Unit News for August 2007

by Vic Sartor

Now that the L.A. Regional is past, I hope all of you are looking forward to our unit charity event August 12. Be sure to check the sign-up lists at all of the LaFetra club games and put in your bids to play with a top-notch partner. There will be be plenty of great food and good bridge. We would welcome bids from members of other units, too. You can bid by phone by calling unit president Penny Barbieri at (909) 599 4818 or (909) 316 4785. As a special bonus, a couple of the “pros” who have scheduling conflicts have indicated they’d be happy to play with their winning bidder at a later event, perhaps the Fall L.A. Regional. Check with Penny for details. Don’t feel you have to be a bidder to play. If you prefer to play with your regular partner, that’s fine, too. Everyone’s welcome.

In results from the Bridge Week regional, I can report that Susan Ruoff, Herb Stampfl, Dave Ruoff, and Gary Olson came in 4th in the Swiss teams. Helen Wang, Joe Unis, Richard Patterson and Clint Lew managed 2nd place in a compact KO bracket. Tom Lill and Ann McClelland managed a 2nd place in flight B of the Open Pairs. I also managed to get a nice hand for this column,so my week wasn’t totally futile.

In club results, top game of the month was a nice 67.8% effort by Walt Otto and Rick Whitham. Also posting 60%+ wins were George Altinus, Tom Lill, Roger Boyar, Genise Hasan, Joe Unis, Consuelo Ledbetter, Sue Rottner, Richard Patterson, John Tyner, Ben Harris, Toni Dennet, Kurt Trieselmann, Dave Ruoff, and Vic Sartor. Other winners included Penny Barbieri, Helen Wang, Dolores Kelley, Albert Lax, and Kathy Helber.

In the July unit game, Bill Papa - Tom Lill led the field with a 66% effort. Next in the overall standings were Rosalie Roberts - Penny Barbieri at 63.1%, followed by Florence Weinstein - Gary Olson at “only” 63.0%. David Ruoff - Susan Ruoff and Joe Unis - Richard Patterson rounded out the winning pairs.

As indicated earlier ,our hand of the month came from the regional in Long Beach. For those who think computer hands are too wild, this was hand-dealt at the table. You pick up:

♠ void ♥ A Q 10 9 8 ♦ A Q J 10 9 8 7 4 ♣ void
The auction goes : 1♣(RHO) 1♦!(so sue me- I once read you need solid values for a 1♦ overcall) 3♣(LHO) 3♠(Pd) P back to you. Your bid? 4♥ may end the auction, so your choices seem to be between 5♦ and 6♦. Having eaten your Wheaties this morning, you haul out the 6♦ card. After all, partner doesn’t have to have all of his points in spades, does he? A club is led and dummy tables:
♠ A K 10 x x x ♥ J x ♦ 5 2 ♣ Q x x.
The dummy of your dreams! Can you avoid being beaten severely about the nose and mouth by your irate teammates when you return to your home table with a minus on the board? Hint – one card stands between you and severe injury. Yes, it’s pard’s Jack of hearts. With the aplomb of James Bond at a high-stake baccarat table in Monaco, you calmly trump the opening lead and lead your 10 of hearts(or the 7 (sic) if you want to really want to irritate RHO)! As expected, RHO, the opening bidder, has to take his king of hearts or lose it. The jack is now your entry to dummy for the winning diamond finesse. Trumps are 2-1, so all’s well with the world. Overbidding pays off again! Now if that grand slam you bid the next round, off an ace, had just come in . . . Oh,well. Til next time, ciao.


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