Planning
After the excitement of bidding is over and a contract reached, with opening lead made, take a minute to plan how to achieve your bid.
First infer what you know about opponent’s hands from the bidding, their approximate point count and possible distribution. Remember, if you and partner have uneven hands, most likely so do the opponents. Consider transportation between you and dummy. Don’t get caught on the wrong side, possibly losing much needed tricks.
If making the bid involves finessing in a long suit, you have to maneuver your play to be sure that the opponent you suspect has the length and strength in the suit you’re finessing plays to hand 2nd and not 4th. This gives you the most chance for success.
Winners at our Aug. 10 Evergreen game were: N/S 1st Judy Hurder and Pat Macon, 2nd Becky Creekmore and Dick Brisbin, 3rd Shirley and Ron Jeffers; E/W 1st Patsy Reynolds and Pat Featherston, 2nd Judy Gealy and Craig Poplin, 3rd Margaret and Chuck Rimer.
Featured is board #19 from the August 10th game E/W vulnerable South dealer

NORTH:
S 8 7
H 9 4 3 2
D 5 2
C 8 7 5 3 2
WEST:        EAST:
S K 9 5 4      S A Q J
H Q J 7        H A K T 8 6
D 9 7 4        D Q T 6
C A J 9        C K 6
SOUTH:
S T 6 3 2
H 5
D A K J 8 3
C Q T 4
Best N/S score made by Becky Creekmore and Dick Brisbin who set 6N*E 1 trick while Pat Featherston and Patsy Reynolds bid and made 3NW+3 for best E/W. If South never bids Diamonds N/S, with no information, leads a club allowing 6 tricks. With South on lead the contract is down 1 from the start. If by chance North leads a diamond the 3NW contract could go down 4.
The Tuesday, Aug. 14 Women’s Club game winners: N/S 1st Becky Creekmore and Pat Macon, 2nd Mack Brown and Marvin Jones, 3rd Marie Pugh and Loyd Hill; E/W 1st Margaret and Chuck Rimer, 2nd Dick Brisbin and Wayne Pegram, 3rd Judy Hurder and Myrnie McLaughlin.
There are 2 STaC games scheduled for next week: Tuesday. Aug. 21 at the Women’s Club and Friday. Aug. 24 at Evergreen. Each game will be $6.
Remember that the Women’s Club game will be moved to Wednesdays at 1 p.m. at Rufty-Holmes and the name changed to “Bridge at Rufty.”