BRIDGE News:Congratulations to John Ruminer and Earle Marie Hanson, who placed 3rd overall in the recent District 17 Sectional Tournament at Clubs (STaC) out of 183 pairs! Neill Goltz and Jerry Morzinski also placed in the overall standings in this event. We welcomed Ann Hayes and Kathy Hirons to our Sept. 17 game after long absences.
Today’s hand shows again the power of preemptive bidding, or bidding at a higher level than you have to because you have a very long suit.
This is board #10. East is the dealer and both sides are vulnerable.
East is the dealer, and, though he/she has a very weak hand, opens with 3♠ because of the very long suit and shortness in two other suits. South has no bid, but West, whose hand has great support for spades, should raise to 4♠.
Because of the E/W aggressive bidding, there is no way that N/S can reasonably enter the auction, even though their side is cold for 4♥. Despite having only 18 HCP, E/W should make 4♠ unless South leads the ♠A and then his/her other spade.
When this hand was played locally, one pair played in 4♠/E making 4, two pairs played in 3♠/E making 4, and the 4th pair played in 4♥/N making 4. Not surprising!
The Los Alamos Duplicate Bridge Club games are held at the Betty Ehart Senior Activity Center (BESAC) Wednesdays starting at 12:45 p.m., and at the White Rock Senior Activity Center (WRSAC) Mondays at 12:45 p.m.
Check out the Los Alamos Duplicate Bridge Club’s new website at www.ladbc.net to learn what it’s all about, contact the club to get involved, join the fun, and much more.
Perhaps you’ve seen the old card game “Bridge“ mentioned in a book or seen it being played on the Orient Express in an old Agatha Christie black-and-white movie. Maybe you’ve even tried to play it in the remote past with Mom and Dad (or even more likely Grandma and Grandpa) around the kitchen table. Well, it hasn’t quite gone the way of the typewriter or film cameras, yet – and, in fact, it has a substantial Free-on-the-Internet presence. LEARN TO PLAY BRIDGE!
That being said, it is a game that needs new and younger Face-to-Face players and, here in Los Alamos the local club is ready to bring you on board with nighttime, after work or weekend, FREE lessons, and playing opportunities.
We have four locations available – the game store in White Rock, the Mesa game store on Central here in Los Alamos, the Los Alamos Public Library, or Smith’s Market! What we need from interested folks is some indication of interest and what day of the week and location would be most convenient. Please reach out to Neill Goltz at 641.236.1170 (neill.goltz2@gmail.com) or Bobby Haynes at 505.753.3249 (rsh@valornet.com) with your questions and preferred time and location!
