Weekly Wisdom
Julian Foster’s hand commentary provides a good read every week. The Weekly Wisdom was originally an initiative during Covid, that Julian (many times NSW representative) reviewed the results of the SBC BBO session and wrote up an interesting hand. With our focus on helping players of different levels to progress, Julian is now reviewing the results of our Monday morning session at City and Canada Bay and pick up an interesting hand for commentary.
His column starts with the core principle, with key notes as a quick summary and advanced tips if you progress well with this laddered reading. You will find some of your questions answered especially when you played in our Monday morning sessions (both venues play the same hand)!
The Weekly Wisdom column is not limited to the SBC members! If you like it, please feel free to direct your bridge buddies to this website. Or even better, come join us on Monday morning session and take reference to Julian’s analysis.
You are also welcome to send bridge questions to us, we will collate them and let Julian answer them.
- 14th October 2024 Monday Duplicate – Partscore Competitive Bidding
- Congress Special on SBC Spring Swiss Teams on 28th September 2024
- 30th September 2024 Monday Duplicate – The power of redouble!
- 23rd September 2024 Monday Duplicate – Slams and Sacrifices
- 16th September 2024 Monday Duplicate – Raising with 3 card support
- 9th September 2024 Monday Duplicate – Missing game!
- 2nd September 2024 Monday Duplicate – Tough defence to 3NT!
- 26th August 2024 Monday Duplicate – A total misfit!
- 19th August 2024 Monday Duplicate – Variations of Stayman and the difference between a 6 and a 5!
- 12th August 2024 Monday Duplicate – The art of not opening up suits
- 29th July 2024 Monday Duplicate – Upgrading hands and 4th Suit Forcing
- 22nd July 2024 Monday Duplicate – Protection and trump control
- 15th July 2024 Monday Duplicate – Overcalling and suit blockages
- 8th July 2024 Monday Duplicate – IMPs v Matchpoints
- 1st July 2024 Monday Duplicate – Off shape 1NT and stopper bidding
- 24th June 2024 Monday Duplicate – Don’t panic in the defence!
- 17th June 2024 Monday Duplicate – Weak twos and Lebensohl
- 10th June 2024 Monday Duplicate – 4th seat bidding and forcing an entry
- 3rd June 2024 Monday Duplicate – Defensive cross ruff and signals
- 27th May 2024 Monday Duplicate – Two passed hands can make slam!
- 20th May 2024 Monday Duplicate – The power of shape and double fits
- 13th May 2024 Monday Duplicate – Still cold for game even though they open 1NT
- 6th May 2024 Monday Duplicate – Minor suit slam
- 29th April 2024 Monday Duplicate – A rare 8410 shape
- 22nd April 2024 Monday Duplicate – Michaels cue bids and thereafter
- 8th April 2024 Monday Duplicate – Competing and accurate defence
- 25th March 2024 Monday Duplicate – Support doubles and subsequent card play
- 18th March 2024 Monday Duplicate – Takeout doubles and free bids
- 11th March 2024 Monday Duplicate – Misfits!
- 4th March 2024 Monday Duplicate – Lebensohl and point counting
- 26th February 2024 Monday Duplicate – Protection
- 19th February 2024 Monday Duplicate – Inferences from the lead
- 12th February 2024 Monday Duplicate – Not such a boring 3NT!
- 5th February 2024 Monday Duplicate – A second go in the auction
- 29th January 2024 Monday Duplicate – Big balanced hand
- 22nd January 2024 Monday Duplicate – What a difference the lead makes!
- 15th January 2024 Monday Duplicate – Minimising the damage!
- 8th January 2024 Monday Duplicate – Handling long running minors
- 18th December 2023 Monday Duplicate – Big Fits
- 11th December 2023 Monday Duplicate – Competitive bidding and managing trumps
- 4th December 2023 Monday Duplicate – When to go quietly in the auction.
- 27th November 2023 Monday Duplicate – The art of leading trumps!
- 20th November 2023 Monday Duplicate – Bidding and play after a Strong 2NT opening
- 13th November 2023 Monday Duplicate – Bidding over pre-empts
- 6th November 2023 Monday Duplicate – A 24 point 3NT and how to finesse properly!
- 30th October 2023 Monday Duplicate – Bidding big hands opposite a Weak Two
- 23rd October 2023 Monday Duplicate – The value of leading through Ax
- 16th October 2023 Monday Duplicate – Cover an honour or not?
- 9th October 2023 Monday Duplicate – Counting losers to help evaluate your hand.
- 2nd October 2023 Monday Duplicate – Checkback after 1NT and playing weak trump suits.
- 25th September 2023 Monday Duplicate – “Super accepts” over Major suit transfers.
- 18th September 2023 Monday Duplicate – Competing for partscore.
