Pro Bridge manual final.qxd

1/11/2007

2:46 PM

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Saitek

Pro Bridge 3000

User Manual

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QUICK START
To enjoy a game of Bridge right away, without reading the entire manual first, simply follow these Quick Start steps! 1 Locate the battery compartment in the base of the unit, and slide the cover off in the direction of the arrows. Insert four "AAA"(AM4/R03) alkaline batteries, making sure that you observe the correct polarity (+/-). Press the Cover Release Button, and then lift up and remove the protective cover. For convenience, you can store the cover by attaching it to the back of the unit whenever you're playing! Press GO/STOP to turn the computer on. When the display shows the Main Menu (PGSIBLR), we're ready to start! If your display shows something different, press ESCAPE until the Main Menu is displayed. The flashing P indicates the current option, Play. Press ENTER to select this option for our sample game, and you'll be taken directly to the Deal Menu. The display now shows RNES, with the letter R flashing to indicate Random deal. Press ENTER to select Random Deal, and the computer will automatically deal the first hand. If you'd prefer a different random hand, simply press ESCAPE and ENTER for another deal. Your hand is displayed, along with any bids made so far. SOUTH flashes, indicating that it's your turn to bid for ), South. Press a Suit Key (q r e w and then a Value Key (2/3/4) to make your bid. The NO TRUMP Key is also available for bidding. Finally, press ENTER. As you'll see later, the Cursor Keys can also be used for bidding and play. To pass at any point during bidding, press PASS, and then ENTER. Bidding continues until three consecutive passes ( P) have been made. The display now shows your hand and dummy's hand. The trump suit, if any, is underlined on the left-hand side, and play begins. If it's your opening lead, SOUTH will flash; otherwise the computer automatically leads, and SOUTH will flash on your turn.
The computer plays East, West, and North (if North is not declarer or dummy). If North is declarer or dummy, you'll play both North and South. Play your cards in turn, pressing a Suit Key, a Value Key, and ENTER. If a suit is forced, you need only press a Value Key and ENTER; if a card is forced, you need only press ENTER. Once the trick is complete, the contract and score are displayed. Press ENTER, as prompted. Then, continue as described above, until all 13 tricks have been won. That's all there is to it - you've learned the basics! Section 1.6 will show you how to proceed from this point on To interrupt your game and store it in memory, press GO/STOP. To continue playing at any time, press GO/STOP again to turn the computer back on!
TABLE OF CONTENTS QUICK START INTRODUCTION KEYS AND FEATURES 1. GETTING STARTED: THE BASICS 1.1 Power On 1.2 Get to Know the Menu System 1.3 Ready? Time to Deal! 1.4 Learn to Bid 1.5 and Learn to Play! 1.6 Checking Out the Results a. Team of Four Results b. Rubber Bridge Results 1.7 Playing the Next Hand 2. MAIN MENU OPTIONS 2.1 Accessing the Deal Menu 2.2 Selecting a Game Type/Level a. Rubber Bridge b. Team of Four (Duplicate Bridge) c. Computer Peeks 2.3 Sound Effects On/Off 2.4 Light Too Weak/Strong? Adjust It! 2.5 Bidding Systems 2.6 English/French? It's Your Choice! 2.7 Resetting the Score 3. DEAL MENU OPTIONS 3.1 Random Deals 3.2 Numbered Deals 3.3 Edited Deals 3.4 Playing the Same Deal 4. EDIT MENU OPTIONS 4.1 Playing Your Edited Deal 4.2 Try Editing a Deal! 4.3 Changing the Dealer/Vulnerability 4.4 Rotating the Hands

MORE FEATURES TO EXPLORE

5.1 Viewing All the Hands 5.2 Illegal Bidding/Play 5.3 Need a Hint? Just Ask! 5.4 Change Your Mind? Try Again! 5.5 Autoplay: The Computer Takes Over 5.6 Review Play with History Mode! 5.7 Checking the Score 5.8 Game Memory 6. TECHNICAL DETAILS 6.1 The ACL Function 6.2 Care and Maintenance 6.3 Technical Specifications 6.4 Technical Support 6.5 Information for customers in the United States 6.6 Conditions of Warranty Appendix A: Bidding System Information Appendix B: Scoring Information

