Newsletter 22 April

 

In this week’s newsletter...

• May Mentoring Month - More Mentors Requested
• Egon Larson Butler Pairs
• Novice Lesson "Even More Tricks for your Bucks" - Saturday 21 May
• Bridge Tips by Joan Butts
• The Lonely Hearts by Hilda Hills
• Card Play with Ian Morison
• Lighter Moments

From the President

As the extended term of the Club’s charity, Beyond Blue, is due to expire on 30 June, I am seeking  nominations from members for a new charity for the next financial year. If you have a favourite charity, please consider nominating that charity. All moneys from the produce table goes to the Club’s charity as does other money raised during the year.

Enjoy your bridge and stay safe.

Margaret

 

 This week saw the successful return of the Butler on Thursday morning.  This slightly more competitive session is on the left hand side of the Olive Butler Room from 10am.  Jodi Tutty, the director, was delighted to welcome a robust 6 tables.  Special thanks to all who answered the call and rose to the occasion.  

This weekend sees the final Stage 2 trials for the Open section the Australian National Congress.  The Open section on Sunday is open to all BFACT members and the top 2 pairs will proceed to the  ACT final selection in May.  The weekend also includes a restricted trials for people with less than 300 master points,  2 pairs will be eligible for some assistance to go to the ANC in Adelaide in July.  

Monday 25 April is Anzac Day! This is a public holiday for everywhere but for the Canberra Bridge Club. Yes we will be open for business although the Office will be closed. It's the final session of Monday morning RealBridge.

MAY is MENTORING MONTH

Please, please, please…. the program needs more mentors.

Mentoring is a great way to grow the club. Rewarding for mentors and a great opportunity for mentees to improve, feel more confident and happier in their game. If you keep forgetting to fill out the form just send me an email with your available times. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thankyou to everyone who has volunteered so far.

I am sure we will be inundated with mentors so all you mentees still keen to improve just lodge a form or send me an email.

Applications close on the 27 April. If possible all forms go into the orange box under the screen in the club’s main playing room or to the email.

For any inquiries please contact Anne Fleming on 0410 650 906 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

Sessions in the Club and on RealBridge are outlined below

Upcoming Sessions

Our weekly sessions

• Monday morning 10.00am at the club
• Monday 10.15 am RealBridge (last session Monday 25 April) 
• Monday 2.00 pm (24 boards) RealBridge
• Monday 7.00 pm RealBridge
• Tuesday afternoon 1.00pm at the club
• Tuesday 7.15pm event at the club
• Wednesday morning 10.00am at the club
• Wednesday morning 10.15am RealBridge
• Wednesday evening supervised at the club 7pm (18 boards following lesson) 
• Wednesday evening 7.15pm at the club
• Thursday morning 10.00am at the club - Butler and walk in duplicate
• Thursday afternoon 2.00pm (24 boards) RealBridge
• Friday morning supervised 9.30am at the club (18 boards following lesson) 
  
• Friday morning walk-in session 9.30am
• Friday afternoon 1.00pm at the club
• Friday afternoon 1.15pm RealBridge
• Saturday afternoon 1.15pm RealBridge

Watch the newsletters and website for advice on face-to-face sessions at the club, and RealBridge sessions as these are fluid, depending on COVID developments and demand.  At this stage it is intended that the Monday and Thursday afternoon RealBridge sessions will continue indefinitely.  

Member table money will be deducted from players CBCPay accounts. Visitors' fees will be paid for by their member-partner, or via prior arrangement by emailing the office.

Cost: face-to-face $10 members/ $13 visitors, concession $9.  RealBridge $8 members and $7 concession (including event) $10 visitors

Links to sessions are on our RealBridge page.

CBC low balance reminders went out this week.  Statements will go out after the end of the month. Remember to quote your ABF number in the reference field.  

 

April Supervised Sessions happening Wednesday nights and Friday Mornings at the Club

We run supervised duplicates on Wednesday evenings starting at 7.00pm and Friday mornings starting at 9.30 am. 

Each duplicate is preceded by a short lesson. Remaining April lessons are as follows:

• 27 & 29 April: Declarer Play: Trumping losers and discarding

If you are interested please come along.  There is no need to book.  If you want to know more get in touch with Morag Lokan.  Morag’s email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 Master the Basics virtual lessons resume on Thursday 5 May at 9.00am. The topic is transfers after a 1 NT opening.  Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you want to be added to the Zoom class.

 

Upcoming Events

Egon Larson Pairs 

Counting with Joan Butts

The name of the game is COUNTING...working out by watching and remembering what shape the opponents' hands are. This is what will make you a better declarer! 

