BRIDGE News:
The Los Alamos Duplicate Bridge Club is hosting a rare team game on Wednesday, Feb. 4. It appears that at least 7 teams will be participating, including two from Santa Fe. Following the holiday break, attendance has been good.
Adam Wadlinger and Randy Baker were both open and flight B winners on Monday. Jerry Fleming and Neill Goltz were flight A winners on Wednesday. Bev and Martin Cooper were high in flight B.
Board 19: South is the dealer and E/W are vulnerable.
Here’s a very interesting hand with the West player in the spotlight. South is the dealer and passes. West has an automatic opening bid of 1♥. With a good hand as well, North has a choice of overcalling 2♦, or making a takeout double showing support for all the unbid suits.
While it might seem the worst choice, the takeout double is likely the winning call. After East passes, South should jump to 2♠, showing at least 4-card support and some high card values. At this point, it behooves West to jump to the 4♥ game, as there are only 4 losers in the hand. Unfortunately, partner tables the worst dummy possible!
After all of this discussion, consider the fact that N/S has a reasonable chance to make 4. But it’s not likely they will be willing to bid that high!
When this hand was played locally, one pair played in 6♥/W doubled down 3, two pairs played in 4♥/W down 2, and the other two pairs played in 4♥/W down 1. This poor West needed a better partner!
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!