The Gee Chronicles

Sometimes practice must be leavened with a little theory. Last night Gee gathered the faithful and treated them to a lecture on the dos and don’ts of captaincy. Not being among the anointed I have only a fragmentary version and will be grateful to any acolytes who can fill in the gaps. Still, let’s listen in. The spec comments are in bold.

G: New table note: “want to know what this captain theory is about… come over”
G: if you want to be part of the discussion, come in obs not in spec
G: I want to explain the basics of my theory if you are interested, here is how it works
Apostle #1: G really nothing about your concept of bid captain
Apostle #1: just we joking about the phrase “who is the captain” but if u feel offended i’m sorry
G: each team starts with a captain and a crew
Apostle #2: sorry G, I was way out of line
G: the dealer and the player in 2nd seat are always the crew at the beginning of each hand
Apostle #1: i know.. this concept is the base of modern bidding theory
G: well… you guys listen, then maybe you will stop making fun of my captain theory
G: the crew may not give any order
Apostle #1: we fun about the phrase not about the theory
G: only the captain can
Apostle #1: i hope now is all clear
Apostle #3: better by e-mail
G: when the bidding starts, the crew, if makes an opening bid passes info to the captain
Apostle #3: Gee we just kidding of that that’s all
G: if the captain needs more info, he will ask questions to the crew
G: once the captain has gathered enough info, he makes a decision of where to play and how high to play
Apostle #2: but i truly apologize, G
G: just listen
Apostle #2: ok
G: if the captain does not have enoguh in his hand to ask questions, he relieves himself of the captainship by either passing, support crew’s suit, repeat his own suit, these are the 3 ways the captain gives up his captainship
G: once the captain has given up his captainship the crew may pick it up and become the captain
Apostle #3: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
G: if he does, he can then ask questions to the ex-captain and the process starts over again with a new captain
G: if the crew does not want to be the captain, he has the same options as the ex-captain has pass, repeat his suit, support the captain suit. when this happens, there is no more crew nor no captain. any bid by the team becomes a unique non commital bid and meant only to compete without any meaning to search for game
Apostle #4: the crew is planning a mutiny
Apostle #4: at least seaman lall is in the brig where he belongs
G: this is a very short explanation, but it gives a good idea of what the relationship between the players in a team is there cannot be 2 captains at the same time in a team
G: this concept is not my invention.
G: we all, experts play it
Apostle #4: i think i am getting seasick!!
G: but i just express it when noone has
Apostle #4: does anyone have any dramamine and a barfbag?
G: so people who are not experts can be more competitive at a bridge table against better players than them
G: my point is that intermediate players and advanced players stop arguing who is making a forcing bid and who is not
G: peterw was a 41% player… now he is a 50% player using this concept
Apostle #2: lol
Apostle #1: he want convince all us that he is the inventor of captain theory but chiaradia exposed it 40 years ago
Apostle #4: LOL, this is incredible
Apostle #2: he made peterw better
G: all my students, live and on line say the same thing.. it clears up totally what their right and duties as players at the table are
Apostle #4: i am looking for a plank that i can walk
G: and all improve just by using that concept
Apostle #2: sinking ship?
G: that does not always make them experts
G: there are other considerations
Apostle #5: G is the captain and peterw is Tenille
Apostle #2: lol
G: when you are the captain, you have to ask the right question at the right time
G: sometimes difficult and requires to know, using the system elements
G: you, experts in this room play it… I just put it down on paper
Apostle #4: I am going down to sick bay, maybe Bones can help me
Apostle #2: lol
G: for the non-experts to understand what is going on at expert tables
G: have questions?
Apostle #2: no, this is just a rant
Apostle #6: Gee please, what did you mean by the unique noncommital bid not having captain?
Apostle #1: if u feel offended i’m sorry. that’s all
Apostle #3: me too geeee
G: ok
Apostle #2: me too, truly sorry
G: means that once the captain has given up his captainship he may not pick it up again
Apostle #1: ok
G: if both players have given it up there is no more captain
G: if one of the players makes a bid it is a free unique bid not asking the partner to answer anything
Apostle #3: right now no more questions
G: ok any other questions?
Apostle #6: sry, I lost my connection
G: ok, I will tell you again
Apostle #6: so I did not hear the answer to my question G please
G: if the captain gives up his captainship, and the new captain gives it up as well, there is no captain in the team
Apostle #4: how many imps per knot are we losing?
Apostle #1 (to Apostle #6): you bastard
Apostle #7: i just want to know what happened to the captain
Apostle #2: lol
Apostle #4: the captain went down with the friggin ship
G: any bid is a single bid that never asks the other team member for any answer or anything
Apostle #7: i mean… it’s like he disappeared
G: this answers your question?
Apostle #4: the captain is a friggin troll
Apostle #2: sorry folks, didn’t mean to start a rant
Apostle #1: pittttttttttyyyyyyyyyyyy
Apostle #1: sayyyyy yesssssssssss
Apostle #6: thank you
Apostle #7: oh where oh where has my captain gone…
Apostle #8: is he being serious?
Apostle #7: oh where oh where can he be???
Apostle #3 (to Apostle #2): make me a favour
Apostle #2: sure
Apostle #3: ask gee who is the captain
G: buy my e-book “Bridge Is a Conversation” to get all the detail on this
Apostle #2: LOLOL
Apostle #1: i cant stop laughinggggggggggggggggggg
Apostle #9: azzzzzzzz
Apostle #3: his book OMG
Apostle #10: what did u do?
Apostle #11: no ask… if aaron is the captain??
G: thank you all for listening hope that clears a few points
Apostle #4: he will go into a frenzy
Apostle #12: everybody should immediately promise to buy the book
G: seeya