- 11th September 2023 Monday Duplicate – More passive leads and opening light in 3rd set.
- 28th August 2023 Monday Duplicate – Disciplined bidding and the importance of safe leads.
- 21st August 2023 Monday Duplicate – Competitive bidding. What to do when every bid choice has flaws.
- 14th August 2023 Monday Duplicate – Mini splinters and double fits
- 7th August 2023 Monday Duplicate – The difference between Matchpoints and IMPs
- 31st July 2023 Monday Duplicate – Inverted minors and the importance of matchpoint scoring on your contract
- 24th July 2023 Monday Duplicate – How weak jumps make it hard for your opponents. Law of Total Tricks.
- 17th July 2023 Monday Duplicate – Why 4th highest leads at no trumps
- 10th July 2023 Monday Duplicate – Defensive signals sacrifices and deciding whether to double or bid on
- 3rd July 2023 Monday Duplicate – What makes hands fit well
- 26th June 2023 Monday Duplicate – Fourth Suit Forcing and No-Trump play
- 19th June 2023 Monday Duplicate – Declaring to maximise your tricks
- 12th June 2023 Monday Duplicate – Opening leads and defence.
- 5th June 2023 Monday Duplicate – Bidding after partner’s 1NT opening
- 29th May 2023 Monday Duplicate – Bidding with 4441 shapes and responding to takeout doubles.
- 22nd May 2023 Monday Duplicate – Defenders ruffs are right this time! But sacrificing is not.
- 15th May 2023 Monday Duplicate – When NOT to give partner a ruff!
- 8th May 2023 Monday Duplicate – Deciding how to defend at trick two. Ducking one trick to gain two more!
- 1st May 2023 Monday Duplicate – Taking your ruffs – as Declarer or as Defender
- 24th April 2023 Monday Duplicate – Counting declarer’s tricks in defence
- 17th April 2023 Monday Duplicate – Competitive Bidding and the art of passive defence
- 10th April 2023 Monday Duplicate – Bidding after 1M-1NT. No trump defence and play
- 4th April 2023 Monday Duplicate – Trial Bids, Declarer Play and a Backwards Finesse
- 27th March 2023 Monday Duplicate – Bidding Unusual No-Trumps and Suit Preference signals
- 20th March 2023 Monday Duplicate – Responding to takeout doubles (normal and protective)
- 13th March 2023 Monday Duplicate – Part score play and (not) covering honours
- 6th March 2023 Monday Duplicate – High level competition and differences when bidding as a passed hand.
- 27th February 2023 Monday Duplicate – Competitive Bidding and Defending from Different Viewpoints.
- 20th February 2023 Monday Duplicate – Don’t bid your hand twice!
- 13th February 2023 Monday Duplicate – Cross Ruffing.
- 6th February 2023 Monday Duplicate – Combining chances in the play, evaluating your contract in pairs and playing accordingly.
- 30th January 2023 Monday Duplicate – Bidding over 1NT. Positional stoppers.
- 23rd January 2023 Monday Duplicate – Defence: when to go passive and what card to switch to
- 16th January 2023 Monday Duplicate – Competitive bidding (and how it might vary if partner’s a passed hand)
- 9th January 2023 Monday Duplicate – Trying to take the maximum number of tricks at pairs
- 2nd January 2023 Monday Duplicate – A partscore hand where everybody bids
- 19th December 2022 Monday Duplicate – Christmas tip – bid 4S over 4H!
- 12th December 2022 Monday Duplicate – Bid on when hands fit well, and on freak hands!
- 5th December 2022 Monday Duplicate – The Michaels cue bid again, and how “Restricted choice” changes the odds in a suit.
- 28th November 2022 Monday Duplicate – What to do when the opponents bid your best suit?
- 21st November 2022 Monday Duplicate – The power of the 4-4 fit!
- 14th November 2022 Monday Duplicate – What’s double of a strong 1N? Using your entries effectively.
- 7th November 2022 Monday Duplicate – Running your long suit in 3NT!
- 31st October 2022 Monday Duplicate – Invite to game or not? How it’s different when playing pairs and teams.
- 24th October 2022 Monday Duplicate – Freak hands and some slam bidding tips
- 17th October 2022 Monday Duplicate – Bidding very large balanced hands; and Lightner Double against slams
- 10th October 2022 Monday Duplicate – Overcalling with big hands and Card reading as declarer
- 3rd October 2022 Monday Duplicate – Minor Slam
- 24th September 2022 #65256 BBO – Multi 2D v Weak twos and responding to them.
- 17th September 2022 #34489 BBO – Bidding and play after a 1NT overcall.
- 10th September 2022 #2858 BBO – The value of splinters and of pre-empts. Counting a hand.
- 3rd September 2022 #71962 BBO – Bidding over a strong NT. When doubles go wrong!
