You have been warned many times to beware of pickpockets when you are in a strange crowd. Well, there are no stranger crowds than a room full of tournament bridge players - and any one of them will try to pick your pocket.
After South bid five spades, West has no reason to think that he has the cards to make a penalty double. East, fearful of a heart void in one of the opponents hand, also deferred. The final result of down three was a top score for the North-South pair. Many East-West players were scoring +450 and +480, so a double, earning +500, would have been the top score.
Here is my advice on hands like these. Never allow the opponents to bid to the five level in a competitive auction and play that contract undoubled! The rationale is simple. If the contract is made, it is not going to be a good result for you, so how much worse could it be if it is doubled?
From a matchpoint perspective, if all of the North-South pairs are biddng five spades, and the contract is making, you will get an average result. When eight matchpoints is the best score, average will be four. If you double and they make, you will get zero. This is not good, but you have only lost four matchpoints. On the other hand, if the opponents have overbid in an attempt to keep you from making a cold contract, you must punish them to have any chance at all. Don't worry about the odd contract that makes when you double; it won't happen that often.
District Five of the American Contract Bridge League held the Rock and Roll Regional Bridge Tournament in Independence on January 10 - 14. The following players were successful in their respective events on January 10. Additional results will be listed in future columns.
Two-session Stratified Open Pairs (50 pairs). Stratum A. 1. Niel Waletzky, Shaker Heights, and Jack Shapiro, Beachwood. 2. Roy Baldwin, Dublin, and George St. Pierre, Columbus. Stratum B. 1. Nancy Kline, Chagrin Falls, and McKinley Whittlesey, Bratenahl. 2. Ernest Humbert, Uniontown, and James Sullivan, Richfield. Stratum C. 1. Linda Gracey, Twinsburg, and Betty Williams, North Royalton. 2. Sue Ann Martin, Bloomfield, MI, and Helen Cook, Troy, MI.
Evening Stratified Swiss Teams (12 teams). Stratum A. 1. Harriet Adelstein, Chagrin Falls, Eva Lefton, Cleveland, Hope Ellis, Beachwood, and Diane Wasserman, University Heights. 2. Lloyd Loux, Westlake, Michael Cassel II, Roseville, MN, Rick Kaye, Bingham Farms, MI, and Jim Bachelder, Columbus. Stratum B. 1. Adelstein, Lefton, Ellis, and Wasserman. 2. Jerome Yeamans, Lorain, W. Thomas Stahl, Vermilion, Lynn Nosse, Grafton, and Sheila Fasbender, Arcadia, IN. Stratum C. 1. Barbara Cunliffe, Bentleyville, Jayne Brooks, Gates Mills, Marilyn Doman and Stephanie James, Chagrin Falls.
Afternoon Side Game (22 pairs). Stratum A. 1. Gail Hastings, Verona, PA, and Louis Joseph, Pittsburgh. 2. Lois Butler, Chagrin Falls, and Rosalyn Sukenik, Cleveland. Stratum B. 1. Butler and Sukenik. 2. Bob Bartko, Aurora, and Ken Resnick, Beachwood. Stratum C. 1. Barbara Eggleston, Aurora, and Sara Seals, Cleveland. 2. William and Mary Roberts, North Ridgeville.
Evening Side Game (24 pairs). Stratum A. 1. Gail Hastings, Verona, PA, and Louis Joseph, Pittsburgh. 2. Jack Charles, Pittsburgh, Jeffrey Myers, Willowick. Stratum B. 1. Charles and Myers. 2. Robert Phifer, Willoughby, and Dom Albertone, Wickliffe. Stratum C. 1. Victor Shaia, Westlake, and Anthony Asher, Moreland Hills. 2/3. Henry Bohl Jr. and Mary Jane Bohl, Pittsburgh, with Jim Wilson and Ronald Bakeman, Strongsville.
Afternoon 299er Pairs (16 pairs). Stratum A. 1. Raul De La Iglesia, Brecksville, and Karl Stechele, Brunswick. 2. Arden Snyder and Bob Wyler, Akron. Stratum B. 1. Snyder and Wyler. 2. Laura Palascak, Rocky River, and Joan Paskert, Naples, FL.
Evening 299er Pairs (12 pairs). Stratum A. 1. Judith and Marvin Shapiro, Akron. 2. James Lewis, Sheffield Lake, and Woodrow Ban, Hudson. Stratum B. 1. Lewis and Ban. 2. Charleen Drotning, Mayfield Heights, and Mary McLeod, Chagrin Falls.
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Bernstein is
a free-lance writer in Solon. To reach Harvey Bernstein: hjb0416@yahoo.com