N/S Vul
IMPs
Dealer: East
Lead:6

	ahmed1 J 5 A J 9 3 6 5 2 J 9 6 5
caguirre A 2 K Q 10 7 Q 8 7 A 8 3 2		Maestro Q 10 7 8 4 A K J K Q 10 7 4
	baher1 K 9 8 6 4 3 6 5 2 10 9 4 3 —

West 2 3 Pass

North Pass Pass Pass

East 1NT 2 5

South Pass Pass Pass

It’s not the auction that counts, it’s the reasoning:

G (in spec): club rebid does not make sense
Spec #1: I am with g man on this one
Spec #2: me too
Spec #3: it was checkback stayman, everybody plays that
Spec #4: lol!!!!!!!!
Spec #3: he was checking back to make sure you had no four card major
G: that’s what I thought it would be, but I don’t trust him
G: as a checkback stayman, is asking if I have a 3 cards heart suit
G: first time asking for 4 cards
G: 2nd time asking for 3 cards

Questions for Discussion
1. What methods are available to show a five-card major over a 1NT if you decide not to play the Cohen treatment of checkback Stayman?
2. What methods are available to show a 5-4 hand in the majors?
3. Gee is an expert. One of the better-known tenets of expert bridge is “trust your partner.” Discuss.

Non licet bovi.
 

None Vul
IMPs
Dealer: East
Lead: 7

	Maestro K Q J 5 Q 4 K J 9 8 7 6 3
hkubilay 10 9 8 6 3 A 9 5 3 2 Q 10 4		aqualung 7 2 K J 2 10 9 8 7 4 3 J 5
	demolay A 4 10 8 7 6 A Q 6 5 A K 2

West Pass Pass Dbl

North 2 3 Pass

East Pass Pass Pass

South 1NT 2 6 Pass

Questions for Discussion
1. Which major suit is Gee asking about with his 3C checkback bid?
2. Can you construct a 1NT opener for South on which 6C has a play?

Quod licet Jovi.

None Vul
IMPs
Dealer: South
Lead: 2

	wzheng Q 8 7 6 3 2 Q J 8 6 A 6 2
tahirb A K 3 K J 7 3 2 K J 10 7 4		wildcats J 10 9 5 4 10 4 Q 9 4 A 8 5
	Maestro K A 9 7 5 2 10 8 6 5 Q 9 3

I have emphasized in this column many times the importance of judgment in expert play. A rule that an STCP™ might treat as an iron law is, for experts, a mere heuristic. Like the rule that you’re not supposed to be double a part-score at IMPs if you expect to beat it only one or two at the most. Nonsense. Real experts pay no mind to that sissy stuff.

Like many thrilling adventures today’s auction begins in deceptive calm. West opens a normal 1D and North makes a normal, non-vulnerable weak 2S overcall opposite a passed hand. This is passed back to West, who reopens with 3C with his excellent two-suiter. East, holding too little to bid the first time but too much to take a simple diamond preference, invites with 4D. Once again it’s up to our hero.

Gee holds one certain defensive trick, HA, and a half trick or so in each of the other three suits. His partner has promised nothing on defense. E/W may yet bid 5D. The cowardly intermediate would pass and await developments. The courageous expert, trusting his defense and table feel, seizes the moment and doubles. East reseizes the moment and redoubles.

North leads the S2. West wins the SA, and a low trump brings the stiff DA. A heart is returned — nothing else helps — and it’s a simple matter, on the bidding, to guess the location of the CQ for the overtrick. Our hero is unlucky again: if North had held a small diamond instead of the stiff ace, then the strategic double of 4D would have kept E/W out of a cold diamond slam. What’s that I hear my expert readers saying? If East had held the DA he wouldn’t have passed the 2S bid? 4DXX making 6 scores more than 6D anyway? Oh. Right. Never mind.