Newsletter 27 January 2023
In this week’s newsletter...
- President's Message
- Final Roundoff from the Summer Festival of Bridge
- Supervised Lessons resume 1 and 3 February
- Master the Basics Lessons resume 2 February
- Competitive Bidding and Play - 7, 14, 21 and 28 February - Great for intermediate and novice players
- Feeling replete at the Not-Quite-Valentine's Day Congress - Saturday 11 February
- Illawarra 2023 Bridge Congress - Calendar notice
- Ian Morison
- Lighter Moments
President's Message
Next week beginner classes commence at CBC. If you have any friends or family who may be interested please contact them and request they contact the managers so they can join all the fun and games. While talking about beginners, you may see some new faces around the club. These could be newer players who have recently graduated from supervised classes and are joining the normal duplicate games you are all enjoying. Please be kind and welcoming to these newer players they are CBC’s future. Remember you were new to the game once and you are still playing at CBC because you felt welcomed.
This week the Education committee met to discuss this year’s programme and the details on the Club website. We think it can be improved so if there are any members who have skills in website design or editing could you please contact me.
The Wednesday morning Real Bridge session is gradually losing participants. We would like to keep it going if possible and one plan includes having a spare partnership who could be called upon to participate at short notice. So, if any member pair who do not play at the club on Wednesday morning would like to put their hand up, please advise the managers.
It has been sometime since the table covers have been changed so we are looking for a couple of volunteers to undertake the washing of them monthly. We have one person already so if we can find two more it will be just one wash cycle a month and we will be able to enjoy a cleaner game on freshly covered tables.
A reminder that if you book your travel arrangements with our sponsor Travel Associates in Belconnen then if you mention you are a member of CBC they will provide a commission to the club. So to support our finances, and to help our charges being kept low, please book all your holidays through them, and advise them you play bridge with CBC.
I am told there have been many marriages broken up by an unfinessed queen. Learn from this!
Tim Mather
Upcoming Sessions
Our weekly sessions are almost the same as last week. The Butler is back running on Thursday mornings assuming we have a viable number of tables.
Links to online sessions are on our RealBridge page. Participants are asked to remain at the table, present their best face and not LEEP (leave for extended unexplained periods).
Supervised play is on Wednesday evenings at 7pm and Friday mornings at 9.30am. An experienced player will be available during January to answer any questions.
If you want a partner, phone the office (6282 2382) or email the office a day or two beforehand and we will attempt to match you up with someone. For RealBridge sessions go to the link and chat with the Director if you need a partner.
Canberra Summer Festival of Bridge Final Roundoff
Congratulations to Keith Mitchell and Lesley Gunson who took out the Neura Swiss Pairs!
Roger Brake reached out to say thank all the people who helped with the clean up at the end of the CSOB. Well done volunteers!
Beginners Lessons
Beginners lessons start in February! Beginners are the lifeblood that benefits us all by continuing to succeed and foster this great game. Please encourage our 50 newbies along the way with a smile, an encouraging word and patience. We were all beginners once! Our Beginners registrations are very healthy but there are still spare slots if you know anyone who would like to learn.
Supervised Lessons
Supervised Lessons resume in February! Wednesday night 1 February or Friday morning 3 February. A 15 minute lesson commences at 7pm and 9.30am respectively followed by up to 20 boards.
Here is the program for Feb
- 1/3 Feb: Pre-emptive openings
- 8/10 Feb: Weak 2D/2H/2S openings
- 15/17 Feb: Strong 2C openings
- 22/24 Feb: Slam bidding, Blackwood
Master the Basics
Master the Basics virtual lessons will resume on 2 February 2023 on Thursdays at 9.00am. Please email Barb Toohey if you want to be added to the Zoom class. It's $6 for members and $8 for non-members. The lessons run for 30 minutes.
Competitive Bidding & Play - kicks off Tuesday 7 February
Barb Toohey will again present face-to-face our Competitive Bidding and Play course this year. This is the next step after the beginners lessons, and is suitable for Novice & Supervised Players.
