None Vul
IMPs
Dealer: North
Lead: 
Q
weedo Q 7 2 J 10 Q J 7 5 K Q 9 5 |
||
| wharfewi J 8 5 3 K Q 8 7 6 3 K 10 3 — |
![[W - E]](http://gee.aaronhaspel.com/files/2012/10/t.gif) |
Maestro A 9 6 A 4 2 8 2 A J 10 4 3 |
| cj78 K 10 4 9 5 A 9 6 4 8 7 6 2 |
| West
1 |
North Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass |
East 1 1NT 4NT 5 |
South Pass Pass Pass Pass |
Many figures of authority — CEOs, Third-World dictators, bridge bidding captains — are reluctant to cede power when their time is up.
Today’s auction begins deceptively smoothly, as Gee, East, opens 1C and rebids 1NT over his partner’s 1H response. Trouble begins when West jumps to game in hearts over 1NT. One can argue the merits of this, but I think it’s a decent practical bid at IMPs, especially in an unpracticed partnership like this one. 4H is likely to have a play against most possible East hands, and it’s nearly cold against any number of trashy openers, such as KQxx Jxx QJx Kxx.
A novice would pass 4H. An intermediate would pass 4H. A random stranger would pass 4H. Gee bids 4NT. 1NT showed a balanced hand with 12-14 points and 4NT, coincidentally, shows exactly the same thing. I assume West thought his 5C response was standard Blackwood; if they’re playing RKC then of course he’s lying, not that I’d blame him. (The post mortem indicates that he had no idea what 4NT was and probably chose 5C has the cheapest bid.) Gee, off either one ace or two key cards, signs off in 5H.
The DA is onside so the contract goes down only 1. West, in the post mortem, has the temerity to question our hero’s bidding and is shortly put in his place:
wharfewi: what was 4 no trumps partner
G: was rkc of course
wharfewi: why
G: because you jumped to 4H all by yourself and I have more than the minimum
G: but you did not have a 4H bid, to me
wharfewi: you have 13 points and your bid of 1 no trump said 12 to 14 points
Spec #1: exactly, gerard can’t worm out of this one
Spec #2: no he can’t
G: after you bid 4H, I have distrib too
wharfewi: you have a flat hand
G: are you saying you always bid game in a suit on 23 points?
weedo: next hand pls
Spec #1: gerard should have bid 2 hearts anyway not one no
Spec #3: I guess with G’s bidding expertise…his book on bidding is selling like hotcakes
Spec #4: studied in all universities
Spec #3: i can’t believe G is playing with “int:adv” player… how does he expect to carry him :)
Spec #1: gerard has made all the errors
Spec #4: that never happened before…:_>
Spec #5: Pt’s rating is much above G’s
Spec #1: rite
Spec #3: G can’t carry himself…
G: will be my last one. ty partner:)
That’s telling him.
G is absolutely right. It’s in his book. “A new breed of highly gifted players is actually able to play 3NT with 24 pts, 4 in a major with 25 points, 5 in a minor with 27 points, a small slam with 30 points and a grand slam with 34 points with a good chance of success.” So obviously you can’t bid game in a major with 23 points.
A NT opener or rebidder being captain is a rare idea. The responder generally solicits information and places the contract. Sometimes, the responder invites game or slam and the NT bidder becomes involved via a cue bid, a jump, and sometimes in the final decision. Here, the NT bidder was never solicited and the contract was placed but the NT bidder essentially doubles his partner by flying his waxed wings towards the sun. Maybe he thought it was an eclipse so he couldn’t see or feel any danger…So, Oh Captain, Oh Icarus.
Just another eclipse of the mind.
Having observed my fair share of hands, either from my vantage point as a “geeon” (those of us that are relegated to watch, rather than play with, the master), or, more recently and far more enjoyably, as chronicled on Aaron’s web pages, I can stay silent no longer and want to explicitly state what we all know: Gerard Cohen is a TERRIBLE bridge player. He has no idea how to bid, how to defend, or how to play a hand. (He also has no idea how to write but that’s another rant.) We knew this even before we looked up his ACBL points total, which, prior to the introduction of their Gerard Security Act, totalled a staggering 29 points in over 8 years of play. That he purports to be an expert is PREPOSTEROUS and adds innumerable layers to his ineptitude. Gerard Cohen is a Sociology or Anthropology Masters Degree Thesis-in-waiting. If Gerard Cohen wants the masses to stop the snickering he need do one thing and one thing only: “SHUT THE F**K UP!” Were he to fade into the woodwork, he would become as interesting as gravel (with all due respect to geologists). Let me assure those of you who may be concerned these comments will lead Gerard to alter his playing habits that his ego is far too large to pass up any opportunity to see his name in print (see his cheesy homepage). He will therefore be bothered not a whit by this post and will, at any rate, ignore completely any compelling arguments that may lead to a reduction in the abuse heaped upon him. Such is the life of egomaniacs.
Since when does jumping to game over openers 1nt rebid show extras? Since when does it make the opener the captain?