[neilkaz]

In case any of the many silent readers here are wondering what it can do for your game to discuss and study bridge here and on BBO, a pick up partner and I just won the Gold Rush event at the Crystal Lake IL regional. I made sure the partnership desk got me a partner under 300 mp so we could place in that strata but we won 1st overall (750 max) anyhow.

No one knew me there (this isn't backgammon) and I guess being 15 years younger than the average person (I'm 54) and having salt and pepper hair longer than some of the women in the room, doesn't make me look like a typical bridge player so with my 50 MP (might as well have leprosy) from 25+ years ago when I lived near clubs, I guess I didn't seem desirable as a PD.(I had to leave once and miss an event since I had no PD and thankfully the charming lady fromn the partnership desk PD'ed me in last night's Swiss and we won C..but no prob to drive 20 min back home) Anyhow, my continued insistance that I can play any 2/1 or std card finally paid off, and while PD didn't play many gadgets or treatments and I don't like some of what she plays ..I just played it to make her comfortable. We had a great 1st session but she seemed tired in the 2nd after dinner and chucked 3 boards and I said we have some recouping to do. Common sense .. trying for a couple tops (4333(3♥) 17 count opposite 1♥opening so we played 3NT taking the same 11 tricks as in ♥.. beating fields as 2 losers no matter what..etc) and some luck and pressure declarer play (give defenders a problem..RHO thought he was endplayed and gave me a hopeless 3NT but putting me in dummy when I couldn't get there (he couldn't imagine I was void in ♣ and hoped that after I ran them I'd only total 8 tricks). On another hand after I get to play 3♠ preemptive opening with JT9876xx,Jx,xx,x they crash honors so I make (opp wife wanted to kill her hubby after). On another they both think they must hold up in ♠ vs my 1NT passed out with dummy having 2 pts and I steal the contract after a correct "guess" on the opening lead to guarantee only -1. Another erronious defensive hold up gave me trick 9 in 3NT later. You need a bit of luck..but do your best to not give the opps "luck".

My point to B/I here is what the regular posters know and take advantage of ..participate..ask questions.. improve common bridge sense .. improve hand evaluation (things that take tricks matter) .. pay attention to signals .. and for heaven's sake..learn to count to 13 and how to make basic endplays. I cannot stress enough the need at the B/I level to study declarer play and then study it again and more. I also cannot stress enough the need to bid reasonably aggressively but not like a dufus.

Please participate and be active here .. happykaz ..

[BunnyGo]

Congratulations on the win, sounds well deserved.

[jillybean]

Congratulations

[Fluffy]

Congrats man, next time you will have to play better field so keep studying

[mike777]

Fluffy, on 2012-June-24, 02:06, said:

Congrats man, next time you will have to play better field so keep studying

you cant win......

1) PLAY BETTER
2) WEAK FIELD



BRIDGE IS HARD BUT WE LOVE YOU.

[neilkaz]

jillybean, on 2012-June-24, 00:15, said:

Congratulations

Thx everyone, and Kathryn, I could have used you as a PD I am sure..today was a bit rocky in the Sunday Swiss. We placed OK but I'd hoped for better.

.. neilkaz ..

[jillybean]

I'd love to! ..if you were about 3,500km closer than you are

[chasetb]

Congrats Neil, and if either you or Jill are going to Philly, I'm looking for a partner on Monday. We could/would destroy the Gold Rush pairs, since I've come in 2nd (1st in B) in the only Gold Rush I've ever played, and I've technically won a National title.

[Zelandakh]

Many congrats! Out of interest (for comparisons for non-US players) how many MPs did you get for the victory?

[Phil]

WD Neil.

[aguahombre]

Zelandakh, on 2012-June-25, 02:41, said:

Many congrats! Out of interest (for comparisons for non-US players) how many MPs did you get for the victory?

The Gold Rush Pairs, a relatively new adddition to Regional tournaments in the ACBL consists of three Strata with a maximum allowed point total of 750 points for any player. A 60-table Gold Rush Pairs pays about 17 MP for 1st overall.

edit: The strata advertised for the May Regional in ILL. were 300/500/750. Las Vegas was 100/300/750. Breakdowns are inconsistent, but the payoffs based on table-count for the overalls are the same for GRP events at Regionals as they are at Nationals. They are Regional rated events.

This is merely informational for those who might be interested in playing that type of event.

This post has been edited by aguahombre: 2012-June-25, 10:40

[jillybean]

chasetb, on 2012-June-24, 23:29, said:

Congrats Neil, and if either you or Jill are going to Philly, I'm looking for a partner on Monday. We could/would destroy the Gold Rush pairs, since I've come in 2nd (1st in B) in the only Gold Rush I've ever played, and I've technically won a National title.

My parents are visiting from NZ this summer so no Philly for me, maybe another time.

[neilkaz]

aguahombre, on 2012-June-25, 07:32, said:

The Gold Rush Pairs, a relatively new adddition to Regional tournaments in the ACBL consists of three Strata with a maximum allowed point total of 750 points for any player. A 60-table Gold Rush Pairs pays about 17 MP for 1st overall.

This event was stratified 0-300 and 300-750. We easily qualified for 0-300 but took 1st overall, but it only paid 7.67 Gold.

Perhaps some regionals have larger fields, or the GR Pairs in Nationals pay more.

[neilkaz]

chasetb, on 2012-June-24, 23:29, said:

Congrats Neil, and if either you or Jill are going to Philly, I'm looking for a partner on Monday. We could/would destroy the Gold Rush pairs, since I've come in 2nd (1st in B) in the only Gold Rush I've ever played, and I've technically won a National title.

This is tempting but I'm just staying in driving distance to play for now, until I get a couple more events under my belt or find a good pd with to play practice with on BBO and then play face to face. I did my best to try to get some decent players/partners hooked up to play on BBO, but many weren't interested or had bad experiences. Of course, its worth dealing with a few bad experiences for all the good ones.

Oh Kathryn...I can't believe that Vancouver is more than 3000km from Chicago

[jillybean]

neilkaz, on 2012-June-25, 09:06, said:

This is tempting but I'm just staying in driving distance to play for now, until I get a couple more events under my belt or find a good pd with to play practice with on BBO and then play face to face. I did my best to try to get some decent players/partners hooked up to play on BBO, but many we're interested or had bad experiences. Of course, its worth dealing with a few bad experiences for all the good ones.

Oh Kathryn...I can't believe that Vancouver is more than 3000km from Chicago

2851km as the bird flies, 3537 via I-90, 94
3544km, 35hours from my house. I have a game this morning, I won't be there anytime soon.