Lima Duplicate Bridge Club

March 2012

2012-03-01T05:46:00.001-08:00

The March 2012 Newsletter is now available on-line, in the Library to the left.

February 2012

2012-02-06T05:56:00.001-08:00

See Library for February of 2012. Lots of new stuff!

January 2012

2012-01-05T11:49:00.001-08:00

A bit short, but January is up.

Free Ebooks Updated

2011-12-06T05:39:00.001-08:00

On the left, find updated versions of some older series free ebooks, as well as some new series free ebooks for 2011.

December 2011 Up

2011-12-01T13:22:00.001-08:00

The December Newsletter is in the Library now. The format is weird this month -- please excuse the somewhat odd look.

November 2011 Up, Despite...

2011-10-31T06:27:00.000-07:00

Two of our editors, Ken and Leah Rexford, are extremely busy right now, as Leah just delivered an early-arriving Charlene Burdetta Rexford to our club as the newest player. However, as she is only 3lbs, 14oz at the moment, she is still having trouble holding the cards, not unlike her father after a few too many. Actually, her father cries at the table more that Charlee does, to be honest.

Despite this, the November 2011 Newsletter is online, ontime. Find it in the online Library.

Reverse +1 for Spades

2011-10-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

A couple of ideas for Power 2NT sequences.

First, consider a spade reverse shown by bidding 2NT instead of 2S after a forcing 1NT. For example:

1H-P-1NT-P-
2NT = heart-spade reverse

The idea is to potentially save space with "power 2NT" sequences, if you use them. 2S becomes a relay to 2NT, rather than 2NT a relay to 3C, which then allows Opener to rebid 3C to show the game-forcing hand with clubs, rather than bidding 3NT for that hand.

Second, what about transfer positives after the spade-initiated Power 2NT? Thus:

1S-P-1NT-P-
2NT-P-?

3C = normal
3D = heart positive
3H = spade positive

This allows more utility on the more common major-oriented sequences.

October Newsletter

2011-10-01T11:56:00.001-07:00

See the October Newsletter, now in the Library.

September 2011 Newsletter Now Available

2011-08-31T06:12:00.000-07:00

In the Library is the September 2011 Newsletter. Enjoy!

August 2011 Newsletter

2011-08-02T06:08:00.000-07:00

In this month's LDBC Newsletter, in the Library now, you can find results from the Lima STaC tournament, Bridge Tips, Bickersons on Bridge, Thinking Bridge, and your favorites, as well as some info about the Logan DBC. Enjoy!

July 2011 Up

2011-07-02T15:35:00.001-07:00

The July 2011 Newsletter is available now, to the left as always.

Toledo Summer Lessons Flyer

2011-06-13T16:25:00.001-07:00

If you are interested in bridge lessons this summer, the Toledo Bridge Center has some offerings that you might like. The flyer is available at this link:

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B7Jn7R4qColkMzUzMTkyYmQtZDVhNS00MzExLTkwZDYtNGRhMGMwMjlkMjdi&hl=en_US

North American Pairs Games Up North

2011-06-03T05:26:00.000-07:00

I received this information too late for the June Newsletter, but the Bowling Green Duplicate Bridge Club has announced its North american Pairs Qualifier games:

Thursday, June 8
~~Thursday, June 15~~ CANCELED
Sunday, June 19
Thursday, July 7
Thursday, July 28
Sunday, July 31 (This is an additionally scheduled playing date.)
Thursday, August 11
~~Sunday, August 21~~ CANCELED
Thursday, August 25

Look for an article in the July Newsletter about these events.

June 2011 Newsletter

2011-06-02T04:52:00.001-07:00

The June 2011 Newsletter is now available in the Newsletter library. This month, the LDBC announces its first STaC Sectional Tuornament in Lima. Also, a special announcement about a new player on the way! Read Bridge Tips, the Bickersons, Light Openings, and Thinking Bridge for enjoyment and learning.

May 2011 Newsletter (Almost)

2011-04-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

The May 2011 Newsletter is up, although incomplete. The info for the last Thursday results, as well as for the monthly Top Five, is missing. The Editor will be on vacation, so this is being loaded early. Check back for the updated information in mid-May. As always, the pdf can be found in the Newsletter Library on this page.

