In our newsletter this week...

 

President's Message

AGM 2026

Canberra in Bloom - Helpers Needed

CBC League - OCTOBER

Online Lessons

Wednesday Night Pizzas

Upcoming Events

Youth News

Results

I am Feeling a Little Vulnerable

Classifieds

Lighter Moments

 

 

Presidents Message

 

Thank You to Our Kitchen Volunteers

 

A big thank you to Adrienne Stephens, Nicole Finn & Kathleen and David Kenny who gave up their Saturday morning to help tidy up and sort through the top kitchen.  It was great to have some extra pairs of hands to work through the cupboards, identify things that were no longer needed and give the kitchen a good tidy-up.  And, of course, it was much more enjoyable doing it together!

We have placed some of the items we identified as no longer needed on tables at the Club, so please have a look - you may find something useful!

Thank you all for your time, help, good humour and wonderful community spirit.  It is very much appreciated.

 

- Mary

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annual General Meeting

 

All members are invited to attend the Canberra Bridge Club AGM, which will be held in the clubrooms on Tuesday 13 October 2026 starting at 5.30pm.

The AGM Notice including the Agenda and the draft minutes of the 2025 AGM were emailed to members on 21 September and are available on the website:

[add links to both documents please]

If possible, members are asked to submit their questions in advance of the AGM to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  This will facilitate the provision of a complete answer at the AGM.

 

 

Nomination process and proxy appointments

In accordance with the Club’s Constitution:

• The nomination period has opened for the election of a new CBC Committee.  There are ten Committee positions:  President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Tournament Secretary and five ordinary committee member positions;
• Members who are unable to attend the AGM may appoint another member as proxy to vote on their behalf at the AGM.

Nomination and proxy forms can be found on the website or copies can be obtained from the Manager:

 

• Nomination form
• Proxy form

 

There are two boxes located near the Manager’s Office, one for completed nomination forms and one for completed proxy forms.

 

Please note that completed nomination forms cannot be submitted later than 2.00 pm on Monday 28 September.  If you are unable to submit your completed nomination form at the clubrooms before then, please arrange for a third party to submit the form on your behalf or, if convenient, you have the option to scan and email your completed form by that time, as outlined below:

 

• Nomination forms will only be accepted as emails to the Manager if they have been scanned and included as an attachment as they must be completed in full including four actual signatures.

Please note that completed proxy forms cannot be submitted later than 2.00 pm on Monday 12 October.  Proxy forms need to be checked and collated before the AGM (each proxy form will then be given to the relevant proxy at the AGM):

 

• Proxy appointments can be emailed without the authorising member’s signature if the email is being sent by the authorising member to the Manager, received by the deadline, and all other relevant details as required on the proxy form are provided.

Deb Milner – Returning Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Help !

 

Canberra in Bloom organisers are looking for volunteers on Friday 2nd of October and Saturday 3rd to:

• come an hour early to help in the morning to set up
• take photo of the winners during presentation

Also, if you are playing on the last day (Monday) and can stay behind to help with the packing up, please email Roger at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

 

 

 

 

Reminder: CBC closed on Friday afternoon 2nd October

 

To give our players the opportunity to play in either CIB or here at our club, we will be opening the Friday morning session to all abilities and cancelling the Friday afternoon session on 2nd of October.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teams League Competition at the Club - OCTOBER

 

We have now opened entries for the OCTOBER 2026 CBC League competition. Register your teams now, through the link below.

 

• https://www.myabf.com.au/events/congress/view/4790

 

 

When is it?

Monday 12 October and Monday 26 October.

Each session starts at 6-30 PM at the Club and will conclude at 9-00 PM

Players should aim to arrive by 6-20PM at the latest!

 

Can you help us find team-mates?

There are no guarantees but we are always prepared to assist. If you need help securing team-mates, please contact Elizabeth or Steve.

 

What if I have further questions?

If you have any questions, you can speak to Steve at the club or via email:

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Online Lessons

 

The next online lesson with Will Jenner-O'Shea is on Thursday 1st October at 9:30am.

This lesson is on Rebids and Jump Shifts.

• Click here to purchase

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

• 30th  September - 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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or mobile 0414 272 778. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Events

 

 The next Tuesday night competition is the Alan Macarthur Teams.

 

• 29th September to 13th October 2026
• Click here to enter

 

 

 

 

 

 

Youth News

 

 

 

YOUTH EVENTS at a glance

Tomorrow, September 25: RealBridge Youthish Night

September 27 - October 1: Youth Triathlon

October 16: RealBridge Youthish Night

October 23: Youthish Night

Saturday November 7: Trivia FUNdraiser

November 13: RealBridge Youthish Night

November 20: Youthish Night

December 5 - 6: NSW State Youth Championships

December 11: Youthish Night Christmas Special 

 

CBC Trivia FUNdraiser

 

Saturday November 7, 2pm - 5pm

Start assembling friends and family for a FUNdraising Trivia Afternoon.  

Cost is $50 per person which includes a plate of afternoon tea, a drink, and the sparkling repartee from our MCs, Will and V8.  

Money raised from the Trivia Day will be used to help Youth players travel to events further afield such as country congresses.  

 

RealBridge Youthish Nights

 

Club session bridge is matchpoint scoring which is different to teams scoring. 

At RealBridge Youthish Nights we are practicing teams scoring. It’s ONLINE and FREE. 

Next sessions are tomorrow, Friday September 25 then October 16 and November 13. 

Youth and youth adjacent members can enter.  If you bring a Youth player to Youthish Night you can join! 

