How’s your balance?
Using a balancing double can be tricky but very effective in defending and/or finding an offensive bid. If your partner opens the bidding and your RHO bids, you have choices. With 8-10 HCPs and a suit of your own, you can bid your suit or make a “trap Pass.” If you Pass, your partner can then make a reopening or a “balancing double.”
To do this, partner has guidelines to follow: 1. If he holds a void in any suit or 4 cards in opponent’s suit, he should pass. 2. If he has 1 or 2 cards in opponent’s suit he can “double,” thus reopening the bidding and giving you the opportunity to bid your suit or support his. 3. With 3 of opponent’s suit, partner should try to avoid a “double” bid. Then it is up to you to choose what to do; with a trump stack Pass, with a good suit of your own bid it, or with support for partner’s suit bid it at the level you feel appropriate for your combined points. Once again this takes some practice and a definite partnership agreement.
Winning at the Thursday, June 28 One More Game: 1st Carol Bachl and Judy Gealy, 2nd Georgia Sorensen and Carolyn Eschenbach, 3rd Ann McLain and Ron Jeffers, 4th Judy Weber and Craig Poplin
Our Friday, June 29 nine-table Evergreen game winners: N/S 1st Shirley and Ron Jeffers, 2nd Toni Iossi and Pat Featherston, 3rd Nancy Brandt and Judy Hurder, 4th Carol Bachl and Judy Gealy; E/W 1st Wade Lowder and Fred Bachl, 2nd John and Myrnie McLaughlin, 3rd Trudy and Harold Mills, 4th Genny Mozolak and Joe O’Brien.
Featured is board # 19 from the June 29 game. E/W vulnerable South dealer

NORTH:
S A 8 6
H J
D A K J 8
C K Q J 8 6

WEST:               EAST:
S T 7 5                S Q 9 4 3 2
H A Q 8 6          H K T 7
D Q T 9 7 2        D 6 3
C T                      C A 7 3

SOUTH:
S K J
H 9 5 4 3 2
D 5 4
C 9 5 4 2

Marie Pugh and Ruth Bowles bid and made 5CN for best N/S score, while Joe O’Brien and Genny Mozolak set 5CN 1 trick for the best E/W score.
Tuesday, July 3 Women’s Club game winners: N/S 1st Pat Featherston and Dick Brisbin, 2nd Marie Pugh and Loyd Hill, 3rd Shirley and Ron Jeffers; E/W 1st Barbra Helton and Carolyn Sharp, 2nd Judy Hurder and Myrnie McLaughlin, 3rd Judy Gealy and Fern Albracht.