Final of the Australian Playoff

NB: This is the second post I have put up today.

Australian Playoff
Board 10
All Vul
Dlr East

	NORTH Antoff Ian Robinson Q A743 J73 A10943
WEST Brightling Gold 43 QJ1052 Q842 86		EAST Ian Thompson Ebery K1098765 8 A103 K5
	SOUTH Simpson Delivera AJ2 K96 K95 QJ72

When I saw the auction in the closed room, it made me recall my NOT finals match this year against Simpson-Antoff….they walked on water, and here it was, happening again. Am I the only one who wouldn’t have dreamt of passing 3S doubled on the South hand, after RHO opens 3S and this is passed around to your partner who balances with double?

Well, I guess that’s why I’m writing and Simpson is playing. The pass was doubledummy correct as East, having two entries, just manages to beat 3NT…as long, that is, as partner starts with his suit.

I say that because in the other room, East opened 1S and rebid them, South ended up in 3NT and West – well, pulled out a heart and there rested the defence. +630 in one room and -200 in the other when 3S lost the obvious 5 tricks was 10 IMPs to Thompson, who have a handy lead as I write.

Australian Playoff concludes today

What a shame that we weren’t able to watch the last 16 of the semi between the Gill and Thompson on BBO. Could somebody please explain to me why we had a women’s match on which virtually nobody watched – and I include blood relatives of the players in ‘nobody’ – while there would have been a large audience for the 16 which saw if Gill could pull of a major coup.

The final of the Open is fascinating for its composition. There isn’t one Sydney player in the two teams!! On the one hand we have 5 ACT players and a Queenslander. On the other we have – well, you might say 3 NSW players and a Victorian, but the sentiment of the situation is different. Ebery, Simpson and Antoff are more or less outsiders in their own town.

For my money Delivera-Robinson have been about the best pair in Australia for a long time…why they haven’t been sort as teammates by all the best players in Australia is beyond me.

Thank heavens, however, that the teams in Australia are decided by bridge play and not somebody’s opinion. I don’t think for one moment that if we had selectors instead of bridge deciding our teams that Delivera-Robinson would be picked for a team. Wrong address, if nothing else.

What we are going to hear, however, for the nth time lately is that we need methods which will select the ‘right’ team. Sorry, but if the ‘right’ team can’t do it at the bridge table, I don’t understand why another method of selection will be preferable.

It does make me wonder, though. If it were preferable to pick the team to play for Australia instead of having it decided by bridge competition – if we really don’t think that actual bridge competition results in an appropriate winner – surely we should logically skip the world championships too. Why doesn’t a panel of selectors pick who is the best team in the world this year…and let’s leave it at that!

By the way, David Thompson must be thrilled at this result. He thinks that the reason Sydney players, aka Australia’s best players, don’t perform at their best is lack of partnership. Well, here today we have 5 very hard working partnerships, all of whom have been together for a long time, fighting it out. Food for thought…