Newsletter 3 March 2023
In this week’s newsletter...
- President's Message
- Welcome New Members
- Promotions
- Hubba Bubba - Friday Night Bridge Trial!
- CBC Pay
- BFACT Women's Team - enter via MyABF
- BFACT Senior's Teams Qualifiying
- Ian Morison: Defending a Slam
- Member Spotlight: Nikki Riszko
- Lighter Moments
President's Message
Just a quiet reminder that membership renewals need to be finalised by 31st March. If not renewed then you lose ABF registration with this club and will no longer have master points accumulating with CBC. Joining another club will not affect your status, but we would obviously prefer you to stay with us now that we are having so much more fun.
With the increasing numbers of players joining us each day it is proving very difficult to maintain separation of occupied tables. Covid has not disappeared from our shores, but we need to allow Directors to set up the tables movement as they wish until it proves impossible to maintain separation. Please be tolerant if you are requested to move tables while we manage this transition to a full house in each session.
It has been traditional that more skilled players sit on the West of the room with newer and less skilled on the East. If you feel you are gaining more skills, then try and sit in the middle. It is impossible to grade players so we depend on you all to grade yourselves. My experience has been that I learn more from more skilled players. If you are just here for the social aspects keep sitting East!
Tim Mather
Thanks Tim for refilling the hand sanitiser containers! You are an inspiration to us all!
People are welcome to continue wearing masks if they are more comfortable doing so.
Welcome New Members
- Anne Archer
- Kemal Avci
- Harry Burkett
- Morag Cotsell - Welcome back!
- Joe D'Angelo
- Ron Duncan
- Margaret Kennedy
- Garry Khemka - Welcome back!
Bridge Promotions
Promotions for February are as follows:
Name New Rank Old Rank
- Stella Saberton Graduate na
- Lindy Ingham Graduate na
- Shannon Craft Graduate na
- Dianne Ellis Graduate na
- John Reis Club Graduate
- Ian McRae Club Graduate
- Karen Renfrey Club Graduate
- Gary Renfree Club Graudate
- Marcia Murphy Club Graduate
- Murray Campbell Local Club
- Sanya Ritchie Local Club
- Jayne Francis Local Club
- John Lee Bronze Local Local
- Sau-Yem Lo Bronze Regional Regional
- Sue Doyle Life Silver National
Congratulations to all!
Upcoming Sessions
Our weekly sessions are almost the same as last week - with the notable exception of Friday night bridge.
Bridge Announcement for Friday Night Trials
Bored, uninspired, in need of a lift, worried about that knee and hip replacement operation? The answer ain’t singles bars, it ain’t computer dating, it ain’t the advice of your maiden aunt/uncle, and it sure ain’t macrame or 10 pin bowling. It is, instead, Friday Night Bridge (FNB) coming to you soon right here at the Canberra Bridge Club. There is a trial beginning on the 3rd of March, at 7pm for 4 Fridays. The bridge will be serious, of course, but it will end early (maximum 20 boards) and then a swinging party begins.
This will be the sort of event that you can’t tell your children about, and that you hope your grandchildren and social media will never get wind of. That is, it will be undisciplined fun. Glow with pleasure and amusement as you crunch your fourth hot party pie, light up with ecstasy and elation as you throw down your second glass of Sauvignon Blanc, drool with malice and contempt at the unethical tactics and ill-manners of your bridge opponents and partner. Throw caution to the wind as you explain, passionately, why your 5-club bid was actually brilliant even if you went down 4 tricks, doubled, redoubled, vulnerable; yes you just needed 2 more aces to get this home.
Don’t miss FNB. A life changing and affirming experience.
CBC Pay Statements up to 28 February
Monthly statements up to the end of February were emailed out yesterday. Please pop into the office if you did not receive one. We have made a $2 credit for everyone playing Realbridge on Thursday 2pm 2 February as the charges were inadvertently charged at face to face rates instead of Realbridge rates. Thanks to Michael Carrel for pointing this out. The $2 credit will appear in the March statement for the 25 people affected.
Supervised Lessons
Supervised Lessons are on Wednesday nights or Friday mornings. A 15 minute lesson commences at 7pm and 9.30am respectively followed by up to 20 boards. Please just turn up if interested.
The remaining lessons for March are:
8/10 March: Transition to duplicates
15/17 March: Etiquette, Duplicate play, Bridgemates & Scoring
22/24 March:Doubles and overcalls
29/31 March:Opening leads and signals.
The new beginner graduates will join supervised in the week of 15/17 March. We are now offering a “supervised lesson only” option. If you would like to come for the lesson but not supervised play the cost is $6 for members and $8 for non-members. Please advise your teacher on arrival.
No need to have a partner - just come along.
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 $6 for members and $8 for non-members. The lessons run for 30 minutes.
