Newsletter 23 September 2022

 In this week’s newsletter...

  • Bridge Club session times while Canberra in Bloom is being held
  • From the President
  • AGM arrangements
  • Results 
  • Upcoming Events 
  • BFACT Gala Pairs  
  • Canberra in Bloom
  • Cootamundra Congress - 15 & 16 October
  • Bairnsdale Congress - 15 & 16 October
  • Ian Morison Card Play

PLEASE NOTE:  There will be no face to face bridge at the club on Friday 30th September and Monday 3rd October due to the Canberra in Bloom Congress being held in the Club rooms.

The Supervised session will go ahead as scheduled at 9.30am on Friday 30th September

See Presidents note.

 

From the President

 

.Over the October long weekend (Friday, 30 September-Monday 3 October) BFACT’s Canberra in Bloom festival will be held at the Club. Consequently, apart from the Supervised Play (which for Friday 30 September will be held upstairs in the Olive Lott Room), the Club will not offer any face to face bridge. There will be no face to face bridge on Friday afternoon, nor on Monday morning. However, CBC will still offer RB sessions on Friday afternoon (30 September), Saturday afternoon (1 October ) and on Monday afternoon (3 October). The Canberra in Bloom festival is offering a two session pairs event (separate open and restricted sessions) on Friday 30 September. For further information on this event and other events in the Canberra in Bloom festival,  please see the Canberra in Bloom website (https://www.abf.com.au/event/2022-canberra-in-bloom-bridge-festival/) .

Stay safe and enjoy your bridge.

Margaret

 

 

Notice of Canberra Bridge Club Inc Annual General Meeting

 CBC members are invited to attend the AGM to be held on Wednesday 5 October 2022, 5.30pm, at the clubrooms.

The AGM Notice, the draft minutes of the 2021 AGM, nomination forms and proxy forms are available from the Committee noticeboard in the clubrooms and the CBC website.

The election of office-bearers (President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Tournament Secretary) and eight general Committee members will occur at the AGM.

Please place completed nomination forms and proxy forms in the appropriate labelled box in the Managers' office by midday on Tuesday 4 October 2022.

The AGM agenda and the 2021-22 audited statement of the CBC accounts will be available from the Committee noticeboard and the CBC website as soon as possible.

All AGM attendees are asked to observe the CBC COVID-19 protocols.  Details are available on the CBC website.  Please wear a face mask.

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.

   

Sessions in the Club and on RealBridge are outlined below

Upcoming Sessions

Our weekly sessions are the same as last week:

  • Monday morning 10.00am at the club
  • Monday 2.00 pm (24 boards) RealBridge
  • Monday 7.00 pm RealBridge
  • Tuesday afternoon 1.00pm at the club
  • Tuesday 7.15pm event RealBridge - Swiss Pairs - 3 week competition commencing 2 August
  • 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 including GNOT finals 
  • Thursday morning 10.00am at the club - Butler and walk in duplicate
  • Thursday afternoon 2.00pm (now 27 boards with Rob Hurst) 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.

Low balance reminders on CBC Pay were emailed ystereday. If you didn't receive one then you are in the black!

 

Magnetic Name Badges

We hope to put in an order soon for magnetic name badges. If you would like one please drop $15 into the office.  We currently have 7 people on the list but need 20 to make a viable order.  

 

October Supervised Sessions 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. 

  • 28-30 Sep:  Etiquette, Duplicate play, bridgemates & scoring

  • 5  & 7 Oct: Doubles

  • 12 & 14 Oct: Overcalls

  • 19 and 21 Oct: Opening leads and signals

  • 26 & 28 Oct: Declarer play

If you are interested, please come along.  You don’t need a partner.   There is no need to book.  If you would like a copy of the notes, please contact 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

 Master the Basics virtual lessons are on Thursdays at 9.00am.  The topic on 15 September is Competitive Doubles - More about Doubles 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. $6 for members and $8 for non-members. The lessons run for 30 minutes.  

 

Results

September Butler Pairs:

Open; 1st Stephen Mendick & Peter Grant, 2nd Bernard Waters & Michael Cullen, 3rd Pam Crichton & Julia Hoffman

Plate: 1st Andrew Struik & Brian Thorp, 2nd Jennifer Carter & Malcolm Carter, 3rd Desmond Manderson & Rob Hurst

 

Upcoming Events

  

Upcoming RealBridge tournaments on Tuesday nights

 

RealBridge Teams on 27 September and 4 October; and 

Butler Pairs on 10 and 17 October.  

 

Canberra in Bloom 30 September to 3 October

 BFACT is holding Canberra in Bloom from Friday 30 September to Monday 3 October inclusive at our club rooms.  The program:

10am Friday 30 September                                                                Royal Bluebell Open MP Swiss Pairs

                                                                                                           Spider Orchid Novice and Restricted MP Swiss Pairs 

10am Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd October                                   Golden Wattle Open Teams 

                                                                                                          Val & John Brockwell Mixed Teams 

 2.30pm Sunday 2nd October and 10am Monday 3rd October.       Canberra Bells Swiss Pairs

                                                                                                          Federation Rose Novice and Restricted Swiss Pairs 

                                                                                                          Final Mixed Teams

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

Entry is $120 per pair on Friday, $360 per Team on Saturday and Sunday, $140 per pair on Sunday pm and Monday.  

