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Newsletter 2025 01

From the President's Desk

   

As I write this it occurs to me that the year is almost over and probably it will be 2025 by the time you read this!  Since Covid, our club and all brick and mortar clubs have suffered from bad attendance.  We struggle with paying rent so that players have a nice facility to play and party in.  We have made improvements in our cash flow from better attendance in 2024, but we continue to compete with cheaper games at churches, community centers and ACBL on-line.   Our Board of Directors keep on working hard and I am glad we made it through another year!   We have such a nice facility for parties so I am hoping this year will bring many.  I am looking forward to celebrating Dolores Aquino's Emerald Life Master party in March.  She has donated time and energy to our club during the Longest Day campaign and deserves a big turnout.  I invite any player who wants to celebrate a special occasion or rank advancement with a bridge party to let us know!  So here is a toast to a better New Year in 2025!  Until next month....Janice Rush

Viewpoint of the Director

Are you ever confused about when you can and cannot inspect tricks?   Law 66 covers this question.  If you are the Declarer and you keep your last trick exposed, everyone knows you can ask to see the Ops last card played.  But what if you are the Opponent?   You also have a right to see the last trick played as long as you hold your card exposed and partner has not played to the next trick!  If Declarer has played to the next trick, either from his hand or dummy, it is important that partner does not play to that trick until you have turned your card face down.  Once your card is turned faced down or partner has played to the next trick, you may no longer ask to see the last trick played. Paying attention to the table is so important.  Also, 66(C) says that once a card is turned over, it may not be exposed again until after all tricks have been played unless the Director specifically asks to see a card.  Do not start turning over your cards to prove a point.  And, by the way, if one player mixes his cards prior to a dispute being settled by the Director, "the Director shall rule in favor of the other side" Law 66(D).  

Jeff Kroll's Tidbits
Jeff Kroll's Tidbits

As Marty Bergen writes in his Better Bridge with Bergen column on Page 55 in the December ACBL Bulletin, in playing 2/1 most non experts define the 1NT response as forcing,whil e most experts play it as semi-forcing. I suggest that you play like an expert when it's possible, I suggest the 1NT response be semi-forcing.

S 1S (this is a clear opener, 2 quick tricks and 12 hcp + 8 cards in the longest 2 suits = 20.  However it's a weak opener.
W Pass
N 1NT (6-12 points)
E Pass
S P (I don't want North to invite game.  I won't accept any invitation.  If North is weak with 3+ spades, it should bid 2S.  I think 1NT is high enough and a good contract)
W 2D (this is not a good enough hand to overcall with, but this is a nice hand to balance with.  Decent 5 card suit.11 hcp)
N Pass
E 2H (At IMPS East should pass, even if 2H is a superior contract to 2D the extra 20 points when both contracts make is not worth the risk of being set.  East is forced to guess, if West has 3 hearts E/W want to be in 2H, but if East does not have 2H then East should pass.  East guessed wrong.  I like when the opponents have to guess and dislike it when I have to guess.)
Passed out.
 
 
 
 
 
 
West has only 2 hearts and they split 4-2 which they often  (48% 4-2, 36% 3-3, 15% 5-1 1% 6-0) do when there are 6 cards outstanding.
I lead the Jack of clubs.
The ace of clubs is won in dummy.  When partner signals with the 9 of clubs, I know that we will defend by continually leading clubs and making East ruff until East loses control of the hand.
  I take the trick with AH and leads another club.
 
Declarer trumps 6H   East goes to the board with the King of Diamond and finesses for the Jack of Hearts.  The finesse works, but it doesn't matter because North has 3 hearts.
 
Declarer draws one round of trumps.   Then leads 8S to KS. 
 
On the board for the last time, declarer finesses for the QD.  That finesse loses.   East ruffs club lead.  North ruffs the ace of diamonds, pulls East's last trump.  Cashes the 2 clubs and plays a spade to my ace.  Down 2 for a 94% board.  It is always better to set your opponents than have your opponents set you!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carol's Corner

"Pet Peeves" at Bridge (Club and Tournaments)

I've been collecting "Pet Peeves" and have found some online and thought you might enjoy this article. At Bridge Winners, Allan Simon noted, "I want to clarify that a pet peeve is something that is objectively harmless but just happens to irritate me." That's probably a good definition. I think our group at BCOH is less guilty than most other places I know about, so -- just sayin'. As we enter the Christmas and party seasons, I hope you enjoy these little tidbits.

Writing It Down. This one got many mentions. Opening leaders who record the contract before making the opening lead. Nearly as bad are the dummies who record the contract before putting dummy on the table. I put this one right up there with fingernails on a blackboard.

Pulling a Card from Your Hand Early. Surely you don't do this. Surely. I've seen veteran players pull a card before it's their turn to play, and it bothers me.

