President-Bernetha Henry                                                                                                                  October  2007 Vol.   XXIV   No.10

Editor – Patrick Lauterbach                                                                                                               All the news that fits, we print

                                           TRICKS AND TREATS  

                  For Members of the Columbia Duplicate Bridge Club  

                                           (On-line at www.cbcbridge.com)

 

Our September Birthday party was hosted by a host of Webbs including birthday girl Lee.   The hosts did almost as well as the Gamecocks, coming in 2nd and 3rd overall.  But the top spot went to Marj Edens and Sue Harrington - a 63.67% effort.  Must have been that Gamecock spirit that helped USC beat Georgia. 

                 N/S                          14 ½ tables Club Championship                                E/W ____

1) Bob and Pat Webb                            193.49            1) Marj Edens/Sue Harrington          198.65

2) Chris and Lee Webb                          191.10           2) Harriet Blasetti/Rosa Shaw           182.33

3) Joyce Lauterbach/George Nichols     188.27            3) Luanne Edwards/Annie Hawkins  177.63

4) Ellie Hack/Jack Wilkinson                 180.41            4) Bernetha Henry/Lil Hopkins         169.64

5) Jan Harrison/Carolyn Floyd               167.61            5) Dot Cole/Lou Riddle                     164.08

6) George Trotter/Mary T                      158.69            6) Madalyn Dybvik/Irma Murray       157.77 

 

We continue with some more defensive help from Eddie Kantar.  #27:  When returning the suit partner has led, with two cards remaining return the higher; with three cards remaining, return the lowest. Say partner leads low and dummy has low cards.  If you have A-10-5, win the Ace and return the 10.  If you have A-10-6-5, win the Ace and return the 5.  (Ed. note: Sometimes referred to as ‘present count’)

 

#28 When partner leads low from length and Dummy comes down with an honor; if you have a higher and a lower honor, insert the lower honor if Dummy plays low.  Say dummy has Q-5-4 or the J-5-4 and you have K-10-6(x).  If Dummy plays low, play the 10.  Say Dummy has the K-7-6 or Q-7-6 and you have A-J-4(x).  If Dummy plays low, play the Jack.

 

NOT just a game.  Here’s one that cost a pair big time that never has to happen.  At trick 5, defender revoked.  Immediately after they lead to trick 6, dummy pointed this out.  Dummy does not have the right to first call attention to any unusual lead or play by defenders DURING THE PLAY OF THE HAND.  Dummy can do so after the hand is over.  By doing so during the play, dummy forfeits the right to penalize the infraction.  So just wait a minute.  Further discussion:  In the past I played against a declarer notorious for missing critical plays by defenders.  His dummy knew this and would inquire of opponents “No (Hearts)?”  I got tired of it and called the director who saw it as I did: an attempt to direct the play of the hand from the dummy rather than a gesture of sportsmanship.  Dummy’s rights to prevent irregularities extend only to the play of his declarer/ partner-not to the play of the defense.                                                                    

 

October is Charity Month.  These are all for worthy causes-and a few extra points.  It’s much better to be the purveyor of charity than a recipient.  We’re lucky-be glad and let’s pass a little of it around.

 

Our apologies go to Phil Knox whom we left off the phone list.  Reach him at 843-655-0860

 

Friday night games:  beginning in October we will hold Friday night games ONLY on the first and third Fridays of the month.  The first Friday will be over/under pairs (750 points).  For the over/under games we will draw names for the partnerships. So, all you A players, please encourage the C players to come on out.  Offer some encouragement and mentoring.

Wanted-folks interested in the history of the bridge club….the Board would like a historical committee formed to complete an accurate history of the bridge club over the past years and keep an ongoing scrap book of sorts with pictures and memorabilia etc.  If you are interested in helping with this endeavor, please let Janice Ripley know.

For the record:  Just to have four walls and a roof we spend $14,999 on utilities, insurance, maintenance/repairs telephone and cleanup.  This doesn’t include any expense of having an actual game (director, bridge supplies, coffee, paper products, paperclips, printer/computer, ACBL fees…)

 

I made the mistake recently of agreeing to play a 2NT response to a 1 NT opener as invitational.  Folks, this is a terrible sequence.  There is no prize for getting into exactly 2NT making.  There is a lot of danger of going down one where you were going to make 1NT.  And there is always what happened here.  I got dealt a good looking 15 and opened 1 NT.  My partner bid 2 NT.  I thought since we were playing 15-17, that partner might have a good looking 9 that I could skate past a shaky defense so I bid 3NT.  Imagine the expletives that went through my mind when partner tables Jxx,  Jx,  AQxxx, xxx.  Well, I was right about the defense-an advantageous opening lead, a good guess on the distribution and a gross defensive blunder let me get out for down one. (Others were down 1 to 3 at 2NT. Top was +90)   A few things to remember-1) You can make 3NT on 23 to 25 points but usually when the points are split between the hands 12-12 or 13-11.  As the disparity between hands widens, the playability decreases.  16-8 has a lot less chance. 2)  Jacks aren’t worth 1 point. They aren’t worth the cardboard they are printed on.  Queens aren’t worth much more.  If you’re going to do this, do it with points in long suits (KQxxx or AQxxx) with an outside ace or king.  3) If you insist, do it with 9-why do it with 8 when you know that leaves partner with 23-25 points max in a very lopsided distribution between the hands?  4)  There are a lot better uses for the 2NT bid.  But you are very welcome to play it invitational at my table-just not with me as your partner.

 

         N/S       ACBL-wide Instant match  point (gold point) event 9 ½ tables  E/W_____________

1) Everett Ness/Brian Lipscomb        1683.00               Hap Neuffer/Alice Moore          1762.88

2) Bob and Pat Webb                          1529.00              Ellie Hack/Harriet Blasetti         1501.88

1C) Chris Webb/Jim Chianellli           1484.00              BJ Cornelia/Ardis Dalrymple     1384.88

 2C) Bernetha Henry/Sylvia White      1353.00             Greg Winkler/Sue Harrington     1365.75      

 

Centurion Cup- 1) Lib Odom (19.08) 2) Jim Willrodt (16.67) 3) Zan Edmunds (14.35) 4) George Davey (7.84) 5) Dozier Shaw (5.18) 6) Faye Levinson 5.05) 7) Irene Fields (4.61) 8) Sam Robison (4.46) 9) Francis Robinson (4.32), 10) Teri Kuhs (3.31) Lois Ball (3.31)

  Sol Lourie Open                                  Henry Mills 0-2000                Coleman Farrell NLM

1) Ken Fasching                61.61         Lil Hopkins          50.75             Tom Gabriel              32.25          

2) Patrick Lauterbach        60.98         Bernetha Henry    36.07             Sue Harrington         30.95

3) Brian Lipscomb            58.51         Tom Gabriel         32.25             Jan  Ripley                27.91                          4) Joyce Lauterbach          57.31         Brent Holcomb     31.92             Susan Mcfadden       27.19

5) Bob Webb                     54.96         Mary Townhill     31.46             Everett Ness              26.63           6) Lil Hopkins                   50.75         Sue Harrington     30.95             Arnold Levinson       23.05   

7) Pat Webb                       45.99         Jim Chianelli        30.40             Lib Odom                  19.08                  8) Ellie Hack                      36.34         Henry Momand    30.33             Jim Willrodt              16.67

9) Bernetha Henry              36.07         Gwen Beckman    28.33            Elaine Wade              16.48

10) Hap Neuffer                 34.46         Jan Ripley             27.91            Ed Young                   16.44    

“Never pick a fight with a man who buys ink by the barrel.”   Political advice re: Randolph Hearst