome ♦️J. So I passed, reluctantly.

Her partner Joyce, looking pleased, 5N.

My partner Barb said cheerfully, pass, she was blessed with a ♥️J.

After I led with my only prized possession and the dummy laid down her hand, Linda said, “let’s not to play …” ha ha ha… no point, indeed.

… asking for aces ^4NT & kings ^5NT: ♣️^{4 or none},♦️¹, ♥️², ♠️^{3 kings}.

Ira: Correct response to 4N (asking for aces) sb 5C (all or none); next bid sb 5N (asking for kings since they have all the aces) correct response sb 6H (2 kings) then 7N

… 7N is the proper bid.

…without much support: another Aces and spaces.

My partner opened with 1♦️ who has all hcp in the suit.
1♦️
pass
2♦️ me: 8 hcp, 4 diamonds
pass

Upon hearing my response, my partner jumped to 4♦️.

Actually, our hands are pretty lousy.

Your 2D response indicates you have d’s BUT neither of you have anything else. Partner’s response to you s/b 3d. Then pass all around since neither of you have any other suits. Partner barely has opening points,12, you have 8, not enough for game. You have aces and spaces.

The Next Full Moon is a Supermoon and a Blue Moon, and Rakhi Purnima posted by nasa on August 24, 2023.

For the past two days, our skies were cloudy, perhaps from Idalia that passing through Florida recently. This morning as I was heading to the pool, the moon was high and mighty.

All photos are taken with my iPhone 12 Pro. The info on the large photo below: telephoto camera 52mm f2, 3mp · 1780×1763 · 1.3.mb. ISO 100; 218mm; 0 ev, f2, 1/109s ⇓