2/5/23 (60 min)
In the balancing seat we usually “borrow a king” from our partner. Since NT bids are precisely defined this point change to our hand dramatically affects our bidding. Here we look at our balancing NT bids and the followup bidding that partner makes.
12/5/22 (65 min)
The modern system for bidding when we have a fit for partner's minor, called inverted minors, works on improving our ability to look for game or slam in a minor suit -- which is the most common time we want to support a minor suit. Make sure you and partner have a good grasp of these methods, both for playing them and playing against them.
12/12/22 (66 min)
One of the most powerful tools we have in competitive bidding is the preemptive raise. When we have a minor suit fit the opponents will often have a major suit fit. We want to make it as difficult as possible for them to find that fit and using preemptive raises is one the best ways to make their life difficult.
12/19/22 (69 min)
There are certain minor suit hands that can play extremely well in NT contracts. If evaluated correctly these hands can be bid in a way that makes the auction relatively simple. Let's make sure that you do not torture your partner with these hands when you could keep it simple and get to the right contract.
12/27/22 (63 min)
When we have a good hand and a minor suit fit then we may want to explore a minor suit slam. Part of the art form of minor suit slam bidding is using tools to explore slam while keeping a NT contract in the picture. Here we look at how to use these tools and better judge our minor suit slam.
11/20/23 (61 min)
When we win the contract in a part-score and do not have an 8-card fit it is usually because we either have more HCP than the opponents or there was an auction that kept the opponents from getting into the bidding. Let's make sure that we know how to play these hands.
12/4/23 (61 min)
When we play a part-score deal and we have a trump fit it usually means that we have more trump the opponent's do. Making use of our trump suit is a key part of good declarer play, especially in a part-score deal.
12/11/23 (61 min)
When we have enough points to bid game and we are playing in a trump suit then we need to make sure that we make use of our trump in the best ways we possibly can. Here we look at some examples and see how we can then best play the hand.
12/18/23 (61 min)
When we have enough points to bid game and we are playing in a trump suit then we need to make sure that we make use of our trump in the best ways we possibly can. Here we look at some examples and see how we can then best play the hand.
8/14/23 (58 min)
When we are playing in a suit contract it usually makes us excited to see a long suit in the dummy -- especially a long, strong one. We can often use it to help us discard our losers in other suits. Here we look at establishing this suit and how to balance timing and transportation.
When dummy has shortness in a suit outside the trump suit, we normally make use of it by trumping our losers in that suit. But there is an art form to when you do this -- before or after we draw trump. Here we look at the timing of ruffing our losers and how we combine some of our techniques.
8/28/23 (56 min)
When dummy has a side suit that is equal length to one in our hand then we can try to create some shortness by discarding some of them. But if we can not do this then we are going to be stuck tackling the suit based on the card combinations. That means finesse, double finesses, end-plays, and more.
9/5/23 (58 min)
All of these play situations require us to manage our transferportation carefully. Entries to each hand are important to spend carefully. Here we look at how to use of this, especially in the trump suit.
4/24/23 (61 min)
1NT is my favorite contract to declare! When we play the hand in 1NT there is space and time for creativity. We will look at how you play this contract to give you technical chances but, more importantly, we look at how to give your opponents chances to help you make 1NT.
4/30/23 (62 min)
2NT is one of the worst contracts in all of bridge. When the hand is over we will often wish we were in 1NT or 3NT (depending on how many tricks we take). We look at how to navigate this contract and look at some examples of the kind of decisions you are faced with in this annoying contract.
5/7/23 (61 min)
In 3NT you must determine if the hand is a race or a grind. When it is a race you must go get your tricks ASAP. When it is a grind, you want to give yourself every little extra chance to make the contract -- play as carefully as possible.
5/15/23 (62 min)
In a Notrump slam you cannot give up the lead often. Here we look at how we give ourselves as many chances as possible to make 6NT and see how “combining your chances” and “giving the opponents opportunities to make mistakes” lead to great results.
1/2/23 (65 min)
When we win the contract in a part-score and do not have an 8-card fit it is usually because we either have more HCP than the opponents or there was an auction that kept the opponents from getting into the bidding. Let's make sure that we know how to play these hands.
1/9/23 (62 min)
When we play a part-score deal and we have a trump fit it usually means that we have more trump the opponent's do. Making use of our trump suit is a key part of good declarer play, especially in a part-score deal.
1/16/23 (61 min)
When we have enough points to bid game and we are playing in a trump suit then we need to make sure that we make use of our trump in the best ways we possibly can. Here we look at some examples and see how we play then hand best.
1/23/23 (61 min)
Slam contract in suit contracts are more common than in notrump. Let's look at how we can best play then hand to take all the tricks that we are entitled to. It's extremely important to make your contracts when you bid to a slam!
9/12/22 (62 min)
When we follow to a trick with an honor card, either as a Declarer or Defender, we communicate information to the opponents. This information is not only in the card we played, but we also give them information about cards we have not played — both explicitly and implicitly. Here we look at which cards we should play in a variety of different situations and how we can draw information from partner and opponent's cards.
9/19/22 (61 min)
When the opponent's lead a suit you know a good amount about their holding in that particular suit. You can infer things about their length based on the spot card they lead as well as their honor holds. But you can infer a lot of information about their hand from what they don't lead. Like we didn't they lead the suit they bid? Why didn't they lead their partner's suit? Here we look at how to make use of all of this information.
