The Unit 141 January Sectional (January 4-6), and all 2013 Unit 141 sectionals except Mays Landing, will be held at Bala Golf Club.

Click here for the flyer to read about playing times and events, but here is information about Bala Golf Club to help make the transition to the new playing site easier for everyone.

Directions: Bala Golf Club is located at 2200 Belmont Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19131. It is located just off City Ave. (Rt. 1), about a mile west of I-76. Off Rt. 1, turn south on to Belmont Ave. Go 0.6 miles to the Bala entrance on the right.

Parking: Self parking and free valet parking are both available. After turning off Belmont Ave. into the club entrance, follow the drive about 0.3 miles to a fork in the road. Stay left, but then turn right into the parking lot. Watch for the sign. You can self park in that lot or continue through it to the club entrance and the valets. There is a small lot in front of the club, but guests who can walk a short distance are encouraged to park in the first, larger lot.

Hospitality: A breakfast buffet, full lunch, drinks, and snacks will be served on each day of the sectionals. Players may bring in their own food, but plenty will be provided.

Facilities: The well-lit playing area is all on one floor and no steps are needed to reach it. There are large men's and women's bathrooms, as well as handicapped-accessible ones.

Fees: Card fees will be $12/session, the same rate as 2012.

If you have additional questions about the sectional or the new location, contact Mike Giesler at mgiesler@comcast.net or 215-806-9600.

Dinner and Conversation with

Mark Lair 

One of the requests you usually don't want to hear is, "Can you give my friend a ride to the airport?" But when the guy who needs the ride is Hall-of-Fame bridge player Mark Lair, you really don't mind at all. So that's how I spent a few hours with Mark Lair, having dinner and riding in a car. We include these comments as part of our series of interviews with local bridge players. Mark is not a local, but is a frequent visitor to our tournaments and a regular partner of Unit 141's Marty Seligman.

Asked about his most memorable wins, Mark considered a few and he certainly has plenty to choose from. He ultimately decided on the back-to-back Vanderbilt wins when his Richie Schwartz team defeating the Jimmy Cayne team that included his old partner Mike Passell. Calling them his "tastiest national wins," each match was won handily by about 25 imps. Part of the satisfaction was the comeuppance of beating Cayne, since the Schwartz team included three members who were previously part of the Cayne team - Lair, Paul Soloway and Bobby Goldman.

The conversation was not all bridge. During dinner we talked about friends, family and outside projects. Mark lives in Canyon, TX, with his wife Sally. He has two daughters and twin sons. Next month he and Sally are taking a cruise and guess what? No bridge is involved. 

Waiting for the check after dinner, my leftovers sat on the table in a stryofoam box between Mark and me. He silently took out a pen and wrote the following hand on the cover of the box.

AQxx

xxxx

J10xx

K

KJxx

--

Ax

AQJxxxx

Then Mark said, "The contract is 7S and a trump is led. You win with the Jack, both opponents following, and then you cash the King of Spades. Lefty follows small, but Righty shows out. How do you make 13 tricks?" The dinner box was passed around the table until the group figured out the solution. Can you? See the section below for the answer.

After dinner, we received a tougher quiz on bridge basics. Mark asked some pointed bidding questions that remind us that there are many important system questions we all need to ponder. He asked: With the opponents passing, how do you play:

1C  -  1S

3H

1C  -  1S

2C  -  3H

For experts, the answers might be obvious, but beginning and advancing players might wonder. On the first hand, Lair suggests that the 3H bid is a splinter in support of spades. On the second, responder has a 6-5 invitational hand. Is that what you thought? Whatever you decide it is, Lair's point is that you should know!

For additional stories and another hand, read Phillip Alder's New York Times article about Mark just before his induction into the Hall of Fame.

National Win

Bridge achievements come in all shapes and sizes, from the first time you get up the courage just to enter a duplicate game to a Swiss Teams win to the first time you break 50% in a pairs game to...winning a national title. As you can see here, the challenge, arena, or competition might change, but success is always a thrill. Here is Unit 141's Joann Glasson and her teammates delighting in their victory in the National Women's BAM. Congratulations, Joann. 

L to R: Meike Wortel, Cecelia Rimstedt, Laura Dekkers, Marion Michielsen, Joann Glasson, Sylvia Moss

New Grand Life Master 

And kudos to our friend and Unit 190 neighbor Rick Rowland for attaining the level of Grand Life Master. Rick garnered his 10,000th masterpoint in Lancaster to reach this impressive milestone.

Rick Rowland (far left) with frequent teammates and partners Neal Satten, Tom Weik and Ken Cohen from their win in the National Senior Swiss Teams

You need a 13th trick and it looks like it will have to be a heart ruff.

Play a club to the King and ruff a heart. Then finish drawing trump (pitch the small diamond on the last trump) and play a diamond to the Ace in order to reach the clubs. Run the clubs from the top.

Alternatively, you can play a spade to the Ace (or Queen) and then ruff a heart. Play a club to the King and then finish drawing trump (again pitching a small diamond on the last trump). Play a diamond the Ace and finish running the clubs.

The only danger is that the first club trick will be ruffed, but what other line can you take?

After 40 years, Ralph Franklin and his colleagues who have run the games at Old York Road Bridge Club are saying, "good bye." Over the years, the games have raised over $250,000 for Temple Beth Am and a number of other charities. Although there will be no games on December 24 or 31 because of the holidays, the club will go out with a bang on January 7 with a "free" game. (Voluntary donations will be contributed to one of three worthy charities.) Expressions of appreciation and wonder can be directed to Ralph Franklin at 215-635-2063 or grandslam2220@comcast.net. Congratulations and best of luck to everyone who has contributed to this fixture of our bridge community.

Along with their regular Saturday brunch game (12:30 PM), the Yorktown Bridge Club will hosting a Swiss Teams game on Tuesday evening December 18. Please check with the club for game time. The club is also pleased to announce a new beginner's class starting on Saturday, January 5 at 10:30 AM. Again, please check with the club (www.yorktownbridgeclub.com) for additional details.

[Local clubs are encouraged to send announcements, schedules, updates, and special games for placement in upcoming newsletters.]