Good 2011 start for Lima!

2011-04-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

The Mini-McKinney for the Unit is full of Lima players this year. Through the first quarter, the following 10 Lima players have made it into the ranks:

Matt Kuhn, 7th, 0-5 category
Greg Novak, 9th, 0-5 category
Mike Mullen, 7th, 5-20 category
Roy Baldridge, 5th, 20-50 category
Leah Rexford, 1st, 100-200 category
John Hoffman, 2nd, 100-200 category
Linda Clay, 10th, 100-200 category
Tom Faulkner, 8th, 200-300 category
Ruth Odenweller, 8th, 500-1000 category
AnaKay Utrup, 5th, 1000-2500 category

Well done, everyone!

April Newsletter Up

2011-04-02T11:00:00.001-07:00

In the Newsletter Library, the new April 2011 Newsletter is now available!

Location, Location, Location

2011-03-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

How much is a Queen worth?

You might immediately say, "Two points!" Well, that's not so easy.

Here's a simple case in point. Partner opens One Spade, and your hand is Q32-A1092-872-872. Six points, right? Two for the Queen, four for the Ace, and no distribution.

What about the next hand? Partner again opens One Spade, and your hand is A32-10982-Q72-872. Looks similar? All the same pips, no shape, plus exactly six points again?

Which do you like better?

If the side value is an Ace, this surely takes a trick. Plus, a Queen in partner's suit is surely welcome. But, a side Queen might well be facing a stiff, or Ax, or three small.

Tom Kaple

2011-03-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

The Lima Duplicate Bridge Club is today mourning the loss of a dear friend and excellent bridge partner. Tom passed away this morning after a long struggle with cancer. Quite a while back, we all were warned that Tom was likely to leave us soon, but he ended up recovering for a wonderful extra time with us and his family and friends. He tore up the bridge table during that period. We all hoped that perhaps this latest battle might also be won by our amazing fighter. Unfortunately, that was not to be. But, we all cherish the extra time we had with Tom, even if he did continue to embarrass us at the table up until the very end.

Checvk back later for more information.

Bridge Without a Partner

2011-03-09T17:19:00.001-08:00

Check out Ken Eichenbaum's new bridge comedy:

http://ebooksbridge.com/www/ebb/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=136&products_id=420

Bidding Problem

2011-03-06T12:53:00.000-08:00

You are dealt AQx-void-xxx-AKQxxxx. After opening 1C, LHO intervenes with 1H, partner bids 2D, and RHO preempts to 3H. Your call?

On the one hand, you have 15 HCP, with a four-loser hand (three diamond losers, plus a spade loser). Additionally, the spade finesse might fair (probably does), for five losers. How do you explore, then, this slam?

You could get scientific and bid 4H, but what will partner think that means? I mean, she certainly won't be excited by her clubs, because she is probably short and definitely has no honors. She might think you are supporting diamonds, which is not really your intention, and diamonds out-rank clubs (you cannot correct any diamond bid to the same level in clubs).

On hands like these, you sometimes have to go with general principles. What was this 2D call? You expect that partner probably has some heart length, probably not four spades, and probably not hearts double-stopped, because of the auctio so far. If she has a good hand, therefore, 6C probably has play. But, what if she has a minimum, or even sub-minimum?

In that event, you must hope that partner knows bidding and only bids with a weak hand if her diamonds are good. So, blast 6C! You know where you want to be, you cannot really find out what you want to find out FOR SURE by any auction that is not prone to possible confusion and disaster, and you expect that partner will have something resembling what you need anyway.

Sure enough, partner tables xxx-Qx-AQJxx-Jxx. That's a fairly ugly hand. Only 10 HCP, and two of them are the doubleton Queen in the opponents' suit. But, the suit quality is really good.

If you think that the 6C call was the key action on this deal, I personally think you are wrong. That 2D call, with a quality suit, was the key call. Way to go Responder!

An Interesting Slam Auction Last Night

2011-03-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

Opener: AKx-x-AQxxxx-K10x
Responder: x-Axxx-J-QJ9xxxx

Opener starts with 1D. The opponent overcalls 1S. Responder bids 2C.

Assuming that start, can the 6C slam be reliably bid? This was the question asked last night.

