Ballina Bridge Club Newsletter — Dec 2014bbclub/newsletters/2014/Dec 2014.pdf · Newsletter — Dec 2014 Current Office Holders _____ President Ngaire Wills Vice President Rebecca

Welcome to the Christmas edition of the

Newsletter — wishing you all the best for

the festive season. In this edition, we fea-

ture results of our annual pairs tourna-

ment, list upcoming events, discuss some

unusual bidding systems and give some

bridge tips. We will also give an update on

how members are travelling and who has

been promoted in rank. As usual, your

feedback and contributions are always wel-

come. I look forward to seeing you at the

table.

Seasons Greetings!

Upcoming Events

Bal l ina Br idge Club Newsletter — Dec 2014

Current Office

Holders

__________________

President

Ngaire Wills

Vice President

Rebecca Rogers

Secretary

Sue Burns

Assistant Secretary

Judy Woodward

Treasurer

Julie Harwood

Assistant Treasurer

Jan Blay

Masterpoint Secretary

Bill Powell

Chair of Play

Judy Forsyth

Committee Members

Chery McCallum

Maureen Baker

Chris McDowell

Rank Promotions

The following members have achieved the following rank.

Trish Groth State Master John Harrison State Master

Chery McCallum State Master

Betty Clark State Master

Mary Goodall Bronze Life Master

6 Dec Christmas Party

31 Dec New Year’s Eve Pairs

A Big Thank you

The showing of the Melbourne Cup last month was very much enhanced by its projection onto our screen. This was in part courtesy of our security and TV support man, Wayne Morris. Wayne installed our TV aerial, loaned us the amplifier and speakers for the day and has also gifted a set top box to the club to allow TV viewing via the projector and screen. Thanks also to Irene Charman who generously donated some wonderful wines to the

Club to be used on special days as prizes.

Congratulations to the Teaching Group who have won an ABF Marketing ‘Special Projects’

Grant. The grant of $1685 will fund a Friendship Day where novice and restricted players from the

region will be invited to participate in a day of bridge. This Pairs event will be run along the lines of

a Pairs Congress but in a shortened, more friendly, non-threatening environment. Participants

will get to experience a double session of bridge (as opposed to the more usual morning or

afternoon session) and an opportunity to interact with other restricted players in both a social

and competitive manner. At Ballina we have around 120 members who each have less than 50

masterpoints and they make up approximately 50% of our club members. We are keen to cre-

ate opportunities for these players (and other players from surrounding clubs who have simi-

lar masterpoints) to enhance their enjoyment of the game as well as giving them more experi-

ence and confidence to participate in many more club and regional events.

Friendship Day will be held in September 2015.

New procedures for collection of table fees

Starting on Monday 8 December, there will be a new procedure for the collection of table fees.

Instead of paying at the front desk, please place your fees in the collection bag at your table.

The north sitting person will be responsible for ensuring that each player at that table pays the

correct amount. The bags will be collected from each table before play starts. Please ensure

that you come with the correct money as it will not be possible to give change for large de-

nomination notes.

Annual Fees and 2015 Programme booklet

Annual membership fees are now due:-$40 for home members, $45 for associate members,

and $20 for social members. Each member will be entitled to one free 2015 programme book-

let; additional booklets can be purchased for $2 each. Please pay Jan or Julie at the front desk

to receive your receipt and free booklet.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and safe festive season, and a good

year of bridge in 2015.

Ngaire

shoulder. The Doctors have decided to allow it to heal without surgery but this will take some time. Marie’s next check up is

19th December.

As there is bursitis in the other arm Marie has some difficulty getting around safely but remains in good

spirits.

Lexie Teakle has recently had another hospital stay

Sue Fielder does a marvel-

lous job as Welfare Officer

and has kindly agreed to

put together a report to

assist those of us who are

perhaps not at the club all

that often to keep up to

date on absent Members.

Marie Carter is at home recovering from a fall sus-taining a fracture to her upper arm close to the

of 5 weeks having the ar-tery cleared to her leg again, complicated by an-

other infection.

