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ISTR there have been a few attempts at starting some sort of pro tour in bridge. There was a series of individual tournaments with money prizes that lasted a few years, wasn't there? Apparently such events can't sustain themselves in the long term.
Regarding Internet coverage, I've never seen an MtG event, but I'll be surprised if it's not just a live video stream; if I'm wrong I'd like to hear more. As BBO has shown us, live Internet coverage of bridge is a logistical challenge.
Perhaps one lesson is to have actual state championships, or geographical ones of some sort? The MtG event described here carries some attractive prestige just for its official status. Are nonresidents allowed? Years ago when I played tournament chess (not well), the state championship tournament was a big deal.
Bridge tournaments diffuse the cachet: there are usually several events that compete for what glory there is.
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I follow a suggestion I read somewhere: I put trump down first, if any, followed by my suits from strongest to weakest, so partner doesn't have to wait to wonder what I was bidding on, or wonder whether I have any high cards left. If all I have to contribute is four small trumps and an ace, partner will see those cards at the first opportunity.
This means I don't always put the suits down in their physical order. Oh well. (Longest non-trump suit goes on my left, so the board or table card are sort of out of the way. Also, if one suit has more cards than another, it will be physically proportionally longer on the table.)
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In a Swiss where teammates had been doubling freely but not beating them, in the last round my partner and I had a competitive auction to 5♥ just making for +650. I said, “I bet we lose 5 because our teammates will double.” I was sort of right: They doubled a level lower, lose 8.
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I don't have to envision it, I've seen it; there was a person at the club years ago who needed a second person to hold and play the cards for her. She was an average player, but I doubt anyone would have begrudged her status if she had won events.
Also, remember PGA Tour v. Martin, when the U.S. Supreme Court said the golf league couldn't bar a player who needed a cart to move between shots, effectively saying that walking between shots is not integral to the sport. The same argument would surely hold for manipulating the physical cards.
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Sports are inherently physical, meaning the physical aspect *is* the activity. Bridge can be played from a Stephen Hawking chair operated by eye movements. Playing the game well for long periods can be physically taxing, but that's true of anything. Bridge is no more special in that regard than accounting.
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My opps in a sectional KO once bid Gerber and Blackwood on the same deal. The details are lost in the mists, but opener showed a good hand and bid NT at some point, and responder bid 4♣, got an unwelcome response, and signed off. Opener decided partner was too timid and bid 4NT, got an unwelcome response, and signed off, but by then it was too late.
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By “trapped” do you mean that East may have suspected N-S were in a bidding misunderstanding and asked the question to be sure that they didn't “wake up” on their own, thus creating UI and restricting their options?
If so, this is certainly gamesmanship and the ethics and legality may be debatable, but in the moment the result is still UI for N-S.
Brian Baresch
Brian Baresch
Brian Baresch
Regarding Internet coverage, I've never seen an MtG event, but I'll be surprised if it's not just a live video stream; if I'm wrong I'd like to hear more. As BBO has shown us, live Internet coverage of bridge is a logistical challenge.
Perhaps one lesson is to have actual state championships, or geographical ones of some sort? The MtG event described here carries some attractive prestige just for its official status. Are nonresidents allowed? Years ago when I played tournament chess (not well), the state championship tournament was a big deal.
Bridge tournaments diffuse the cachet: there are usually several events that compete for what glory there is.
Brian Baresch
Brian Baresch
This means I don't always put the suits down in their physical order. Oh well. (Longest non-trump suit goes on my left, so the board or table card are sort of out of the way. Also, if one suit has more cards than another, it will be physically proportionally longer on the table.)
Brian Baresch
Brian Baresch
Brian Baresch
Also, remember PGA Tour v. Martin, when the U.S. Supreme Court said the golf league couldn't bar a player who needed a cart to move between shots, effectively saying that walking between shots is not integral to the sport. The same argument would surely hold for manipulating the physical cards.
Brian Baresch
Brian Baresch
Brian Baresch
Brian Baresch
Brian Baresch
Brian Baresch
My teammate once perpetrated 1♠-4♣; 7♠.
Brian Baresch
Brian Baresch
but unfortunately opener didn't bid 5♥ but doubled, and things were mundane from there.
Brian Baresch
Brian Baresch
If so, this is certainly gamesmanship and the ethics and legality may be debatable, but in the moment the result is still UI for N-S.
Brian Baresch
Brian Baresch