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Duplicate Bridge is played Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Mower County Senior Center in Austin. Start time is 11:30 a.m. sharp.

A small fee is charged for playing, and the fee to play is to pay for the space. The balance is paid back to the winners for the day.

Lunch is served at 11 a.m. by their well staffed kitchen, and some of the players will be having their lunch before the games start.

Players come from Austin, Albert Lea, Rose Creek, Mason City, Iowa and Northwood, Iowa.

Nine teams played Tuesday. Winners were:

• First place, Barb and Orrin Roisen

• Second place, Bonnie Fritz and Rick Stroup

• Third place, Gail Schmidt and Dave Ring

• Fourth place, Larry Crowe and Jim Fisher

• Fifth place, Tom Flaherty and Stan Schultz

Wednesday winners, again playing nine teams, saw a Mason City team take home top honors:

• First place, Bonnie Fritz and Stan Schultz

• Second place, Rick Stroup and Larry Crowe

• Third place, Julie Prochnow and Lorraine Quinlivan

• Fourth place, Gail Schmidt and Dave Ring.

Jerry Helms wrote an article for the ACBL Magazine, titled “Ask Jerry.” Someone had written to him and asked the following question: Is it always right to respond up the line in four card suits when a partner opens 1 club? This question reminded me of a team from Albert Lea, who played with our group on a weekly basis, and most always took top honors home with them. They used this convention to the letter.

Helms’ partner declared that the “up the line” bid which would be 1 diamond was incorrect, if the partner had a four card major. Helms here interjects the current trend for duplicate bridge players, modern thinking opponents, having an annoying habit of intruding on the auction.

Helms is careful to not mention “always” or “never” when giving advice because the game is actually all about “frequently,” “generally,” and “usually.”

Case in point, earlier this week, a partner opened 1 diamond, RHO bid 2 diamonds (cue bidding his partner to bid a major) next played doubled, showing support in the diamond suit, but the ruse worked.