By Val Rhead
I made a mistake the other day. Like all bridge players, I make mistakes! I always am hoping, that with more experience, the number of my mistakes will become fewer. But sadly, I still make them. Mistakes always will be part of the game of bridge.
My partner opened One No Trump. I bid Two Clubs which is a Stayman bid saying that I had a four-card major, and asking if opener also had a four-card major. My hope was that we would discover an eight-card “Magic Fit” between us. Now what could be wrong with that?
What was wrong was that my hand had a balanced four, three, three, three distribution. I had no ruffing values. I did have four Spades but I was sending us into a contract of Four Spades, where opener had no potential for making any extra tricks by ruffing. Partner would make the same number of tricks whether playing the contract in Spades or in No Trump.
Well, I swallowed hard and crossed my fingers that partner would make the fourth trick to compensate for my carelessness. But, there was no fourth trick. Partner made only three—down one vulnerable for a 100 point penalty. The other players, who played the hand in Three No Trump, received a handsome 600 points.
The moral of the story is that although the Stayman bid is a very useful bid if used correctly, it doesn’t work if responder has a balanced four, three, three, three hand. The second moral of the story is that, if you take a few extra seconds to review the bid you are going to make before you blurt out your bid or pull out the bidding card, you will make fewer mistakes.
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.
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Games for the Huntsville Club are Tuesdays, 7:15pm, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. Contact Jan Roberts 705-635-2522 or [email protected] for information and partnerships.
PLEASE NOTE: Every Tuesday 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, Nov 22 with 7 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 2. Mary Simonett and Kel Andresen; 3. Mary Hogarth and Albert Eatock; 4. Chris Karn and Vern Foell; East-West 1. Joanne Garvey and Barb Green; 2. Liz Barnes and Rod Dixon; 3. Jim Smith and Ralph Mitchell; l4. Susan Marshall and Jan Roberts
MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)
Games at the Bracebridge Club are at the Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road 7pm Monday evenings. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For information or partnerships, call Brian at 705-645-5340 [email protected]
REMINDER: Dec 5 is our Christmas Party at the Golf and Curling Club 5pm
We will return to Knox Presbyterian Church for our bridge game at usual time 7pm.
The following winners are from Monday, Nov 21 with 8 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 2. Bev Parlett and Vern Foell; 3. Gerry Flaherty and Ralph Hair; 4. Val Rhead and Peter Rhead; East-West 1. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 2. Mary Mitchell and Susan Maddocks; 3. Joyce Payne and Malcolm Payne; 4. Kathy Kent and David Kent
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