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.
My first slam: 4NT asking for aces
Ok … finally, I played my first real small slam 💃…
My hand had 14 hpc, 17 with a singleton (2 pt) and 1 doubleton (1 pt)
♠️KQ8762, ♥️3,♦️Q764, ♣️AK
My partner has 17 hcp, 20 in total distribution.
♠️J, ♥️AKQ42, ♦️AK92, ♣️42
Slam bidding by MIT is a good read:
- To make a small slam (bid of 6) ↔ 33 pts.
- To make a grand slam (bid of 7) ↔ 37 pts.
… some no trump plays
Our bidding tonight:
- P; me 1♦️; P; 1♥️
- P; me 1♠️; P; 2♦️
- P; 4NT; P; 5♥️ which means 2 As
- P; 6♦️
At the 3rd round, I bid 4nt: asked for my partner’s As
Blackwood convention: 4NT is asking for how many Aces (such as this dream hand), 5NT for kings, the reply should be:
- 5♣️ = None or all four aces
- 5♦️ = One ace
- 5♥️ = Two aces
- 5♠️ = Three aces
… 5NT is asking for kings, the reply should be
- 6♣️ = None or all four kings
- 6♦️ = One king
- 6♥️ = Two kings
- 6♠️ = Three kings
My first set of question to Ira the expert:
Conventionally, I should open with 1♠️ ? … I didn’t bec I want to give my partner a chance to bid at 1 level, to know her hand better.
With distribution, you have 16 points. Conventionality, bid s/b 1NT BUT you’re short in clubs. Better opener is 1S bc of strength and length. You’ll probably end up in 6D anyway but you asked for correct opening bid.
Make it short in clubs and hearts
Irene, rule of thumb, if you have opening, by point count OR length of suit, ALWAYS bid your strongest and longest suit.
My subsequent questions:
- Does winning 12 or 13 tricks but bid at level 5 or below, still consider a small / grand slams? … Yes
- The conventionally method to bid longest and higher suit, vs bidding low to let my partner to bid at lower level hence to know her/his hand better?
My serve … arm’s up
A few players have pointed out that my tossing arm should stay up till I hit the ball, when serving. I tried but it isn’t working for me
…
