Attitude in play

Many bridge players feel that the signal to encourage or discourage a suit is one of the most useful “signals” in bridge. This tool is the “attitude” signal. It is used most successfully against a NT contract.

As outlined in the June 2017 Bridge Bulletin it works like this: If partner, on opening lead, leads an honor and you hold an attaching honor you must play the highest card you hold to encourage partner to continue the suit. Let’s say partner also holds the K,J,4 , he would find it helpful to know who holds the Q. Your encouragement is golden.

As play continues if you or partner discards a high card in any suit, it generally means he likes that suit and wants the next lead to be in that suit. Conversely, discarding a low card is discouraging and says partner, find another suit to lead. If during the play of the hand, you can see from your cards a way to defeat the contract, you may ignore the sequence expected and take the setting trick before continuing with the original plan.

Our July 14 Evergreen game was well attended. Winning were: N/S 1st Pat Featherston and Sonjia McHone, 2nd Ruth Bowles and Marie Pugh; E/W 1st Toni Iossi and Fern Albracht, 2nd BettyBonner Steele and Ron Caudle, our newest player.

Featured is board #3 from this game E/W vulnerable South dealing
NORTH:

S 8 6 3

H Q J 8 7 2

D Q J

C J 7 4
WEST:               EAST:

S K J T 5 4         S Q 7 2

H ­—                   H K 9 6 5 3

D T 9 6 4 3       D A 5

C K T 3             C A Q 2
SOUTH:

S A 9

H A T 4

D K 8 7 2

C 9 8 6 5
Sonjia McHone and Pat Featherston bid 1NT making 2 for the best N/S score, while Toni Iossi and Fern Albracht bid 4S making 5

The July 18 Women’s Cub game winners: 1st Shirley Jeffers and Georgia Sorensen, 2nd Judy Gealy and Fern Albracht, 3rd Nancy Brandt and Tom Johnson, 4th Ford and Betty Bills.

I give a big thank you to Ron Jeffers and Dick Brisbin for running our games while I’m recovering. It really does take a village sometimes to keep going.

PLEASE NOTE: The Friday July 21 Rufty-Lawana Holmes game is the only game to be cancelled. All games will continue as scheduled.