Bridge News:
At the Taos Regional Bridge tournament played the last week of September, 11 local players placed in various events, with Gina Doorn, Martin Cooper and Robert Sanders winning Gold Rush Pair events.
This tournament drew players from all across the country, including several professional bridge players.
Below is one of the 21 hands played in our Sept. 9 game. Before reviewing the bidding and play, try to visualize how the bidding might proceed, and then how the hand should be played.
North was the dealer; North/South were vulnerable.
*In modern bridge, the only strong suit opening is 2♣, as most players play 2♦, 2♥, and 2♠ as weak two bids (more on that in another article).
**Any response other than 2♦ shows a decent hand. A suit bid shows at 5+ cards.
***6+ hearts.
****Roman Keycard Blackwood. Playing this, you count the King of trumps as a key card, in addition to any Aces you hold. Responses are: 5♣ shows 0 or 3 key cards, 5♦ shows 1 or 4, 5♥ shows 2 or 5 without the trump Queen, and 5♠ shows 2 or 5 with the trump Queen. Roman Keycard Blackwood is a vast improvement over regular Blackwood, as the trump King is as important as any Ace.
Some Norths would probably open the bidding with a preemptive 3♥ call. This is reasonable not vulnerable, but North holds a terrible playing hand, and vulnerable, where penalties for failing to make your contract can be high, discretion advises a pass to see what develops. Thus South opens 2♣, showing a very big hand. North’s hand is very good after partner’s strong opening, so he/she bids 2♥. Showing at least a 5-card heart suit and a decent hand. Now South bids 3♦, showing a long diamond suit, and North rebids 3♥, most likely showing at least 6 hearts. With this information, South is interested in a slam, and asks North now many key cards he/she holds. When North shows one key card, South opts to try for the 6♥ slam.
East’s Opening Lead is probably either a low club or a low spade. Some might lead the ♦A. In any event, if declarer leads the top hearts, the Queen will fall, and the only loser is the ♦A. Small slam bid and made!
When this hand was played at the local club, one pair bid 6NT making 6, one pair bid 6♥ making 6. Another pair bid 4♥ making 6, and a 4th pair stopped at 2NT making 10 tricks.
A note about vulnerability: In rubber (party) bridge, when the rubber starts, nobody is vulnerable. When one side wins a game toward the rubber, they become vulnerable. The most significant aspect of this is that, when you are vulnerable, the points your opponents receive when you fail to make your contract are at least double what they would have been if you were not vulnerable.
The Los Alamos Duplicate Bridge Club games are held at the Betty Ehart Senior Activity Center (Wednesdays starting at 12:45 p.m.), and at the White Rock Senior Activity Center (Mondays at 12:45 p.m.). Bridge players are welcome to participate. If you need a partner, please email Bobby Haynes at rsh@valornet.com, or Jerry Fleming at peanutcat@aol.com.