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KEYS AND FEATURES 1. 2. LCD Display: Shows game play/information. GAME/FUNCTION KEYS: GO/STOP: Press to turn unit on/off. Current game is retained in memory when switched off, along with selected options. HISTORY: Press repeatedly during or after game to review previous bidding and play. AUTOPLAY: Press to have the computer play the remaining game for you. HINT: Press to request a hint from the computer during bidding or play. BACKLIGHT: Press to turn the backlight on/off. Intensity is adjusted via the Main Menu. VIEW HAND: Press repeatedly to see all hands: North/South, then East/West. Press to switch positions when editing a deal. SCORE: Press repeatedly to display current/cumulative scores. ESCAPE: Press to exit certain modes, such as View Hand, History, and Score. Press to return to previous menu or Main Menu. Press to terminate your current hand and return to deal selection during bidding or play. ACL (Reset): Used to recover from static discharge after inserting new batteries. Resets unit back to default settings. Battery Compartment: In base of unit, at top; uses four "AAA"(AM4/R03) batteries. Cursor 4-way pad left/right /. Press to move flashing cursor when selecting menu options/cards. Cursor 4-way pad up/down /. Press to move item under flashing cursor from Line 1 of display to Line 2. Press to cancel last Line 2 input (before ENTER is pressed). ENTER: Press to confirm a bid or play; press when prompted to confirm an action (e.g., to accept a hint); press to confirm and enter menu selections.
BIDDING/PLAYING KEYS: 1/ /Q.3/2/1 Value Keys: Press to select cards, from Ace to 2. The 1 is included for bidding. PASS: Press to pass (P). DOUBLE: Press to double (d) or redouble (R) previous bid. NO TRUMP: Press to select No Trump.

Suit Keys: Press to select a
5. CURSOR 4-WAY PAD/ENTER:

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A LOOK AT THE LCD DISPLAY
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Dummy's Hand: Displays dummy's hand, or your hand for North if South is dummy. Also displays hands for North and East with repeated presses of VIEW HAND. Player/Position Indicators (w/ n/e/s): Flashing indicator indicates current player/position. No Trump Indicator South's Hand: Displays your hand for South, or dummy's hand if South is dummy. Also displays hands for South and West with repeated presses of VIEW HAND. Vulnerability Indicator Sound Off Symbol: Displayed when the Sound Off menu option is activated. Menu/Bid/Play Area: Used to bid, play, and select game options. Shows menus, prompts, contracts, tricks, and scores. Current Bid/Play Display Dummy Indicator
10. Trump Suit Indicator: Underscored symbol (q r e w ) indicates current trump suit, if any.

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1. GETTING STARTED: THE BASICS
1.1 Power On Your Pro Bridge 3000 runs on four "AAA"(AM4/R03) batteries. Locate the battery compartment in the base of the unit, at the top, and slide off the cover in the direction of the arrows. Insert the batteries, making sure that you observe the correct polarity (+/-), as marked inside the compartment. We recommend fresh alkaline batteries for longer battery life. Important: To ensure that memory contents are not lost if your computer is unplugged, try to keep batteries installed. To turn the computer on, press GO/ STOP. After a brief start-up display, you'll see the Main Menu (PGSIBLR), indicating that the computer is ready to play. If the unit doesn't respond, static discharge may have caused it to lock up. To reset the unit, use a paper clip or another sharp object to press down into the hole marked ACL in the base of the unit for at least one full second. This clears the memory and resets the computer to its default settings. 1.2 Get to Know the Menu System Before learning how to play, you should take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the Pro Bridge 3000's integrated menu system. Once you understand the basic concept, it will be easier for you to explore all the special features and options which are accessed via the menus! To get an overview of how the menus work, take a look at the Menu System Chart on the previous page. It provides a graphic representation of the primary menus you'll encounter as you select various options and get ready to play. The dashed displays in the chart signify further menu options, which are described individually in the appropriate sections of the manual. If you should ever find yourself confused by where you are within the menu system, simply refer back to the chart. Back up to the previous menu by pressing ESCAPE, if necessary, to locate your place on the chart. Also, keep in mind that pressing ESCAPE repeatedly will return you to the Main Menu at any time.

See the Menu System Chart in Section 2 for an illustrated overview of your menu choices and options! Follow these guidelines when using the Menu System: The flashing character indicates the current option/menu choice. and keys move the flashing The cursor through the current choices. key moves the flashing character The (suit, value, etc.) from Line 1 of the display to Line 2 during bidding and play. Some option selections are also made this way. The key cancels the last Line 2 input during bidding and play (before pressing ENTER). ENTER selects and confirms the currently flashing option. ESCAPE returns you to the most recent major menu: the Main Menu, Deal Menu, or Edit Menu. Pressing
USING THE ESCAPE KEY: AN IMPORTANT NOTE!
Pressing ESCAPE at any time during bidding or play (unless you're canceling a mode, as specifically directed), will result in the immediate termination of your current hand. Be careful not to press ESCAPE inadvertently during your game! B L R Bidding systems Language Reset score
Line 1 of the display now shows all the symbols necessary to make your bid: Pw e r q N (Pass/Clubs/Diamonds/Hearts/ Spades/No Trump), and Line 2 prompts you to make a bid for South. There are two different ways to bid: Direct Key Bidding: Press a Suit Key (q r e w ) or NO TRUMP, and then a Value Key (2/3/4), in that order. As soon as the Suit Key is pressed, the symbol for that suit will appear on Line 2 of the display. Likewise, when the Value Key is pressed, that value will also appear on Line 2, and the display will prompt you to Press Enter. Confirm your bid by pressing ENTER. To pass, press PASS and ENTER. Cursor Key Bidding: Press > or < to move the flashing cursor along the characters in Line 1 of the display, until you reach your desired suit symbol. Next, press ? to copy that suit symbol to Line 2 of the display. Line 1 now changes to show the possible bid values: or to position the 1234567. Press flashing cursor over your desired bid value, and press to copy that number to Line 2. Finally, press ENTER to confirm your bid.
Each of these Main Menu options will be discussed in detail in Section 2. For now, let's concentrate on starting our game! To select Play Mode, as indicated by the flashing P, press ENTER. The computer will now switch to the Deal Menu, with a display of RNES. Notice that the R is flashing, and Random deal shows in Line 2, indicating the currently selected option. If necessary, or until the R flashes. The key press cycles through the remaining option choices, as follows: R N E S Random By deal no.

