Bridge Tip # 2
If your team is well behind going into the fourth quarter in a knock out team both pairs should not try to create swings because one pair may have a gained the lead at its table , but its teammates, not knowing this may have given it back because they tought they thought had to keep swinging. To swing a a pair will often attempt low percentage bids or plays. If both pairs are doing this those odds will twice as bad.
It happened to me in 1971 when my team was playing in the Vanderbilt quarter finals against the Aces. The pair we were playing against was Bob Goldman and Mike Lawrence. I was playing with Paul Hodge.We had done very well. Bob and Mike congratulated us when we finished before either of team had compared scores with its teammates. When we did, we found our teammates, thinking they were still behind, had thought they had to swing and had given back our gains so we lost.
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That’s a good tip. I admit that I have never really understood the best way to try to mount a huge comeback.
I just found your site via Judy (Wolff). Just wanted to say hi and will be interested in reading your stories about the old days.
I am fine, still in Baltimore.
On the 2nd anniversary of Billy’s death, while at the St Louis Nationals, I met a man who has since become my boyfriend. Weirdly enough, I met him just after I had lit a yurzite candle for Billy.
Where are you living and how are you doing?
IIRC, we played against Al Roth’s team once in the Spingold or Vanderbilt, and we were down 60-odd IMPs after 3 quarters. We settled on the “one swinging pair” strategy for the last quarter, which was supposed to be us against Roth playing with maybe Paul Trent. We had a super game (Roth was worried that we had caught up), but unfortunately our teammates couldn’t resist the urge to swing, so we gained less than we expected. I think we still lost by 40-odd, so it probably didn’t matter. I still remember some of the hands from that round.