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Sitouts Banned! 
We have done away with sit-outs, for once and for all. When we have a half-table in the game, we enter the computer as a participant in the game, in order to make a full table. When it would otherwise be your turn to sit out, instead you play against the computer. Your score vs. the computer counts in the game. The computer is always disqualified, so it doesn't take away your masterpoints - in fact, the awards actually increase because the game is larger. Everybody appreciates playing against "Ace O'Matic." In fact, some people are disappointed when we have full tables of "flesh & blood" players and they don't get to play the computer! You can learn more about how this works by clicking here. | |
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Replay At Home  You can now replay the boards you've played at the club - in the comfort of your own home.
Replay the exact same hands with any of several commercial bridge programs such as GIB or Bridge Baron if you own one. If you have not purchased one, we have a free program for you to download. Click the button for instructions. |  |
| Free Bridge Lessons | |
Rich answers your questions every Tuesday prior to the game.  |
Thursdays, we have a vugraph presentation. Rich reviews interesting deals of the past week. Each board in question is projected onto our large video screen for all to see as we discuss it. |
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Greetings!
The first Deal of the Week for 2011 is the last board dealt at Bridge Ace in 2010. It is board 27 from our final game of the year. And a wild one it was! |
 | A Wild End to 2010 |
None Vulnerable
Dealer: South |
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♠ |
North
AJ983 | | ♥ | AQ1072 | | ♦ | 98 | | ♣ | K |
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♠ |
South
Q107 | | ♥ | K86543 | | ♦ | Q2 | | ♣ | 53 |
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West |
North |
East |
South | |
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Pass | | | | |
Pass |
1♠ |
2♣ |
2♠ | | | | |
Pass |
Pass |
3♣ |
3♥ | | | | |
Pass |
3♠! |
4♣ |
Pass | | | | |
Pass |
4♠ |
Pass |
Pass | |
Pass |
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After two passes, North opened 1♠. East overcalled 2♣ and South raised to 2♠. Although North liked his 5-5 distribution, his singleton ♣K looked even worse after the overcall, so he passed.
East perservered with 3♣ and South competed with 3♥. All of a sudden North's hand improved tremendously. He coyly bid only 3♠. He decided that the auction was unlikely to end there and he would allow himself to be "pushed" into 4♠ next, in the hopes of inducing a double.
To North's disappointment, everyone passed.
East led the ♣A, and continued with the ♣Q, which declarer (North) ruffed. How should he continue?
Scroll down for the answer. |
| Special Thanks to these Regulars |
Eleven people played more than 100 sessions at Bridge Ace in 2010. That's an average of twice a week. Here they are:
Jay Mann (272)
Larry Kroll (267)
Jean Hirsh (223)
Betty Kenngott (189)
Michael Nido (158)
Jackie Kuthy (148)
Gwen Joannou (142)
John Banks (138)
Marilyn Sellers (125)
George Clark (117)
Charlie Smith (109) |
| Top Masterpoint Winners of 2010 |
We gave away a lot of masterpoints in 2010. Here are the top ten masterpoint earners with the total number of points they won at Bridge Ace:
1 Larry Kroll - 242.6
2 Jay Mann - 177.17
3 Betty Kenngott - 104.24
4 Jean Hirsh - 103.55
5 Bill Budd - 95.3
6 George Clark - 92.5
7 John Banks - 89.09
8 Gwen Joannou - 82.6
9 Jackie Kuthy - 81.89
10 Marilyn Sellers - 76.74 |
| The Answer |
It looks like North may have outfoxed himself by "cleverly" concealing his heart fit. 4♥ is certainly a better contract than 4♠. The problem in 4♠ is that there may be no way to take a spade finesse. The opponents have only two hearts between them and if declarer tries to get to dummy with a heart (his only entry), he risks an enemy ruff.
But wait a minute. If the hearts are 2-0, E/W have an easy game, or maybe even slam, in one or both of the minor suits.
Should declarer risk a heart ruff to try the spade finesse? Not today. He played the ♠A and was rewarded when the ♠K fell singleton! Another triumph for the Rabbi's Rule. Now it was simply a matter of drawing trumps and claiming eleven tricks.
Everyone who played in hearts was set because they had an easy entry to take the losing spade finesse. |
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You can follow the play with the Bridge Movie on our website. |
Addenda: Notice that E/W can make 6♣ or 6♦. They will make seven if you lead the wrong ace.
Although East has three probable defensive tricks against 4♠, we don't approve of his final pass. We would have bid 4NT over 4♠, which says, "I'm bidding 5♣ partner, but I also have four or more diamonds, if that helps you."
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P.S. This deal was not a "set-up" for the last hand of the year. It was randomly dealt by the computer. |
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The Nicest Club
815 NE 15th Ave
