BRIDGE News:
This is the last bridge session of the year. Duplicate bridge will resume Jan. 5, 2026. Happy New Year, everyone!
Open winners on Monday were Steve Kemic and Jennifer Young. Flight B winners were Harry Dewey and Linda Lambert.
Here is an interesting hand where, with competitive bidding, the optimal contract is difficult to find.
Board 8: South is the dealer, and nobody is vulnerable.
After South passes, West appears to have three options: Open with 1♣; Open with 3♣, or pass. The hand is too good for a 3♣ opening; a pass will make later bidding difficult, so probably the best option is to open with 1♣. As North is too strong to preempt, he/she should bid 1♦. A takeout double by East will show support for the unbid suits and a good hand.
South will again pass, and West will likely bid 1♠ even though the West hand has long, strong clubs. Remember, this is a partnership game! Whether North now bids 3 or 4 diamonds, East is strong enough to bid the spade game, which should be easily made.
When this hand was played locally, one pair played in 3NT/E down 2, another pair played in 4♣/W making 4 and a 3rd pair played in 5♣/W down 1. So, nobody found the optimal contract.
The Los Alamos Duplicate Bridge Club games are held at the Betty Ehart Senior Activity Center (BESAC) starting at 12:45 p.m., Wednesdays, and at the White Rock Senior Activity Center (WRSAC) at 12:45 p.m., Mondays.
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!