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Some duplicate players (most of the Austin group are in their 70s through 90s) are rated good to expert. General consensus is that we are all good players, a few are excellent and several are experts. The rest of us are run of the mill, average players.

This writer belongs to the average, and wonders how it is that the learning process takes so long, yet when at the age of 20, knew everything. In duplicate bridge, we are pleased that the experts willingly educate us. We can ask them what does their bid mean or how many points does your partner have to make the bid, etc. Please explain your bid response.

Put a bushel of common sense into the mix and you are able to figure out their hand, and also what your partner might have, no matter if partner passes or bids.  We all agree that this game is a defensive game.

Austin duplicate club plays Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Mower County Senior Center, starting at 11:30 a.m. This Tuesday, we had only seven teams.

Winners were:

First place, John Leisen and Rick Stroup

Second place, Lorraine Quinlivan and Barb Rofshus

Third place, Vandy Newman and Ron Peters

Wednesday games produced a vacancy of winners from Austin. Players came from Rose Creek, Mason City, Iowa, Albert Lea and Austin. It’s a given that we will all take a razzing from the two guys from Rose Creek who took top honors both days.

Winners were:

First place, John Leisen and Rick Stroup

Second place, Barb Rofshus and Paul Hanson

Third place, Bonnie Fritz and Lorraine Quinlivan

Fourth place, Tom Flaherty and Stan Schultz

See you next week. We’ll all be there.