By Val Rhead
Bridge is a partnership game. When you start the bidding process, you and your partner only know what is in your own hands. It is essential that one member of the partnership figures out the combined assets of the partnership. Otherwise, you’re just guessing. You accomplish this by having one partner limit the value of her hand. The other partner will become the Captain because he knows what is in his hand, and now he knows, within three points, what is in partner’s hand.
Your partner opens One Heart. He could have twelve points or he could have twenty-one points. You have no idea. You respond. If you bid Two Hearts, you limit your hand, telling him that you have at least three-card support for his Hearts and six to nine points. He is now the Captain because you have limited your hand. He performs some mental arithmetic. He has just fourteen points. He knows that you don’t have more than nine. Let’s see. Fourteen plus nine equals twenty-three. You need at least twenty-five points to have a shot at game. There’s probably no game here. He passes.
Now suppose you have at least three Hearts and ten to twelve points. You limit your hand with an invitational jump bid of Three Hearts. Now as Captain, he turns on the calculator in his brain. Fourteen plus ten equals twenty-four, but wow, if you have twelve points, that’s twenty-six. He revaluates his hand and probably bids Four Hearts.
Now, we’re day-dreaming here, you as responder have thirteen points. That’s an opening hand. An opening hand plus an opening hand gives you enough for a shot at game. You know that you should be in Four Hearts at least. However, you don’t know how many points opener has. He could have enough for slam. You’d hate to miss a slam.
Therefore, before enthusiastically jumping to Four Hearts, bid a new suit without jumping. Remember, a new suit by you, the responder, is FORCING unless you are a passed hand. The opening bidder must bid again. This gives opener a chance to better describe his hand. Perhaps his hand is in the minimum range for an opening bid, twelve to fourteen points. He will tell you this either by raising his suit one level, raising your suit one level or bidding One No Trump. You can then confidently bid Four Hearts knowing that you are not missing a slam.
Remember when you were a kid, you wondered how you would ever use all that dumb arithmetic that you had to memorize. All these many years later, now you know. You need it for bridge.
If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group or ask a bridge question, send the information to [email protected] and I will include it in this column.
CFUW MUSKOKA BRIDGE FOR BURSARIES FUNDRAISER
SPRING LUNCH AND BRIDGE/CARD PARTY, ALL WELCOME
12 NOON FOR LUNCH Friday, April 21, 2017 $25 per person
Gravenhurst Senior’s Centre 480 First Street North
A great opportunity to enjoy companionship while supporting young women in Muskoka to go to college and university. Arrange your foursome and bring cards for your table. To register, please provide names to: Mary 705-646-8881 [email protected]
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
PLEASE NOTE: Tuesday, March 28 is the last afternoon 1PM game. April 4 we are back to Tuesday 7:15 evening start for the Spring/Summer/Fall. Games at the Huntsville Club are at Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For partners and information call Susan Marshall 705 787-5454 or email [email protected]
PLEASE NOTE: For the rest of the winter, the game will be held downstairs in the warm basement. To avoid the long stairs, you also may enter from the door on Main Street.
The following winners are for Tuesday, Mar 21 with 11 pairs playing a Howell movement. 1. Jim Smith and Ralph Mitchell; 2/4. Liz Graham and Dorothy Russell; 2/4. Mary Simonett and Kel Andresen; 2/4. Bev Parlett and Barb Forth; 5. Susan Marshall and Jan Roberts; 6. Liz Barnes and Rod Dixon
MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)
Games for the Bracebridge Club are Mondays 7pm, Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For information or partnerships, call Brian at 705-645-5340 [email protected]
The following winners are from Monday, Mar 20 with 16 pairs playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 2. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 3. Kel Andresen and Jim Smith; 4. Bev Parlett and Vern Foell; 5. Joyce Payne and Malcolm Payne; East-West 1. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 2. Lyn Walisser and Don Evans; 3. Carol Anne Robinson and Nancy Barber; 4. Kelly Andresen and Helen Pearson; 5. Britt McIrvine and Laura Hawthorn
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