- 27th August 2022 #40534 BBO – Michaels cue bids, the power of double fits and how to endplay someone.
- 20th August 2022 #9364 BBO – Defending against a sacrifice to get the maximum number of tricks.
- 13th August 2022 #77122 BBO – 1NT with a 5 card major. Some general principles in defence.
- 6th August 2022 #45345 BBO – Pre-empting styles. Discovery play by declarer.
- 30th July 2022 #13333 BBO – Variations of stayman over 1NT (Simple v Extended, 4 card v 5 card major asks).
- 23rd July 2022 #80586 BBO – Singleton leads and suit preference signals in defence. False cards by declarer.
- 16th July 2022 #47574 BBO – Bidding over Michaels. Showing extras to aid slam bidding.
- 9th July 2022 #10860 BBO – Ways to raise majors. The importance of leading towards honours.
- 2nd July 2022 #5439 BBO – Bidding (and doubling) over 1NT
- 25th June 2022 #10832 BBO – No trump leads. Is the 10 an honour? Should you lead a suit they’ve bid?
- 18th June 2022 #39043 BBO – Doubles (and redoubles) in competitive auctions. The law of total tricks.
- 11th June 2022 #6067 BBO – Minor suit transfers over 1NT and defence to high level contracts
- 4th June 2022 #72106 BBO – Should you double or overcall? Endplayed at trick 1!
- 28th May 2022 #36634 BBO – Valuing your hand, stopper bidding, and suit combination play.
- 21st May 2022 #1914 BBO – A 1NT response to an opening bid, and subsequent bidding.
- 14th May 2022 #67360 BBO – Should you respond light? Should you protect?
- 7th May 2022 #31397 BBO – Competing and doubling at pairs. How the experts know when to underlead and duck aces!
- 30th April 2022 #95076 BBO – Michaels over 1C?
- 23rd April 2022 #58582 BBO – All about 4NT: Quantitative or Blackwood?
- 16th April 2022 #26995 BBO – Advantages of bidding first. When (and when not) to leave the best trump out.
- 9th April 2022 #46480 BBO – Responding to takeout doubles and handling 4-4 fits when trumps split 4-1
- 2nd April 2022 #8788 BBO – Blackwood and continuations
- 26th March 2022 #71407 BBO – Shape showing rebids and managing no-trump play
- 19th March 2022 #32667 BBO – The warning signs for misfits. Matchpoint v IMP scoring – understanding the difference.
- 12th March 2022 #93011 BBO – Declarer play – working out where your tricks are coming from and listening to the opponents’ bidding.
- 5th March 2022 #53283 BBO – Responding to takeout doubles. Declarar play – ruff losers or discard them?
- 26th February 2022 #13760 BBO – “Protection” in the auction
- 19th February 2022 #13756 BBO – Responding to 1NT and No-Trump play
- 12th February 2022 #30763 BBO – Michaels again and an example of counting shape.
- 5th February 2022 #88570 BBO – The Michaels cue-bid; subsequent bidding and play.
- 29th January 2022 #46143 BBO – Handling misfitting hands, planning your rebids and reverses (again!)
- 22nd January 2022 #3800 BBO – How many hearts to bid? Do we bid our game or try for a penalty?
- 15th January 2022 #64930 BBO – Handling 4441 hands and defence against 4 major.
- 8th January 2022 #55667 BBO – Discarding
- 1st January 2022 #18749 BBO – Overcall or double first? How to safely try for an overtrick.
- 25th December 2021 #81256 BBO – Trial bids and considering the defenders’ shape when declaring
- 18th December 2021 #70118 BBO – No Trump play and defence. What do “4th and 2nd leads” really mean?
- 11th December 2021 #5274 BBO – 8 Card Suits in the Bidding, Play and Defence
- 10th December 2021 F2F at City – Christmas Party Special
- 4th December 2021 #67651 BBO – Bidding after a 1NT overcall, including running when it’s doubled.
- 27th November 2021 #28738 BBO – Part score bidding and the importance of vulnerability
- 20th November 2021 #90281 BBO – Ducking aces in defence
- 13th Novmeber 2021 #51277 BBO – High level bidding with a freak hand. What does “par contract” mean?
- 6th November 2021 #10524 BBO – “Frozen” suits and when you DON’T cover an honour with an honour!
- 30th October 2021 #50639 BBO – Bidding with weak hands over 1NT; defending against 1NT.
- 23rd October 2021 #10515 BBO – Bidding and Defending after pre-empts
- 16th October 2021 #73217 BBO – Accurate part-score bidding and defence. What losers can be discarded?
- 9th October 2021 #32463 BBO – Bidding after transfers. Performing an endplay.
- 2nd October 2021 #90948 BBO – Double or overcall and what’s a “backwards” finesse?