ESCAPE repeatedly takes you back to the Main Menu. 1.3 Ready? Time to Deal! After pressing GO/STOP to turn the Pro Bridge 3000 on, the display will show the Main Menu (PGSIBLR). If necessary, press ESCAPE until this display shows. Notice that the P is flashing, and Play shows on Line 2. The flashing letter indicates the current key cycles through the option choice. The remaining options, as follows: P G S I Play Game Sound BL level on/off

After Same

edit deal
Each of these Deal Menu options will be discussed in detail in Section 3. For now, let's allow the computer to deal randomly. To select the Random Deal option, as indicated by the flashing R, press ENTER. The computer will now shuffle the deck, deal 13 cards to each of the four players, and the bidding can begin! If you don't like the random hand that's just been dealt, return to the Deal Menu with ESCAPE, and press ENTER again to generate another randomlydealt hand. 1.4 Learn to Bid After the cards have been dealt, your hand for South will appear on the lower portion of the display. Any bids already made will show under the appropriate Player Indicators, and SOUTH will flash when it's your turn to bid. The vulnerability, if any, will also be displayed.

Intensity

After you submit your bid with ENTER, using either of the above methods, the computer will bid the remaining hands. When SOUTH flashes again, it's time to enter your next bid. For this and subsequent bids, Line 1 of the display will again show the bid symbols as before, with the addition of d for double or R for redouble, if appropriate. Enter your bid as described above. If you decide to double or redouble, either press DOUBLE and then ENTER, or use to move the d or R down to Line 2, and then press ENTER. Continue bidding until there have been three consecutive passes. At this point, the computer will take you directly into the playing phase. Note that the computer's default settings are Team of Four (Duplicate Bridge), and American Standard (Five-Card Majors).

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1.5 and Learn to Play! Just as in a game played by four human players, the bids made will have decided who is to lead. The player with the highest bid is declarer, and declarer's partner is dummy. The player to the right of dummy leads the first card, and play then continues in a clockwise direction. The object is to win tricks, and you must follow suit whenever possible. Tricks are won by the highest card of the suit that's been led, but cards from the trump suit (if any) will outrank cards from any other suit. If it's your opening lead, SOUTH will flash; otherwise, the computer will lead. For subsequent tricks, the first player is the winner of the previous trick. Once the first card is led, watch the display for the following: The suits and values appear in the middle of the display, as the cards are being played. Dummy's hand is normally displayed at the top half of the display, and your hand is shown at the bottom. If South is dummy, however, your hand as North will be displayed at the top. The Dummy Indicator appears under

by using the Direct Keys or the Cursor Keys, just as you did during the bidding phase: Direct Key Method: Press a Suit Key (q r e w ), then a Value Key (2 to A), in that order. Then, press ENTER. Cursor Key Method: Press or to move the flashing cursor along the characters in Line 1 of the display, until you reach your desired suit symbol. Next, press to copy that suit symbol to Line 2 of the display. Line 1 now changes to show your available cards for that particular suit. Press or to move the flashing cursor until you reach your desired card. Again, press to copy that value to Line 2, and then press ENTER.
Press ENTER to start play of the next trick. Enter a card, as before, and continue to play until all 13 tricks have been taken. 1.6 Checking Out the Results After the last trick has been won, the result will be shown. Note that the result displays will be different, depending on the type of Bridge you're playing. a. Team of Four Results To help you understand the results of these games, take a look at the following examples: Result: W 3
shows the above and below the line scores, as in AL:0 BL:80. At this point, you may press ESCAPE to return to the Deal Menu, or press ENTER repeatedly to display and store a variety of results, as in the examples below. o The current scores above and below the line before a rubber is made (for North/South, then East/West): Total Total NS: EW: / / AL:150 BL:0 AL:0 BL:80
o The cumulative score of previous rubbers: Total point / NS:0 EW:0.