Well, even if it could be bid, is this a good contract? Any sequence approaching slam should send a red flag up that a trump lead is called for. If the person on lead has Ax or Axx in clubs, or a stiff club (to lead to partner's Ax), the opponents can play club-club ad the opening lead and trick two. Now, Declarer can win six clubs, three Aces, one King, and ONE heart ruff, for 11 tricks. Trick 12 seems to be on a diamond hook (which failed in practice), such that 6C should be set quite frequently.

My assessment, then, is this. Some hands cannot be reliably bid. Minor slam sequences are particularly tough, and they often call for some sort of "just guess" end point. This gets especially troubling when the opponents intervene.

Also, the practicality of not bypassing 3NT to explore a sickly minor suit slam often means the critical information is kept secret for too long and if often too difficult to have re-emerge.

So, even if this slam actually should make (because the person on lead does not have the club Ace and another club, or one small), not getting there is reasonable. If Responder does bypass 3NT, however, Opener should force this slam.

March 2011 is Up

2011-02-25T11:12:00.000-08:00

See the March 2011 in the Newsletter Library! The hyperlinks are working, but the quick jumping in the table of contents seems to only work if you are on the mailing list or if you download the pdf onto your computer.

Also, we have added "Free Ebooks" to the left of this screen, as well. You will find all of Ruth's 2010 Bridge Tips in one "mini ebook" format. Also available are the 2010 Bickersons on Bridge articles and the 2010 series on Two Over One Game Force. These are free to anyone interested.

Upcoming Newsletter -- New Features!

2011-02-21T10:56:00.000-08:00

The PDF/online version of the Newsletter will have a few new features starting next month.

First, there will be an interactive Table of Contents on Page Two. If you want to jump to a specific article, simply "click" your mouse on the article, and you will jump right there.

Second, there will be embedded links. For example, if you read in an article the term "Losing Trick Count" and want to know more about that, you may well be able to click that term and be taken on your computer to an internet site with an article about that topic. The same thing might be available for linking to older Newsletters, to tournament information, and the like. Some will be informative, but some will also be just silliness -- my sense of humor popping out.

Follow Up to Newsletter Article

2011-02-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

In this month's Newletter, there was a discussion about showing 5-5 in the majors. I indicated a more complicated manner of handling 5-5's briefly. Here's more on that topic, with my recommendations on how to continue in the auction. There are sexier methods available (and I have played them), but what follows is workable and easier.

The idea, as I noted, was to bid 3D (1NT-P-3D) with 5-5 in the majors and just about any strength (invitational+). Opener then responds as follows:

3H or 3S = weak, suggesting playing here. Responder might respect that and pass with a weak hand. With enough for game, Responder will typically raise to game (or bid 3NT to give Opener a choice). With slam interest despite this bad news (Responder is allowed to have a really big hand), Responder can move toward slam by bidding shortness.

4H or 4S = enough for game, but not really slammish. Responder can ask for Aces (4NT) or bid shortness as a slam move.

4C (hearts) or 4D (spades) = slammish hands. Good controls and fits.

3NT = special. 3-card fit for both suits, plus extras. Responder can again bid shortness with slam interest.

I also mentioned that this 3D call allows a few other neat calls. These include the following:

3C as Puppet Stayman. 1NT-P-3C asks Opener for 5-card majors. With none, Opener bids 3NT, or 3D if he has one or noth 4-card majors. Responder, after 3D, can then suggest either 4-card major by bidding the other one. Thus, 3S shows hearts, 3H shows spades. Responder need not get any sexier than that, because he will not have bnoth 4-card majors -- he would bid 2C normal stayman with that. So, Responder's 3C either shows 4-3 or 3-4 in the majors, or just one or both 3-card majors.

3H or 3S (1NT-P-3H or 1NT-P-3S) as showing 3-1 (or 1-3) in the majors, with 4-5 or 5-4 in the minors, game-forcing. This call is designed to (1) find a 5-3 major fit if it exists, (2) avoid 3NT if the stiff major is not covered, or (3) find a nice minor-suit slam. Whether to b id the 3-card major or to bid the stiff major is negotiable with partner. This is game-forcing, so Opener will bid (a) 3NT if he has the stiff covered, (b) four of the 3-card major with a fit (could be a 4-3 fit), (c) 5C or 5D to play, (d) 4C or 4D with slam interest, or (e) the OTHER MAJOR with slam interest and a fit for the 3-card major.

