Newsletter - 26 January 2024
in our newsletter this week...
- New Website live this weekend
- Beginners starting next week
- Grand Slam Pairs event
- Wednesday Night Pizzas
- Supporting Our Newer Players
- Skills Development Workshops with William Jenner-O'Shea
- Advanced Bridge Series
- Mentor Pairs
- BFACT Open Teams 2024
- Correction re Results from SFOB
- Ian Morison
- Club is open Australia Day
New CBC Website
Chris Lokan who has volunteered a lot of his time in designing a new CBC website, says that our updated homepage is ready to go live this weekend.
There will be possible website downtime on Saturday evening but it shouldn't be out of action for too long.
Many thanks to Chris for his work and Sebastian for the support.
Beginners Classes Starting Next Week
Our beginner classes start next week. The enrolments are very strong. We will be running 3 classes – Wednesday and Thursday evening and a Friday morning class. If you see new people around the club, please make them very welcome.
Grand Slam Pairs Event starting on Tuesday afternoon
Over the next three Tuesday daytime sessions, a new event called the Grand Slam Pairs will be held.
If you play with the same partner over the three weeks - 30 January, 6 February and 13 February - you will be competing for the Grand Slam Pairs. Your cumulative scores over the three weeks will determine your final place. Red masterpoints will be on offer and the winner of the Grand Slam Pairs will be recognised. No pre-entry is required. The table money is the same.
If you are not interested in the event, you can still turn up on any of the Tuesdays and play on a walk-in basis with any partner as per usual.
The reason we are introducing new daytime events is to give all players the opportunity to earn red masterpoints. To be promoted to State Master or beyond, you need at least 25 red masterpoints, as well as your green masterpoints.
Over the next few months, multi-week events will be held across other daytime sessions to give all players the chance for masterpoint promotions.
The Grand Slam Pairs is named to recognise the contribution of Anne Weber to ACT Bridge and to welcome the influx of ex-Grand Slammers to the Canberra Bridge Club.
Wednesday Night Pizzas
The next Wednesday night pizza will be on 31st January 2024. For those unfamiliar with the activity, Wednesday night pizzas provide the opportunity for social interaction while enjoying a pizza sampling. It provides a great opportunity to socialise with your fellow players, which is not always the case when you are engaged in playing bridge.
The pizzas will be available from 6:30, which provides ample time to enjoy your pizzas before supervised and walk-in play begins.
The cost of the pizzas is a nominal $5, payable on the day. This entitles you to half a pizza. A variety of toppings will be available and participants can pick and choose. Vegan pizzas can be made available for those who want them. No drinks are provided, so if you want liquid refreshment you will need to bring your own.
Attendance is voluntary. Those wishing to partake should place their name on the list on the noticeboard, or contact Jon Pike on 0414 272 778 or by email at
Supporting our newer players
Supervised program
The supervised program for the year restarts on Wednesday 31 January. The lesson schedule is as follows:
- 31/1 & 2/2: Negative and other doubles
- 7/2 & 9/2: Reverses
- 14/2 & 16/2: Declarer play - consider the order.
- 21/2 &23/2: Declarer play – preserve your entries.
- 28/2 & 1/3: Same bid – different message
- 6/3 &8/3: Transition to duplicates
- 13/3 &15/3: Etiquette, duplicate play, Bridge mates and scoring. (Feb Beginner graduates commence this week)
- 20/3 & 22/3: Doubles and Overcalls
- 27/3: Opening leads simplified. (no lesson on Good Friday)
The Bridge Buddy Program
If you have been playing for less than 2 years and would find it helpful to seek bridge advice from a more experienced player, we can assist. You may have a bridge issue that is puzzling you; you might want help analysing your results; maybe you are learning a new convention and would like to discuss what it involves. If you are interested, please contact Morag Lokan at
Skills Development Workshops with William Jenner-O'Shea
In addition to the Advanced Bridge Series (advertised below and in last week's newsletter) which are aimed at the more advanced players looking to improve their game beyond the club level duplicate,
the club will be running 3 workshops hosted by Will Jenner-O'Shea designed to help intermediate players take their game to the next level.
These workshops will include a delicious morning tea, a light lunch, and a booklet of notes.
- Saturday February 3rd 10am to 3pm : Improve Your Judgement and Tweak Your System
- Saturday March 23rd 10am to 3pm: Defence Techniques Card Placing and Counting Tricks
- Saturday April 20th 10am to 3pm: Solid Suits, Strong Suits, Decisive Bidding
Advanced Bridge Series
This is a new initiative this year, aimed specifically at players keen to develop their game beyond the club duplicate level. At this level it is increasingly about bidding (and playing) hands to their maximum; or more colloquially “going as close to the edge as possible without falling over it”. This applies to part scores, games and slams. Judging when and how to apply the pressure and conversely having the tools to deal with pressure opponents put you under is crucial. Finding this balance – being active enough to find your contracts and give the opponents issues while not being punished - is the challenge.
How does this series work?
Each topic in the series will involve two workshops: the first workshop is a more traditional lesson; while the second workshop is a mentored play session. The lessons will be run by our own, well renowned teacher Will Jenner O'Shea. The play sessions let players practice the skills and discuss the issues with a number of the club's best players. You may attend just the lesson or the mentored play.
Who should go?
Any player interested in knowing more about competitive play and what it involves.
When is it?
SET1
- Sunday January 28th, 1:30pm (lesson)
- Sunday, February 4th, 1:30 (play) Interfering with their 1NT opening and handling interference over our 1NT Opening. Landy, doubles and Lebonsohl.
SET2
- Sunday March 3rd, 1:30pm (lesson)
- Sunday, March 10th, 1:30 (play) Slam bidding using keycard: Splinters to improve your slam bidding and judgement. Advanced declarer play techniques to help you make your slams.
SET3
- Sunday April 14th, 1:30pm (lesson)
- Sunday, April 21st, 1:30 (play) Competitive biddingpushing it to the edge. Improve your knowledge of scoring and sacrificing, when to penalty double, when to bid on.
Mentor Pairs for Advancing players
On Tuesday evening 13 February, the club will conduct a Mentoring session for members who are interested in advancing their bridge towards competition level and are interested in playing in regular competition level events.
Regular Tuesday night competition players will pair up with advancing members wishing 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.
- For all Mentors intending to enter, please do so via myABF (Click here). List your partners as TBA. We will arrange partnership if you haven't got a mentee.
- For all Mentees please enter via the CBC Website (Click here). We will let you know who your mentor will be closer to date.
BFACT Open Teams 2024
A reminder that the BFACT Open Teams event for 2024 is on 12th to 26th March 2024.
Registration is now open, click on the link below:
http://myabf.com.au/go/BFACTOpenTeam
Correction re Results from SFOB
This is a correction to last week's newsletter; here are the correct winners:
Novice Teams 1st - BRICET KLOREN - HILARY MERRITT - JAMES WALCOTT - JOHN LEE
Novice Teams 2nd - PENELOPE SHILLING - SUSIE THEARLE - SHANNON CRAFT - KUMARI FLYNN
Apologies and congratulations. We are very proud to see that all of our members who participated in the Novice Events performed very well.
Ian Morison
If you would like to read Ian's article please press the link below.
Reminder
The Club is open on Australia Day and all sessions will run as per usual.
Happy Australia Day!
Elizabeth (For Elizabeth and Amik)
