October 2020 - 47

Newer Players

Ask Jerry
BY JERRY HELMS

Hi Jerry,
I just read your July article in the
Bridge Bulletin comparing matchpoint scoring with IMPs. On BBO,
the speedballs offer both types. I
don't understand how IMPs work
there when you aren't playing in a
team game. Can you explain?
A comment: It seems to me there
are lots of higher-level players in the
IMP games. If that assessment is accurate, why would that be?
Thank you, love reading your column every month!
Cathy
Hi Cathy,
Good to hear you love my column and
glad the July "Ask Jerry" was helpful to
you! Just to be sure everyone understands your question, the BBO website has thrown a lifeline to literally
thousands of duplicate players who no
longer have their local clubs or tournaments as an option for play.
Yes, it seems odd that BBO can
provide IMP scoring if you don't have
teammates, but I can explain. BBO does
IMP scoring similar to an IMP pairs
event. Think of IMP pairs as a hybrid of
a bridge club using a matchpoint pairs
format but with IMP scoring:
Just like any matchpoint event, the
same hand is played by multiple different North-South and East-West pairs.
However, you use the IMP scoring table against the "average" of the
scores in your direction (as in a team
game) instead of determining your

askjerry@jerryhelms.com

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relative position of your score on that
board (matchpoint game).
For simplicity's sake, pretend 40
BBO pairs play a deal, and 20 of them
make nine tricks in 3NT vulnerable
(plus 600) and 20 of them go down one
trick in 3NT vulnerable (minus 100).
The average score for this board is plus
250. If you took nine tricks for plus 600
at 3NT, you would be net plus 350. If
you check the IMP scale found, among
other places, on the inside of a convention card, plus 350 converts to winning
8 IMPs. If you went down one trick in
3NT, you would be net minus 350, and
the same chart would show you losing
8 IMPs.
When playing in a BBO IMPs game,
the important thing to remember is to
just play as if you are playing in a team
game. Overtricks, while always somewhat important, are far less important
at this form of scoring. What really
matters: Bid and make your games and
slams. Defeat the opponents' contracts.
I think many higher-level players prefer IMP games because IMP
games may have less randomness in
the results. Matchpoints is a lot of fun
also, but there is more luck involved in
determining who is the winner. Someone told me that playing IMPs is like
having a steady significant other, while
playing matchpoints is like meeting 12
new people at the bar. In the first case,
you have a good idea of what is going
to happen. In the second case, it might
be really good or it might be really bad,
depending on the luck of the draw!
◾

East hands for the
October Bidding Box

Bid these hands with a partner.
The West hands are on pg. 45. The
North-South players are silent unless otherwise noted. Scores on pgs.
32-35.
Problem 1. North deals. None vul.
♠Q J 8 ♥K 8 7 6 5 ♦A ♣A 7 6 4
Problem 2. East deals. N-S vul.
♠J 10 8 ♥A K 10 ♦A 8 7 6 4 ♣J 8
Problem 3. South deals. E-W vul.
♠Q 6 ♥5 ♦K Q 10 7 6 3 ♣A 8 4 2
Problem 4. West deals. Both vul.
North opens 1♠ or overcalls spades
cheaply at the one or two level.
♠K 6 ♥10 6 5 2 ♦K Q J 9 6 ♣K 4
Problem 5. North deals. N-S vul.
♠Q 9 7 5 4 ♥- ♦A K Q J 4 ♣9 5 4
Problem 6. East deals. E-W vul.
♠- ♥A 8 ♦A J 10 6 5 4 ♣A K J 9 6
Problem 7. South deals. Both vul.
♠A K 5 3 ♥7 2 ♦K 9 6 3 ♣J 9 2
Problem 8. West deals. None vul.
North overcalls 2♥ (weak) if possible.
♠Q 6 2 ♥A J 10 ♦K J ♣K Q 10 6 4
October 2020 Bridge Bulletin

http://www.jerryhelms.com

October 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2020