{"items": [{"author": "Penelope", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/154938897957509?comment_id=154939831290749", "anchor": "fb-154939831290749", "service": "fb", "text": "Passing in bridge is at the bidding phase...It just has a different meaning ;)", "timestamp": "1329096432"}, {"author": "Phillip", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/154938897957509?comment_id=154969074621158", "anchor": "fb-154969074621158", "service": "fb", "text": "the compromise is kitty whist, where you have to bid to get the get the four card kitty, which you can then use to create voids etc. Of course sometimes the kitty doesn't cooperate. My friends and I play a rummy variant called Shanghai. When we play teams we have added a variation where you can pass two cards to your partner, who must pass two cards back. The pass is in place of a draw and discard. We think it makes the game much more fun.", "timestamp": "1329100453"}, {"author": "Todd", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/112947709146257842066", "anchor": "gp-1329149113093", "service": "gp", "text": "Someone who is a regular Bridge player should correct me if I'm wrong (b/c I'm not one). However, my impression is that, in contrast to Hearts, the bidding process for Bridge increases the size of the hand-space that is interesting, because you can basically adjust the mechanics to better suit (ugh) your hand on a game-by-game basis.\n
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\nSpades, on the other hand, might benefit from this, if your hypothesis is correct, since it has a consistent trump suit. Though it would basically make a blind nil impossible, since you'd have to declare it before passing, and then not only would the person passing to you be able to hose you with high cards, they'd also know what those cards were (which would be really back-breaking for a nil, I'd think). Then again, blind nils are basically just a Hail Mary anyway, so I don't know that it would be a great loss.", "timestamp": 1329149113}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103013777355236494008", "anchor": "gp-1329149542668", "service": "gp", "text": "@Todd\n You're right that the bidding process makes more Bridge hands interesting, but there are still more and less interesting hands. I've played several games where people have all passed when the points were close to evenly distributed but someone still could have made one or two of something.\n
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\nI've not played Spades, but the Wikipedia article has a section on passing: \nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spades#Passing", "timestamp": 1329149542}, {"author": "Chris", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/117346402173047680184", "anchor": "gp-1329493263954", "service": "gp", "text": "I would argue that in the case where someone still could have made one or two of something, that someone made a mistake in the bidding process. This is why top bridge players open light in third seat and extremely light in fourth seat. I would open with as few as 10 points in fourth seat.\n
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\nAlso note that in the case where everyone passes out in an even hand, you haven't wasted much time at all with the boring hand and can move on to the next more interesting hand.", "timestamp": 1329493263}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://plus.google.com/103013777355236494008", "anchor": "gp-1329493978796", "service": "gp", "text": "@Chris\n The optimal thing to do from the perspective of points is, as you say, to lower your threshold for opening as you get farther around the table. The optimal thing to do from the perspective of fun is to throw in a minimal-points hand and not play out a round fighting over one diamond. These are in conflict; passing resolves the conflict.", "timestamp": 1329493978}]}