Duplicate Bridge 1

                                                                      May  2018

The Duplicate Bridge Group I Played their regular duplicate bridge session on May 11 at Round Table Pizza in Pleasant Hill. The team of Gene Bingham-Dean Steichen dominated the session with a 3 point margin over the closest competitors. The top 3 finishers are listed below:

 Bingham-Steichen                        38.5 points.
 Main-Spicer                                    35.5
Grisanti-Regan                               34.5                                               

No slams were bid and made, but of interest is a hand that our host, Bud Grisanti, set up. The deal and play was published in the Oct 2017 issue of the Bridge Bulletin.    

                             North
                             S K74
                             H 7632
                             D A94
                             C 975

West                                                East
S 10983                                            S 6
H AKQ9                                           H J1084
D 872                                                D K865
C 42                                                   C QJ1086

                             South
                        S AQJ52
                        H 5
                        D QJ103
                        C AK3

South opens 1 spade and North, with only 7 H.C.P. and a square hand, stretched a bit, to respond 2 spades. South with 17 H.C.P. and a singleton needed little more encouragement to go to a 4 spade game contract. The play looks simple enough. But after a high heart lead and a ruff of a second heart, the declarer leads two rounds of trump with East showing out.

So, how did we do on this deal?  First, only 2 teams got to 4 spades and only the team of Jerry Milano and Honora Greytak  made the contract. 4 spades was made by two other teams who did not bid game. The contract can be made against any defense; but what defensive strategy can cause South to fail? Continuing to push hearts and shortening of trumps in the South hand will promote West’s 10 of spades. Only the team of Ken Main and Rod Spicer defeated the contract so we will assume this line of defense was found.     

Thanks to Bud Grisanti for set-up. David Bushnell and has these duties for our next session which will be June 8 at 9:15 AM at Round Table Pizza in PH.  Also, thanks to Honora Greytak and Bob Wolf for subbing.                                        

 Substitutes are frequently needed. Please contact one of the chairmen below to get on the substitute list:

Bob Kahl, Chairman   284-8572
Dick Long, Asst Chairman   274-1786
Ton Hensley,  Asst Chairman  937-0605 

 2^nd place team Harry Hubinger (left) & Brian Woolf (right)

Top team  Jim Regan Left) and Bud Grisanti (right)