= / EW 120

Line 1 shows declarer playing WEST , in a contract of 3 r , bid and made (=). Line 2 gives East/West 120 points. Result: N 4
Press ENTER or ESCAPE to return to the Deal Menu. 1.7 Playing the Next Hand At any time during or after game play, you may reset for a new hand by pressing ESCAPE. The Deal Menu will come up, signifying that the computer is ready for another hand, using the currently set level and options. Caution: Be sure not to press ESCAPE inadvertently, as your current game will be cleared from the computer's memory!
If all the other cards have not yet been played when you enter your card, the computer will continue to play. Once the trick has been won, Line 2 will show the contract, along with the number of tricks won so far by North/South and East/West (e.g., 2r NS 4 EW 2).
Line 1 shows declarer playing NORTH , in a contract of 4 q , bid but down 2 tricks (-2). Line 2 gives North/South 50 points. At this point, you may press ESCAPE to return to the Deal Menu, or press ENTER to store the result and have the computer replay the hand, playing all four positions. If you press ENTER, Replaying will show briefly, as the computer goes into Autoplay Mode and plays the same hand again. On completion of the last trick, you'll be prompted to press ENTER. The results will then be shown, as in the first game. This time, though, Line 2 also displays the International Match Points (e.g., N 3 e +2, and then IMP: 0). Press ENTER once more to display the next set of results, showing the total number of deals and the cumulative IMP for both teams (e.g., deals 2, and then IMP: 0/14). Finally, press ENTER to return to the Deal Menu. b. Rubber Bridge Results Press ENTER after the last trick has been completed, and the result will show on Line 1, e.g., E 4 w = (declarer playing EAST in a contract of 4w , bid and made). Line 2

2.7 Resetting the Score [Main Menu Item: PGSIBLR] This menu selection allows you to reset the score at any time. To reset the score: a. b. c. Press ESCAPE until you return to the Main Menu, PGSIBLR. Press repeatedly to select the letter R for Reset score. Press ENTER. Line 1 = yn flashing. Line 2 = yes d. Scores, with the y Resets.
With the P flashing, press ENTER to go to the Deal Menu, RNES. Line 1 = RNES, with the current deal option flashing. Line 2 = Current option description. to select the letter R for Press Random deal. Press ENTER. The computer will immediately deal a random hand, and you can begin to play!
sound. The 0 can only be used after another number has been entered first. Note: When using the indvidual value keys (0) functions as the key for (0). After ENTER is pressed, the computer will immediately deal the pre-programmed hand you have selected, and the bidding can begin! 3.3 Edited Deals [Deal Menu Item: RNES] Your computer offers several interesting options for editing deals and other game information! Since these options are accessed via the Edit Menu, which is a subset of the Deal Menu, we've given the Edit Menu its own section in this manual. For complete details on all your editing options, see Section 4. 3.4 Playing the Same Deal [Deal Menu Item: RNES] Have you ever wished that you could replay a game you just finished, to try out a different strategy or attempt to improve the outcome? This feature allows you to do just that! After a game ends, select this option to start the same game over again. To select the Same Deal option: a. b. c. Press ESCAPE until you return to the Main Menu, PGSIBLR. With the P flashing, press ENTER to go to the Deal Menu. Line 1 = RNES, with the current deal option flashing. Line 2 = Current option description. d. e. Press deal. to select the letter S for Same
3.2 Numbered Deals [Deal Menu Item: RNES] Your Pro Bridge 3000 comes to you preprogrammed with thousands of numbered deals, which are accessed from the Deal Menu. Besides adding variety to your play, these deals can also be used as a great learning tool! Each deal (numbered from 1 to 999,999) is unique, and can be called up at any time. You can use this feature to replay a particular hand over and over, enabling you to learn from any mistakes you might make! To select a Numbered Deal: no. a. b. c. Press ESCAPE until you return to the Main Menu, PGSIBLR. With the P flashing, press ENTER to go to the Deal Menu, RNES. Line 1 = RNES, with the current deal option flashing. Line 2 = Current option description. d. e. Press deal to select the letter N for By no.

to select y for Yes or n for No. Press Press ENTER to confirm and return to the Main Menu.

