Newsletter - 11 August 2023
In this week’s newsletter...
- President's Message
- Announcing Will Jenner-O'Shea Upcoming Workshops - September to November
- Upcoming Sessions and Events
- Nationwide Pairs - Friday 18 August
- Saturday Afternoon Bridge Trial starting 19 August
- Women's Training Camp 27 August
- BFACT Gala Pairs - 16 September
- Canberra In Bloom - 29 September to 2 October - Substitutes and Partner Desk Open for Matching!
- Wagga Wagga 42nd Annual Congress - 18/20 August
- Golden Canola Spring Congress - Cootamundra 23/24 September
- Ian Morison: Interesting Hand
- Lighter Moments
President's Message
At this time of the year there are plenty of opportunities for all levels of players to gain valuable gold and red points to enable you to rise on the masterpoints ladder. With NSW Online Pairs league, the Gala Pairs and Canberra in Bloom all happening now through to October, take your opportunities. Will Jenner-O’Shea lessons will give you the key strategies to improve your bidding and play, so join him and have fun.
In October we have our Annual General Meeting and select the members of the Committee to run the club for the next twelve months. Please consider whether you would like to stand for committee next year. The nomination forms will be circulated early in September but now is the time for members to consider if you would be interested in joining us and developing the next stage of our journey. I promise that exciting times are ahead.
Tim Mather
Will Jenner-O'Shea Workshops
Will is excited to announce 3 more workshops in 2023:
The Main Rules of Bridge - When to Follow Them, When to Break Them - Saturday 2 September 10am to 3pm
Topics include
- A New Suit by Responder is Forcing
- Cover an Honour With An Honour
- Second Player, Play Low, Third Player, Play High
How Do Competitive Bids Change at Different Levels - Saturday 14 October 10am to 3pm
Topics include
- Doubles at the One-Level and the Two-Level
- Overcalls at the One-Level and the Two-Level
- No-Trumps at the One-Level and the Two-Level
- Responding to All of Those Things
End of Year Summary - Saturday 25 November 10am to 3pm
Topics include
- Practice a Variety of Topics and Revise 2023
- Revise Bidding, Play and Defence Topics from Throughout The Year
- Replay Many of the Interesting Hands From All The Workshops This Year
Supervised Lessons
These happen on Wednesdays from 7pm, or Fridays from 9.30am.
9/11 August - Declarer play: Planning and Play points
- 16/18 August: Declarer play: Entries and Play order
- 23/25 August: Same bid - different message
- 30 August/1 Sept: System Card
- 6/8 September: transition to duplicate
- 13/15 September: Etiquette, duplicate play, bridgemates and scoring. : [new beginners join supervised]
- 20/22 September: doubles and overcalls
- 27/29 September: Opening leads and signals
Master the Basics
Master the Basics virtual lessons are on Thursdays at 9.00am. Please email Barb Toohey if you want to be added to the Zoom class. It's $8 for members and $10 for non-members. The lessons run for 30 minutes.
Next Thursday the session is on Bidding: To Bid or Not to Bid!
Upcoming Events
Support your Clubs and Their Committees
BFACT AGM - Saturday 16 September, immediately following the Gala Pairs.
CBC AGM - Thursday 5 October, 5.30pm
Nationwide Pairs
The monthly Nationwide Pairs will return to the Club on the afternoon of Friday, 18 August. The Nationwide Pairs are played by clubs across the country, so it is a chance to be scored against players of all calibres Australia-wide. Red masterpoints are on offer. No pre-entry or additional cost – just walk-in with your partner. The Nationwide Pairs will take up the 1.15pm afternoon session every third Friday of the month.
A new opportunity for Saturday Afternoon Bridge
You will soon have two options for enjoying bridge on a Saturday afternoon – at the Club or online. From 19 August we will be holding a four-week trial of face-to-face bridge, in parallel with the existing RealBridge session. This walk-in game will commence at 1pm, followed by RealBridge at 1.15pm. The four trial Saturdays are 19 August, 26 August, 2 September and 9 September.
The Committee understands that there are different views on Saturday afternoons, and particularly the concerns of current RealBridge players that a live alternative may impact their session. That is why we are proposing to undertake this as a four-session trial and to consider your feedback before any decision is made on a permanent change.
CBC Women's Training Camp 27 August
A reminder that the first session is on Sunday August 27 at 1:30pm. If you are planning to come please let us know via the webpage, or tell the office, or email Jodi Tutty. This will help with planning boards etc.
