BRIDGE News:
Several of our players are attending the Regional Bridge Tournament held in Albuquerque Jan. 14-20. Regionals are large tournaments that attract players from throughout North America and worldwide. Local results will be reported next week. Open winners locally on Monday were Jack Stafurik and Sam Borkowsky. Flight B winners were Bob and Laurie Walker. Open winners on Wednesday were Jerry Morzinski and Sig Lodwig. Sig played for the first time here since last March. This hand should probably be played in a part score; 2 or 3 spades or 1-2 notrump, but some pairs are likely to bid higher.
Board 19: South is the dealer and E/W are vulnerable.
After South passes, West should open 1♣. North passes, and South’s correct call is 1♥. West should now bid 1♠, and East will raise to 2♠. While some West’s might pass, many would make an invitational bid of 3♠, and East, with a maximum 2♠ raise and a doubleton diamond, may very well try for the spade game. Duplicate bridge is aggressive!
Despite a miserable trump holding between the two hands, declarer has no choice but to try to draw trumps, hoping they divide 3-2. As bad as the trumps are, 4♠ will make unless the defenders lead a club and continue playing clubs the 2nd and 3rd times they have the lead. That will give them 3 spade tricks and a club trick. 3NT won’t make either, as long as the defenders attack the minor suits (clubs and/or diamonds).
When this hand was played locally, two pairs played in 2♠/W making 4, and the 3rd pair passed the handout???
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 in Los Alamos;
- The Los Alamos Public Library; and
- 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!