North Penn Bridge News

Greetings to the

North Penn Bridge Community!

Week of 06/10/2024

From the Club Manager

Dave Dodgson

THE LONGEST DAY EVENTS

Two Games on June 19. For the fifth year in a row, North Penn Duplicate Bridge Club will participate in ACBL’s Longest Day Campaign in support of the Alzheimer’s Association. We are planning a picnic menu so please sign up at the Club or online at northpennbridge@gmail.com

Here is the schedule:-----0-50 game at 9:30am

Lunch at 11:30

Open game at Noon

In addition, a Robot Individual Game will be held on June 22 at 4pm on BBO.

We are again encouraging our players to consider tax-deductible donations toward the Club’s $1,600 fundraising goal for Alzheimer’s. Over the past 4 years, our generous players have raised more than $8,000 for this worthy cause. If you wish to donate, here are the options:

Online by clicking here: North Penn Longest Day 2024 Contributions
By check made out to the Alzheimer’s Association. Checks may be dropped off or mailed to the Club at 298 Wissahickon Ave, North Wales, PA 19454.
Cash donations and checks can be placed in the Purple Alzheimer’s Association Box at the Club.

We hope you will play with us on June 19 (F2F) and June 22 (Virtual) in support of this worthy cause!

Achievements. Congratulations to the following members who have advanced in rank:

Craig Robinson----------.Grand Life Master
Steve Binnick------------NABC Master
Devika Chakraborty-----Sectional Master
Pat Cieslinski------------.Sectional Master
Angel Farrell------------.Sectional Master
Diane Basile-------------.Club Master
Stu Freemark-----------.Club Master
Seulky McInneshin------Club Master

KOP Regional. Cathy Strauss is looking for volunteers to help with the following: greeting people as they arrive; directing them to the right area; other miscellaneous tasks. Please email Cathy at cathy.strauss@gmail.com if you are available.

North American Pairs (NAP.) Qualifying begins in June. There will be two weeks of qualifying at the clubs in each of June, July, and August. The three qualifying flights are: Non-life Master below 500; 500-2500; 2500 and above. All games award 50% red points. For those qualifying in flight B (500-2500,) the first round will be here at North Penn on October 6.

Cup Holders. Please be aware that the cup holders attached to the playing tables are not for trash, but rather for your drinks. The persons who clean up at the end of the game would be very appreciative if you would refrain from this habit. In addition, when you are finished with your drink, please empty any leftover liquid in the sink before placing your cup in the trash. We’d like to emphasize that it is not the Director’s job to clean up after you. Thank you.

Club Manager Wanted. After five years as your Club Manager, I am retiring. Accordingly, we are actively seeking someone who would like to step in to schedule the games and make sure the club keeps running. This is a wonderful chance to make a contribution to the club and your fellow players. Please feel free to talk to me to get more information and to Roger Milton to apply for the job.

June Events

JUNE 12 IS THE FOUR IS ENOUGH GAME. Elaine Clair and Mitch Snyder will be in charge. Please contact Elaine at eeclair37@comcast.net or Mitch at msofearl@comcast.net if you need a partner, if you are already partnered or if you have questions. You can also sign up in the book at the club

June 10-14 NAP Qualifying games

June 17-21 Club Championship week; extra points; no extra cost

June 19 Longest Day: 0-99 game at 9:30 a.m.; open game at noon

June 21 0-500 Swiss

June 24-28 Club closed for the Open Games due to King of Prussia Regional. The Limited Games on Tuesday and Friday will be held as usual.

Upcoming Tournaments:

June 24-30 - King of Prussia Regional. Click here for details.
July 8-12 - STaC Week
July 16 - District 4 Online Tournament. 7 p.m.
July 18-28 - NABC in Toronto, Canada

Education

Shuffle & Deal Wednesday, June 19, 9:30 - 11:30 am

Remember, our Shuffle and Deal sessions are open to all who have an interest in supervised play (not just new players.)

Joann Glasson Zoom Class. Monday June 17 at 10 a.m. Click here for details.

Partnership

If you need a partner for a Monday, Wednesday or Thursday Open game, please email northpennbridge@gmail.com. We will do our best to match you with others who are looking for someone with whom to play.

Requests for Tuesday and Friday limited games should go directly to Mitch Snyder at bridge4all@comcast.net

Calendar

Click here to see a file you can enlarge.

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

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

Deal of the Week

by Mitch Snyder

The Endplay

The endplay is a fairly common maneuver at the bridge table. There are several variations but most people think of an endplay as where a defender is forced to make a lead favorable to declarer. That lead usually presents declarer with a ruff-sluff or free finesse ensuring an extra trick that otherwise might not be a sure thing.

As the name implies, most endplays occur near the end of the hand. This is so because it is necessary to remove all of the defender’s safe exit cards before he or she can be ‘endplayed’. But sometimes the endplay can be earlier if the exit cards are gone.

Click here for this week’s hand.

West has 8 diamonds and correctly preempted on the 4 level. Preempts are especially effective in first seat as there is a 2 out of 3 chance one of your opponents has the best hand at the table. It’s even more desirable in this case as your shortness in the majors almost guarantees the opponents have a major suit fit. Your bid will interfere and make both the strain and level hard to get right.

North has a full opener and was not going to be pushed around by the preempt for the same reasons the dealer opened on the 4 level. Even with only 3 spades a takeout double is in order.

South had an easy 4 heart call and the auction ended there.

Had West led a diamond there’d be no story, but he reasonably led a singleton hoping partner had the ace.

I looked over the hand, yes I played this one, and made several observations:

If the opponents had taken the AK of diamonds off the top, I would have to successfully finesse for the club queen to make 5.
Given the lead, I can always make 5 with an endplay.
If I can take four tricks in clubs, I can pitch a diamond and make 6.
Other NS’s may not be in 4 or 5H.

I chose #2 as it seemed making 5 hearts would always be a good score, beating or tying most other pairs. Although playing for the slam will work with this layout, the risk is too high because if it fails you will only make 4. Since the opening lead gave me a guaranteed path to 11 tricks I decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

I pulled the trump and cashed all the spades. Now after a mere 6 tricks, neither east nor west had a safe exit card should they be on lead. All I hand to do was lose a trick to either opponent. I led a diamond and in this case had to lose 2 tricks before west had to exit. A spade would give me a ruff-sluff and a club presents a free finesse.

One final note: If west takes two diamonds and exits (safely) with a spade or heart you should eventually finesse east for the queen of clubs. West will have already shone 8 HCPs and the queen would make 10 in which case he may have opened 1D.