Thanks to Stan Dub of Shaker Heights for this hand from a bracketed knock out team event at the Gatlinburg, TN Regional Bridge Tournament that was held from April 9 to 15. This tournament was one of the largest regional events ever held. The final table count was over 10,000 and was more than many national tournamants.
Dub was South for this deal. Sitting North was Bill Seddon of Durham, NC. The team was placed in bracket five with fifteen other teams with similar master point totals. There were 528 teams in the event which filled thirty-three brackets.
After two passes, Dub bid one no trump. West doubled, showing an equivalent hand. Seddon redoubled. The partnership agreement for this bid was "to play". Seddon was showing enough strength to play one no trump.
In retrospect, East would have done well to bid two clubs. With nothing to speak of, he passed. Dub passed and West had nowhere to go so he passed and led the king of spades. This trick was ducked by all and West continued spades. Dub won the third round and knocked out the king of hearts. West cashed his last spade and led a club. Dub won and was able to claim nine tricks. This was worth a score of +960.
At the companion table, Frank Aquila of Fairlawn held the West cards. His partner was Estelle Margolin of Rego Park, NY. He had the same decision to make as the player in his seat at Dub's table. Aquila decided that his hand was not worth a double. After North and East passed, Aquila led the king of spades and declarer made an overtrick for a score of +120. This result was converted to 13 International Match Points (imps). This was the final match in the event and Dub's team won by seven imps. Winning this bracket earned each team member forty-five gold master points.
Partnership understandings can be very important. This is especially true when it comes to low level doubles and redoubles.
Congratulations to all of the local players who were successful in their respective events at this tournament.
April 9.
Donald and Helen Brock of Cuyahoga Falls were first in Stratum C of the Evening Charity Pairs.
April 10.
Charles and Barbara Bisesi of Berea were first in the Evening 299er Pairs and Tom and Gladys Martin of Hudson were second in Stratum A of the Evening Side Game. Roger Tiktin of Lakewood, Frank Aquila of Fairlawn, and Stan Dub of Shaker Heights were members of the team that was second in Bracket 4 of the Monday-Tuesday Bracketed Knock Out Teams. James Reeve of North Royalton and Mary Spooner of Brunswick were members of the team that was tied for third place in Bracket 8 and Robert Dykes of Lakewood, Jim Breckel of Medina, and Wayne Heritage of North Olmsted were members of the team that was first in Bracket 12 of the same event.
April 11.
Judith Taylor of Cuyahoga Falls, Flo Hinshaw of Ashland, and Donald and Katy Moyer of Silver Lake were first in Bracket 8 of the Morning Compact Knock Out Teams. Mary Lou VerMerris of Gates Mills, Wayne Ward of Newbury, and Joanne and Robert Lane of Beachwood were second in Bracket 7 of the Morning Compact Consolation Knock Out Teams. Dub and Aquila were on the team that was first in Bracket 5 of the Bracketed Knock Out Teams.
April 12.
Hao Ge of Cleveland was a member of the team that was second in the Midnight Zip Knock Out Teams.
April 13.
Judith and Marvin Shapiro of Akron with Susan and Richard Roberts of Cuyahoga Falls were first in Bracket 14 of the Morning Compack Knock Out Teams. Phil Becker of Beachwood, Laurie Kranyak of Bay Village, with Don and Kathleen Sulgrove of Twinsburg were tied for third in Bracket 1 of the Thursday-Friday Bracketed Knock Out Teams. Ken Kranyak of Bay Village with Jack Weingold and Joanne Antoniou of Shaker Heights were on the team that tied for third in Bracket 2 of the same event.
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Bernstein is
a free-lance writer in Solon. To reach Harvey Bernstein: hjb0416@yahoo.com