Tuesday Night Advanced Beginner Lessons

Do you have friends who once played bridge and would like to get back into it? Our Tuesday evening Shuffle and Deal is a relaxed way to observe, learn, play and ask questions.

From the Club Manager

Dave Dodgson

Zero Tolerance Policy. Those who have played in a game I direct have heard me say that North Penn Bridge Club follows the Zero Tolerance Policy of the ACBL. You can find a description of the policy in the ACBL Codification in Chapter I, Part D, Section 3. The policy goes into detail about the Laws that effect the policy and the procedures that apply when there is an infraction. However, it boils down to something simple: just treat the other players as you would like them to treat you. I know that there are times when our competitive natures inflame our emotions, but there is no call for rude or abusive behavior. Call the director if you have a problem. Remember that we are all members of this club and we play with and against each other frequently. It is much more pleasant to play in a friendly atmosphere.

April 20: 0-299 game at noon. Please sign up in advance as follows:

1. Email Pat Andrews at pat@andrewsartworks.com
2. Email the club at northpennbridge@gmail.com
3. Sign up in the book at the club, specifying that you want to play in the 0-299 game

ACBL-Wide Charity Game. Wednesday, April 26. Our results will be compared with all players in North America. Lots of points will be awarded and there will be an analysis of all the hands.

Pro-Am Game. Thursday, April 27. Am’s (non-life masters) get to play with Pros (life-masters.) Please sign-up in advance in the book or call the club and leave a message.

April 28-29. Allentown Sectional.

May 1-5. Rehoboth Beach Regional. Are you thinking about going to the Rehoboth Beach Regional? If you are, and if you have fewer than 100 MPs, be sure to take advantage of the special games that will be run by Deb Crisfield on Thursday afternoon (5/4) and Friday morning (5/5.) These games will be as relaxed and pressure-free as our own North Penn newcomer games. Come join us at the beach for some fun!

Stay Tuned

The North Penn Duplicate Bridge Club will be Fifty Years Old this year! Plans are underway for a very special celebration. As a pre-curser to the event, we would like to publish historical happenings and anecdotes. If you have a contribution, please contact Toysie Walker at hcpwalker@verizon.net.

Education

Shuffle and Deal. Tuesday evenings from 7-9 p.m. and Wednesday mornings from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Everyone welcome!

Deb Crisfield will be offering two more classes on Tuesday night. These classes will take the place of the regular shuffle and deal and are open to everyone but geared toward the newer player. No advanced sign up necessary. Drop-ins are welcome. $20 per person per class.

April 25th: Responding when your partner makes a preemptive bid

May 2nd:  Competitive bidding decisions

Joann Glasson’s Bridge Lessons. Next lesson is April 24. Click here for details.

Online Bridge Lessons with Lisa Mita. Only two more Monday classes: 4/24 and 5/8. Click here for details.

Partnership

To add your name to the player list or to request a partner for a game, please send an email to northpennpartner@gmail.com.

Click here to see a file you can enlarge.

We update our Facebook page regularly so be sure to check it out. It’s a great way to stay in touch with all the happenings at North Penn.

Tidbits

“The Gambling 3NT opening shows a solid seven-card minor suit. In first or second position you should hold no card higher than a queen outside. In third or fourth position some players are willing to make the bid with an ace or king outside.”

From 25 More Bridge Conventions You Should Know

by Barbara Seagram & David Bird

Deal of the Week

by Mitch Snyder

Cue Bid Extravaganza

When you play this game for a while you’ll run into all kinds of crazy bidding conventions. Your opponents may use one, you may have a partner that insists you play a certain convention or maybe it’s you. Often times it doesn’t come up and when it does there’s a fair chance that you or your partner will mess it up or just forget it.

Sometimes a convention is almost universally played by players of all levels. For example, just about everybody plays Michaels Cuebid where the raise of an opponent’s opening bid shows a 2 suited hand (at least 5-5). Specifically, 1C-2C and 1D-2D promise 5-5 in the majors and 1H-2H or 1S-2S show 5 of the other major and 5 of either minor. Using the direct cuebid as natural would be rare indeed, so using it to mean something else makes sense.

In some cases the convention uses a bid that would otherwise be unused or at least undiscussed in most partnerships. One such convention is Leaping Michaels.

It works like this, when an opponent opens a weak 2H or 2S a ‘leap’ to 4C or 4D shows 5 of that suit and 5 of the other major. Of course you have to have a pretty good hand to force the auction to the four level.

I’ve only used this bid a few times over the years and the ‘mess up’ and ‘forgot’ thing was often hanging around. However, it came up twice in recent face-to-games and both times it led to a slam. Here are those hands:

First Hand

(I was south)

----------N----------E----------S----------W

----------------------2S--------4D---------P

----------4H---------P---------.4S--------..P

----------5C---------.P---------.5D---------P

----------6H---------P----------P----------.P

The 2S bid may not appeal to many of you especially in first seat vulnerable. It’d be a good candidate for a third seat preempt.

I bid 4D to show the 2 suiter. It may be a hair light in HCPs but the 6^th diamond and nice hearts make up for it.

West may have raised to 4S, I would’ve, but this west passed.

North bid 4H. I was a little interested in slam and feeling comfortable that 5H was makable, I cuebid 4S. Partner obliged with a 5C cuebid and after 6D from me jumped to 6H.

There wasn’t much to the play, drive out the trump ace and hope diamonds are friendly.

This isn’t really a very good slam. 50-50 at best. But what fun is this game if you can’t have an auction like this once in a while. Or like the one in the next hand.

Second Hand

(I was west)

----------N----------E----------S----------W

---------------------------------2S---------4D

----------P----------4H--------.P----------.4NT

----------P----------5H------.--P----------.5NT

----------P----------6H--------.P---------.=P

South opened 2S. Only the most conservative bidders would pass this hand not vulnerable.

I bid 4D to show the 2 suiter, again. This hand is a monster and I will be looking for slam.

North may have competed to 4S, especially at this vulnerability.

Partner bid 4H. Once again I felt that 5H was safe so I blasted right into Blackwood this time. Partner responded with 5H, two without (that has nothing to do with onions on a cheesesteak). 5NT by me was to let partner know we have all the keycards, just in case. 6H.

Once again there wasn’t much to the play, pull trump and make an overtrick if diamonds are friendly.

It's uncanny how similar these hands are. There is, however, one noticeable difference. One slam was reached via cuebidding and the other with Blackwood.

They were looking at the results after finishing their game, to compare it with the others on the Travelling Score Sheet. "This is down one" ; "That one is down two" ; and one of them pointed another result; "Oooo, this one is the Titanic."

Wed, Apr 05

70%

Pamela Schleif & Anne Oglevee

April Birthdays

Abel, Constance

Batchelder, Karen

Brennan, Deane

Chiodo, Carol

Corner, Anne-Marie

Dehlin, Barry

Hillenbrand, Gary

Kofron, Clarence

Langbein, Susan

Michaud, Peggy

Milton, Roger

Myers, Joel

Schwaidelson, Bruce

Stuart, Harriet

Yanoff, Jay