By Val Rhead
Sometimes when bidding, players have a beautiful 15 – 17 points with three suits well-protected by stoppers, but one suit contains only two or three small cards. Remember that Bridge is a partnership game. You must communicate accurately your values to your partner. If you open the bidding with a One No Trump bid, this limits your hand and partner becomes the Captain. Partner will be able to add his own points to the 15-17 points he knows you have, and will know, within two or three points, the strength of the partnership. He then knows, with a high level of certainty, whether the partnership should be in a part score, game, or slam.
If you don’t want to open No Trump with a hand like the one described above, because you are afraid of one suit, you won’t be able to describe accurately your hand to partner. If you open the hand One Heart, and don’t have a six-card Heart suit, what is your rebid? If you rebid One No Trump, you are describing a Bridge hand of 12-14 points, weaker than the one you have. If you jump rebid Two No Trump, you are describing a Bridge hand of 18-21, stronger than the one you have. It’s no wonder, that with this false information, your partnership bids inaccurately. You then end up going down, or failing to reach the game that was within your reach, giving you a poor score.
Remember, just because you have opened One No Trump, it does not mean that your contract will be in No Trump. Your partnership has accurate tools, in the form of Stayman and Transfers, that help your partnership locate major and minor suit contracts. If your contract is in a suit, it usually doesn’t matter that you don’t have the stopper in Clubs. If you do end up in a No Trump contract, your partner likely will have a stopper in that suit. If he doesn’t have a stopper, as does happen occasionally, well that’s the game of Bridge! In Bridge, you play the odds.
Sometimes though, if you can’t make a Transfer or Stayman bid because of the distribution of the hand, you may end up playing the contract in No Trump. Usually your partner has a stopper in your unstopped suit and No Trump plays well. Sometimes, he may not have a stopper, and still No Trump can be made if your partnership has enough small cards in the suit and it splits evenly. And sometimes, the enemy may never discover your weak suit and not lead it. Oh, lucky day!
If you’re politically focused, and who isn’t these days, you logically may be afraid of Trump, but do not be afraid of No Trump!
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.
WINTER BRIDGE PARTY, CFUW BURSARY FUNDRAISER, ALL WELCOME
Lunch at 12 NOON Friday, Feb 17, 2017 $20 per person
Gravenhurst Senior’s Centre 480 First Street North
A fundraiser to assist young women in Muskoka to attend college.
Please register your foursome and bring cards for your table.
For Tickets Call Cathy 705-687-2157 [email protected]
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Games at the Huntsville Club for the winter Jan-Feb-Mar are now Tuesday 1pm, 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 Tuesday afternoon 1pm 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, Feb 14 with 7 pairs playing a Howell movement. 1. Val Rhead and Jim Smith; 2. Mary Simonett and Kel Andresen; 3. Susan Marshall and Jan Roberts; 4/5. Mary Hogarth and Albert Eatock; 4/5. Liz Graham and Dorothy Russell
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.
The following winners are from Monday, Feb 13 with 14 pairs playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh with a magnificent 72%; 2. Val Rhead and Peter Rhead; 3. Bev Parlett and Vern Foell; 4. Betty Fagin and Myrna Rosemeyer; East-West 1. Betty Rintoul and David Bryce; 2. Kel Andresen and Jim Smith; 3. Kelly Andresen and Helen Pearson; 4. Hazel Bowes and Don Evans
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