North Penn Bridge News

Greetings to the

North Penn Bridge Community!

Week of 04/06/2026

This Week At North Penn

Mon, noon

Tue, 10a

Wed, 9:30a

Wed, noon

Thu, noon

Fri, 10a

Sat, 10a

Open

0-1500

Bid & Play

Open

0-750

0-99

4 Is Enough

Swiss Teams

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Upcoming Special Events

Phillies Spirit Day

Handicap Swiss Teams

Evening Pizza

Board Meeting

4 Is Enough

0-750 Swiss Teams

Monday, 04/13

Thursday, 04/16

Friday, 04/24 (pizza at 6:00, game at 6:30)

Monday, 05/04

Wednesday, 05/13

Friday, 05/15

Bid & Play

This week Mitch will discuss some strong notrump hands in competitive auctions.

Education

Joann Glasson's April Zoom classes will be held on Monday, April 13 and 20 at 10:00 a.m. See flyer for details.

Deal Analysis

By John Dickenson

Learning From A Young Bridge Pro

Playing in the North American Bridge Championships in St Louis, my partner Susan Morse and I did not qualify for the second day of the Silver Ribbon Pairs on Sunday and the Rockwell Mixed Pairs did not start until Tuesday. So Monday morning found us riding to the top of the Gateway Arch in a rather cramped little moving vehicle and in the afternoon playing in the 3 pm side game.

We started against Judi Radin and a client, and scored a cold top when we saved in 5C, doubled by Judi, when the client failed to take his diamond ace as the setting trick when I led my stiff diamond up to the dummy’s KQT94, despite the client holding Axxxxx.

The second deal of the round I declared 3N after the auction 1H by me, 2D by Susan, 2H-2S-2N-3N. The client led the club jack, top of an interior sequence and I lost 4 clubs on the go. A spade went to Judi’s ten and my king and I passed the diamond ten, losing to Judi’s king. Down one for a 50% score.

So later that evening we dine at Morton’s The Steakhouse with Marc Topaz, and Ellen Luchette and her young Swedish pro Castor Mann. Turns out Castor and Ellen made 3N on board 2 with an overtrick for a 95% board. How, I asked? Well Ellen opened 1H and Castor decided that at matchpoints 3N was the most likely game. So he bid 2C! Ellen rebid her hearts and Castor bid 3N! North led a 4^th best spade, Castor winning in dummy with the 7 spot and he passed the diamond ten. Not wanting to set up Castor’s club suit, North won and exited with the heart ten. Now declarer had 5 diamonds, 4 spades, and the heart ace. Making ten tricks.

Ask the Expert

North is the dealer in all three auctions. The submitter did not indicate vulnerability.

1. Does responder have to make a support double with three cards in partner’s suit or is there an upper limit in support where you will bid a second suit to show a singleton in the fourth suit, especially when you have a singleton in a side suit minor and partner responds 1H to your one of a minor opening bid?

2. Assuming support doubles are just another tool in our bidding box, what is North showing in the following auctions?

Auction 1: 1C - P - 1H - X

-----XX

Does auction 1 deny values for a reverse or a jump shift?

Auction 2: 1C - P - 1H - X

-----1S - P - P - 2D

-----2H

Does auction 2 imply extra values, and if so how many for a reverse or a jump shift?

Auction 3: 1C - P - 1H - X

-----1S - P - 2S* - P (*partnership plays Spider)

Partner should know north has 4 spades, 3 hearts and at least 5 clubs. Is 3H game forcing? Partner needs to choose a major or 3NT. Does auction 3 imply extra values, and if so how many for a reverse or a jump shift?

John Dickenson. None of this makes sense to me. The submitter asks about support doubles then gives us three auctions, none of which contain a support double, although the first contains a support REDOUBLE. And I do not know what Spider means. I’ll sit this one out.

Bill Bauer. Very good and difficult questions. I must say that I have not experienced these auctions or discussed them with any partner.

I would say that North's support redouble denies the values for a jump shift or reverse.
I would play North for 4315 shape and 17-18 points.
I cannot contribute to the discussion as I am not familiar with Spider.

Elaine Clair. I’m with John on this one. None of it is making any sense to me. Maybe my brain is weary. I’ll look at it again tomorrow. I’ve never heard of Spider.

Mitch Snyder. I don't think it is required to use a support double or redouble whenever possible if a more descriptive bid exists, and you can often show three card support later on. A notrump bid may lead to a New Minor Forcing bid. Example 2 completes the picture of a 4351 hand. You can have extras after a support double as you will always get another call. No comment on auction 3, what is Spider?

Dennis O’Brien. Some difficult questions the players involved should discuss.

XX shows 3H and the next bid will try to find the right contract.
Responder with a good hand could have bid 2D at his first bid (intending to show support later) which would be forcing for one round.
I have no clue what Spider is.

Email your questions, or a pesky hand, or something you’d like to know about bidding or playing to Toysie Walker. She will forward them to the panel, one will be chosen, and the question and answers will be printed in the following week’s email.

Using the J.E.S. at North Penn

It has come to my attention that there is a problem at the North Penn Duplicate Bridge Club. While most of us look to play this wonderful game of bridge in a safe and care-free environment, there is a different element that has been identified at our games that needs to be addressed. To get straight to the point, I’m talking about members telling poor quality jokes! That’s right, certain members have been identified as sharing jokes that just are not funny.

Before this becomes epidemic, I think I’ve come up with a solution that will be able to curb this current issue. The J.E.S. – the Joke Evaluation Scale. Here how it works. Once you hear a joke, look to evaluate it with the following criteria:

Rate the joke as a 1 if you laughed. Also, for the sake of this evaluation, a groan is defined as a laugh turned inside out and likewise should be rated as a 1.
Rate the joke as a 2 if you had a chuckle. Even if it’s only a short one breath chuckle, it’s a 2.
Rate the joke as 3 if you think the person telling the joke should keep his/her day job. If the joke teller is retired, then rate it a 3 and hope they get home in one piece.
Rate the joke as a 4 if it’s hurting your ears to listen to it. Also, let us know if medical assistance is needed.

Once we start using the this new system, jokes will be evaluated, the feedback will be shared and the joke tellers will have more information to use when considering sharing humor in the future.

Thank you for your cooperation in starting this new evaluation system. It is our hope that future jokes told at North Penn will actually be funny.

Michael Carver