Don’t lose your balance

Have you ever been sitting at the table and your opponents have stopped bidding at a very low level?

You don’t want them to get the contract too cheap and you want to compete but you don’t know what to do. If you are in the pass-out seat, you hold 8-13 points, and 3-4 cards in all the unbid suits, you can keep the bidding open by using the double option asking partner to bid his best suit.

If you’re short in an unbid major and opponents could find that suit or you have good cards in the bid suit don’t double. Your goal is to put points in your column.

The Winecoffs have a whole series of lessons in doubles. There are many types.  Their classes are every Friday at 10 a.m. at the Rufty-Holmes Senior Center.

Our Evergreen game on Frida, Oct. 2 was smaller than usual as many of our members participated in the Morganton tournament.  So glad you supported the tournament!

We had two new participants in our game. Lisa Wear and Ray Pope are party bridge players who had never played duplicate bridge before. They learned the basic technical points of the game quickly and played just fine.  If they can jump in so can you.

Our winners were: First, Dick Brisbin and Pat Featherston; second, Marie Pugh and Ruth Bowles; third, Margaret and Chuck Rimer; fourth, Stella Shadroui and Maggie Canup.

Featured is board # 25 from the October 2 game.  E/W vulnerable

North dealer

NORTH:

S  7 5

H  K 9 5 4 3

D  J 7 5

C  K 5 4

 

WEST:                EAST:

S  A J T 8            S  K Q 6 2

H  A T                  H  Q 6 2

D  K Q 3              D  9 6 4

C  A T 9 7            C  8 6 2

 

SOUTH:

S  9 4 3

H  J 8 7

D  A T 8 2

C  Q J 3

 

Marie Pugh and Ruth Bowles had the best N/S score defeating opponent’s 4SE- 2 tricks while Chuck and Margaret Rimer had the best E/W score bidding and making 4SW.

Which direction played the Spades was determined by the NT opening style of West’s hand.

Winners at the Salisbury Women’s Club Oct. 6 game were: First, Marie Pugh and Loyd Hill, and tied for second/third, Shirley Jeffers and Georgia Sorensen with Fern Albracht and Ron Jeffers.