My forehand has been working for me pretty good lately, but not all I do is correct. Improvement is in store for me.
Too much …
Girls night in, I played the most hands, to a point I felt a little guilty. 8 hands each with two different partners, I played 3 each, total six hands.
The 1st hand, it went from pass to 4 spade.
My partner opened with a pass, who has 7 hcp, and six spades. I’ve 11 hcp, 1 void. When my rho followed up with 1 heart bid, which is my void, I took a chance to respond with 1 spade bid. Although I’ve five clubs but I don’t feel comfortable to go to level 2, when my partner passed.
The bid:
R1: P, 1♥️, 1♠️, P
R2: 2♠️, 3♥️, PP
R3: 3♠️, 4♥️, pp
R4: 4♠️, ppp
… unfortunately, we made only 8/2, down 2.
The 3rd hand: after playing the previous two hands, I wasn’t going to bid again. But got this good looking hand: 17 hcp, 7 card suit, 1 singleton and 1 doubleton. The bid:
R1: 1♦️(me), 1♠️, P, 3H
R2: P, 3N, PP
R3: double, ppp
If they don’t clean us up with club, we’ve good chance to def the contract with my seven diamonds and one ace which could use it to transfer to diamond, which I did. We made 7 tricks.
My question: could or should I insist on diamond? For defeating a contract wins no under the line points.
Serve: leg work … Sherri
Still working on my serve. Today, I practiced with my leg work. Although lost 4-6 and 1-6 with one double, I’m pretty happy. The stop and the waiter’s tray will be next.
A temp player, high school coach Sherri joined us. David and I lost 4-6, and she suggested battle of sexes. Unfortunately, we lost 1-6 to the boys, even there were many deuces, but we came up short. Over all a very good match.
4-6, 1-6, one double – why did I stop, and the tray [捂脸]
临时漂亮4.0女娃 (那个1 就是我们女对男的结果 她提议的… we’ve many deuces but came up
short [呲牙])
她是中学的教练 觉得她3.5 更合适: 稳但没什么武器
领养了二个🇨🇳女娃娃,二个越南(?)男娃娃
新的一星期快乐
Doubles in bridge
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 …
- essentially, it’s asking your partner to bid the unbid suit
- you’ve 11+ pts, 3+ cards in each unbid suit
- …
Annual party; cue bid
I hosted the first annual bridge party. 8 players show up (one was unannounced; one couple rsvp’ed but didn’t show … oh well), played on two tables. Between serving foods and drinks, I played 28 hands; won 12 bids, winning 9 of them, 75%.
There are couple of hands that my rho (right hand side opponent) Mr. L bid my suit.
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 left opponent 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).
Interestingly, the same opponent bid my suit twice, 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.
Another option is to penalty double. But I’d rather play, to have the chance winning under the line points, that toward a game or rubber. I’ve used double convention many times, for the simplest reason: I’ve better hand and dare the opponent to make his or her contract.
To the driving range
Ok, golf – I’m continuing it, as of now, using borrowed club -:). This is the first driving range outing after the group lesson, which I feel was waste of time and money.
Watching the video, I think I need to rotate my shoulder more …
* first time to see YouTube video has red squiggly line to the lower right and they’re not listed on Channel content.
Demi Moore: the pottery wheel
Ghost (1990) was a supernatural romance movie, directed by Jerry Zucker, starring Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze, Whoopi Goldberg, etc.
This scene was very popular, and still is. When I heard a mate purchased a wheel machine, my first reaction was this scene and said to the couple, ‘oh you got yourself a Demi Moore,’ 🙂
Ghost was taken place at 102 Prince Street, lower Manhattan, New York, while ours in the couple’s garage.
Centering is the center of the wheel. Getting it centered is the half the battle.
I thought it would be easy but it isn’t. Master pottery couldn’t wait to teach me, ended up I couldn’t get it right myself – totally my fault. Having a little room to maneuver (to learn) is crucial.
The following video is long … hope there are some practical tips for getting it right.
… the following morning, we went to trim our creations when the pieces are leather hard.
The last of the five matches
It’s a 50° day, perfect for a warm drink: my bean-milk
So, we played the last game of the five week long team tourney: we won 3 out of eight, failing to be the spoiler, unfortunately.
One match, our mates got cheated with bad line call, detail will follow.
Some mates played three matches while I played only two:
- w/ Dave, vs Beth n Melanie: 11-4
- w/ Bev, vs Beth n Melanie: 7-11
With Dave, at 6, we forgot to switch. I won the next point, at 7:3:2. After switching side, I said, “let’s start from 6 …” We played it out and won 11-4. After it done, my partner pulled me aside, said, “never again to give a point away.”
“What if they disagree?” I said.
“Let me deal with it.”
… I understand his point of view, totally. But this is a neighborly tourney .. oh well. I don’t have killer instinct. Silly me.
Both matches went well. However, Linda’s match was marred with bad line calls.
Afterward, I went to swim. The water temperature is 76°: couldn’t be better!
My first butterfly video
One of this year’s goals has met: swim the fly stroke. Although a lot of implements are needed but I can swim the length of the pool and back. So it’s an achievement for little old me.
A really good match
Teaming up with my twin bro, we won 7-5 and 6-4. The first set we came back from 0-3 down. We usually do well when we aren’t wearing black
My serve is getting a little better, def needs more work: I had a double.
I videoed myself, to see how my other forms are doing … all need improvement, oh well.
… some hitting after the game
