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Tuesday and Wednesday are our Duplicate Club card games, both starting at 11:30 a.m., at the Mower County Senior Center in Austin. Players come from Rose Creek, Mason City and Northwood, Iowa, Albert Lea and Austin. 

We welcome new players, some with years of experience, others just getting into this game which is actually addicting, as one termed it.  

Yes, it requires one to think, count, analyze, finesse, remember all things recommended by doctors to extend aging. 

Tuesday, we had four and a half tables, which is nine teams. An Albert Lea team led the roster: 

• First place, Barb Rofshus and Lorraine Quinlivan

• Second place, Millie Siever and Bill Momsen

• Third place (tie), Camilla Sparks and Paul Hanson and Vandy Newman and Ron Peters

“Going down” is not just a term used in an elevator. You will hear it also at the Duplicate Bridge Club. A short  synopsis of this happened on Wednesday. Partner vulnerable, sitting east opened the bidding with 1 spade, followed by a pass from south, then partner having five spades, headed by the ace, bid 4 spades. Opponent sitting north had a big hand also, and opened the bidding for their side at 5 hearts, east passed, south bid six hearts, and west put partner back in the game by bidding 6 spades, small slam, everybody passed. 

The reasoning for over bidding is reasonable because east/west, planned on getting set, prevented the north/south team from reaching a makeable contract, which would gain them four points. Yes, east/west went down four, yet north south received not four points but two points, and east/west also received two points. Moral of the story is, don’t be afraid of going down. 

Austin players with a big, big score of 80 points, were:

• First place, Gail Schmidt and Dave Ring

• Second place, Tom Flaherty and Stan Schultz. 

• Third place, Bonnie Fritz and Lorraine Quinlivan

• Fourth place, John Leisen and Rick Stroup

• Fifth place, Larry Crowe and Jim Fisher