Next Thursday the session is on Defence Signals.
Upcoming Events
Australian National Congress - ACT Qualification Events
Three BFACT events are now open for entry; Womens final, Seniors qualifying and Open stage 2.
The Womens team will be decided by a weekend event on 17, 18 and 19 March. Players can enter the event by logging in to MyABF, and opening the “congress” (ANC Team Selection) in the list of congresses at 17 March and then entering the Womens team event or by emailing “
The Senior team selection will involve a qualifying event held on 27 March and 3 April to qualify 12 pairs to a weekend final on Fri., Sat., Sun. 14, 15, 16 April. If less than 12 pairs enter the qualifying event by 17 March, the qualifier will be cancelled with all pairs playing in the final. Players can enter via the CBC website at: “https://test.canberrabridgeclub.com.au/the-events/entry-lists”.
The Open Stage 2 event to select 3 additional pairs to the final (21, 22 and 23 April) will be on Sunday 2 April. Players can enter the event by logging in to MyABF, and opening the “congress” (ANC Team Selection) in the list of congresses at 17 March and then entering the Open stage2 event or by emailing “
The ANC will be in Perth from 9-20 July, see ABF website.
For all enquiries regarding the tournaments please see the fact/entry pages or email
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: Leading - Defending a Slam
To read Ian's regular column please press here.
Member Spotlight: Nikki Riszko
How long have you been a player/member?
My ex-husband George and I joined the CBC in 1974 as soon as we arrived in Canberra and I have been a member fairly solidly since then apart from four years spent in NZ and two years elsewhere in Australia. My daughter once remarked that belonging to a bridge club was not unlike belonging to a religious group and I replied that it was a very apt observation as bridge was like a religion to many people, including George and me. Since being with Andrew since 2007, we have also been strong members of the club.
Most memorable occasion at the club?
I can't really think of a most memorable occasion at the club but winning a competition as we recently did at the Not the Valentine's Teams Event would probably the closest. But I guess attending Len Dixon's 100th birthday celebration rates pretty highly. Apart from Len being an old friend, the occasion was memorable for the following reason. Jo, his daughter, remarkably arranged to have the icing on the birthday cake containing Len's very first bridge column printed for the Canberra Times. Len in his dry fashion remarked that now he had to eat his words.
What do you do when you're not at the club? (Golf, Gardening, Grandchildren, All the above, or Other...)
I am a pretty busy and active person and as well as playing bridge I regularly go to my favourite gym Next Gen at North Lyneham, I attend several classes at U3A, I go to the cinema but more often attend film screenings at the ANU Film Group where we are members. I also love cooking and eating good food and together with friends I have formed a monthly cooking group, we call ourselves the Pleasure Cookers and we meet at each other's homes on rotation and cook to a theme, each month a different one. Last year I self published my memoir and many people at the club have read it and kindly gave me some positive feedback. I wrote it for my daughters and grand children but other people seemed to also find it of some interest.
What's your favourite travel destination pre COVID?
Each year, Andrew and I leave Canberra during the winter months and travel around Australia in warmer parts. We did this pre-Covid and also during the Covid years. We spent 8 months in Western Australia during 2020. Before Covid we regularly travelled to Europe where we joined a couple of British run bridge holidays in places such as Crete, Rhodes, Skiathos and Menorca. In 2020 we were booked to do two of these bridge holidays, back to back, one in Montenegro and the other in Corfu. Sadly we had to cancel both because of Covid. But we then spent 8 months in WA instead. Maybe now that travel is opening up again we will do it again. The US is another destination that Covid seriously interfered with. My younger daughter now lives in Atlanta, previously she lived in Chicago where I visited her on several occasions. Not that Covid has waned a little we hope to visit her in Georgia.
What’s the best thing about Canberra Bridge Club?
The best thing about the CBC? Goodness, there is so much that it is difficult to encompass in a few sentences. First and foremost is the mental stimulation that bridge provides. Bridge has been an ongoing love affair for me since my university days. The companionship the club provides is also a very important aspect of my life. I have made many friends there, some of whom have sadly passed away. I remember many bridge dinner parties we had with now deceased players who had become friends. The companionship, the friendly atmosphere, the general feeling of belonging and being among people who are interesting and interested in life. I am very fond of the CBC.
Thanks Nikki.
Lighter Moments
Some maths and animal jokes....
How come old maths teachers never die?
- They just lose some of their functions
What did the triangle say to the circle?
- You’re pointless
What did the zero say to the eight?
- Nice belt
What do you call people who like tractors?
- Protractors
What do you get when you cross a fish and an elephant?
- Swimming trunks
What type of sandals do frogs wear?
- Open toad
Be kind in all things
Tamara (for Kerry and Tamara)