3. DEAL MENU OPTIONS

As previously noted in Section 2.1, your computer allows you to select from various dealing options: R N E S Random By deal deal edit deal
2.6 English/French? It's Your Choice! [Main Menu Item: PGSIBLR] Your Bridge computer has the unique ability to offer game play and menu interaction in either English or French! Note that the computer automatically defaults to English on the first start-up. To change the language setting: a. b. c. Press ESCAPE until you return to the Main Menu, PGSIBLR. Press repeatedly to select the letter L for Language. Press ENTER. Line 1 = EF Language, with the current language setting flashing. Line 2 = Current language setting. d. to select E for English or F for Press French. Press ENTER to confirm and return to the Main Menu.
Each of these options is described individually below. When following the steps below for the Deal Menu options, please note that pressing ESCAPE one time will often take you directly to the Deal Menu. Therefore, Steps (a) and (b) will not always be necessary. 3.1 Random Deals [Deal Menu Item: RNES] Whenever you choose the Random Deal option, the computer will immediately generate a hand, and bidding will begin right away. If you're not satisfied with the hand that has been dealt, press ESCAPE to return to the Deal Menu, and then press ENTER for another hand. You can do this as often as you wish. To select the Random Deal option: a. Press ESCAPE until you return to the Main Menu, PGSIBLR.
Press ENTER. Line 1 = 0123456789, with the 0 flashing. Line 2 = deal No:.
Enter any desired deal number, from 1 to 999,999. Enter the numbers by (a) pressing individual Value Keys (1/2/3) and pressing ENTER; or or to select each (b) pressing number, pressing to move each number down to Line 2, and finally pressing ENTER. Note that the initial flashing 0 cannot be entered by itself, and doing so will cause an error beep to
Press ENTER. The computer will immediately generate the same hand you just played, and you can give it another shot!

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4. EDIT MENU OPTIONS
As previously noted in Section 3.3, your computer allows you to choose from various types of editing options. Each of these options is described below. To access the Edit Menu: a. b. c. Press ESCAPE until you return to the Main Menu, PGSIBLR. With the P flashing, press ENTER to go to the Deal Menu, RNES. Line 1 = RNES, with the current deal option flashing. Line 2 = Current option description. d. e. Press edit. to select the letter E for After

your own games and reconstructing deals that you've previously played for further study. To select this option: a. b. c. Access the Edit Menu (PEDR), as noted at the beginning of Section 4. to select the letter E for Edit Press a deal. Press ENTER. Line 1 = AKQJ1 0987654, along with S for South and the Spade symbol (q ) in line 2. The upper hand area also shows the symbols for all 52 cards, and SOUTH flashes. You can now begin editing this hand, starting with selecting Spades for South. (1) Press the Value Keys (A/ /Q) to select and enter any desired Spades for South. As each key is pressed, that card is moved from Line 1 to Line 2. Notice that it also disappears from the upper hand area, and reappears in South's hand. (2) After entering all desired Spades, press r ,e , or w to activate another suit. Follow the same steps to enter cards for this suit. Repeat for any other suit, entering up to a total of 13 cards for this hand. (3) Press VIEW HAND to edit the next position, and WEST will flash. Line 2 shows that Spades is the active suit once again. Follow Steps (1) and (2), above, to construct a hand for West. (4) After entering all desired cards for West, press VIEW HAND again to edit the hand for NORTH , and then for EAST. Note that the hands can be edited in any order, and you can go back to any hand by pressing VIEW HAND. (5) Once all cards have been entered, press ENTER. The Edit Menu will reappear, with the P flashing for Play this deal. Press ENTER, and the computer will start a new game with the hand you've just constructed! Please also note these important points, in regard to editing:
If you enter more than 13 cards for any position, or if you enter a card that has been used, an error beep will sound. If you enter less than 13 cards for any position, the computer will randomly fill in the additional cards when you play. You can also use the Cursor Keys to enter cards, in the same manner as during bidding or play. If you make a mistake or change your mind while entering a card, press the same key again to deselect it. If you've just pressed Q, for example, press Q again to cancel the input. If you're using the Cursor Keys, cancel your input by pressing , to move the cards back up to Line 1, starting with the lowest card of the current suit. If you change your mind and decide not to edit the hand after all, press ESCAPE to cancel and return to the previous menu. e.

Press ENTER, and the computer will change the settings internally, as shown above. It will then return you to the Edit Menu, with the P flashing for Play this deal. To play from the new position, press ENTER.