Tips:
1)   Always count the trump suit

As soon as dummy goes down, make a special note of how many trumps your side has. Keep that information stored away, and focus on how many trumps are missing and how they will be distributed. 

2) Some suits are more important than others

It’s hard work to count every suit.  Always count the trump suit and then try to keep track of your next longest suit.

3) Remembering the bidding will give you clues for counting

Let’s say West opened with a pre-empt of 3♦️ They are likely to hold seven cards in diamonds, and a weak hand, and they will be short in other suits. Remember what an opponent's bid will mean in terms of shape and points. 

4) The best way to get a count is when an opponent shows out in a suit
Make a mental note of how many cards their partner has or had.

5) Counting will help you make the right play at the right time
Try to play the "easy" suits first to get a count on the "difficult" suits. if you’ve kept a count as you went along it will often help in knowing how to play an important suit at the end.

The real trouble with counting (which takes mental effort!) is that sometimes we forget as we go along, and the more tricks played the harder it is to remember the distributions. If you lose the count on one hand, try afresh on the next hand. 

 

The Bridge of Khazad-dum by Hilda Hills

[first published in Australian Bridge, April 1987]

The wizard Grey, the system old

The youthful fire is ashen-cold

No stretch for game, no doubled calls

No brilliancies in Durin's halls

The rabbits play upon his tomb

In Moria, in Khazad-dum

And yet the ageing stars appear

At the congress once a year

They still can play with such panache

That they depart with all the cash.

After many trials the Fellowship had made a fast arrival at the exit to the Mines of Moria, the Bridge of Khazad-dum. But as they were crossing they were overtaken by a fearsome Balrog, who was wielding a whip in one hand and a card table in the other. Beside the Balrog trotted a small dark figure with pale lamp-like eyes who was carrying two decks of cards. While following them were a horde of goblins, who seemed ready for some serious kibitzing.

It was not long before Gandalf and Aragorn were engaged in a rubber, winner take all.

-----------------------------------Gandalf

-----------------------------------S K632

-----------------------------------H K65

-----------------------------------D Q

-----------------------------------C AQJ86

Gollum--------------------------------------------------------The Balrog

S AQT5--------------------------------------------------------S J98

H QT73--------------------------------------------------------H 82

D K4-----------------------------------------------------------D T853

C 542----------------------------------------------------------C KT73

------------------------------------Aragorn

------------------------------------S 74

------------------------------------H AJ94

------------------------------------D AJ9762

------------------------------------C 9

As dealer, Aragorn opened 1D. Impressed by his tens, Gollum doubled - and grew paler when he heard Gandalf redouble. Now the Balrog leapt at the chance to insert a psychic 1S bid. When this was passed back to Gandalf he looked suspiciously at all three of his opponents, then the Grey Pilgrim tried 2C. Aragorn attempted to bail out in 2D, but Gandalf forced again with 2S. Desperately Aragorn now had to stride into 3H. He was surprised to hear 4H from the wizard, who had never been dummy before.

Gollum led the ace of spades, then continued with the queen. Aragorn won the king in dummy, overtook Gandalf's queen of diamonds with his ace, and then finessed against Gollum's "marked" king of clubs. However, when the Balrog won this trick, Aragorn had a sinking feeling that the contract was now doomed, since Gollum surely had a heart stack on the bidding.

Realising that Aragorn was playing in a Morian fit, the Balrog forced him with a third round of spades. Aragorn ruffed with his four of trumps, crossed back to dummy by ruffling a low diamond with its five of trumps in order to cash two club winners. Then Strider strode forward with Gandalf's last spade.

-------------------------------------Gandalf

-------------------------------------S 6

-------------------------------------H K6

-------------------------------------D ----

-------------------------------------C 86

Gollum---------------------------------------------------------The Balrog

S T-------------------------------------------------------------S ----

H QT73---------------------------------------------------------H 82

D ----   ---------------------------------------------------------D T8

C ----   ---------------------------------------------------------C T

--------------------------------------Aragorn

--------------------------------------S ----

--------------------------------------H AJ9

--------------------------------------D J9

--------------------------------------C ----

Automatically the Balrog ruffed with his eight of hearts, on the off-chance of a trump promotion. Aragorn over-ruffed with his nine, then led another diamond. To prevent dummy scoring a cheap trick with the six of trumps, Gollum was compelled to ruff in with the seven, over-ruffed with Gandalf's king. Now a club from dummy, declarer discarding his last diamond, saw Gollum hissing, "Nassty man, we hates him forever." Gollum had to trump the Balrog's winning club and then lead into Aragorn's AJ tenace.