February 2011

2011-01-30T14:38:00.001-08:00

Don't miss the new Newsletter, as always in the Newsletter Library to the left side of this page.

Doubling for Penalty

2011-01-25T17:21:00.000-08:00

Suppose that you re playing duplicate. Your opponents have hearts; you and partner have spades. After a back-and-forth, you end up pushing all the way to Three Spades, but the opponents, after some thought, bid a VERY hesitant Four Hearts, vulnerable. What happens if you double?

Suppose that there are five tables at play and that only 40% of the field would bid Four Hearts, 60% settling for defending Three Spades. Assume, also, that Three Spades would fail by one trick, for -100. What if Four Hearts makes, but you do not double?

-420
-420
-100
-100
-100

You were -420, for a 1/2 on a 4 top.

Suppose you double, instead. You now get a goose-egg, but this only cost you 1/2 MP.

What if Four Hearts goes set one trick, without the double?

+100
+100
-100
-100
-100

You get a 3 1/2 on the board. Had you doubled, you would get a top, but that only gains the same 1/2 MP that you lost when 4H made. So, a wash.

But, what if Three Spades would have made?

Now, both 4H and 3S makes, let us say. No double, and the scores are as follows:

-420
-420
+140
+140
+140

You get a 1/2 for defending 4H undoubled. Bad score.

However, if you double, you get a goose-egg again, losing 1/2 MP.

Now, what if the opponents cannot make 4H but you make 3S?

Undoubled, the scores are:

+100
+100
+140
+140
+140

You get a darned 1/2 again!

But, if you double:

+200
+100
+140
+140
+140

A top! Gaining 3 1/2 MP!

The point should be easy to see. If you double a minority contract when you were going down anyway, not much is at stake. In the example, you gain a smidge when the contract fails but lose a smidge when it succeeds. Nothing to get too excited about. However, if your contract was making, not doubling costs you a ton on the board.

So, a few principles seem clear. When the opponents bid a minority contract, it seems right to double if you think you were making, even if the contract might be close to making. There is a lot of upside to doubling, and little downside. However, if you think you were over your head, then double if you think they won't make.

The "odds" might be stated a different way.

If you think you were failing, double if their contract seems 51% to fail.

If you think your contract was making, double if their contract might fail every so often.

Martha Farmer

2011-01-15T07:39:00.000-08:00

The Lima Duplicate Bridge Club is grieving the loss of a good friend and bridge partner, Martha Farmer. On Wednesday, January 12, 2011, Martha apparently passed away at her home. Elaine had just spoken with her, and she seemed ready to play on Thursday night. That was not to be. We expect that she instead will have joined in the game upstairs with many of our other friends already at that game.

Martha was quite an interesting person, even away from the bridge table. You can find a story about her at the Lima News, if you have online access. More information will hopefully be available later, as far as memorial services and the like.

January 2011 Up!

2011-01-04T05:28:00.001-08:00

The first edition of the New Year is now up on the website. Check out the Library!

Good Bad or Lebensohl

2010-12-19T06:07:00.000-08:00

Leah was playing online at bridge base with the "robots." http://www.bridgebase.com/

This is a really good site to practice your game, whether it be with "robots" or real people, or even with practice programs.

Getting Back to Par

2010-12-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

Someone once said that the key difference between an expert and a beginner is not just in finding great plays but also in knowing how to get back to average after guessing wrong. A case in point from last night's club game.

Dummy: AQ109x-Jxx-AQ10-xx
Declarer: Kx-AK98-xx-AKxxx

Declarer opened 1NT (15-17) and heard a 2D transfer overcall (hearts). Partner bid 2H (transfer), and the contract ended in 4S. LHO made the opening lead of a small heart.

If LHO has six heart, Declarer cannot guess wrong. If LHO started with only Q10xxx, Declarer cannot guess wrong. If Delcarer is missing the Queen or 10, there is a guess, but surely LHO did not have 10xxxx, right?

