Counting losers

I  hope your Thanksgiving was a great one. As the headline indicates, losers are just as important as winners. This piece is based on an article, by Pat Harrington in the November 2017 Bridge Bulletin.

Opening high card point count is an estimate of trick taking possibilities but high card points are not the only indicators for a successful contract. As responder, you have an important part to play. Evaluate your 13 card holding and count your losers. Count 1 loser for each missing honor in your suits, knowing no suit can contain more than 3 losers. This holding (S 6 2, H A T 6 3, D K 9, C A T 8 4 3) contains 7 losers, (2 spades,2 hearts, 1 diamond, and 2 clubs), and 11 points. Partner has bid 1 H, so with 11 points and less than 8 losers you can safely give a limit raise. If you have 10 points but more than 8 losers, just give a simple raise. Be careful though. With Qs heading a suit and few As, down grade your count a half a point for every Q heading a suit. Try this evaluation technique next game and good luck.

We had another challenging game at Evergreen on Friday, Nov. 17. Winning this Club Championship game: N/S 1st Pat Macon and Patsy Reynolds 4th overall, 2nd Ruth Bowles and Marie Pugh 5th overall, 3rd Fern Albracht and Christy Cline; E/W 1st Judy Hurder and Betty Bills 1st overall, 2nd John and Myrnie McLaughlin 2nd overall and 3rd Pat Featherston and Dick Brisbin 3rd overall.

Featured is board #6 from November 17th  E/W vulnerable  East dealer

NORTH:

S 5

H A K T 8 7 2

D K 6 4

C Q J 3

WEST:              EAST:

S J T 7 6 3         S A 9 8 2

H J 6 3               H 9 5

D 2                     D A J 5

C A 9 6 2            C K T 8 4

SOUTH:

S K Q 4

H Q T 4

D Q 9 8 7 3

C 7 5

Fern Albracht and Christy Cline had the best N/S score defeating 4SW 2tricks while the best E/W score was made by Genny Mozolak and Joe O’Brien who defeated 5HN* 4 tricks.

The Tuesday, Nov. 21 Women’s Club game was larger than usual with 6 from Concord joining us. Winners were: N/S 1st Carol Bachl and Judy Gealy, 2nd Marie Pugh and Dick Brisbin, 3rd Fern Albracht and Judy Hurder and 1st in B strat Mack Brown and Marvin Query: E/W 1st Mike Strothers and David Lane, 2nd Patty and Robbo Williams, 3rd Margaret and Chuck Rimer, 4th Carol Winecoff and Myrnie McLaughlin.

There are two special games scheduled: Nov. 28 Women’s Club game is a Club Championship and the Friday, Dec. 1 Evergreen Game is a Jane Johnson Charity game. Both award higher points