February certainly felt like a lion this year; here it is freezing weather yet again after it felt like Spring for the last week!  But we don't' have it as rough as much of the rest of the country.   Fires in California, floods in Kentucky and blizzards out East!  March has a National tournament in Memphis and I am looking forward to seeing friends that I have made at these events. Our club is celebrating two players this month who made rank advancements worthy of celebration.  Dolores Aquino became Emerald Life Master and we will celebrate on March 1. Betty Cartmell became Life Master this year and will celebrate on March 28.  In between we have special games like Silver Seniors and events such as St Patrick's day (don't forget to wear green and kiss the blarney stone!)  The good news is all of the efforts we have made as a team have paid off in increased table counts for the club.  We have actually broken even a couple of months.  I want to thank all of the players who have supported our club with their presence at our tables.  We will continue to try to provide the best playing experience in Houston.  All of you 499ers should make your plans for our 499er Sectional Tournament in April, silver points and $2 bills!  Until next month....Janice Rush

Welcome to the 2025 BCOH Board of Directors

Three big cheers to the folks who work hard to make our club the most wonderful and amazing place to play our favorite game!

THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK!

 9-12
Thomas Rush, PlayBridgeWithThomas@GMail.Com

Here's a nicely bid hand where North/South can get to a reasonable slam in spades

The auction and explanations with North as Dealer:

The opening lead is the diamond deuce.  What do you think of your chances?  What do you do now?  

Take a moment to plan out the hand before you read on...

⇜⇝

If the first thing you did was play a low diamond from dummy, you're the victim of bad habits.  The first thing you need to do when you're declarer is to count your tricks.  The second thing you need to do is check on immediate threats to your success.  Third?  Make a plan.  Only then (fourth) can you decide which card from dummy gives your plan the best chance of success.

How many tricks do you count on this hand?  Your top tricks are five spades, two diamonds, and two clubs.  If you had enough time, you could possibly develop another heart by leading them several times; odds are the seven outstanding hearts are divided 4-3, so your last heart will probably set up.

But you are in a slam contract, you don't enough time to give up three heart tricks.  What's another play to get three additional tricks?

One of the most common ways to develop additional tricks is by ruffing losers in the short trump hand. That suggests we look to see if we can ruff three things in dummy safely.  Which things?  Well, the only side suit that South has length where North doesn't is hearts.  Can we give up a heart early and then ruff three hearts using dummy’s trumps?  Very likely - the first two ruffs with the two small trumps, and then a ruff with the Jack or King, which can't be overruffed.

That becomes the plan then - five spades in hand, two diamonds, two clubs, and three heart ruffs in dummy for a total of 12 tricks, losing only the first, unavoidable heart trick.

To make sure we have enough entries to our hand, I recommend you win the diamond Ace in dummy at trick 1.  Then play a heart immediately.

Trick 1: Dummy's diamond Ace wins

Trick 2: Lead the losing heart Queen

Trick 3: If they lead a spade, What do you do?  Win in dummy or in your hand?  If you play low in dummy and win with the Ace or Queen in your hand, you will find that to get three heart ruffs, you need to use both the King and Jack in dummy; this will set up the spade Ten as a winner for the opponents when spades split 3-1, the most common break.  Therefore, you must win with the Jack or King to avoid promoting the opponents' spades into a winner.

Trick 4: Lead a diamond from dummy to your King

Trick 5: Lead a low heart, ruff low

Trick 6: Lead a club to your Ace

Trick 7: Lead a low heart and ruff low.  There is some chance that the Ace and King will both have been played and hearts have split 4-3, if so, your heart Jack is good for a 12th trick, and you can cash the club King (pitch a low heart) and draw trump; otherwise continue to ruff another heart.

Trick 8: King of clubs, pitch a low heart

Trick 9: Ruff a club in your hand

Trick 10: Ruff a heart high (this will be the Jack, your last heart)

Trick 11: Ruff a club unless something (club Queen dropped on the previous club play?) tells you that clubs are splitting terribly, in which case, ruff a diamond.

Tricks 12 & 13: You have only the high AQ of trump left, claim.

The above line isn't fool-proof, someone with an anticipated short suit may be able to ruff in and cause you some grief; a trump lead would be likely to set you on many 3-1 trump splits (but not here, because the three-card trump length is with the honor-fourth of hearts!)

The complete hand:

Why '9 to 12' as the title of this article?  Because you need to plan to turn your initial nine tricks...into 12!

______________________________

I'm looking for hands you might like some suggestions on bidding or play and that I might use for newsletter articles.  Send me a note to PlayBridgeWithThomas@GMail.Com along the following lines:

'On May 11 Choose Houston (or BCoH club), my partner and I had (this problem - thought we should have gotten to slam, stopped in a part-score, got to the wrong strain, let the opps steal the contract, went down when we should have made it, etc.).  Our auction was ...(four bids per line, please, one complete round of bidding).  The opening lead was... '  Other details are fine, but at least tell me date, game, problem, and auction if at all possible.  

I won't use your name without permission.  I will try to answer every question whether I use it for publication or not.  I do reserve the right to modify the hand to make the problem and solution more clear when I write about it.  I’ll look forward to hearing from you!

Thomas Rush is a bridge teacher who lives in the Houston area and specializes in coaching partnerships to make them more effective in club and tournament play. He welcomes your comments on this article, as well as submissions of interesting hands or ideas for future columns. Contact him at PlayBridgeWithThomas@GMail.com

Sandwich NT

In an auction where opponents on both sides of you are bidding, it would rarely be right to bid 1NT with 15-17 HCPs.  Your partner would be broke or close to broke.  The Sandwich NT would be an Unusual NT.  You are "sandwiched" between two bidders.

