PRESIDENT'S REMARKS

I am writing this from my hotel room in Toronto.   I feel very fortunate that I am able to attend National tournaments!   My first one was in Austin right after COVID started winding down.  I was scared and excited…a NATIONAL tournament!   I didn’t know what to expect other than I would probably be out gunned but I was going anyway, after all it was in my backyard.  So I went.  What surprised me was that the tournament had two elements, the National games and separate Regional games.  So, I wouldn’t be competing against the “Big Boys” after all.  It was exciting to see the personalities I read about in the flesh, but my competition was really the folks I would normally see at tournaments.  Since then, I have competed in the National games a few times just to see how it feels, and I do have one Platinum point!  Every day there are two famous speakers who impart their wisdom which I do enjoy a lot.   And here in Toronto I have learned to say “Eh” after every sentence!   When you read this, I will be home again and happy to be there! 
Until next month, Janice Rush

Hopefully you have played in the club recently and used the new (to us) BridgeMates!

Why did we get them? Our BridgePads were going obsolete and the company went out of business.  Without updates (software, server) and replacement parts we would be without in a few years so the Board jumped on the opportunity to buy these used Bridgemates (in good condition). New ones are $165 each, so our investment of over $1200 for 20 was actually a great deal but an unbudgeted cost.

The club would like to buy 10 more for our big games and parties.  We can only do this through the genous donations from our players!

If you would like to donate to help with this purchase, please drop off your cash or check.   Any amount would be gratefully appreciated.

THINK TRICKS NOT HIGH CARD POINTS
WHEN PUSHING FOR GAME IN IMPS.

By Jeff Kroll

Bidding:

E 1D

S 1H (Pretty sure E/W are not going to end up in diamonds, and I want to show my good heart suit)

E DBL (Negative double showing exactly 4 spades, with more than 4 East would bid its spades)

N 3D (4+ hearts and 7-9 points)

E P (Not strong enough to bid 3S)

S 4H (14 hcp, but great trick taking potential.  I expect to ruff my diamond losers in dummy as East bid them.  Good chance I won't lose a heart trick, and at IMPS, I just need a decent chance to try.  I hope to lose only a spade and 2 clubs.  Making 4H.

West leads the 2 of hearts, wanting to reduce my ruffs.  Reasonable idea, it just didn't work on this hand.

Play of the Hand:

I win with the 7.  Then I play ace and a diamond, and ruff.  Back to my hand with a heart. Ruff my other low diamond   

Pull the last trump and concede the spade and 2 clubs.  Making 4 hearts.

It's important not to pull 3 rounds of trump as I need 2 trumps in dummy to ruff my diamond losers.

At IMPS I make my contract as safely as possible, at matchpoints, I would lead low to the King of spades and hope the ace was onside and that the defense didn't cash 2 clubs.  At matchpoints, overtricks are important.

.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
by Thomas Rush
PlayBridgeWithThomas@GMail.Com

There are different kinds of tournaments, such as Sectionals, Regionals, Nationals, STaCs, GNTs and NAOPs. Tournament awards include Black points, Silver Points, Red Points, Gold Points, Platinum Points and… Clear Points? 
What’s the difference?  What does it all mean?   In this article I’ll explain all of this!

Continue reading all about tournaments by clicking here!

RULE OF 20 PLUS 2
by Julie Halperin

One of the tools for evaluating whether you should open a hand with fewer high card points  is called the Rule of Twenty.  I’ve seen this “rule” misused over and over.

Basically, you add the number of cards in your 2 longest suits to your number of high card points, and if it equals 20 you consider opening the hand.  But, there are other considerations to this rule.

1.  You should have 2 “taking tricks”.  That’s the plus 2 mentioned above.
   1. An Ace is a taking trick. A King Queen in the same suit is a taking trick.  A King is ½ of a trick.
2. The majority of your points should be in the 2 longest suits.                                                                                                                                                                                              

Example:

S   KQ654
H  A9642
D  J4
C  8

This hand meets the requirements.

The following does not:

S  K9654
H  KJ964
D  QJ
C   J   

Let's play bridge, Julie Halperin

Sadie and Tim [fictitious names] went to a Sectional in Austin in September 2022, to play teams with Janie and Jim, with the couples to play together. (When it came time to play, though, the boys decided to play together and the girls at the other table of the team event.) What happened on one particular hand was SO memorable that Sadie is able still to this day to reconstruct most of it, and when I heard about it, I figured our BCOH readers would find it interesting.

When Sadie sorted her cards, she was thrilled to find 21 HCP: S-AKJxx, H-AQxx, D-x, C-AKx! She looked down and saw that both sides were Vulnerable, and her partner was Dealer. In a balloon-deflating, sagging moment, her partner opened 2D, so Sadie figured “No slam.”.

The bidding proceeded:

Janie:  2D       5C       P          P

RHO:  P          P          P          P

Sadie: 3NT    5H       6NT    XX!

LHO:  P          X         X         P

LHO led a small spade, and the board was:  S-9, 5, H-, D-KJxxxx. C-QJxxx.

Sarah played the 9, and it held, so she started counting her tricks and believed that the strong hand was LHO. She ran her 5 Club tricks, pitching two hearts, came to her hand with the Space A, and led a small diamond, which LHO took with the A. He now had to lead either a H or a S, giving Sarah the extra trick she needed to make the bid—which she did, for 2110!

(NOTE: You might want to deal out this hand for yourself to confirm that you will navigate correctly if you’re ever there. Transportation is key! Also guts, because what if LHO did NOT take his Diamond A???)

Carol Wilson

For Newer Players

In Person

          Lessons with Julie                  Tuesdays @ 9:30 AM

          Mentor Games                        2nd & 4th Tuesdays @ 10:30 AM

          299er Games                           Monthly, check the Calendar on the website

Online at Choose Houston! (BBO)

          Mentor Games              1st & 3rd Mondays @ 7:00 PM

          Future Life Masters       Tuesdays (1-50) @ 3:05 PM   

2nd Saturday (1-20) @ 9:00 AM (usually)

BBO Virtual club games

When you play on BBO, we ask that you play in SE Carolina or Choose Houston games whenever possible.

BCoH received over $200 payout from SE Carolina (close to $2 per player per game) in June.  The payout would have been doubled if our players who played in competing clubs had played those games in the SE Carolina club.  We retain all profits from Choose Houston.  We receive nothing from other virtual clubs.

SE Carolina runs three sets of stratified games (799, 2500, and open) every day, at 8:25 a.m., 12 noon, and 6 p.m Houston time.  On Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m., a 499 game replaces the 799 game.  During special events, another set of games is added at 3:15 p.m.  Search for “SE Carolina” in the game title or club 105346.

Choose Houston has an open game every Thursday at 7 p.m. and a mentor/mentee game on the first and third Mondays at 7 p.m.  To be a mentee, a player must have fewer than 300 masterpoints and must pay for their own entry as well as the entry of their mentor.  If you need a mentor or wish to mentor someone, please contact Mike Linkins via Email:  mlinkins@swbell.net.

The BCoH home page has a link to SE Carolina’s website and a schedule for Choose Houston games.

And always check the BCOH Website for more!

    Regular Club Game Schedule                                                         

BCOH Specific August Events

                                                   
                                        
                                         
                                   Ways to Help the Club

Do you have a hidden talent just waiting to burst forth?
There are many ways we all make BCOH a wonderful club. To put your talents to use, contact:                                                                                     

Tammy Fincher

Deadline for September BCOH Scoop is August 15.  Please submit articles, ideas, photos etc. to Tamara Fincher.