Happy New Year to all our members and guests!

We look forward to a robust 2025 at North Penn.

Thank you all for your continued support.

See you at the tables!

Education

Joann Glasson's Monday Zoom classes resume on January 13 and 27 at 10:00 a.m. See flyer for details.

Online lessons with Lisa Mita. See flyer for details.

• Play of the hand part 1: Wednesdays @ 4:15 from 1/15-2/5
• Play of the hand part 2: Wednesdays @ 4:15 from 2/19-3/12

This Week At North Penn

Wednesday: Shuffle & Deal is canceled. Stay tuned for an email on Monday afternoon confirming or denying a regular game. Please call the club or send an email to let us know if you plan to play.

Thursday: Handicap Swiss Teams

Deal of the Week

by John Dickenson

A Jettison Play To Avoid An Endplay

Playing at King of Prussia Bridge Club, I picked up KJxxx Axx Qx ATx, fourth chair, unfavorable. LHO passed, partner opened 1D, pass and I bid 1S, pass, 1N rebid by partner. I bid 2D, we play XYZ and 2D is an artificial game force. Partner rebid 2N, denying 3 spades or 4 hearts and I raised to 3N.

Here is the complete deal:

Of course I could not see partner’s hand, or I would have been surprised that he rebid 1N with a stiff spade and concealed a 4 card heart suit. 4441 hands can be difficult to bid, which is why some partnerships elect to play a Roman 2D or a mini Roman 2D. Fortunately such hands are uncommon, occurring on only 2.99% of all hands.

Opening lead was a fourth best heart, which went to the jack and king. Partner led a low diamond and West hopped up king and led another heart, won by dummy’s 9 spot. Now partner unblocked the heart ace and diamond queen, led a spade to his stiff ace, and cashed the heart queen and diamond ace, East showing out of both red suits. When he next led a club to dummy and West played low, he played ace and this was the end position with East still to play to the club trick:

Now East could make the expert play and jettison the club king under the ace, or play low, be endplayed, and concede two spades to dummy. With the unblock, we are held to 9 tricks and when East thought and then ducked, we made 10 tricks for 17 matchpoints on a 19 top as there were 20 tables in play. In the BBO Handviewer diagram above, you can see a little green equal sign next to the club king, meaning if that card is played we will just make our contract. The little green “1” next to the club nine means playing that card will give us an overtrick.

Thoughtful analysis would have gone like this: South opened 1D and rebid 1N over my 1S. He has limited his hand to precisely 12 to 14 hcp. South has shown up with the spade ace, KQ of hearts, diamond ace, and can AT MOST hold the club jack. Therefore East MUST jettison the club king under dummy’s ace as his partner holds the club queen and two winning diamonds – dummy will only win the spade king at trick 13 and we will be held to 9 tricks.

Below is the traveler, all were in 3N except one pair in the Moysian heart fit and one in the rather hopeless 5-1 spade “fit”, and one pair who stopped in 2N but played it well.

Note that double dummy South can always make 10 tricks against perfect defense. The reader is challenged to find a line of play that guarantees 10 tricks.

Ask the Expert

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 newsletter.

January Birthdays

Gina Bresler

Russ Bumbry

Emily David

Leah DePaul

Joan Flanigan

Jeanne Harrington

Edward Leach

Mary McGready

Lisa Mita

Susan Morse

Dennis O'Brien

Priscilla O'Connor

Carol Roden

Christine Sgro