KIBITZER

Louisiana Bridge Association

February 2008 – Grace Davis, Editor

UPRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Ed Baldinger has stepped down as president of the bridge club, a position he has held since Millard Fillmore was in the White House. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for his many years of hard work. Most people aren’t aware of how much he does for the club and how well he does it. His common sense approach to problems served the club well. He did a great job as president for my six years on the board. He does a million (or so ) things people aren’t aware of to keep the club running. Please tell him how much you appreciate his work next time you see him. He will remain on the board and has been given a lifelong right to complain about anything.

The main point I want to emphasize in this issue is that this is your club. It is not Ed’s club or my club or the board’s club. We need your help to make it run. It only runs thorough the efforts of volunteers. If you have not volunteered, you should feel a little guilty. I would like to take advantage of that guilt and help you get rid of it. We need volunteers to run the Halloween game, for club maintenance, nominating committee, partnership for the July tournament, clean the kitchen, work on the 2010 nationals (See John Federico about helping with hospitality, registration, prizes, daily bulletin, entertainment or ?) If something needs to be done at the club, “just do it”. ….

I would like to thank the many of you who have volunteered. Without your help, the club could not exist. Special thanks to Dee Moses and Suzanne Cliffe for the great job they did on the January tournament. It was the most profitable tournament since Katrina.

We will have a new high/low game on the second Friday evening of each month beginning in March. We will pair players with many masterpoints with players with few. The lower half of the draw will each pick a name from the higher half of the draw.

After discussion with a couple of A/C experts we have installed fans to help with warm or cool spots in the room.

- Sid LeBlanc

SPECIAL CLUB EVNTS

Unit Championship Game

February 12th

10:30 A.M. $6.00 Fee

Senior’s Game (50 years & older)

February 25th

10:30 A.M. $7.00 Fee

ACBL Charity Game

March 12^th

7:15 P.M. - $7.00 Fee

Unit Championship Game

March 19^th

10:30 A.M. - $6.00 Fee

Ace Of Clubs Masterpoints Standings-2007

0-5 Masterpoints

Harriet Nelson

Murrell Girault

Pris Daly

5-20 Masterpoints

George Hill

Vivian Hill

Gloria McMurray

20-50 Masterpoints

Marilyn Downs

Sylvia Kitziger

Mary Regottaz

50-100 Masterpoints

Jane Patterson

Emmanuel Benjamin III

Carolyn York

100-200 Masterpoints

Dee Moses

Jean Faia

Carl Kemmerly

200-300 Masterpoints

Celeste Bowden

Joan Rathe

Juanita Heidingsfelder

300-500 Masterpoints

Bernie Weiss

Edouard Plauche

Marian Haney

500-1000 Masterpoints

Donald Daigle

Lynne Hand

Michael Falcon

1000-2500 Masterpoints

William Weiss

B.B. Gordon

George Runyan

2500-5000 Masterpoints

Dot Babin

Louis Fiorella

John Brumfield

5000-7500 Masterpoints

Judy Katz

Kitten Haag

7500-10,000 Masterpoints

James Bush

Over 10,000 Masterpoints

Jean Talbot

John Onstott

Joan Van Geffen

Mini-McKenney Masterpoints Standings

2997

0-5 Masterpoints

Harriet Nelson

Pris Daly

Murrell Girault

5-20 Masterpoings

Richard Osborne

George Hill

Vivian Hill

20-50 Masterpoints

Marilyn Downs

Tom Dunn

Sylvia Kitziger

50-100 Masterpoints

Carolyn York

Jane Patterson

Sue Smith

100-200 Masterpoints

Dee Moses

Peggy Allen

Mathilde Wiewiorowski

200-300 Masterpoints

August Bagert

Celeste Bowden

Juanita Heidingsfelder

300-500 Masterpoints

Bernie Weiss

Dorothy Riehlmann

Cherryl Mitchell

500-1000 Masterpoints

Donald Daigle

Michael Falcon

Beverly Karl

1000-2500 Masterpoings

John Federico

Paul Deal

B.B. Gordon

2500-5000 Masterpoints

Louis Fiorella

Iype Koshy

Nonnie Leavitt

5000-7500 Masterpoints

Judy Katz

Kitten Haag

7500-10,000 Masterpoints

James Bush

Over 10,000 Masterpoints

John Onstott

Jean Talbot

Joan Van Geffen

KNOW THE DIRECTOR

RULINGS

Jennie Flynn Sauviac

Everyone knows “it was not”, but if you didn’t look before opening 1 Club, only to see RHO had already opened 1 Club, your normal “make it sufficient” with no penalties bid of 2 Clubs now becomes a conventional call (assuming Michaels Cuebids are checked on your Convention Card.

Since few LHO’s accept an insufficient bid, you should know your options. You can make any sufficient bid, except double, including pass, but whatever you bid, even if you bid 2 Clubs, your partner must pass every time it is his turn to bid during the entire auction. And, lead penalties may apply. If you held 6 or more Clubs and hoped that you couldn’t make game, you might bid 2 Clubs, but you could bid 5 Clubs or 3 NT, or any sufficient bid that you hoped you might make. The situation would be the same if you bid 1 Diamond after RHO has bid 1 Diamond.

Additionally, if your Convention Card has Stayman and Jacoby Transfers checked, the following situations might arise. First, partner opens 1 NT, and you then bid 2 Clubs, only to discover that RHO has already bid 2 Clubs. This time 2 Clubs would be a conventional, but in this circumstance insufficient. Thus, according to the Laws, you may make any sufficient bid (except for a double), but partner must pass the rest of the auction. Second, partner again bids 1NT, and you bid 2 Hearts, but then you are awakened from your reverie to discover that RHO has already put that bid on the table. Your conventional Jacoby Transfer bid is insufficient. Again, you can make any bid (except double) that you wish if LHO doesn’t accept your 2

Heart bid. However, whatever you bid, partner must pass. If you have less than 8 points and 5 or more Spades, you can bid 2 Spades. If you have 10 or more points, you can try 3 NT or 4 Spades, but your choice may well be final because your inattentiveness has barred your partner from ever bidding again in the auction.

In any of these situations, your “guess” about what to do may be right, but clearly you would not be in a guessing situation if you had merely made sure of what RHO did before you made your bid. Whenever an insufficient bid occurs at the table, someone must summon the Director. There are many options concerning making an insufficient bid sufficient, and the Director will explain all of your options before a bid is corrected. However, in the area of bids that are or would be conventional when made, the Laws are extremely severe. Paying attention to the auction is still the best way to avoid such difficulties.