The Balrog's fury was already flaming, but was raised to incandescence when Gandalf kindly pointed out that he had missed two chances to defeat 4H.

"The most obvious one was to return a trump when you won the king of clubs," the wizard winningly observed. "And in the five-card ending, discarding your ten of clubs instead of ruffing would have ensured Aragorn's defeat."

"Wouldn't have made any difference," replied the seething Balrog.

"You stupid flame of Udun, when a club is led from dummy at trick ten THEN you play your eight of trumps. When declarer discards a diamond, then Smeagol can under-ruff with his three to avoid the endplay."

TO BE CONTINUED

 

Playing the Cards with Ian Morison

How do you play this hand?

 

Dealer S, Nil Vul

                           AJ5

                           AK

                          AQ3

                         A9862

Q87                                                        1042

Q872                                                      J1092

109854                                                  K72

4                                                              J107

 

                            K953

                               654

                                 J6

                            KQ53

THE BIDDING

1. North is playing (a slightly brave) 6NT, with no opposition bidding, East leads HJ.

2. You win HK in hand

THE ANALYSIS

3. Now, count your sure winners. You have 2S, 2H, 2D and 4C as certain winners = 10 Tricks

4. Most likely Trick 11 comes from the Clubs breaking 2-2 or 3-1 (about 90% likely)

5. But, if Clubs break 4-0, then there is no extra Trick in Clubs

6. So early on, the plan should be to lead a Club from Hand to the Queen. When each player follows suit, the extra Club trick is locked in = 11 sure Tricks

7. Now forget about Clubs for a while and consider - where might Trick 12 come from?

8. It is not going to come from Hearts. In fact, Hearts are a problem, as if East or West get in, they will knock out the HA. So, anything you do needs to keep this exposure in mind

9. So, it turns on Spades or Diamonds

10. You have 7 Spades and only 5 Diamonds. Also, you have a potential key card in S9. So clearly you should work on Spades after winning CQ in Dummy

 

THE PLAY

11. At Trick 3, cash SK and lead low towards SJ. It wins = Trick 12

12. 8 Spades have then gone, you hold 3 more, leaving 2 outstanding. You have watched carefully, and did not see SQ, nor S10 (which would have set up S9)

13. You could cash SA and hope the Spades break 3-3, but if they do not, and you are forced to take a losing Diamond finesse, then SQ may be cashed, taking you down. So don’t do it

14. Now back to Dummy and take the (losing) Diamond finesse. East wins, but you make 12 Tricks for a very good score = 5C, 3S,2H,2D

CONCLUSION

15. In playing, you usually must set up a second suit. There are often several options. In the absence of evidence to help (such as opposition bidding), you should attack the best and longest suit. Intermediate cards, like 10 or 9 are important

16. In this example, it is Spades, then Diamonds, keeping in mind your Heart stopper shortage

17. If you took the Diamond finesse first, and it lost, and then your last Heart stopper is removed, when you take the Spade finesse, if it loses you may then find Hearts contribute to going down further

Ian Morison  [I live 1,609.334 meters from the Bridge Club. How far is that in Imperial Measurement terms?]

 

Lighter Moments

 

Why was the weightlifter upset?

• She worked with dumbbells.

Why are teddy bears never hungry?

• They’re always stuffed!

What did the policeman say to his tummy?

• “Freeze. You’re under a vest.”

What does one volcano say to the other?

• “I lava you!”

What event do spiders love to attend?

• Webbings.

What did one math book say to the other?

• “I’ve got so many problems.”

 

Final Bits and Pieces

 At a loose end this weekend?  Interested in fine crafts?  Our member Penelope Shilling will be exhibiting wares at Pearce Crafters' Market on Saturday and Sunday this weekend only from 10am to 2pm at the Pearce Community Centre, Collett Place, Building 1.  

Thanks to the lovely person donating the begonia gracing the hallway, the palm in the lady's bathroom and also a month or so back someone special who donated the bud vases.  Donations of flowers are always welcome too.They brighten the place up and remind us all to stop and smell the flowers.  

Someone left a navy wool poncho at the back of the main room early in the week.  It's particuarly attractive so call into the office if it's yours.  

Member Bricet Kloren has 4 tickets (at $142 per ticket) to Penn and Teller American Magicians and Entertainers in Sydney at the Opera House on Wednesday 8 June at 7.30pm. If you're interested please give Bricet a call on 0411 444 074.  

 

Have a great weekend and it's back to school next week (from Tuesday)!

 

Tamara (for Kerry and Tamara)