- 25th September 2021 #49037 BBO – Singleton leads and imagining a layout in defence
- 18th September 2021 #8749 BBO – Why 2nd hand plays low!
- 11th September 2021 #67974 BBO – 1 minor or 1NT opening? Super-accepting over transfers
- 4th September 2021 #26596 BBO – The 1NT response to 1 Major and a wide variety of contracts on a partscore hand
- 28th August 2021 #85889 BBO – Defending against weak twos and the multi 2D
- 21st August 2021 #45775 BBO – Bidding big balanced hands after an opening and managing entries in no-trump play
- 14th August 2021 #5613 BBO – More on bidding big hands, and responding to takeout doubles
- 7th August 2021 #66658 BBO – Trial bids and suit contract play
- 31st July 2021 #95942 BBO – Bidding after game force openings and a grand slam on a squeeze!
- 24th July 2021 #54048 BBO – Bidding when the opponents open our suit. Advanced card play.
- 17th July 2021 #12979 BBO – Competitive bidding and watching losers
- 10th July 2021 #66662 BBO – Weak twos and responding to them
- 3rd July 2021 #17429 BBO – Slam bidding after the opponents open
- 26th June 2021 #66865 BBO – 1NT response to 1M and bids thereafter
- 19th June 2021 #12424 BBO – Unusual 2NT and 5 level decisions
- 12th June 2021 #57486 BBO – McKenny suit preference signals and deceptive plays by declarer!
- 5th June 2021 #98279 BBO – Doubles (support and penalty). Partscore play.
- 29th May 2021 #38386 BBO – The Bath Coup and how signals help avoid falling into it
- 22nd May 2021 #2575 BBO – Lebensohl after partner opens 1NT
- 15th May 2021 #15321 BBO – “Blackout” and how to play a suit
- 8th May 2021 #96921 BBO – Pre-emptive raises and a forcing defence
- 1st May 2021 #84417 BBO – Declaring – basic and advanced
- 24th April 2021 #15851 BBO – The power of Splinter
- 17th April 2021 #52016 BBO – Which game to bid?
- 31st March 2021 #85154 BBO – Lebensohl and another reason to hold up the Ace of trumps
- 24th March 2021 #54056 BBO – 9 card suits!
- 17th March 2021 #13119 BBO – The art of going quietly…
- 10th March 2021 #43461 BBO – Defence – cling onto 4 card holdings!
- 3rd March 2021 #73045 BBO – No Trump bidding in “protective” seat
- 24th February 2021 #2284 BBO – Competitive bidding and stronger defence
- 17th February 2021 #29662 BBO – 1NT rebids and Checkback
- 10th February 2021 #57683 BBO – Bidding: explore further or give away less information?
- 3rd February 2021 #81885 BBO – Play 3NT or 4M? Passive or active lead?
- 27th January 2021 #8362 BBO – Competitive Bidding
- 20th January 2021 #32871 BBO – Big hands opposite little hands
- 13th January 2021 #60198 BBO – Finding slam in the suit partner pre-empts
- 6th January 2021 #97325 BBO – How 2nd & 4th leads can help you defend more accurately?
- 30th December 2020 #40093 BBO – How to reach the right game?
- 23rd December 2020 #72222 BBO – should I pass partner’s takeout double?
- 16th December 2020 #42902 BBO – Competitive bidding tips
- 9th December 2020 – Christmas Special
- 9th December 2020 #22457 BBO – Defensive Signals
- 2nd December 2020 #40189 BBO – Hands fit well
- 25th November 2020 #60587 BBO – Having a good hand opposite a weak one
- 18th November 2020 #81403 BBO – The Rule of 15
- 11th November 2020 #17113 BBO – To play or to defence over opponents’ 1NT?
- 4th November 2020 #33936 BBO – Grand Slam with two Kings missing?
- 28th October 2020 #94075 BBO – Sacrifice
- 21st October 2020 #97380 BBO – Handling Misfits
- 14th October 2020 #29534 BBO – Find the slam even when partner opens weak
- 7th October 2020 #885 BBO – Declarer Play and Defence
- 30th September 2020 #1330 BBO – Double the “kiss of death”
- 23rd September 2020 #42417 BBO – The powerful preempt
- 16th September 2020 #76609 BBO – Make the contract by Ruffing Finese
- 9th September 2020 #22833 BBO – Master Fourth Suit Forcing
- 2nd September 2020 #9967 BBO – When high card points become irrelevant
- 26th August 2020 #2696 BBO – Simpler declarer play: unblocking
- 19th August 2020 #5087 BBO – How come we will miss game with such a good hand?
- 12th August 2020 #2980 BBO – Hold-up play in NT
- 5th August 2020 #1980 BBO – Using Reverse to show extra value
- 29th July 2020 #9972 BBO – How can I find this grand slam?