smile … picking up my flys again: I did butterfly for the length of the pool. Feeling that my feet are way too low … more problems will be discovered and corrected, hopefully soon.
3 As and spaces
…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.
Stiff back day
Played back to back: last night and this morning – haven’t done this in a long while.
Still trying to work on my forehand and serve, while my backhand is kaput, totally undependable. … and my lower back is in mild pain.
Serve: left arm stays up
… the blurry video shows: my left arm stays up longer … but my torso doesn’t turn much …
A new Chinese card game 掼蛋
I’ve been playing this new card game lately. 27 cards each hand – a lot to get ride of, which is the goal.
掼蛋是一项流行于江苏及周边地区的扑克牌游戏。[1]游戏用两副108张牌（连鬼牌），由4位玩家进行，相对的两人为一方。基本的规则是，以更大的牌型压制对方，以第一位出完牌的玩家为上游，并且升级，以先打过A级的一方为胜。
2017年1月，作为趣味棋牌竞技化的项目之一, 国家体育总局棋牌运动管理中心颁布了统一的淮安掼蛋竞技规则.
2023年，中美局势紧张，外资投资前景黯淡，大陆金融家越来越多地将掼蛋视为一种与掌握当地项目资金的官员建立“关系”或联系的方式，掼蛋游戏再次爆火.
Unlike bridge, this game can be noisy and sometimes players will get into fight – although I’ve not seen this yet…
Bored … 无聊?
What do you do when feeling bored?
I’d play bridge or tennis.
One of my friends … bought a car -:)
The blue moon 2023 @ pool
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 ⇓
USO 2023: racism at work? Coco vs Siegemund
US Open 2023, the first night. Chair umpire, Marijana Veljovic sits over the first round match between Coco Gauff her German opponent, Laura Siegemund.
- multiple time violations
- sitting down when it isn’t allowed
Coco’s situation brings up Zhang Shuai’s last month and Serena’s in 2004 where and when USTA apologized – wasn’t that a little TOO late?
Coco Gauff expressed her frustration to the chair umpire after she thought her opponent, Laura Siegemund, was slow to get ready for her serves several times. pic.twitter.com/WjXz4bskkt
— ESPN (@espn) August 29, 2023
This is so wrong and unfair. The chair empire should be dismissed and shouldn’t be used again. This reminded me of Mariana Alves in 2004 on Serena’s due to horrible line calls.
The fact the chair empire has an absolute sway/power on such high stake marches is just unbelievable. There has to be a better way for such unthinkable behavior of the empires.
Fire her.
Never use her again.
I actually watched German’s post match interview: she’s a good actor and dreadful player.
Here is 2004 New York Times coverage on Serena’s match
Responses to opening bids
This hand I’ve 19 hcp +1. My partner has 11 hcp +1 too, who opened with Pass. The bid:
- P; P; 1N (me); P
- 2♠️; P; 4S
Did I miss anything, by jumping to 4S? My reasons are: partner passed the first round, means he has less than 12 points; but two opponents also passed. So when my partner bid in the second round for 2S, I know that he at least would have 4♠️ (in fact he does ♠️KJ10 7), and I’ve ♠️AQ985. We made 5 (11 in total).
This hand I’ve 11 hcp +2. I shouldn’t have forced the issue – should stay put. The bidding:
- 1♥️; P, 1NT, 2♠️ (me)
- 2♥️; 3♦️
Responding 1NT, means the bider has 6-9 pt.
A good read on response to opening bids.
We only made 1 trick: 2 short to make the contract.
