Newsletter 25 November 2022
In this week’s newsletter...
- President's Message
- Supervised Sessions
- Upcoming Events
- Will Jenner-O'Shea workshop on Saturday - Starts at 10am on Saturday. Morning tea provided. BYO lunch.
- GNOT - this weekend in Brisbane
- Wednesday Night - Monthly Pizza Night - this week!
- ABF Australian Mixed Teams Trials - from 2 - 8 December
- Down Under v Up Over RealBridge challenge - 6 December
- Youth Pizza Day - 11 December with Will Jenner O'Shea
- Summer Festival of Bridge Program for January 2023
- Results
- Staying cool with Ian Morison
- Lighter Moments
- Film Offer
From the President
The club rooms were abuzz this last weekend with three teams conducting a working bee both inside and outside. While In the Olive Lott room 25+ aspiring Directors under the tutelage of Sebastian Yuen were exercising their minds delving into the complex laws of bridge and how to interpret them.
The Canberra Bridge Club would like to thank the great work done by the teams of volunteers – Adrienne Stephens, Alison Russell-French, Andrew Struik, Brett Yeats, David Kenny, Di Hawke, George Mclean, Jan Johnson, Janet Kahler, Jared Kohle, Jennifer Yeats, Jody Tutti, John Lee, John Kelly, Leonie Jones, Lisa Bradley, Marion Gillespie-Jones, Mark Woods, Mary Tough, Michelle Grant, Nicole Finn, Pam Crichton, Rick Nehmy, Tamara Cutcliffe and West Savery. Please forgive me if I have left anyone off this extensive list but we thank you also. Enormous quantities of work were done putting up the Christmas decorations, cleaning the bridgemates, ensuring all the bidding boxes are complete with sufficient bidding cards of all types in every box, weeding all the garden beds, pruning the roses, removing huge quantities of debris from pathways, repairing the broken concrete parking bollard, clipping the hedges, spreading mulch and generally tidying up to make the premises look more loved. (If you are on Facebook see some of the heroes and labours here)
Competing with a smile makes losing a much softer landing.
Tim Mather
A Word on Governance
The October minutes of the Canberra Bridge Club Committee are on the website and the Committee Noticeboard. The Christmas raffle is expected to be drawn on Tuesday 20 December in the afternoon.
Barnardos Christmas Giving Tree
It’s the season of giving and this year we are again supporting the Barnardos Christmas Giving Tree Appeal which collects gifts for children of all ages who would otherwise miss out on Christmas gifts.
If you would like to support this Appeal please bring unwrapped gifts for boys and girls and leave them under our Christmas tree. While gifts for any age are appreciated, Barnardos always finds it most difficult to provide suitable gifts for teenagers such as gift vouchers for movies, bowling, JBHI-Fi, or sports stores, hygiene or pamper packs, and clothes. Barnardos have provided a list of gift ideas for all ages, which is available from the managers.
Upcoming Sessions
Our weekly sessions are the same as last week - see our homepage. The Butler is back running on Thursday mornings.
Links to online sessions are on our RealBridge page.
If anyone is travelling to Wollongong in the near future, we have another small parcel from Paul Lavings that we need collected. We also need to return a small parcel to him.
November & December Supervised Sessions Wednesday nights and Friday mornings at the Club
We run supervised duplicates on Wednesday nights starting at 7.00pm and Friday mornings starting at 9.30am.
Each duplicate is preceded by a short lesson.
Here are the classes for the remainder of the year:
- 30 Nov/2 Dec: Responses to NT and stayman
- 7 /9 Dec: Rule of 20 and Rule of 15
- 14/16 Dec: Higherl Level Opening Bids - Summary
The supervised program for the year ends on 16 December. It will restart in the first week in February. In January we will run supervised duplicates as follows: Wednesday (commences 7pm); Friday (commences 9.30am). An experienced player will be available to provide advice. There will be no supervised lesson.
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 - 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 1 December is Competitive Bidding - Michael's Cuebids. 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. It's $6 for members and $8 for non-members. The lessons run for 30 minutes.
Upcoming Events
The 2022 Grand National Open Teams
The GNOT is on in Brisbane 25-28 November, 2022. Best wishes to the 3 ACT teams participating in the GNOT!
Website | Results
Wednesday Nights - Pizza Night for the Young at Heart!
After a COVID-19 break, the last Wednesday night (of the month) pizzas will return on 30th November. For those unfamiliar with the activity, 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. The pizzas will be available from 6:30pm, 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 and 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.
ABF Australian Mixed Teams Trials 2 - 8 December
The ABF have booked the CBC Olive Lott room for the Australian Mixed Teams Trials from next Friday
Good luck to ACT participants! These players are the creme de la creme of the bridge world having amassed the requisite Playoff Qualifying Points (PQPs) to participate
Up Over v Down Under RealBridge Challenge 6 December
RealBridge is hosting a special festive event on 6 December allowing club players from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to compete against players of a similar standard from the UK and Ireland (“Down Under versus Up Over”). This should be a fun and interesting competition and we encourage members to register their interest in playing.
Players will be divided into three groups:
- High level players.
- Club players.
- Players who are learning, but have been playing for more than 6 months.
Each pairs session will be 20 boards, scheduled for 6 December. The first session will be at 7am and the second session at 7pm. Players can play in either or both sessions.