"Chatting" Upon Arriving at New Table. Now, nobody wants to be unfriendly, and sure, sometimes little things come up and you're afraid you'll forget it if you wait till later. But if you are the "Chatty Cathy" type, please try to control that little habit.

Card Snapping. Nobody likes this, and most card snappers don't even realize they're doing it, so somebody needs to remind them. (And a "snap" when it's the setting trick infuriates nearly all of us!)

Fiddling with the bidding box. Don't even get near the bidding box until ready to put your bid on the table. Period. If you hover over it and then pass, unauthorized information is passed on. And I was surprised to find the next "pet peeve" among several players that sort of goes along with this one.

Pulling One Bid Card Out of the Bidding Box at a Time. One commenter wrote: "It takes more time to do and put back together and no, it does not make you look as cool as you think it does." And another said, "Amen to the 'does not make you look as cool as you think.'" Now, I haven't found that it takes any more time to pull out or put the bids back, but it surprised me that this peeved some.

Eating While Playing. At BCOH, when we have a pre-game meal, we try to do the eating at a table that will not be used to play, but that's not always possible. We'll just continue to be mindful of it.

Criticizing Others. This is just bad, bad, bad. If someone asks, that's one thing. But unsolicited condemnation, especially of one's partner, is rude, in bad taste, and should be avoided.

Leaving Trash Behind. Most of us are pretty good about taking our trash to its proper receptacle or otherwise getting rid of it properly. Keep up the good work!

Finally, the Most-Mentioned: Slow play, slow play, slow play, slow play.

One high "A" player made what I felt was the best comment: "I am still working at being the change I want to see in others." I liked that.

Happy New Year, Everybody!

 

Volunteer Opportunity

       

 

      Enjoy photography?  Like to take pictures of friends and fun events?  We are in need of some photographers to help us at all our fun games and special events.  If you are interested, please let Tammy Fincher know (trfincher@aol.com).  Thank you

Did You Know

 

WEBSITES

TOURNAMENTS IN TEXAS  
BCOH Website January 2-5 Austin Winter Sectional
Unit 174 Website January 11-12 District 16 NAP Final
District 16 Website January 16-18 Denton Winter Sectional
District 16 Calendar January 16-19 Ed Rawlinson Winter Sectional
ACBL Website January 29-February 1 Dallas Winter Sectional
  February 1-2 Austin NLM Sectional
  February 3-9 Max Levit Lone Star Regional
  For Later Events see District 16 Calendar  

For Newer Players

Lessons, Lessons, Lesson & Practice, Practice, Practice

Beginning Bridge + with Susan Banks-Johnson                 

  • Nov. 9, 23, 30, Dec. 7, 14, 21 at 9:30 am         
  •  $10 per session/No reservation required     
  • For more info:  BridgewithSusanandAndy@gmail.com   281-536-1451

Beginning Bridge with Susan Banks-Johnson and Andrew Remson           

  • Jan. 4 - Apr. 27, 2025 at 9:30 am     
  • $130 for the course     
  • For more info:  BridgewithSusanandAndy@gmail.com   281-651-6550

0-50 Bridge Game                 

  • Beginning Jan. 19, 2025 at 1:30 pm                     
  • For more info:  BridgewithCarol@gmail.com    936-650-8180

In Person

  • Lessons with Julie                  Tuesdays @ 9:30 AM
  • Mentor Games                        2nd & 4th Tuesdays @ 10:30 AM
  • 299er Games                           Every Saturday at Noon
  • I/N Game less than 1000                  Fifth Tuesday of any month, check the calendar

Check the BCOH website calendar for up-to-date information!  Contact Kas Rangan at 539-210-1333 for info or a partner.  

Online at Choose Houston! (BBO)

  • Mentor Games              1st & 3rd Mondays @ 7:00 PM
  • Open Game                   Every Thursday @ 7:00 PM         
  • 0-20 Game                     2nd Saturday @ 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.

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                                                         

F2F Open Pairs at the club: Online Open Pairs (BBO:
Monday @ 11:55 AM   Thursday @ 7:00 PM
1st & 5th Tuesday @ 10:30 AM  SE Carolina Club of Clubs
Wednesday & Friday @ 10:30 AM   
Saturday @ 12:00 PM
Swiss Teams
 3rd Tuesday @ 10:30 AM   

BCOH Specific Events for January

January 1                      New Year's Party                   11:55 am

January 8                     Club Membership Game        10:30 am

January 18                    ACBL PopUp Game                 12:00 pm (noon)

January 25                    Annual Meeting & Potluck        11:00 am  Potluck,  11:45 Annual Meeting & Election of Officers,      12:00 pm (noon) Game

 

From the Editor's Desk

     As 2024 comes to a close, we at BCOH with all of you Happy Holidays and a very, very Happy New Year!  To paraphrase Shakespeare, "If bridge is the game you love, play on!"

Memories from December