BRIDGE News:

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 the1 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!

Here is a challenging hand from our July 21st Club Championship game.  The challenge here is for E/W to arrive at the optimum contract.

This is board #9.  North is the dealer and E/W are vulnerable.     

North is the dealer, and passes.  While many Easts will open with 1♦,  there is a strong argument for opening 1♥, as a) you can next bid 2♦ without raising the level of the bidding, b) you’re not making a reverse bid, which shows more HCP, and c) in duplicate bridge, the goal is to try to bid game contracts in a major suit or notrump.

After East’s opening bid, South is likely to overcall 1♠.  Then, assuming East opened with 1♥, West should respond 2♦.  Here’s where it gets exciting!  N/S are not vulnerable, and with his/her great distribution, North should make a sacrifice bid of 4♠.  Now the challenge is on East.  If partner has two aces, a slam in diamonds should be cold.  So East bids 4NT Blackwood to ask for aces.  When West bids 5♥ to show two,  the slam in diamonds should be cold.

When this hand was played locally, one pair played in 6♦/W making 6, another pair played in 5♦/E  making 6, a 3rd pair played in 4♦/E making 6, two pairs played in 5♥/E making 6, and the 6th pair played in 4♠/N down 2.

The Los Alamos Duplicate Bridge Club games are held at the Betty Ehart Senior Activity Center (BESAC) at 12:45 p.m., Wednesdays, and at 12:45 p.m., Mondays, at the White Rock Senior Activity Center (WRSAC).

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.