There will be a high/Low game on Friday May 9 at 7:15. There will be wine and cheese served. The players with the lower half of the master points will draw a player from the higher half. Please join us for a fun evening.

I occasionally tell my kids, “let me tell you about a bridge hand” As they give me a strange look, I change the subject. Bridge is a wonderful game. Unfortunately it is dying out. Most of us learned in college, but kids today (under age 60) spent those years with TV, video games, etc. I want to play another 25 years. We need new members so I can have someone to play with. Invite a friend to play. If they haven’t played before, you will both play for free. (Life Masters can play in the 299er game if you want, you just can’t win Masterpoints) And let me tell you about a bridge hand, I held 6 spades AKJ, and……..

Sid LeBlanc

District 10 Split Regional

Mobile, Ala.

March 31 – April 6, 2008

Unit 134 Masterpoint Results

99.21 John Onstott

94.43 Louis Fiorella

69.93 Iype Koshy

32.41 Joann Van Geffen

32.41 Jean Talbot

20.55 Bernie Weiss

20.55 August Bagert

16.16 Ronald Berenger

16.16 Paul Freese

10.30 Lynn Hand

10.30 Ana Urrutia

10.08 Phyllis Bennett

10.08 Nancy Gates

10.00 Tadeusz Wiewiorowski

10.00 Mathilde Wiewiorowski

9.71 Rose Mary Schembre

9.71 Dloye Swift

8,82 Timothy Calamari, Jr.

8.82 Beverly Dupre

7.22 Nonie Leavitt

6,21 Sally Toups

5.62 Ann Plauche

5.52 Philip Backes

5.52 Patricia Turner

4.80 Ellen Pittman

4.80 Celeste Bowden

4.47 Sue Balmer

2.36 Elenor Onstott

2.30 Peggy Allen

2.30 Jacquelyn Madden

2.16 Margaret Lipps

2.16 Helen Whalen

1.86 Marilyn Kelly

1.73 Elaine Ketteringham

1.00 Lynn Giordano

1.00 Juanita Heidingsfelder

1.00 Di Lapeyre

.99 Raymond Gandolfi

.99 David Wolf

.33 Edward Madden

SPECIAL CLUB EVENTS

May 1 – May 4, 2008

Metairie Derby Day Sectional

May 8^th

International Fund Game - $7.00 Entry Fee – Noon

May 23^rd

Unit Championship Game

Noon - $6.00 Entry Fee

May 26^th thru June lst

Club Championship Week

All Sessions - $6.00 Entry Fee

June 6^th

World Wide Game

7:15 PM. $7.00 Entry Fee

June 7^th

World Wide Game

Noon - $7.00 Entry Fee

June 21^st

Unit Championship Game

Noon - $6.00 Entry Fee

AREA CLUB EVENTS

June 5^th thru June 8^th

Baton Rouge Sectional

Know the Director Rulings

Jennie Flynn Sauviac

Lead out of Turn

“Oops! It’s not my lead?!”

This embarrassing moment is a frequent source of director calls. Leads out of turn can occur at the opening lead or at the lead to any subsequent trick.

Opening leads out of turn would rarely occur if the opening leader would simply remember to lead face down. A facedown lead can be withdrawn in favor of the correct defender making the opening lead, and it allows three other players to catch the problem before it occurs. However, suppose that he wrong defender faces an opening lead. The director should be called immediately. When the director arrives at the table, the first question that he should ask is “Did either member of the declaring side tell you that it was your lead?” If the answer is yes, then the lead out of turn may be withdrawn without penalty. If such wrong information has not been given, the Director will give the Declarer five options:

1. Declarer may accept the opening lead but have the privilege of seeing Dummy before she plays from her hand.

2. Declarer may accept the opening lead and put her hand down as Dummy, allowing her partner to declare the hand.

3. Declarer may choose not to accept the opening lead and require that the correct defender lead the suit that is represented by the opening lead out of turn. If Declarer chooses this option, the offending leader may return the improperly led card to his hand and play any card of that suit when it is his turn to play.

4. Declarer may choose not to accept the opening lead and require that the correct defender NOT lead the suit that is represented by the opening lead out of turn. The correct defender then may not lead that suit for as long as she retains the lead. If Declarer chooses this option, the offending leader may return the improperly led card to his hand and play any card of that suit at his turn to play.

5. Declarer may choose not to accept the opening lead and allow the correct defender to lead any suit that she wishes. In this case, the offender’s improper opening lead remains on the table as a major penalty card, and it must be played at its first legal opportunity.

After the first trick, a defender may also make a lead out of turn. For example the defender may miss that his partner played a higher card to the trick. In this case, Declarer may accept the lead or apply any one of options 3, 4, or 5 above if she chooses not to accept the lead.

If the Declarer leads from the wrong hand, either defender, without consulting with his partner, may accept or reject the lead by making a statement to that effect. Saying “I think you’re in your hand (or Dummy}” or “Aren’t you in your hand (or Dummy}” does not constitute a rejection of the Declarer’s erroneous lead. Should the defenders make simultaneous declarations, the Director is required to accept the wishes of the Defender whose turn it would be next to play.

In the end all of these problems would be avoided if players would adhere to the number one rule of bridge. Pay Attention.

WISDOM AT THE BRIDGE TABLE

“It is not the handling of difficult hands that makes the wining player. There aren’t enough of them. It is the ability to avoid messing up the easy ones”. –Alan Sontag

IN MEMORIAM

Burt Klein

Layton Merritt

In lieu of flowers, the families of Burt and Layton have requested that any donations made in their memory be given to Louisiana Bridge Association.