Each week is a 2-hour lesson on a Tuesday morning from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon and will cover an aspect of bidding or play when the opponents have opened or are playing the contract. Notes and practice hands will be included.
The topics each week will concentrate on:
- Doubles
- Overcalls
- Leads
- Signals
Costs are $15 each week or $55 for 4 weeks paid in advance. If you are making a specific payment please put your ABF number and CB&P in the reference field.
Upcoming Events
The Not-Quite-Valentines Day Congress
There are three sections for this full one day event - Open Teams | Novice & Restricted Butler Pairs. Sweethearts and non-sweethearts are all welcome!
- Novice Butler Pairs (<50MP per player)
- Restricted Butler Pairs (<300MP per player)
- Open Teams
- Red points
- Date: Saturday 11 February 2023
- Time: 9:30am start. Please be seated by 9:15am
- Cost: $24 or $22 (concession), $14 (student)
Payment by CBC Pay (if registered), or by deposit to the CBC Bank Account. No cash on the day. - Venue: Canberra Bridge Club
- Director: Sebastien Yuen
- Enter online, closes 10am Thursday 9 February
Schedule:
- 9:30am Start of Play
- No lunch provided, but a longer lunch break. Donations for morning tea would be most welcome!
- 5:15pm Presentation & Refreshments
- Bring all the love you can!
Tasmanian Festival of Bridge
After a tree change? The Tasmanian Festival of Bridge will be held in Hobart on 23-26th March 2023 at the new MyState Bank Arena in Glenorchy, 15 minutes north west of the Hobart city centre.
Information and entries are on: https://www.myabf.com.au/events/congress/view/424. New this year: a Rookies’ event and a very reasonably priced onsite Saturday evening dinner – a great chance to relax with fellow players.
March is a lovely time to be in Tasmania so if you want to experience Tassie, this is a great way to do it.
Save the Date: Illawarra Chris Diment Pairs and Teams - 17 and 18 June 2023
For more information visit Illawarra.bridgeaustralia.org or email Jill MacRae. Online entry www.nswba.com.au.
Ian Morison - 2NT for Minors
Ian's column this week is on the unusual 2NT. To read please press here.
Participating in Bridge Congresses - Part Deux
Bricet Kloren's couple of paragraphs about the Summer Festival of Bridge attracted some rapturous reviews, like this one from No Longer Nervous Novice:
‘Five Stars – your recommendation helped me overcome my fear of competition. My partner and I have entered the Not Quite Valentine’s Day Congress at the Bridge Club! See you there!’
Bricet thought she should provide No Longer Nervous Novice with some additional information:
"Try to get some endurance training in before you participate in a congress. Success at congresses, more than a test of bridge skills and luck, is a test of stamina.
Because exhaustion plays tricks with your judgment and your perception of reality. I present these four examples from the tables I played at, to demonstrate the effect of playing so many boards in one day – and I know others will have similar stories!:
- I led a club from the table, North followed suit, I played a trump, and South promptly played a lower trump. Then South apologised because he not only under-trumped but had also revoked!
- I bid 2D over North’s 1S bid. South and West passed. North looked at my bid, decided to bid again, and on the way to the bidding box forgot his decision, and passed.
- I doubled North’s bid, but partner saw green instead of red, and passed. Fortunately, North and South bid, and partner realised and bid. This also happened at another table!
- My partner bid 1S, and I had 6-9 points and three card spade support. I knew there was a reasonably conventional bid I should make in response, but simply could not remember it. I finally bid 2S, which was fortuitously the correct response."
Lighter Moments
Although not in the dictionary, it is reported that "Lexophile" describes a person who loves sentences such as,
"You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish," and, "To write with a broken pencil is pointless."
The annual 'New York Times' competition was held and here are this year's best original submissions:
◾A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.
◾A will is a dead giveaway.
◾With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.
◾Police were summoned to a daycare center where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
Thanks to Jodi and Bill Tutty for watering this week. Our crepe myrtles thank you too!
We're all in this together!
Tamara (for Kerry and Tamara)