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5. MORE FEATURES TO EXPLORE
5.1 Viewing All the Hands At any time after the cards have been dealt, you may view all the hands (including those that are concealed) by pressing VIEW HAND. The first display will show View:NS, along with the hand for North in the upper portion of the display and the hand for South in the lower portion. Pressing VIEW HAND again will show View:EW, along with the hand for East in the upper portion of the display and the hand for West in the lower portion. A third press of VIEW HAND returns you to the current game display. Note that pressing ESCAPE also exits this mode at any time. 5.2 Illegal Bidding/Play Your computer is programmed with the standard rules of Bridge, and it will never accept an illegal bid or play! If you attempt to do so, a low-pitched error beep will alert you to the problem. To continue, simply make another entry. 5.3 Need a Hint? Just Ask! Whenever you need help, the Pro Bridge 3000 will be glad to oblige! Press HINT during the bidding or playing phase of the game, and the computer will display a suggested bid or play. To accept the hint, simply press ENTER. To disregard the hint, press to cancel the hint display, and then make a bid or play of your own. 5.4 Change Your Mind? Try Again! If you change your mind about a bid or play or make an inadvertent input error before pressing ENTER, you can retract your bid or to cancel. The current play by pressing display will clear, and you can then enter another bid or play, as usual. 5.5 Autoplay: The Computer Takes Over As soon as a hand has been dealt, and at any time during the bidding and play of the hand, you can force the computer to take over your game! Press AUTO PLAY and then ENTER to have the computer complete the current game automatically. You'll see Continuing displayed briefly,
as the computer plays the game out internally. Once the final trick is completed, the score will be shown, as usual. At this point, you have the option of going back through to see how the hand was played! To do this, press HISTORY repeatedly, as described in Section 5.6. If you change your mind after pressing AUTO PLAY, but before pressing ENTER, press to cancel Autoplay Mode. 5.6 Review Play with History Mode! During a game, it's easy to go back and review previous bids and plays, even in the middle of your game! With each press of HISTORY, the display will show you every bid and play, from the beginning. As long as History Mode is active, you'll see History on Line 1 of the menu display. As soon as you get back to the current place in your game, the display will return to normal, and you can continue. Press ESCAPE at any time to exit History Mode and return to your game. You can also press HISTORY repeatedly to step through your entire game after the game has ended and the result is being displayed. To automatically finish the game and return to the result display at any time, press ESCAPE. After pressing ESCAPE, the computer will show you the history one by one until the end. Note that History Mode is not available until after the first round of bidding has been completed. 5.7 Checking the Score Once play has started, you can review the current score (if any) by pressing SCORE. For further details on scoring, see Appendix B. In Rubber Bridge, press SCORE once to show Score, along with the current scores above and below the line. Press SCORE again to see the cumulative scores of previous rubbers for North/South, and again for East/ West. To exit, either press SCORE once more, or press ESCAPE.

In Duplicate Bridge, press SCORE once to show Score, along with the current scores for North/South and East/West. Press SCORE again to show the total number of deals played so far, as well as the cumulative IMP scores for both teams. To exit, either press SCORE once again, or press ESCAPE.
equivalent. Be sure to observe the correct polarity when inserting batteries. Worn out batteries should be removed from the unit promptly. Do not short circuit the supply terminals. 6.3 Technical Specifications Keys: 34 Display: 70mm x 58mm LCD with back light Buzzer: Piezo electric (27mm) Batteries: 4 x AAA/AM4/R03 Dimensions: 200 x 110 x 35mm Please retain this information for future reference. Saitek reserves the right to make technical changes without notice in the interest of progress. 6.4 Technical support If you experience any difficulty with this product, please first visit our website www.saitek.com. The technical support area will provide you with all the information you need to get the most out of your product and should solve any problems you might have. If you do not have access to the internet, or if the website cannot answer your question, please contact your local Saitek Technical Support Team from the list at the back of this leaflet. We aim to offer quick, comprehensive and thorough technical support to all our users so, before you call, please make sure you have all the relevant information at hand. 6.5 Information for customers in the United States FCC Compliance and Advisory Statement Warning: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: This device may not cause harmful interference, and; This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
Note that the SCORE display is not available while current results are showing during play. Note, also, that you can reset the score, as described in Section 2.7. 5.8 Game Memory You may interrupt play at any time and turn the unit off by pressing GO/STOP. Play is then suspended, and the computer will store your current game and option settings. When you switch back on by pressing GO/STOP again, you can simply continue right where you left off!

6. TECHNICAL DETAILS

6.1 The ACL Function Computers sometimes "lock up" due to static discharge or other electrical disturbances. If this should happen, reinstall the batteries and use a paper clip or another sharp object to press down into the hole marked ACL in the base of the unit for at least one full second. This clears the memory and resets the computer to its default settings. 6.2 Care and Maintenance Your Pro Bridge 3000 computer is a precision electronic device, and should not be subjected to rough handling, extreme temperatures, or moisture. Be sure to disconnect the adapter (if applicable) and remove the batteries before cleaning the unit. Do not use chemical agents or liquids to clean the unit, as they may cause damage. Weak batteries can cause incorrect displays, loss of data, and even wrong bids and responses. Low batteries should be replaced promptly, since they can leak and damage the unit. Please also note the following points regarding batteries: Use only alkaline or zinc carbon batteries. Do not mix different types of batteries or new and used batteries. Do not recharge nonrechargeable batteries. Use only the recommended batteries or