The sessions are free for CBC members and will be $5 per session for non-members. To register your interest (either as a pair or individually) please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as soon as possible. If you require further information, please contact Roger Brake (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 0466 009 426).
Learn to play bridge for Under 30's - 11 December
On Sunday 11 December, the Canberra Bridge Club will be hosting a "Learn to Play Bridge for Under 30's" with Will Jenner-O'Shea. The day is planned to be lots of fun and there will be pizzas provided for lunch. If any members have children/grand-children/nieces/nephews (or anyone under 30) who wish to learn to play bridge, please let them know. We will need to know how many hungry mouths to feed so please advise Mary Tough by Friday 9 December This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you wish to join us.
Time: 10:00am - 3:00pm
Where: Canberra Bridge Club, 5-7 Duff Place, Deakin ACT 2600
~~ Youth Bridge is Bridge's Future ~~
As this is an investment in our future, there is no charge for this event.
Canberra Summer Festival of Bridge 10-22 January 2023
The Summer Festival of Bridge is on at the Rex Hotel Northbourne Ave. This is the first F2F event since 2020.
The Festival offers events for players of all levels. There are events for players with fewer than 100 masterpoints, to under 300, 500, 750, 1000 and many open events.
There are single day and multi day events with all events providing Gold Masterpoints.
A full program is on on the notice board at the Canberra Bridge Club, and also available on MYABF or at https://www.myabf.com.au/media/Congress-downloads/2022/10/31/sfob2023.1pdf
Results
The Canberra Bridge Club Pairs honour board event concluded this week. Winners were:
1. Pam Crichton/Peter Grant - CBC new Club Champions
2. David Hoffman/David Wawn
3. Sebastian Yuen/Christy Geromboux
Congratulations to all!
Some people will have noticed our new member Anne Weber and Anita DeLorenzo recently joined the over 70's club (percentage not age we hasten to add) this week.
Looking for a Christmas Gift that keeps on Giving?
If you know someone that is interested in learning to play bridge, consider giving them a gift certificate for a set of beginner classes. It costs $69. For this they receive 6 x 2 hour lessons with notes and hand records and 3 free supervised lessons. The next beginners classes start in February.
Hoping Against Hope! with Ian Morison
Partner and you have bid to 6NT on this hand, South as Declarer
Dealer North, NS Vul
AK86
A73
AK42
A5
West leads S5
Q43
K82
Q53
K1087
The Bidding
You have a combined 32 Points, so 6NT is not unreasonable
But, playing in 6NT is always harder without a 5-card suit to run and/or lots of 10s and 9s
The Play
There are only 10 tricks on top, so you need to find 2 more
Your best hope is to find Spades and Diamonds break 3-3, giving you an extra trick in each. The chances of a 3-3 break is about 38%. So twice, is 0.38 x 0.38 = just about 15%
Maybe there are other hopes? CQ and CJ as a doubleton? Unlikely, so you revert to the 3-3 breaks
You win the Spade lead in hand with SQ, and lead low to the SK. East shows out, discarding a Club
Aha you think, now you might get an extra trick in Clubs? So, you play CA, CK and (holding your breath) C7. Both players follow, so you have an extra trick in Clubs
East has won with CQ, and is on lead. East leads HJ (safest, from a sequence). You win in Hand, then play the 13th Club from Hand. West throws a Spade and East, thinking Declarer might have HQ, throws a Diamond
Suddenly, you have your 12th trick if Diamonds break 4-2
They do
Here is the full deal:
AK86
A73
AK42
A5
J10752 9
Q54 J1096
109 J876
632 QJ94
Q43
K82
Q53
K1087
Moral of the Story
Sometimes bringing in a tight slam requires you to hope for the best
It worked here, as East was under pressure and did not know partner had HQ, thus released a critical Diamond
[An inspired discard by West would have been HQ on the HJ lead by East, allowing East to guard the Diamonds]
How would you have played it?
Lighter Moments
Ah, the modern days…
- I just saw a grandpa help a youngster who was staring into his phone, to cross the street.
Patient: “Doctor, you have to help me, I think I can see in the future.”
- Doctor: “When did it start?” Patient: “Next Friday.”
Why aren’t koalas actual bears?
- They don’t meet the koalafications.
What do Alexander the Great and Winnie the Pooh have in common?
- They have the same middle name.
What do you call bears with no ears?
- B–
I told my physiotherapist I'd broken my arms in two places
- She told me to stop going to those places.
ANU Film Group Offering
The film is Mrs Harris Goes To Paris: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5151570/ and it's on Saturday at 5pm. This film seems beautifully appropriate for CBC members.
Bettye Pearce saw it on Sunday with a group of friends. Despite feeling doubtful about the choice, she enjoyed it and described it as “an enjoyable fairy tale”.
It starts at 5pm – no adverts, no trailers – and will finish just before 7pm. Free parking in the carpark directly under the cinema (on weekends for up to three hours).
Please contact Brett Yeats phone 6281 7684 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 4pm on Saturday if you wish to attend.
Here is the ANUFG website: https://www.anufg.org.au/
Here is the venue and parking: https://www.anufg.org.au/faq#section-venue
It's begnning to feel a lot like Christmas!
Tamara (for Kerry and Tamara)