By Valerie Rhead<\/p>\n
Over the course of the Canada-Atlantic Regional Tournament held at Halifax from June 27 to July 2, 2016, a number of lessons were given by bridge professionals.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Robert Todd gave a 90 minute lesson stressing that hand re-evaluation is one of the most valuable parts of the bidding. He emphasized that you don\u2019t just assign a point value to the hand when bidding starts and retain that same value throughout the bidding. For example, you can give yourself an extra point if you hold the Ace of partner\u2019s suit. While weak honours (Queens and Jacks) are valuable in partner\u2019s suit, you should downgrade them in your opponent\u2019s suit. Of course, Queens and Jacks are valuable in all situations if they are accompanied by other honours.<\/p>\n
The evaluation will be different whether you are heading for a No-Trump or a Suit contract. A five-card suit is valuable in both Suit and No-Trump contracts. Most players now will open 15 \u2013 17 point semi-balanced hands with a five-card suit in One No-Trump rather than in a Suit contract. If your hand contains a long minor suit, you will evaluate it twice before deciding how best to bid it — once for its value as the trump Suit and once as its value if you play the contract in No-Trump (which often will be the case.)<\/p>\n
You will evaluate hands differently if you are heading for an offensive contract than if you will be playing defense. If you are in the balancing seat (three passes to you), you may upgrade your hand by borrowing some of your partner\u2019s values. This can be effective, but can be dangerous, so bid judiciously. Once you and your partner have a suit fit, you may give yourself extra points for shortness. You should do this, however, only when you are the dummy because ruffing short suits in the dummy will give you extra trump tricks. Although you may ruff in the declarer\u2019s hand, and this can be useful for eliminating losers, it doesn\u2019t give you extra trump tricks.<\/p>\n
Robert Todd doesn\u2019t think highly of the Rule of 20, or even the revised Rule of 22 touted by some professionals that shows that you have at least two defensive tricks. He points out that there are some Rule of 20 hands that just don\u2019t work. Eg. xxxxx xxxxx AQ A is a bad hand even though it does nominally fulfill the requirements to be designated a Rule of 20 opening. But he says, he does open nearly all 12-point hands and he doesn\u2019t believe that most players bid enough on distributional hands.<\/p>\n
David Bakhshi and partner Allan Graves gave an interesting session going over problem hands that had puzzled players in that afternoon\u2019s bridge session. My favourite partner and I play a 15 \u2013 17 point opening One No-Trump bid. We will count a length point in No-Trump, but I\u2019ve not found it comfortable to open with One No-Trump when I have just 14 high card points and a length point. He said that you can open One No-Trump with these hands if you have TWO aces. I\u2019ll be trying this. If you try it, let me know how it worked out.<\/p>\n
If you ever have a chance to play at the Halifax tournament (which takes place every two years,) make sure that you attend the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo. It runs for about eight days beginning around July 1, towards the end of the bridge tournament. It\u2019s a marvellous show of marching bands and acrobat acts with a patriotic historical focus. We ended our week in Halifax by attending the Tattoo. It was our third time enjoying this spectacular event. It was great!<\/p>\n
If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group or to ask a bridge question, send the information to vrhead23@gmail.com and I will include it in this column.<\/p>\n
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB<\/strong><\/p>\n Games for the Huntsville Club are Tuesdays, 7:15pm, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive 15 minutes early. Contact Susan jasu.marshall@gmail.com<\/a> for information and partnerships.<\/p>\n The following winners are for Tuesday, Jul 5 with 10 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Bob Schives and Bruce Elliott with a very successful 70%; 2. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; 3. Betty Rintoul and Bev Parlett; 4. Pat Pelletier and Margaret Cordingley; 5. Joanne Garvey and Kel Andresen; East-West 1. Liz Graham and Dorothy Russell; 2. Ann Cassie and Bruce Cassie; 3. Mary Whitehead and Helen Pearson; 4. Mary Norman and Don Norman; 5. Liz Barnes and Bev Howard<\/p>\n MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)<\/strong><\/p>\n 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 brian_brocklehurst@sympatico.ca<\/a><\/p>\n The following winners are from Monday, JuL 4 with 12 tables playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 2. Bev Parlett and Vern Foel; 3. Bob Schives and David Bryce; 4. Pamela Jardine and Ralph Mitchell; 5. Jean Sinclair and John Sinclair; 6. Betty Fagin and Brian Brocklehurst; East-West 1. Liz Barnes and Lyn Walisser; 2. Art Insley and Don Evans; 3. Hazel Bowes and Kel Andresen; 4. Ralph Hair and Gerry Flaherty; 5\/6. Kathy Kent and David Kent; 5\/6 Joan Joel and Pete Joel<\/p>\n