1. BRIDGE - TEAMS PLAY STRATEGY By Satish Panchamia October 2009

2. STRATEGIC THINKING Teams PlayPairs (Duplicate) Play 1Scoring by Imps/Victory Points. Each board carries equal weighting. Either it is WON, LOST or TIED. You are competing with one other Team only. Scoring by Match Points (MPs). You have multiple opponents and other factors which affect top score on a board. 2Concerned with Large Plus Score or sometimes calculated Swings (e.g. Any extra 10 mps gained are discarded for the purposes of calculating IMPs). Concerned with Small Gains (i.e. Extra 10 mps which may give you “TOP” score ). 3Focus is on the Amount of Gain.Focus is on the Frequency of Gains 4Focus is on “Plus” Score. Do not take too high risks. Focus is to take modest risks to score overtricks or prevent opponents making them 5Bid and make “thin” games (particularly vulnerable games) and slams (75% or more chance) are important as total score on a board is vital (Note: it is defended by your team members at the other table). Bid and make game and slams on reasonable hand. Part score making game tricks usually gives you “near” average MP points at Pairs which is usually acceptable. October 2009 Bridge – Team Play Strategy By Satish Panchamia

3. STRATEGIC THINKING Teams PlayPairs (Duplicate) Play 6Bid your vulnerable games aggressively. If you don’t, then the opponents on the other table will be doing just that and your Team may not get as many as MP as possible and will lose IMPs as a result. You do not have to bid aggressively 7If you are non-vulnerable, there is no need to stretch too far to make a “close” game Same 8Bid your part score aggressively especially with good trumps. Do not ignore the value of PART score. Same 9Find a way to beat opponent’s close contract but be careful that your aggressive defence play does not let them score on unmakeable contract. Same October 2009Bridge – Team Play Strategy By Satish Panchamia

4. STRATEGIC THINKING Teams PlayPairs (Duplicate) Play 10Double opponents’ part game contract only with good trumps tricks plus other sure tricks in defence that as you can visualise from your partner’s bidding. Doubling of part game contract bid by opponents is not a major consideration. (e.g. in vulnerable position, minus 200 mps will give you the TOP instead of -500 mps) 11Do not double strictly on high-card pointsSame 12Pre-empt a little more aggressively especially when you are not vulnerable. Same 13If you have a fit in Minors (4-4) as well as in Majors (4-3) then play in Minor suit (the difference in IMP score is marginal) Normally one aims to prefer a major rather than a minor suit contract at Pairs 14If opponents sacrifice against your game contract, DOUBLE them and take your PLUS score rather than bidding higher and then go down Often it may be profitable to bid higher! 15Do not make “light” vulnerable overcalls particularly at 2-level Light vulnerable overcalls can sometimes turn out to be profitable. October 2009Bridge – Team Play Strategy By Satish Panchamia

5. STRATEGIC THINKING Teams PlayPairs (Duplicate) Play 16When you are Declarer, do not risk your contract trying to make an overtrick. Overtricks are profitable at “Pairs” 17If you want to take a non-vulnerable sacrifice over your opponent’s vulnerable game, you should be reasonably sure that you won’t go down more than TWO tricks doubled (620- 300=320 mp = 8 imps-good strategy). If you want to take a vulnerable sacrifice over your opponent’s non vulnerable game, you should be reasonably sure that you won’t go down more than ONE trick doubled (420-200=220=6 imps). Good strategy. Here focus is of not going down in more than THREE tricks(620- 500=120 mps) Here focus is of not going down in more than ONE trick (420 vs200) 18Think and visualise what might be happening at the other table. Here the competition is with the all the opponents on your direction 19Just play your “normal” game. Do not overly look for big “swings”. One tends to take modest risks at Pairs. October 2009Bridge – Team Play Strategy By Satish Panchamia

6. October 2009Bridge – Team Play Strategy By Satish Panchamia VIEW EVERYTHING ABOVE AS A GUIDELINE. GUIDELINES CAN NEVER REPLACE THINKING. AVOID BIG DISASTER HAVE YOUR CONVENTION CARD READY ANNOUNCE YOUR SYSTEM TO OPPONENTS LISTEN TO OPPONENT’S SYSTEMS EXPLAIN YOUR SYSTEM, ALERTS AND BIDS WELL WHEN ASKED ONLY ASK THE MEANING OF CONVENTION ONLY IF YOU ARE GOING TO BID DON’T BE SHY TO ASK QUESTIONS DO NOT HESITATE YOUR PLAY OR PROVIDE MISINFORMATION GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR PRACTICE ROUNDS THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.