Saturday, July 12, 2003 10:18 AM

Hand Evaluation – Partnership ( Gambling in Bridge )

PITBULLS:

IMP philosophy or the " team style" playing in top level team games is usually dictated by the personalities of the players . Some teams are totally unpredictable & their results usually depend on the skill of the defenders or how many finesses make . This "single handed" style is an all or nothing approach so usually leaves their team mates & partners out of the loop .

Peter Jones is a poker player . Good Poker players are very disciplined , tend to play the percentages & not do stupid things. They are aggressive if the pot dictates it or will bluff on occasion but their overall strategy is not to lose their money . In long IMP matches , a winning strategy is to emulate the poker players . Do not blow your money ( IMPS ) by taking unnecessary risks . Make yourself known by being aggressive when necessary & bluff on occasion to keep the players guessing . Swinging in poker will leave you broke in the long run even though you can "luck out" on occasion . Swinging in IMPS will bankrupt the team in the long run .

This does not mean you have to be ultra conservative & go into a shell to not lose IMPS . Jones has an expression he borrowed from sod workers. "Green side up" means you bid your games & slams & compete hard. Taking any strategy to the extreme is a losing proposition . Just do not make "bad bets" or needless gambling in IMPS. Playing close to the vest until the situation dictates otherwise is the best strategy . Tom Gandolfo with 3 hands in Regina against the Willard team had a chance to overcall 2♣ but felt it was dangerous to do so . The opponent bid on all 3 hands so they lost 30+ IMPS .

Good IMP strategy is a balance between being aggressive without being reckless . Teammates coming back with six down 3 , six down 1 & -1100 will discourage all but the most hardy team mates . Gambling for the sake of gambling is not what IMPS are all about . Poker style gambling is what IMPS are all about. "Pot Odds" in Poker are determined by the amount of money in the pot . Your gambling will depend on how much you have to gain or lose in the IMP pot . Not taking out insurance by bidding in a double game/slam swing situation , you are playing bad Bridge/Poker . By gambling -730 on a penalty double for +200 you are playing bad "poker" . By psyching vul against non vul , you are throwing away a possible 1400 to gain a 460 not being bid. Bad gamblers show up in Bridge as well as poker.

In Poker to be successful , you have to "grind it out" over the long run . That is resisting the temptation to make bad gambles. In long IMP matches, it is the same thing . You do not have to win every board. Partners may have some pleasant surprises for you unless you decided to play "giveaway" on a few hands due to a lack of discipline . A good partnership does not undermine the team by playing every pot . A pass in Poker & a pass in Bridge both can make a lot of sense ...

Bridge , like poker , is based on the random dealing of cards. This means that probabilities dictate the course of action quite often. Bridge players gamble also as bidding is not an exact science. You do not bid on the basis of “worst case scenario” but on the most probable holding in partner’s hand. For example, when partner has failed to take a relay to show a slam try after your strong jump shift , sometimes you just bid the slam simply on the fact that the odds make it a good bet. Intelligent gambling applies in Bridge as well as poker. If hand evaluation has turned the odds into your favour to bid a vul game , go for it. Tactical bidding applies when partner is a passed hand & on the terrorist vulnerability . Preserve partnership discipline at all costs. Learn from the Poker players & gamble when the odds dictate it. .

Stupid gambling in Poker is going against the odds. Stupid gambling in Bridge is the same thing. The “catch me if you can” mentality is stupid Bridge. Pre-empting vul vrs not , with ♠x ♥Kxx ♦KJxxxxx ♣xx as you going against the odds big time. Gambling at the 5 level when the opponents have taken the risk to bid at that rarefied level is silly gambling. Not playing the vulnerability is silly gambling. Opening bids with a lack of quick tricks is gambling that your own partner will not do you in. Overcalling with bad suits at the two level is a silly gamble as is “taking shots” based on your own thrill of gambling is counter productive & loses in the long run. Real gambling is all about playing the odds properly. You must gamble in Bridge but do it intelligently. What is your expected gain if the gamble works ? What is the expected loss if it does not. The odds dictate how you make your decisions in Bridge.