The second session will be on Sunday 15th October and led by Will Jenner O'Shea.
Interested? Please come along!
Please enter by online form on the Canberra Bridge Club website, or email Jodi Tutty or tell the office.
BFACT GALA "GOLD" Pairs - 16 September
The Bridge Federation of the ACT is holding a Gala "Gold" Pairs Day on Saturday, 16 September 2023 at the CBC at 9.45am.
The top two placed contending pairs will form the ACT 2 Team at the GNOT.
The ACT Provincial Team will be the top 2 contending pairs that qualify with ACT Provincial status, i.e. those from provincial areas or those with less than 300 masterpoints per person.
Entries should be submitted by 10.00am 14 September. The cost is $15 for full time students and pension concession card holders and $40 for all others.
Entry by MyABF. If you need help accessing MyABF please chat with the directors.
Canberra In Bloom - including Special Novice Event
Starting Friday 29 September, right here at Canberra Bridge Club! A national Gold point event with Pairs & Teams events for players of all abilities! See MyABF for more detail (or entries) and direct enquiries to
Note this year has the inaugural Butterfly Orchid Novice Pairs event on the Friday afternoon for beginners with less than 5 masterpoints - it lets you put your toe in the water to see what a congress is like:)
Canberra In Bloom - Volunteers needed!
Canberra in Bloom Needs You! You can help our very own congress to run smoothly and be a terrific success by making yourself available as a partner for players wanting to enter an event or as a substitute.
Regular partner/s may not be available to play in the event for a variety of reasons, so the Partnership Desk tries to match up players of similar skill levels.
Substitutes play for free, and are usually called in at short notice, because someone registered to play can no longer play in a particular session or event. Substitutes may be asked to play for a session, or for an entire event, depending on circumstances, including the substitute’s availability and preferences.
The events are:
- Friday, 29 September - Pairs, morning and afternoon sessions - Novices (U100MP), Intermediate (U750MP), Open (anyone can play!) Pairs, afternoon session - Rookies (U5MP)
- Saturday, 30 September and Sunday, 1 October: Teams, Saturday morning and afternoon, and Sunday morning - Mixed and Open (any number of Masterpoints)
- Sunday, 1 October and Monday, 2 October: Swiss Pairs, Sunday afternoon, and Monday morning and afternoon - Novices (U100MP), Intermediate (U750MP), Open (anyone can play!)
Thank you to everyone who has already volunteered to help out at our very own congress Canberra in Bloom from Friday 29 September to Monday 2 October. Thank you particularly to the rookies who’ve already put their hands up!
We need players at all levels available for one or more sessions. You might be playing in a particular event, say the Spider Orchid Pairs on Friday, but you might be available to substitute on Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Substitutes might be asked to play just a few hands, a session, or a whole event, depending on whether the person they are subbing for is delayed in traffic, or has fallen ill, for example. And, bonus, substitutes play for free!
If you can help out, please contact Bricet Klören. Don’t forget to include your best phone contact number, and which sessions you are or are not available.
Wagga Wagga Bridge Club - 42nd Annual Congress 18/20 August
Friday Night 18 August 6.45pm for 7.00pm - Walk-in or enter online
Saturday 19: 10.00am for 10.30am start. Swiss Pairs
Sunday 20: 9.00am for 9.15am start. Swiss Teams
Online entry: www.nswba.com.au/tourn/calendar.asp
Cootmundra Bridge Club - Golden Canola Spring Congress 23/24 September
Swiss pairs on the Saturday and Swiss Teams on the Sunday. Details here. Enter https://www.bridgewebs.com/cootamundra/home.html
Interested in becoming a bridge director? Or just want to improve your knowledge of the rules? In either case, Sebastian Yuen is an international director who will transport you to new levels of knowledge and learning.
Saturday/Sunday 18 & 19 November - for aspiring new or in-training directors.
Results
Orange Congress
Congratulations to
- Sue Whigham and Joyanne Gough who took out the restricted pairs
- Peter Kahler, Liz Van Der Hor, Peter Quach and Janet Kahler came 3rd in the Open Teams
and - Geoff Hutchins, Helen Little, Chris and Morag Lokan came 4th
Ian Morison: Interesting Hand
To read Ian's column please press here.
Lighter Moments
People can’t explain puns to kleptomaniacs because they take things literally.
Hotel minibars allow people to see into the future by discovering what beverages will cost in 10 years.
David’s parents have three sons: Snap, Crackle and…?
- David.
Be kind in all things
Tamara (for Kerry and Tamara)