Declarer popped Jack, covered by the stiff Queen! Bad luck!

Now, Declarer knows that he is down one trick to the field, because no one else is getting that heart call. So, what to do?

First, find the spade Jack. Because RHO has one heart and LHO has five, RHO has 12 cards that are not hearts to LHO having only 7 non-hearts. Thus, the odds favor RHO having the spade Jack, and a 4-2 split is very possible. So, Declarer went to dummy with a diamond finesse (working) and played the spade 10, winning. Another spade then went to the King.

Now what?

There is an easy entry to dummy with the diamond, but then diamonds are wide open. So, Declarer decided to play RHO for at least three clubs and tried to ruff out the clubs. When the club Ace was played, LHO pitched a diamond!

What is going on here? RHO had the feared four spades, plus only one heart. Furthermore, RHO obviously started with all six remaining clubs. That leaves RHO with only two diamonds. Thus, only LHO (now known to have started with 2-5-6-0 pattern) can protect diamonds and hearts!

Declarer has already taken one diamond, one heart, two spades, and one club, for 5 tricks. Of the remaining 8 cards, Declarer can win one more club, one more diamond, three more spades, and one more heart, for six tricks. That leaves two for the opponents. A typical two-suit squeeze (diamonds and hearts) works when the opponents have only one more trick to take (and you squeeze them out of that trick). Thus, Declarer needs to "rectify the count" by losing that one trick early, while he still has control.

Declarer also needs to lose that trick in a way that does not snip communications or throw away a menace. The easy route should be obvious. Declarer cashed the second top club and then played a third club, ditching a heart to allow RHO to win the third club (to her shock). RHO tried her best by returning a diamond (as she had no heart left to snip communications). Declarer won this on dummy and pulled trumps.

The last two cards, then, were a small heart on dummy, plus a diamond, with Declarer holding the Ace and another heart. LHO had to save the diamond King to beat dummy's diamond, because RHO was out. LHO also needed to save two hearts, to protect his 10. But, that's three cards, and he only gets to keep two. In the end, he parted with the second heart, allowing Declarer to win two hearts at the end, for +480 and back to average.

Did you work them out?

2010-12-02T07:09:00.000-08:00

There were two "problems" in the article about Stayman responses, involving slam making. Did you figure out how?

The first noted that you MIGHT have a slam (might take 12 tricks) opposite a 1NT opener when holding AQxxx-x-Qxxxx-xx, after partner shopws four spades.

Gove partner Kxxx-xxx-AKJx-Ax. You can see an easy route to 11 tricks (five spades, five diamonds, and the club Ace). The 12th comes from a club ruff (pitch one of Opener's clubs on the 5th diamond)!

The second noted a probable making slam with
AQx-xxx-Ax-AQxxx opposite
Kxxx-x-Kxxx-Kxxx.

Suppose the opponent lead the best lead -- a trump. Win the King and lead a heart. Suppose they win and lead another trump. Win the Queen and ruff a heart. Cross to the diamond Ace and ruff another heart. Cross again to the spade Ace and pull the last trump. If trumps split no worse than 3-1, and if no one has a void in spades or diamonds (or a stiff if they find that lead), and if no one has only two hearts, all fair bets, then you end up with five clubs, two heart ruffs, three spades, and two diamonds, for 12 tricks, and the opponents only get that one heart trick!

December Newsletter is Up!

2010-12-02T04:26:00.000-08:00

Featured this month are Tom and Jean's wedding, more about the special party for Dave Poeppelman's LM achievement, Bridge Tips, the Bickersons, and the first of a new series on Notrump Structure!

Lima New Players Game!

2010-11-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

On December 9, 2010, Thursday Night at 7:15, the Lima Duplicate Bridge Club will be hosting a special event to celebrate Dave Poeppelman becoming a "Life Master" with the American Contract Bridge League. The special event is designed to encourage new bridge players and bridge players new to duplicate, or those who have not played bridge for a while, to try out the game we all love at our club.

Any "new player" will play for free. Any regular player who brings a new player to that game will also play for free! How can that be bad? There will also be lots of food and fun for all.

By the way, any dupicate "novice" will "Get Out of Jail Free!" Meaning, there will be NO PENALTIES and NO DIRECTOR CALLS for anything done by a novice. So, no reason to fear this game, eh?

