Editorial by Marti Ronemus
Final Chance for Clean-Up
By Marti Ronemus
After the Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanza/Pagan Festival of Lights chaos, we have a few days until we welcome (?) the New Year. How shall we use those days? Sleep? Eat? Drink? Be merry? Well, I propose something a little different.
Let’s go on a major Clean-Up. Pick out a couple closets you can’t bear to open, and do it! Throw stuff out! Re-organize. If you haven’t used it in the last year, get rid of it. Attack that junk drawer (I have four and I promise to bring it down to one! I’ll let you know how that works out). Those little corners of accumulated “stuff” on the staircase can go, also.
And what about our bridge games? If you’re in a slump, my advice is to clean out that convention drawer… dump two conventions. You aren’t playing them right anyway. What about the rest of your game? This issue of Vu-Bridge is committed to helping you achieve greatness by cleaning up your slam techniques. Can you handle it? Do you need it? (Rhetorical questions!) Get ready for…
BEN NORTON! After playing these six hands you’ll be all tuned up on how to “exploit the power of trump” when you tackle a slam. You’ll see how to use your trump for entries as well as taking tricks. Then, how about a “dummy reversal?” You’ve heard of them but do you know how to execute one? And a nice cross ruff, always fun. Also, Ben’s got two more exotic techniques for us: a “bridge elopement” and a “smother play.”
MATTHIAS HUBERSCHWILLER! One of the most useful techniques in bridge is the Strip and End Play. We just love them, don’t we? Matthias has put together six exciting hands, all built around refining and cleaning up your End Play skills. You may want to play these twice.
Not only do we have six hands from Matthias, but his two quizzes are outstanding. One is on Jacoby 2NT and the other is a “bid ‘em up,” which you’ll love.
And I’ve got six hands for you also, designed to turn you into a formidable clean-up crew. My focus is choosing the best option when faced with more than one. What should we do when forced to finesse? Can timing help? What do we do when our Pard tries to sabotage us with crazy bids? The problem becomes when we successfully achieve his crazy goal, how do we convince him to leave the “dark side?” I’ve also got a hand you can make with counting… and there’s a trick to make it easier.
So get to work, and get that game cleaned up before the end of the year. Amaze your Pards and opponents with your sparkling, shiny game.
Don't forget: if you like Marti's style, have a go with her Bridge Boot Camps. Click here to ask Marti about the schedule...
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