[cloa513]

Scoring type doesn't matter because the factors outside your control- opponents and competitors and bidding all play such a big part that scoring is irrelevant- just bid to most sensible contract and make it. Just take a solid 3NT hand which both closed and open managed to take down 1 because they were trying for +1.

[wank]

no

[manudude03]

Of course they matter, if the rest of the field is making 8 tricks in 1NT and you are playing 2S, if you don't make at least 9 tricks, you have a bottom at MPs, regardless of whether you made 8 or 0. At least at IMPs if you make your 8, it'll be a flat board or perhaps a very small loss at IMP Pairs. Then on the play, it may be necessary at times to risk going down in a cold contract.

---

On a spade lead, you take the risk free double diamond finesse and it loses and another spade comes back. At MPs, it should be clear to finesse again, at IMPs, you will probably cash a load of tricks before deciding what to play, but you may well just make sure the contract makes.

[G_R__E_G]

This topic belongs in the N/B forum.

[billw55]

cloa513, on 2012-April-24, 01:46, said:

Just take a solid 3NT hand which both closed and open managed to take down 1 because they were trying for +1.

Sounds like a big mistake at IMPs. At matchpoints, it could very well be a correct play.

[Hanoi5]

If bridge was so simple all the time we'd probably be discussing the weather and playing words with friends instead of posting so many questions, answers and discussing so much.

Mp's is clearly the hardest form of the game because of all the things you have to think when bidding, playing or defending.

[billw55]

Hanoi5, on 2012-April-24, 07:24, said:

Mp's is clearly the hardest form of the game because of all the things you have to think when bidding, playing or defending.

I have been told that BAM is the hardest, but I have no personal experience at it.

Personally I find matchpoints frustrating at times, because my results are affected by so many other contestants, and because of the seemingly higher incidence of luck.

[ggwhiz]

Imps and MP's are entirely different games but coming from a rubber Bridge background, the best advice I had was....

Just to play my usual game at MP's and hope for the best. Pay attention to the post-mortem in the bar and the differences will surface over time. The same player re-read Watsons play of the hand every year before our team trials to get out off MP and into Imp mode.

[barmar]

If you're a mediocre player, the advice given is probably best. If you're at the level where you're still struggling to bid accurately and make your contracts, trying to figure out optimal MP strategy may be too much more to attempt. You probably won't win too often, but I think you'll still end up above average.

But if you want to do well consistently in MP games, you need to take the difference from IMPs into account.

[mgoetze]

I think there is a concept which is not mentioned often enough in these forums, it is:

Don't feed the trolls!