• It is used to show a two suited hand (5-5 or longer) when surrounded by 2 bidders.  It shows the remaining 2 suits.
  • You may do this on the same level.  No need to jump

  • 	Dealer
    	1C
    1N		P
    	1S

     

• • • *This is a Sandwich NT.   The opponents have bid 2 suits.
      • You would rarely have a real NT hand and if you did, Partner would have very little or nothing in the way of points.
    • This shows 5-5 or better in the 2 remaining suits (hearts and diamonds) and usually a weakish hand.
    • This is an alertable bid.
    • It differs from a double in two ways:
      • A double would usually show more strength.
      • You probably would not be 5-5 or better in the un-bid suits for your takeout double.

Why would you play 1NT as sandwich NT (unusual) in this situation?

If you have a 15-17-point hand, your partner would be broke or close to broke.

Let’s say the opener has 13 points, and the responder holds 8.  If you have 16, that leaves 3 for your partner.  Do you like to play NT with a 3-5 point dummy?

Count Tricks During Bidding, Points are just an aid.

by Jeff Kroll

S 1S

N 2S

S 3S --(This shows 5+ spades and 16-17 points).  With a better hand I would bid 4S. 
I have 12 hcp + 2 for the 5th and 6th spade in a good suit that partner supported + 1 point for all the 10's = 15 points.  A point short for the bid. 

Counting tricks I have:  5-6 spades (it should be 6, unless I am unlucky enough to have the King of spades behind me.),two clubs (unless I am unlucky enough to have both the King and Queen behind me) That's 8 likely tricks. 

If partner has the King of spades, I need partner to have 2 more tricks for game.  If partner does not have the King of spades, I need the King to be onside,then I only need 2 more tricks from partner.  If it's offside I need 3 more tricks from partner. Partner should have 2-3 tricks for me with partner's 2S bid. So, that's enough for me to invite game -which I did.

S 3NT (Show a 10-point hand in support of spades.  I would have just bid 4S)

N 4S I lose 1 heart, 1 diamond and 1club making 4S.

Susan and Bob Domsalla

Bob started playing duplicate bridge with Susan in August of 2022.  They went to the national bridge tournament in Phoenix soon after and won their bracket at one of the events, and it’s been Gung-Ho ever since! At that NABC in November 2022, Susan made Silver Life Master, which is awarded to Life Masters who have reached a total of 1000 Master Points, of which at least 200 are silver/red/gold/platinum.

Susan and Bob married in 1970, but before that, Susan had 'made' Bob take bridge lessons because her family played bridge. Bob says he 'tolerated' it, and they played social bridge for many years.  Then in 2012, a 'social bridge' friend invited Susan to be her duplicate partner. Susan declined, but her friend picked her up for the game anyway, and Susan was hooked! For the next ten years or so Susan played duplicate with various partners and tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade Bob to play with her.

Then one of her former 'social bridge' partners (whom many of us know), Ruth Shepley, asked Susan and Bob to go on a bridge cruise. Susan declined, knowing Bob wouldn't play duplicate, but Ruth went to Bob and he agreed. "Who can successfully say 'No' to Ruth?" asks Bob. They came home with 10 Silver MPs and Bob said, "When's the next tournament?" So, there you have it!

Bob and Susan's partnership continued to improve as they went from tournament to tournament, loving the travel and meeting new people. Bob’s total is now 493 MPs - just 7 (any color) away from Life Master! Recent tournaments have found them at the Houston Regional in February 2025, the Charleston New Year's 2024-25 Regional, and the Fall 2024 Nationals in Las Vegas where they won two team events with the Nashes and came home with 38 MPs-36 of them Gold!

If you wonder how bridge players make their way 'up the line,' just witness the Domsallas. Since Bob started playing with Susan in August of 2022, I counted 29 tournaments they have attended including nationals, regionals, and even two sectionals at sea. They have learned, as have many of us, that team events are the key for the most MPs.

The Domsallas are 'fixtures' at their regular club, Bridge Club of Houston. Susan has been in charge of the Ambassador program for several years.  You will see them arrive with some wonderfulness at food events - especially smoked pulled pork cooked by Bob.  Bob and Susan also help with the 'little things' somebody needs to do, for which few ever get credit. We are happy to feature Susan and Bob Domsalla!

Congratulations to all those who won, placed and participated in the Max Levitt Regional in February!  BCOH was extremely well represented with many of our players winning GOLD points, many more winning RED and lots of new players for whom this was their first tournament.  

You can check out all the results here:  Max Levitt Regional Results.  There are so many winners, if I try to list them all, I will surely miss someone!  

What a great time we all had and many kudos to the winners!

For Newer Players

Lessons, Lessons, Lesson & Practice, Practice, Practice

In Person at the club:

• 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                                                         

Special Events at BCOH in March 

• March 1-Emerald Life Master Party for Dolores Aquino, Open and 299ers
• March 7 - Pizza Friday, Open Pairs, 10:30 am
• March 9 - Open Swiss Teams, 1:30 pm    
• March 10 - ACBL Silver Pairs, 11:55 am
• March 28 - Betty Cartmell Life Master Party, Open Pairs, 10:30 am
                   

       The deadline for the April Newsletter is March 15!