Saturday, November 09, 2002 9:44 PM

Hand Evaluation - Established Partnerships ( Work )

PITBULLS:

I have sent you a great many articles on subjects which I feel might elevate your game. The sheer number of E-mails over time needs some way of keeping track of them if they are to be referenced later for any self study. They are all indexed on my site via Google. If you want to review serious 3NT for example , do a Google search on serious 3NT. I am also organizing the articles better via subject ( project not complete ) . I dabble a lot in Bidding theory so allow me some artistic freedom. My intent is not to design a system for you as that is up to the individual partnerships. Conventions are a personal decision also.

The Pitbulls are not beginners . For the most part the material in the articles should not be new material . The material should help in the goal of having two “established partnerships” before the Vienna Cup trials come around . Established partnerships are way more effective than a casual partnership of two experts . Why ? They have “been there – done that” . Thru hard work , trial & error , they know their system well so have a vast number of “partnership understandings” . This gives them an edge in any competition . Established partnerships are frustrating to play against as they do not give you anything by keeping their mistakes to a minimum.

KISS is designed for casual partnerships in social Bridge games like club games , sectionals & regionals. At the national level , CNTC , GNT finals & Calcuttas it is a different matter. The higher the level , the established partnerships that handle the tough bidding hands will be the winners. If you do not have many common understandings & treatments , you are just guessing & taking shots on the difficult hands. Expert Bridge is way beyond that. If you disagree , then why does your team get slaughtered by Meckwell or the Italians ? They make errors also but they make a lot less guesses than you do. They are far more effective bidders than you are, as they have countless tools & understandings. You must elevate your game & bring your game up to the level of the competition at nationals or CNTC’s. This competition is not shooting pigeons at a club game.

The articles are just my views on the game & Klimo will have similar but different views in some areas . Bridge is complex enough that there are no absolute right or wrong way to bid. All good roads lead to Rome. The articles should cause the partnerships to examine how they handle the subjects brought up in these articles. Some ideas from the articles should be written into their system & some ignored. Articles should be the “spring board” to assist the partnerships to become more established before the Vienna Cup trials . Bidding concepts will just not come up often enough by playing before the play off in Penticton. I am using my own experience at high level competition to bring up concepts & bids which I have seen harpoon teams in the past .

Again a coach or a mentor can only do so much . He can lead Pitbulls to water but he cannot make them drink . You must put some effort into your system to prevent the scourge of “partnership misunderstandings” . Asking questions , debating & discussion now & this Winter will save IMPS later in Penticton. Trust me on that one . Local experts like Stan , Tom , Klimo ,& Osama are willing to assist . It would be fun to track the exploits of the Pitbulls over the net in Europe or somewhere. You must help yourselves though , as coaches are not allowed to play as “designated hitters”. Your attitude towards improving will reap dividends. Never stop learning because you think “you are too good”.

The duty of a Coach in any sport is to teach , offer constructive criticism , motivate & develop a way to win . My strategy for winning is very simple in theory but hard in practice . A team consisting of established partnerships will represent Canada in the Vienna Cup . Nothing more nothing less. It is up to the Pitbulls to become a team of two established partnerships before this summer.