Newsletter 24 January 2025
In our newsletter this week...
- Supervised Sessions
- Competitive Bidding & Play
- Mentor Pairs Evening
- Workshop with Will Jenner-O'Shea
- Wednesday Night Pizzas
- Upcoming Events
- Ian Morison
- Lighter Moments
- Miscellaneous
Supervised Play is starting next week!
Supervised Sessions are back for 2025 and this year there will be a 15 minutes lecture in the beginning hosted by Steve Geddes, please note the early start time. You can stay and join in the Supervised play after the lecture or go over to the usual Wednesday night or Friday morning Duplicate.
- Jan 29 - Dec 17 Wednesday 6:45pm -10pm
- Jan 31 - Dec 19 Friday 9:00am - 12:30pm
Competitive Bidding & Play with Barb Toohey
- Tuesday 10.00 am – 12.00 noon workshops
- Start: Tuesday 4th Feb - Finish: Tuesday 25th Feb
- How much does it cost: $15 per session (or $50 for all four)
One course only this year (4 weeks x 2 hours) ideally suited for players who have completed a Beginners Course in the last few years or those returning to Bridge and anyone wishing to improve their defensive play.
Once the opponents have opened the bidding, how can you get into the auction? And if your opponents win the auction, how can you and your partner develop a defence plan? Are you always missing that extra vital trick in defence? Come and learn how to improve this important area of your play.
For further information, please contact:
Players are welcome to attend as individuals or as a partnership. If you are unable to attend all sessions, please feel free to just come to those that suit. The lessons are given on a walkin basis, there is no need to pre-register.
Mentor Pairs for Advancing Players
On Tuesday evening 11 February, the Club will conduct a Mentoring session for members who are interested in advancing their bridge towards competition level. Regular Tuesday night competition players will pair up with advancing members who wish to move to a more competitive environment. We are encouraging our regular competition players to invite other members who they know to play with them on the night. We will also arrange partnerships for any other members who are interested.
- When: Tuesday 11 February, 7.15pm
- Cost: $15 for mentees and free for mentors - will be charged on the day, the cost to register through myABF is zero.
- Format: One session, Butler (teams style) scoring
To enter:
- For all Mentees intending to enter, please do so via myABF (Click here). List your partners as TBA. We will arrange partnership.
- For all Mentors, please email the office to register your interest.
Workshop with Will Jenner-O'Shea
The much anticipated Will Jenner-O'Shea's workshop is back on 23 February at 10 am.
The topic is "Getting To Good No-Trump Games More Often":
- Using the Fourth-Suit Forcing Convention
- Showing Stoppers, and Asking for Stoppers
- Improve Your Hand Evaluation
- Play and Defence Tips at No-Trump Contracts
- 10 am - Sunday February 23rd
- Cost: $60
- click here to register
This whole day workshop includes morning tea and lunch.
Wednesday Night Pizzas
The Wednesday night pizzas provide the opportunity for social interaction while enjoying a pizza sampling. It provides a great opportunity to talk to and socialise with your fellow players, which is not always the case when engaged in playing bridge.
- 29 January - 6:30pm
- $5 payable on the day for half a pizza
Those wishing to partake should place their name on a list on the noticeboard or contact Jon Pike directly. His email is
Upcoming Events
Mentor Pairs for Advancing Players
- 11 Feb 7:15pm
- Click here to Enter
Ian Morison
Lighter Moments
Most of our players who participated in the Summer Festival of Bridge have hopefully recovered by now; it can be a grueling test of stamina as well as bridge skill to play in such a big competition.
There were however some lighter moments, one of our players related a story where she was so tired towards the end of an event that she couldn't find her cards, only to realise, after some time searching, that she had put her cards stacked neatly into the bidding box!
Jodi also told me this funny story about being so exhausted at her competition that at one stage she and her opponents were bidding and pushing the bid under the screen (in serious competitions there are screens that can be pulled down to stop players from taking inference about who is hesitating, or giving body languages, etc) and after 3 or 4 bids were made, everyone realized that the screen had not been pulled down at all!
Personally, having not played in many big events before I found the 4 days competition daunting at the start but once I got over the nerves I learnt quite a lot. The article below was written by Steve Geddes who was my partner in the South West Pacific Teams, about a hand that I thought I was the one who was being optimistic but my partner's optimism was even greater.
Miscellaneous
The club would like to donate 2 overhead projectors and one screen to anyone who might use them. Please contact the office if you are interested.
I have received an incredible amount of feedback from our members regarding last week's newsletter, seems that it has become a very popular edtition. Thanks for all the empathy and for sharing with me your own tales of embarrassing mistakes.
Have a lovely weekend everyone!
Elizabeth