 

Youthish Night - monthly on Fridays from 4:30pm til late 

 

Do you know someone 30 or under who would enjoy playing bridge?  Bring them along to Youthish Night, it’s free and there are plenty of snacks and a pizza dinner and you can stay too! 

Contact CBC Youth Coordinator Suz Wilkinson This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions

 

Youth Triathlon

 

The Youth Triathlon is happening starting this Sunday and going until Thursday afternoon.  Players from around the country will play at CBC in a pairs, teams and individual event.  The winner receives the Bobby Richman Shield.  

On Sunday, there will be training run by Will Jenner O’Shea and NZ superstar Leon Meier.  If you are a Youthish player (up to age 40), you are welcome to sign up for the training session.  Go to “Sunday Youth Training” from this link https://myabf.com.au/events/congress/view/4454 it costs $40, and includes lunch and dinner with a Goulash comp to cap off the day.  

 

 

 

Youth Shoutout

 

A strong Youth Bridge program grows with support from club members recruiting new players. Thank you to Jillian Hay for bringing her friend, her friend’s daughter, her friend’s daughter’s best friend AND her friend’s daughter’s best friend’s parents to Youthish Night on Friday!!! We had 6 tables at Youthish Night with the fabulous Will Jenner O’Shea as our brilliant teacher.  He deals boards for Mini Bridge (played by absolute beginners), regular boards and lesson hands (that players don’t realize are lesson hands - so sneaky).  CBC is incredibly lucky to have many amazing teachers including Will. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Results

 

Congratulations to Will, Vanessa, Seb and Christy for winning the Teams in the recent Phillip Island Congress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m Feeling A Little Vulnerable

 

Canberra Bridge Club are currently trialling a new format of competition known as the Monday Evening League. Each competition is monthly on the second and fourth Monday of each month through September, October and November. The sessions run from 6-30 pm (players are expected to be arrive at 6-20) until 9-00 pm – an attempt to be accessible to both workers and daytime players who don’t enjoy being out too late. Each night will feature two twelve board matches.

 

At the first week of this event, the following hand arose. It was decisive in a couple of matches and it illustrates the importance of vulnerability to the scoring and how that might influence our decisions during play.

 

Most auctions would proceed pass : pass : One Club: One No Trump. Some North’s elected to overcall One Heart instead of One No Trump and some reckless East’s opened the bidding as dealer with a (very) weak Two Spades!

 

Regardless of how the auction began, North-South’s across the room all found their Heart fit and most people bid to Four Hearts. Many East-West pairs also found their Spade fit and a couple of pairs bid Four Spades over the top of Four Hearts. They have a combined sixteen HCPs, a big ten card Spade fit and shortage in the opponents suit.

 

This kind of bid is what is known as a sacrifice. We’re not expecting to make Four Spades when we bid it (well West might have been, but East knew they were doomed!) The calculation is that the penalty the opponents will get from defeating us is less than the penalty they will get from making their four heart contract. It is a risk-reward calculation – the risk is the large penalty we might incur, the reward is the game bonus we may be able to deny our opponents.

 

In decisions like this, it is extremely important to be aware of the vulnerability. In this hand East-West are VULNERABLE. That is a very risky time to be considering a sacrifice. The risk is too high. In addition, North-South are NOT VULNERABLE, another warning against sacrificing because the reward is not good enough.

 

Against Four Spades, North-South should collect one Spade, one Heart, two Diamonds and two Clubs for six tricks (there was one North-South pair who defended by playing Clubs instead of Diamonds and they set up Declarer’s Club suit and so never scored any Diamond tricks). Holding Declarer to Seven Tricks in Four Spades is three off.

 

Vulnerable and doubled that will give away 800 – far more than North-South were ever going to score on their own steam. If they had been Not-Vulnerable the doubled penalty would have only been 500.

 

However, that is only half of the story East-West should have been considering. North-South are also Not-Vulnerable which means that the game score they are going to get for making Four Hearts is 420. That means that even 500 is too high a price to pay.

 

So in this situation, where East-West are vulnerable and North-South are non vulnerable, bidding Four Spades is wrong on two counts. The cost is too high and the benefit is two low. However, had the vulnerability been reversed, the cost would have only been 500 and the benefit would be depriving North-South of a game worth 620.

 

Vulnerability comes into play any time we are “taking a risk” – sacrificing, pre-empting, competing to high levels or overcalling. In any situation like this you should make your decisions with an eye towards both yours and your opponents’ vulnerability.

 

 

 

If you have any interesting hands that come up (or hands you wish you’d known how to play) we would love to hear about them at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

- Steve Geddes

 

 

 

Classifieds

 

Lift needed:

 

An interstate bridge player visiting for the CIB tournament (Friday 2 Oct – Sunday 4 Oct) is looking for a lift. She will be staying with her daughter in Deakin. If any members living near Deakin are travelling to Belconnen on those days and can offer a ride in the morning, please get in touch with Maggie Knox on 0407 748 361.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lighter Moments

 

• I ordered a deck of cards online. Two weeks later, still nothing. I called customer service and they told me they’re dealing with it.

 

 

 

 

I've been focusing on clearing out the dealing room lately, though Ian and I have very differing views on what actually constitutes rubbish. Ian might be grieving the "loss", but I’ve successfully rescued a mountain of old playing cards to give away. If you want some, they are in a box on the bench. Please help yourselves—they all might contain 52 cards but of course, as bridge players, we all know the golden rule to count our cards before we play anyway. The only catch is that you must take more than one deck... please take a few.

 

Have a great week everyone!

Elizabeth