For the regulars, you may be worried that a novice will get the best of you. First, is that all bad? Wouldn't you love a big game next week? Besides, what kind of a "regular pro" are you if the novices get the bgest of you anyway? LOL

November ACBL Bulletin

2010-11-15T15:05:00.000-08:00

You might remember something from the ACBL Bulletin this November. Zeke Jabbour's article mentions a ruse of leading Q from AQx at the Kxx in dummy, catching partner with Jxx and Declarer with 10xx. This worked like a charm against Zeke, for reasons he explained.

Well, in the September "Bridge with the Bickersons," I described trying this very move a few years ago. I, however, caught partner with 10xx and Declarer with Jxx, which did not work as well. Typical. Someone makes that move SUCCESSFULLY again Zeke and ends up in the Bulletin. I make that move against someone else, it fails, and all I end up with is a lack of sympathy from my partner and a "Bickersons" mention years later! Pfff!

Congratulations Tom and Jean Kaple!

2010-11-06T06:50:00.000-07:00

Tom and Jean Kaple will be celebrating their 55th Wedding Anniversary with a renewal of their vows on Saturday, November 13, between 2:00 and 5:00 at the Westside Church in Lima. All Lima DBC folks are invited!

November Newsletter

2010-11-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

The November Newsletter is now up. Check out pics from Ruth's party, a SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT of LIFE MASTER accomplishment for Dave, and your favorite regular articles!

October Surprises

2010-10-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

The October Newsletter is now up. This month's Newsletter is 13 pages long! Lots of good stuff. Make sure to check it out.

Also, the World Bridge Series is underway in Philadelphia. Bulletins for each day can be found at http://www.worldbridge.org/tourn/Philadelphia.10/Bulletins.htm. Also, check for blog posts by Ken Rexford as he posts his thoughts at http://www.cuebiddingatbridge.blogspot.com/, which is a "feed" to this site and can be found in the "articles" listing.

In today's WBS Bulletin, you can see that Laurie and John Kranyak, of Cleveland, friends of some Lima DBC players and perhaps known to many others, ar leading the World Mixed Pairs after one day by a whopping 66%, second being currently at 61%! Go Ohio State!

Depends on Who You Play Against

2010-10-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

Bob and Tom had a 94% game on the last Thursday of September, EXCEPT when they met Jan and Leah. Jan and Leah ended up with four tops and one average, reducing Bob and Tom to the paltry score of 77%. On the other hand, Jan and Leah had a 90% game against Bob and Tom but were unable to score better than a total of 50% for the event, meaning that the same field that Bob and Tom beat up ended up beating up Jan and Leah mercilessly.

Not sure what to read into this development.

Lima Bridge Bash

2010-08-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

It's too late, now! On Saturday, August 21, 2010, Ken Eichenbaum, a professional bridge player, lecturer, author, and mentor, came to Lima, providing a unique SPECIAL TEACHING EVENT for the Lima bridge community.

Ken Eichenbaum brought copies of his prize-winning novel, "Bridge Without A Partner," which is still available for purchase (as well as other books by Ken Eichenbaum -- see http://www.kensclubbridge.blogspot.com/ for details). As a SPECIAL GIFT, all those who attended the "Saturday Bash" were sent a FREE copy of his latest ebook, "Winners Losers and Cover Cards." Also, the game featured $CASH PRIZES$ for first place each direction! How can you do better than that?

New Design

2010-08-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

Because we have added links to the Newsletter editions (on the left side of the page), the website will not carry a "web version" as it has been to date. These have been somewhat ugly, with formatting lost, anyway. Plus, they are so long that the goodies at the bottom are missed, or a pain to get to.

If anyone wants the old style back, let us know.

Welcome to the Lima Duplicate Bridge Club Blog

2010-03-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

Each month, you will be able to find the monthly Newsletter posted on this blog. In the future, if you are looking for an older issue, just check the "Newletter Library" section out, as well.

You will also notice a "links" section, with easy links to various bridge websites, like the ACBL or MVBA. Check these out!

We will also be posting a calendar of events on this site, and other postings may also pop up from time to time. We hope you enjoy this.