There were 7 pairs in competition for our Kingsville club’s annual Membership Game. Winners were: Mahesh Maruvada of Corpus Christi and Mary Tryer, first; Lina Crumpler of Corpus Christi and Betty Nielsen of Falfurrias, second; Libby Boeye of Corpus Christi and Lou Thurston, third; and Don and Evelyn Guynn of Premont, fourth. A big congrats to Dr. Maruvada who achieved his first 70+% game Monday night while playing like a tiger.

It was easy to pick a deal to feature from the 28 deals in Monday night’s competition. Deal 10 produced rare combination in the East/ West cards and presented the perfect opportunity for East to open the bidding with the “Gambling Three No Trump.”

This is how the Gambling Three No Trump works: With a long, solid minor suit (clubs or diamonds) and no outside strength (high cards) in the other three suits a player opens the bidding with 3 No Trump! This is not as crazy as it may seem. With seven or eight tricks guaranteed in opener’s solid minor suit and, with luck, one or two tricks from partner, three no trump will often make! That is, if there is communication (partner is not void) in opener’s minor suit!

There are a bevy of responses available to partner after opener’s conventional Three No Trump opening bid. I won’t list them in this column, but those who are interested in this convention may look it up on Google. I might mention that the RIPSTRA convention is a typical defense against the Gambling Three No Trump. Another Google project for those interested.

What is so unique about the hand in the diagram is that West can almost envision the complete deal from the opening bid. West will most likely bid 6 No Trump and wish that, in order to protect his heart tenace, he could be declarer. This type of problem, with no trump played from the wrong side, is one of the big downsides of this convention.

It is obvious by conventional agreement that the opponent’s have the ace and queen of hearts. Knowing this, West may opt for a 6 diamond contract, since diamonds must be partner’s solid minor—the only suit in which West doesn’t have an honor, ergo…! A six diamond contract is slightly less risky, since the partner with the heart tenace will be declarer.

Be sure to join us for our next game on Monday, October 25, in the Woman’s Club building. Call 592- 2374 for partners. And, don’t forget to visit our Kingsville Club and Unit 187 web site at http://d16acbl.org/U187/ Kingsville/kingsville.html.