North Penn Bridge News

Greetings to the

North Penn Bridge Community!

Week of 10/07/2024

G'Mar Chatima Tovah

Yom Kippur will be celebrated from Friday, Oct 11 to Saturday, Oct 12.

As Yom Kippur approaches we wish

our Jewish members an easy fast.

Board of Directors Election

Elections for the North Penn Duplicate Bridge Board of Directors will take place this December, 2024. Positions will last for three years with meetings every six weeks. If you are interested in serving on the board, please submit your name to our secretary Jeff Rohrbeck before November 1, 2024.

Upcoming Events

Daily:

Oct 9
Oct 18
Oct 19
Oct 26
Oct 31

4 is enough

0-500 Swiss Team game

Lunch and bridge with Joann Glasson

Online robot game

Closed due to Lancaster regional

Weekly:

Oct 7-11
Oct 14-18
Oct 21-25

ACBL charity games

Club appreciation games

Local charity games

Upcoming Tournaments

Oct 14

Oct 23-27

Oct 28 - Nov 3

I/N sectional at KoP Bridge Club. Flyer.

Allentown Sectional. Flyer.

Lancaster Regional. Flyer.

Calendar

Click here to see a file you can enlarge.

Education

Fall Class for Beginners.

Teacher:------Deb Crisfield

Time:----------6-8 pm

Fee:-----------$150 for the set of classes

Address:------North Penn Bridge Club

----------------298 Wissahickon Ave., North Wales, PA

Contact Deb Crisfield at dwickcris@yahoo.com or 973-769-9619 if you’d like to attend.

Joann Glasson Zoom Lessons. Monday October 21 at 10 a.m. Click here for details.

Shuffle & Deal. Wednesday, October 09, 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.)

Deal of the Week

by Andy Kaufman

How to Show Voids During

Roman Keycard Auctions

During a couple of recent duplicate games, a situation occurred where ability to show a void during a Roman Keycard Auction would have gotten your side to a winning contract. This can be very important when your side is missing a keycard needed to bid a small or grand slam; where the contract is still cold since you hold a void to cover the needed loser. Adding void showing responses to your RKC auctions is easy to do and doesn’t interfere with the rest of your auction. Playing 1430 Roman Keycard Blackwood, here are the responses…

Asker

4N (RKCB)

Responder

Step 1: 5♣ = 1 or 4 Keycards

Step 2: 5♦ = 0 or 3 Keycards

Step 3: 5♥ = 2 Keycards without Trump Q

Step 4: 5♠ = 2 Keycards with the Trump Q

Step 5: 5N = 2 Keycards with Unspecified Void

Steps 6, 7, 8: 6♣/6♦/6♥* = 1 or 3 keys bidding void

*note: In case where hearts are trumps, responding 6H to RKC shows 1 or 3 with void in spades.

Here are a two actual hands that came up in my recent live games. The first occurred during the Labor Day game at North Penn. Here are the hands and suggested auction. (South Deals, Both Vul)

Example 1:

*Note: Opener/Resp usually should cue bid 1st or 2nd round controls up the line in a Game Force Auction when trumps are set below 3NT, which is recommended rather than just cue bidding aces. Another suggestion that in the 2/1 suit opener should only cue bid the A, K or Q and not shortness.

Granted this hand is just an example and in practice is still tricky to get to the Grand Slam, but showing your void gets you there.

Example 2:

*note: Normally like to open my longer suit first, but in this case hand is on the weak opening side and there is big difference in suit quality so opened 1S.

^note: Normally you shouldn’t bid RKC without 1st or 2nd round control of an unbid suit (clubs). In this case since opener shows xtra shape or values and you have 18 HCP’s, there is little danger in bidding RKC.

Tidbits

Special Notrump Considerations

"There are fewer things to consider when deciding what to lead against a notrump contract. The lines of defense are limited - either active or passive. As a general rule, experts make active leads when their suits are good (the standard lead against notrump contracts) and passive leads when their best suits are weak and only 4 cards in length.”

From How the Experts Win at Bridge

by Burt Hall and Lynn Rose-Hall

Ask the Expert

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.

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 limited games should go directly to Rose Wartman at wartmanr61@gmail.com

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