05-25-2013, 10:08 PM
Bidding in 1st Seat:
50 - I am comfortable with 35-7-6. I rarely get in trouble when I am declarer. Of course bad distribution can kill you. If there are other hands I should open I'm ready to see what they are. (Certainly I botch auctions I have opened, but I don't see the errors. If I get the bid and I don't think I overbid, I rarely have problems.)
51 - Showing Aces Around is a convention. Its easy to do, and fast. Partner never complains when I bid 51.
59 - I've had this twice. The first time my partner didn't believe me. I had no other bid so I passed afterward. He won the contested auction. (He said he thought I was making a shutout bid.) The second time we were about to go out. Partner, 3rd or 4th seat, had nothing and passed. The opponents: "Does he REALLY have Double Aces?" "I hope not." I had a 8 card trump suit and won the bidding. No problems with 59.
52-57,58 - Give me a second to count and I'll show my meld. Nobody seems to notice some of my 52s and 53s are "Adjusted Meld" bids. Me having 16 to 18 is OK by them. They don't even know I bid my scattered Aces.
60 - With you guys I know 60 shows a "50" hand with more strength. But nobody else has ever mentioned it, so I won't use it on Yahoo. What does such a hand look like? 50-8-7? I assume Opener -owns- the hand. Thus Partner's 65 cannot be a "save", so it shows meld. How much?
65+ - Not a clue.
Pass - Here I have a few issues. 1) Most of the time I am passing with garbage. 2) I keep reminding myself a First seat Pass shows "Less than 20 Adjusted meld". So my 10-15 meld or bare 5 card run might be a nice surprise for Partner when he takes the bid or less nice if -they- take it. 16-18(Adjusted) In partner's eyes its would be more than a mild stretch. 3) 9 card suits with no marriage, the rub of the green. A good trump suit in -other- games, live with it. 4) (assuming no 35-7-6) 7 or 8 scattered Aces, no Aces Around, nothing like 20 meld. 6 scattered Aces is an easy pass, a statistical blip. 7 or 8 is a heart breaker. What will I do when I pick up 9 such Aces. I know a century of Pinochle players has found more value in "Aces Around" than I do. I just wish I had a way to handle a flock of Aces. I pass, I grit my teeth, but I pass. (I keep wishing 51 could also promise "7+ Aces, not Around")
I am no expert bidding in first seat. I make mistakes. I don't see most of then, but there're there. I think Partner is seldom dismayed with what I have to say in first seat. I am comfortable. A few Thursday night games with a knowledgable kibitzer looking over my shoulder should get me to the point where I am a solid Novice with that bid.
Thanks guys. I came here with a year of playing double deck but no instruction, different bidding too. I'm feeling pretty good about my bids in first seat.
50 - I am comfortable with 35-7-6. I rarely get in trouble when I am declarer. Of course bad distribution can kill you. If there are other hands I should open I'm ready to see what they are. (Certainly I botch auctions I have opened, but I don't see the errors. If I get the bid and I don't think I overbid, I rarely have problems.)
51 - Showing Aces Around is a convention. Its easy to do, and fast. Partner never complains when I bid 51.
59 - I've had this twice. The first time my partner didn't believe me. I had no other bid so I passed afterward. He won the contested auction. (He said he thought I was making a shutout bid.) The second time we were about to go out. Partner, 3rd or 4th seat, had nothing and passed. The opponents: "Does he REALLY have Double Aces?" "I hope not." I had a 8 card trump suit and won the bidding. No problems with 59.
52-57,58 - Give me a second to count and I'll show my meld. Nobody seems to notice some of my 52s and 53s are "Adjusted Meld" bids. Me having 16 to 18 is OK by them. They don't even know I bid my scattered Aces.
60 - With you guys I know 60 shows a "50" hand with more strength. But nobody else has ever mentioned it, so I won't use it on Yahoo. What does such a hand look like? 50-8-7? I assume Opener -owns- the hand. Thus Partner's 65 cannot be a "save", so it shows meld. How much?
65+ - Not a clue.
Pass - Here I have a few issues. 1) Most of the time I am passing with garbage. 2) I keep reminding myself a First seat Pass shows "Less than 20 Adjusted meld". So my 10-15 meld or bare 5 card run might be a nice surprise for Partner when he takes the bid or less nice if -they- take it. 16-18(Adjusted) In partner's eyes its would be more than a mild stretch. 3) 9 card suits with no marriage, the rub of the green. A good trump suit in -other- games, live with it. 4) (assuming no 35-7-6) 7 or 8 scattered Aces, no Aces Around, nothing like 20 meld. 6 scattered Aces is an easy pass, a statistical blip. 7 or 8 is a heart breaker. What will I do when I pick up 9 such Aces. I know a century of Pinochle players has found more value in "Aces Around" than I do. I just wish I had a way to handle a flock of Aces. I pass, I grit my teeth, but I pass. (I keep wishing 51 could also promise "7+ Aces, not Around")
I am no expert bidding in first seat. I make mistakes. I don't see most of then, but there're there. I think Partner is seldom dismayed with what I have to say in first seat. I am comfortable. A few Thursday night games with a knowledgable kibitzer looking over my shoulder should get me to the point where I am a solid Novice with that bid.
Thanks guys. I came here with a year of playing double deck but no instruction, different bidding too. I'm feeling pretty good about my bids in first seat.
Rick Hall