January 2015 - 6

IN FIRST SEAT
Observational learning

"You	can	observe	a	lot	just	by	watching."	
This	immortal	piece	of	wisdom	by	Yogi	Berra	
fits	naturally	into	the	world	of	bridge	because	
every	teacher	will	tell	you	that	less	experienced	
players	can	improve	their	game	dramatically	by	
watching	experts	in	action.	And	in	the	Bridge	
Bulletin,	one	of	the	best	ways	to	improve	bidding	judgment	is	by	reading	The	Bidding	Box,	
the	monthly	column	where	two	pairs	of	experts	attempt	to	outperform	
each	other	on	a	set	of	problem	hands.	As	an	interactive	feature,	readers	
can	bid	the	hands	with	their	favorite	partners	to	see	if	they	can	score	
better	than	the	contestants.
The editors regularly invite top pairs to participate in the contest.
It	has	been	more	than	a	decade	since	The	Bidding	Box	debuted,	and	
in	that	time,	hundreds	of	expert	pairs	have	bid	the	hands	in	this	very	
public	forum.	This	is	a	perfect	example	of	"giving	back	to	the	game,"	
not	only	in	the	time	commitment	from	these	players,	but	also	in	their	
willingness	to	look	less	than	"expert"	-	in	print	-	if	a	disaster	occurs.	
The	education	that	developing	players	get	from	the	column	extends	
well	past	the	methods	or	evaluations	that	a	particular	top-level	pair	
may	employ.	It	also	teaches	newer	players	that	disasters	can	happen	to	
anyone,	even	world	champions.	
Speaking	of	giving	back	to	the	game,	Bobby	Wolff,	the	many-time	
world	and	national	champion,	has	scored	the	problems	in	The	Bidding	
Box	on	a	completely	volunteer	basis	since	its	inception.	Expert	Bruce	
Rogoff	is	now	serving	as	the	problem	editor,	helping	to	make	sure	readers	are	presented	with	interesting,	good-quality	problems.
I	sometimes	receive	messages	from	readers	who	strongly	dislike	
that	some	of	our	expert	pairs	don't	use	standard	or	2/1	methods	in	
the	contest.	I've	always	found	this	reaction	a	bit	odd.	If	you	don't	like,	
say,	Precision	or	weak	notrumps,	you	have	at	least	two	good	reasons	
why	you	should	carefully	study	the	auctions	of	pairs	who	use	different	
methods.	First,	you	might	encounter	a	potential	partner	who	would	
like	to	branch	out	and	try	something	new.	Why	not	give	these	lesscommon	methods	a	try?	You	might	like	them.	Second,	even	if	you	don't	
want	to	play	these	methods,	understanding	how	they	work	is	important	
because	it	can	affect	your	choices	in	the	auction.	If	the	opponents	open	
a	weak	1NT	(12-14	HCP),	what	does	double	by	partner	mean?	Is	it	the	
same	as	when	an	opponent	opens	a	strong	1NT?	Many	pairs	employ	
different	methods	for	different	1NT	ranges,	and	for	good	reasons.	
If	you've	never	tried	The	Bidding	Box,	give	it	a	whirl.	Grab	a	partner	
and	bid	the	East-West	hands	on	pages	52	and	61,	and	then	compare	
your	score	to	the	big	shots.	
Paul Linxwiler, Editor

6 Bridge Bulletin January 2015

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Bulletin
BRIDGE

Editor: Paul Linxwiler

Associate Editors: Sue Munday
Rob Clark
Graphic Design / Layout: Cindy Hill
THE BRIDGE BULLETIN (ISSN 1089-6376) is published
monthly by the American Contract Bridge League,
Inc., 6575 Windchase Blvd., Horn Lake MS 38637-1523,
662-253-3100. $5 per copy, $39 annually. Yearly subscription paid with annual dues. Periodicals postage paid at
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Canadian Publication rate paid at Windsor ON, Permit
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2015