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NOTE: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna; Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver; Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected; Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
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The selected card isn't yours (e.g., the card is in dummy's hand). You are not following suit. You aren't in the bidding or playing phase of the game. No bids have been made.
The computer won't show previous bids/plays when HISTORY is pressed.
You must be in the bidding or playing phase for History Mode to work. Bids must be made before the HISTORY feature will work. You cannot enter more than 13 cards per player. Check the upper portion of display for available cards. Check the upper portion of display for available cards in each suit. Press ENTER until current results have all been shown; then press SCORE.
The computer won't accept a card or suit when you're editing a hand.
You have already entered 13 cards for the current position. The card is already in use for another player position. There are no more cards available in that suit.
The score doesn't show when SCORE is pressed.
An error beep will sound if SCORE is pressed while current results are showing during play.

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V.1.0 10/01/07
2007 Saitek Ltd. Made and printed in China. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. CI05

www.saitek.com

JULIAN POTTAGE on DEFENCE

Signals at Trick One

f partner makes an opening lead and you are not trying to win the first trick, you usually want to indicate whether you would like partner to lead the suit again. You do this by means of an attitude signal: you play a high card to encourage (the highest card you can afford) and your lowest card to discourage. Normally your holding in the suit led determines your correct course of action.
Again West leads the queen and the ace goes up from dummy. Holding the ten, East knows that West can safely continue the suit, so encourages with the seven. As the lead of the queen promises the jack, both the king (the card above) and the ten (the card below) are useful cards for the leaders partner to hold.
to continue with the king. When East plays the two next, completing a high-low signal, West knows to try a third round.

4 AKQ7

N W S E

A64 QJ95

J53 872
Of course, the leader may continue a suit whatever partner does. Your holding needs to be sufficiently robust to cope with the possibility that declarer has any missing high cards. Here West has no need of help and may continue with a second and third round (and a fourth at no-trumps) even though East plays the two on the first. Equally, you must take care not to encourage just because you have something useful in the suit led. An encouraging signal tells partner that in your opinion, based on the information available to you, that it is probably best to continue the suit.

K 10 3

Here East has no reason to suppose that a further heart lead will work and rightly plays the two under the ace. This warns West that declarer has the king and ten. Knowing this, West will, after regaining the lead, switch to a different suit.
West leads the queen; say that declarer plays the ace from dummy. Holding the king, East should encourage with the eight if West gets in again, the defence have two tricks to take. Similarly:

Further Considerations

Everything I have said up until now applies equally to suit and no-trump contracts. However, in a suit contract, the prospect of scoring a ruff means that you may wish to encourage a continuation without any honours.

K 3 AKQJ5 94

LOW VISION CARDS
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4 AK87

AQJ3 Q6 2
When West leads the ace (showing the king), East envisages a third-round ruff. Accordingly East plays the six and South follows with the three. West cannot be sure that the six is a high card (declarer might be concealing the two) but it is safe enough Page 32

North End South 2 3

from the Mail Order Service
West leads the ace of hearts. Do you play the eight or the two? Continued on page 33
POTTAGE ON DEFENCE continued from page 32
Normally you would encourage holding the queen, but here you are keen to have a spade switch. The presence of the ten of spades in dummy means that partner will need to lead the suit twice for you to stand a chance of collecting three spade tricks, so you want an immediate switch and play the two of hearts. You intend to win the first spade cheaply, put partner back in with the king of hearts and have another spade lead through dummy. So far, all your signals have been with spot cards, and normally these are all you can afford. If, however, you have a sequence of honours, you may be able to share the good news with partner. West leads the ace and what card do you think East should play? Playing the two would discourage hearts and playing the jack would be misleading. The jack would deny the queen and suggest J-x (it cannot be showing the ten as this is in dummy). The correct card is the queen, which shows the jack (unless the queen is a singleton). West can then underlead the king on the second round to put East in. Would you like to see this in the context of a full hand?

The way to beat the contract is for West to lead a low heart at trick two, allowing East to play a club before trumps are drawn. Underleading the king of hearts may seem brave but if East has played the queen, promising the jack, there is nothing to it. If East unexpectedly has a singleton heart, this is not a problem: the heart ruff will be the setting trick.