10/3/22 (65 min)
In a trump contract, ruffing your losers in one of the post power declarer play tools. Here we look at times when we ruff in partner's hand -- normally the short trump side. We also look at other times when we may choose to ruff in our hand, setting up the dummy. Finally, we look at the all out ruffing effort of the crossruff!
10/10/22 (62 min)
Getting stuck in one hand when you have winners in your partner's hand is extremely frustrating. Whether we are the Declarer or a Defender learning to unblock a suit is an important skill. But when it comes to blocking and unblocking a suit there is also a skill / art form to getting the opponent's to block the suit. Here we look at how to work on both of these situations.
10/17/22 (65 min)
We make a lot of decisions on each hand of bridge. Judgement is most often talked about in the bidding, but you also need to judge wisely how to proceed in the card play -- both as Declarer or as a Defender. Here we look at how to use your experience and judgment to make better choices about which suit and/or card to play.
4/26/22 (66 min)
1NT is my favorite contract to declare! When we play the hand in 1NT there is space and time for creativity. We will look at how you play this contract to give you technical chances but, more importantly, we look at how to give your opponents chances to help you make 1NT.
5/2/22 (65 min)
2NT is one of the worst contracts in all of bridge. When the hand is over we will often wish we were in 1NT or 3NT (depending on how many tricks we take). We look at how to navigate this contract and look at some examples of the kind of decisions you are faced with in this annoying contract.
5/9/22 (65 min)
In 3NT you must determine if the hand is a race or a grind. When it is a race you must go get your tricks ASAP. When it is a grind, you want to give yourself every little extra chance to make the contract -- play as carefully as possible.
5/16/22 (66 min)
In a Notrump slam you cannot give up the lead often. Here we look at how we give ourselves as many chances as possible to make 6NT and see how “combining your chances” and “giving the opponents opportunities to make mistakes” lead to great results.
11/16/21 (67 min)
As a defender you can "duck" a trick to try and help your side keep communication. You can also do so to create complexity and a guess for the Declarer.
11/23/21 (62 min)
Here we look at the technique where the Declarer refuses to take a winner to try to cut communication and see when they should use it and when they should not.
There are a variety of situations where, as Declarer, we are comfortable having one Defender gain the lead and not the other. Here we look at how to recognize and make use of this situation.
12/7/21 (72 min)
One of the most important things you can do as Declarer is to make a plan at Trick 1. Here we look at how to do breakdown and effectively analyze what the dummy has to offer.
12/27/21 (70 min)
Interpreting the cards that are led on opening lead, and in the middle of the hand, is one of the art forms of bridge. Here we work on placing and visualizing the location of the opponent's cards.
7/27/21 (70 min)
When we win the contract in a part-score and do not have an 8-card fit it is usually because we either have more HCP than the opponents or there was an auction that kept the opponents from getting into the bidding. Let's make sure that we know how to play these hands.
8/2/21 (70 min)
When we play a part-score deal and we have a trump fit it usually means that we have more trump the opponent's do. Making use of our trump suit is a key part of good declarer play, especially in a part-score deal.
8/10/21 (72 min)
When we have enough points to bid game and we are playing in a trump suit then we need to make sure that we make use of our trump in the best ways we possibly can. Here we look at some examples and see how we play then hand best.
8/17/21 (79 min)
Slam contract in suit contracts are more common than in notrump. Let's look at how we can best play then hand to take all the tricks that we are entitled to. It's extremely important to make your contracts when you bid to a slam!
2/23/21 (77 min)
1NT is my favorite contract to declare! When we play the hand in 1NT there is space and time for creativity. We will look at how you play this contract to give you technical chances but, more importantly, we look at how to give your opponents chances to help you make 1NT.
3/2/21 (74 min)
2NT is one of the worst contracts in all of bridge. When the hand is over we will often wish we were in 1NT or 3NT (depending on how many tricks we take). We look at how to navigate this contract and look at some examples of the kind of decisions you are faced with in this annoying contract.
3/2/21 (74 min)
In 3NT you must determine if the hand is a race or a grind. When it is a race you must go get your tricks ASAP. When it is a grind, you want to give yourself every little extra chance to make the contract -- play as carefully as possible.
3/16/21 (70+ min)
In a Notrump slam you cannot give up the lead often. Here we look at how we give ourselves as many chances as possible to make 6NT and see how “combining your chances” and “giving the opponents opportunities to make mistakes” lead to great results.
Tuesday 11/3/20 (70 min)
It's important to know how to take finesses of many kinds, but even more important to know how to make choices at the table.
Tuesday 11/10/20 (78 min)
We develop tricks through Promotion, Length, or Finesse. But how do we choose which one to try first? And how do we combine our chances.
Tuesday 11/17/20 (72 min)
The trump suit is the one suit we can not avoid. That means that we really need to make the most of our trump. Here we look at a variety of ways we can use our trump suit to help us take tricks.
Tuesday, 11/24/20 (80 min)
Making a hand often comes down to a guess. But these are rarely blind guesses. Here we look at different guesses we make and what we can use to help us get them right more than 50% of the time.
12/1/20 (82 min)
There are a variety of ways to count a suit. Evolve to the best way -- Patterns. We will also look at a variety of other things we can count -- an opponent's hand, HCP, and more..
12/8/20 (74 min)
As Declarer there are many ways you can make the defender's life difficult. Here we look at how we attack the opponents and produce tricks either forcing the opponents to make mistakes.
