[mr1303]

Well, on the first, the player holding those cards found a balancing double. Found partner with a 6 count, which turned out to be worth nothing. 3♦ X went down 6 for -1400, a horrific result.

2♠ would have made up one. These were the full hands:

Scoring: Total Points

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On the second hand, partner went for -1100. The bidding went:

1NT 2♦ dbl Pass
Pass 2♠ dbl all pass

Partner's pass showed a mild desire to play in diamonds, but it was -1100 no matter where you played.

[1eyedjack]

There are 14 Diamonds and only 12 Clubs

[hatchett]

Quote

There are 14 Diamonds and only 12 Clubs

That's probably why it went so many off.

[mr1303]

Whooops, duly edited.

[FrancesHinden]

I hope you don't object to a bit of advice on playing total points scoring, ready for next year's Hubert Phillips. I might have won more matches in this format than all the regular posters to BBO forums combined, as it's not a popular format outside that one event!

The main thing to realise is that although people typically think of it as 'like IMPs just a bit more so', the tactics are quite a long way different from teams-of-4 IMPs.
There is no such thing as 'protecting the part-score': you just don't bother because the downside (large penalty) is so high. IMO, the first of your team's doubles (on the 3343) was wrong at all forms of scoring, but at total points I think it is clearly, obviously and gratuitously wrong and got what it deserved, with no "imo" to preface it.

To understand the difference from IMPs scoring, compare a part-score swing (-110 in both rooms, say) to other more expensive things:

i) Go off in a vul 4M made in the other room.
At IMPs that is exactly twice as bad (12 imps rather than 2x6 imps)
At total points that is over 3 times as bad (-720 rather than 3.3 lots of -220)

ii) Go off in a vul 6M made in the other room
At IMPS that's still not quite 3 times as bad as a partial swing (17 imps rather than 3x6)
At total points it's a disaster: -1530 needs 7 partial swings to recover it.

iii) Go for 800 against a vul game, when they are making at the 4-level but not the 5 level.
At IMPS that is 5 out, against a possible 12 in if they bid to 5-level and go off
At total points that is 180 points out against a possible 720 (4 times as much) in

iv) Go for 800 "protecting" a partscore.
At IMPs that is 12 out again for a possible 5-6 imps in: not good, but not a disaster.
At total points that is about 650 out for a possible 200-250 points in. Don't do it. Don't even think about going for 1100 on a part-score board, either.

In summary:
- forget about partscores and overtricks
- don't miss, go off in, or let through vulnerable games or slams
- avoid going for large penalties against nothing
- pay out lots of insurance by bidding on in high level competition: "one off against one off" is better bridge at aggregate than at any other form of scoring, if there was even a tiny chance that either contract was making.

[civill]

When you play bridge with bad mood or without dummy,That's not bridge playing,IMO