Entries close Tuesday 27 September 2022.  Online entries via MyABF 

 If you would like to know more about MyABF, please let us know, because the BFACT team would be happy to help either on line, or here at the Club.  

 

Standby Players for Canberra in Bloom

BFACT are seeking standby players for the forthcoming Canberra in Bloom congress to fill-in for pairs and teams who have unexpected illness or for some reason their partner is not available to play for a session or a day during the 3-day congress. The benefits of being a standby player are the extra bridge experience/practice you will get and it is free ?

If you are interested and available for all or some of the congress weekend, BFACT (and Rowan and Patricia) would especially appreciate your willingness to help.

Could you please forward the following details to either Patricia: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or Rowan: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

  1. Name
  2. Telephone contact number
  3. Section you will play in: Novice/Restricted or Open
  4. 4. Days you are available to play

 

 

Cootamundra Congress - 15 & 16 October

The Cootmundra Congress is on October 15 and 16 with Swiss Pairs on the Saturday (9.30am  for 10 start ) and Swiss Teams on the Sunday (9.00am for 9.30 start). Bruce Crossman is directing. Entry fee is $50 per person per day or $80 per person for both days. Includes morning tea and hot lunch both days.  A flier is on the Congress table.  Enquiries to Judy Harris on 0429 528 990 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

 

Bainsdale Bridge Club 18th Annual Congress - 15 & 16 October

The Bairnsdale Bridge Club Congress will be held on Saturday October 15 for a 12 noon start ($35 per person) & on Sunday16 for a 10.00am start. (lunch provided for $45 per person)

Contact Alison Farthing on 0428 729 519 or email her on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for entries or www.bridgeunlimited.com 

 

Ian Morison: Card Play

        

Here is a Hand from earlier this week:

Dealer N, Nil Vul

                                                                                8752

                                                                                75

                                                                                K9

                                                                                A10632

                                                 J                                                             AKQ1096

                                                 AKQJ104                                              2

                                                 Q54                                                        AJ108

                                                 QJ9                                                         87

 

                                                                                 43

                                                                                9863

                                                                                7632

                                                                                K54

The Bidding

  1. East/West bid up to an adventurous 6S, with East as Declarer
  1. Fortunately, South did not lead a Club (it would be over straight away). He led H9
  1. How would you play this Hand?
  1. Firstly, there are tricks galore in Spades and Hearts, but there are entry problems to the Hearts given the lead of H9
  1. You win the Heart in Dummy
  1. It is now, at trick 1, that you must do an assessment of your choices in card play. If at any time you lose the lead, then Clubs will surely be played
  1. It seems there are 2 options

Option 1

  1. Play SJ, clearing 1 round of trumps. NS follow suit, so you will not face a 6-0 Spade break
  1. Then play 2 more rounds of Hearts, planning on throwing both your 2 losing Clubs. The odds of Hearts breaking 3-3 are about 36 %
  1. But if they break 4-2 (or worse – total 64 % against you), North or South will surely ruff the third Heart, then surely play a Club
  1. If it is North who ruffs, you can overruff, or discard your second losing Club. Your only chance of not going down then, after drawing Trumps, is to play DA hoping for someone to hold DK singleton (about another 2 % chance)
  1. If it is South who ruffs, then you must hope a Club is not played then, as it would then be all over. A diamond may well look more appealing to South, rather than leading CK, or away from CK
  1. There is also a small chance that the player with short hearts has only 1 Spade, and as you drew it with SJ earlier, they cannot ruff (about another 1 % chance)
  1. So, your total chance of success in this option is about 40 %

 

Option 2

  1. Again, play SJ, then play 1 more Heart round throwing a Club from hand (chances of a 3:3 or a 4:2 break are about 84%)
  1. Then play DQ, hoping North has DK (50:50 chance)
  1. If North has it, North will very likely cover it (best play), hoping to promote a winning Diamond in South (if DQ is not covered, then finesse again, and it is all over – you make 6S)
  1. Assuming North does cover, draw Trumps, then play Diamonds. You then need the D9 to fall to promote your D8. There is a small chance it does not (about 5%)
  1. So, all in all, the odds favour Option 2 (45% chance) vs Option 1 (40%)

Moral of the Story

  1. Stop early and consider the best line of play. You may need to do something early, as is the case here with the better option – the Diamond finesse

 

Ian Morison

Bridge lover

 

Be kind to each other. Remember to shuffle your hand before you return it to the dealing board if you're playing at the club. Do as I say not as I do!

 

Kerry (for Kerry and Tamara)