Different Messages

If you really want to, you can use only attitude signals on partners lead, but you will be missing a wealth of opportunities if you do. The objective of any communication is to convey information that is not already available, so if partner can work out whether you like the suit anyway, it makes sense for a signal to convey a different message:

A96 75

KQJ432
West leads the seven and the ace goes up from dummy. You could play the four, hoping partner will notice that the two and three are missing, but you should issue a much clearer signal: throw the king under the ace. Partner will know you must have a great holding in the suit if you can afford to part with the king. You are more likely to be able to signal with an honour when partner has already shown strength in the suit:

K82 AKK3

QJAKQJ J74

3 QJ8 2

QJ9 AK865

A AQ65

West leads the ace (against a suit contract); assuming West would rarely (if ever) lead an unsupported ace, it is clear that East can have no useful high diamonds. What West really wants to know is whether East has three diamonds, when the king will stand up, or four, when South will ruff the second round. Accordingly, East should give a count signal, playing high from an even number and low from an odd. Accepted wisdom is to play second highest from a four- or six-card suit, here the four, and highest from a doubleton. To show an odd number you play your lowest card. Continued on page 34

North 1NT Pass

South 4

4 AK753

West leads the ace of hearts and if East mistakenly plays the two or the jack, then the contract will make. If East plays the two, West will probably cash the heart king next and then switch to the king of clubs, playing East for the queen of clubs (counting South for five spade tricks, four diamonds and the club ace, West would not defend passively). If instead East played the jack, West would continue with the king and another heart expecting East to ruff.

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Page 33
POTTAGE ON DEFENCE continued from page 33

A QJ865

West leads the queen and dummys ace wins. If you think about it, the position of the king is obvious. With the king in hand, declarer would capture the queen with the king, preserving the ace-ten in dummy as a tenace over the jack. Therefore again East should give a count signal, this time the three to denote an odd number.

Q8 A J 6

West leads the king of clubs and spades are trumps. East can play the three to signal strength in diamonds (or possibly the ability to ruff the suit), the ten to ask for a heart and the seven with no particular preference. East might also play the neutral seven to request a club continuation, but with this particular layout overtaking with the ace would be a surer way of ensuring this. It may take a while for all this to sink in, but do not worry. When you first learn to drive, changing gear and turning a corner seem complicated manoeuvres, but because you do them every time you go out in the car, you soon become familiar with them. It is just like this with defence in bridge. You defend every second hand, so the opportunity to give and look for the signals I have described will come up regularly.
East South Pass 21 Pass 3 Pass 4 End 1 Shows heart support and defensive values
West leads the queen of clubs and dummy plays low.

Problem 3 A 5 K Q 876

32 J532 AJ94 952

West 1 Pass End

North Pass 3

East 2 Pass

South 2 4
We return to no-trumps and West leads the jack, dummy playing the queen. East would cover with the ace or king if able so to do, thus West will know the location of all the cards down to at least the ten whatever low card East plays. What West cannot easily figure out (in the absence of a signal) is whether declarers king will drop under the ace. So East plays the five, second-highest from a four-card suit. Finally, if you can live with one more complexity, the layout of the suit led may be such that the defenders evidently cannot score any more tricks in the suit (perhaps dummy is void). In this situation, neither an attitude nor a count signal will serve much purpose. The opening leader is likely to want to switch, so will want to know which suit to switch to. In this situation the player in third seat should play a high card to ask for the higher-ranking non-trump suit and a low card to ask for the lower-ranking non-trump suit.

A Short Quiz

It might help if we end with a short quiz. In each of the examples below, think what card to play at trick one and why.
West leads the ace of hearts and dummy plays low.

Quiz Answers

Answer 1 You should play the ten of diamonds, to encourage a diamond continuation. Since West has led the two, you know declarer has another diamond and you would like to have partner put you in so that you can attack clubs from your side of the table. If you failed to make a clear encouraging signal, then partner might, after gaining the lead with the king of hearts, switch to the jack of clubs: if you had the doubleton king of clubs and no diamond entry, that would be the right thing to do. This is the full deal:

Problem 1 AQA6 765

53 K Q2

North 3 End

South 1 4
West leads the two of diamonds and dummys ace wins.

5 KQ96

Problem 2 K 5 K97 K76 K76

63 K6 Q972 A J 3

AQA6 765

AQQJ54 A 5 2

KJ9 A Q J J8 K84

Continued on page 35

Page 34
POTTAGE ON DEFENCE continued from page 34
Answer 2 You will be marked with the ace of clubs when declarer fails to win the trick and the position of the ten of clubs is almost certainly irrelevant (if declarer had it, it would be singleton or at most doubleton), so this is a situation where you want to give count. Therefore, you play the two. You hope partner will continue the suit with only three, and perhaps switch to a diamond if declarer has a singleton. This is the full deal:

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2 QJ83

K K K K

J94 A Q J 2 A83 4

Answer 3 The defending side cannot make any more heart tricks, so East should give a suit-preference signal. An observant partner might read the five of hearts as a high card but there is no need to take any chances. To justify leading an unsupported ace (albeit in a suit you raised) West must have an awkward holding in the minors. So, with the king and queen of hearts set up to provide declarer with discards, it is vital to ensure partner knows that you want a diamond switch, and you should play the jack of hearts. The full deal is shown below.

Q A9874 K K 3

A 5 K Q 876

KJQ53 AQJ

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