It is unlikely we will see Lexie at the Bridge table again due to vertigo caused by antibiotics but she is always hopeful and our

thoughts are with her.

Our Club Members

Please consider supporting

our generous sponsors

_________________

Page 2

Pres ident ’s Report

Eric recently mentioned a bidding technique that he employs to find singletons and voids. If he opens 1 of a major, then 3 of the other major is a fit in opener’s suit and says a singleton somewhere. Opener’s response of 3NT asks

for which singleton with 4 ♣/4 ♦ the response. A 4 ♥ bid means the singleton is a ♠ as a fit raise obviously can-not be done in the trump suit. (In the case of an opening bid of 1 ♠, then a 4 ♥ response over 3NT enquiry is

natural) Bids of 4 over 1 of a major (1♠—4♣/4♦/4♥ etc) are then reserved showing a void in that suit. The hand

opposite illustrates the point. West as dealer opens a light 1 ♥ on shape. With 4 card

support and a singleton East bids 3 ♠. West, with a minimum opening should bid 4 ♥,

but if stronger can bid 3NT which asks East to name the singleton, in this instance 4 ♥

(showing singleton ♠). In this deal, from the recent Pairs Championship, 4 ♥ is off on a

singleton ♣ lead but makes on the lead of the ♦ Q as 2 losing ♣ can be discarded immediately, keeping losses to 2 ♣ and the ♠ A. (note that if West, as declarer, passes

initially, then the likely auction will proceed 1 ♣ (east), 1♥ (west), 3H (east), 4 ♦ (west

showing ♦ control). By by-passing 4 ♣, West alerts East that 2 or more ♣ losers are likely, enabling East to sign off in 4 ♥).

Bridge Tips — cue raises and splinters

Congratulations to the following Ballina BC Pairs

Open winners and Club Champions B Grade Winners Restricted Winners

Peter and Helen Tootell Betty Clark & Anne Riley Alan Sims & Ray Ghioni

Runners-up B Grade Runners-up Restricted Runners-Up

Marjorie Askew and Bill Powell Penny & Dennis Prior Jenny & Greg Maley

Congratulations to the Ballina BC Congress Winners

Open

First Janet Brown, Eric Hurley, Marjorie Askew, Bill Powell

Second Liz Jeffrey, Howard Jeffrey, Paul Cruickshank, Winston Guymer

Third Jean Lowe, Ellen Watson, Margaret Wilcox, Terry Lowe

Restricted

First Marie Thomas, Leonie Love, Chris McDowell, Jenny McDowell

Second Graham Carson, Ian Pick, Charlotte Harrison, John Harrison

Third Juliana Connell, Jonathan Chance, Rod Smyth, Nancy Stivano

Australian Bridge

Ballina purchases 2 copies of this magazine each year. These are for loan from the front desk. There are 6 copies annually. They have now released an Online Novice edition. If you would like to view this then please use the following link:

www.australianbridge.com

2015 Programme Books

These will be available when you pay your annual membership and are complimentary to all members. If additional copies are

required, then these are available for $2 each.

P-Platers — A gentle reminder for all

If you carry a P Plate at open sessions, remember to announce this when you arrive at each table or new players arrive at your table. For Monday players, although it’s an Open session, ALL players must play the P Plate restrictions and therefore

carrying a P Plate is redundant.

Page 3

Play Committee Report

In the November edition, I neglected to include Judy Woodward who is Assistant Secretary. Apologies

for this oversight.

Erratum

Occasionally I’d like to feature an interesting or unusual bidding convention so that the interested reader can determine its particular merit and perhaps incorporate it into their own systems (or not as the case might be).

This month’s convention is Bollywood.

Banned in 7 European countries and described by the President of the US Bridge Federation as a “travesty”, Bol-lywood has found unlikely champions in local pairing Colin MacDonald and Horst Utzen. Building on the multi-

two system, an opening bid of 2♦ describes 3 possible hands:

- 4441 shape with 11-14 points

- 5 ♥, 4 ♠ and less than reversing values (Flannery)

- 6 card ♦ suit and weak.

Assuming no interference, then a response of 2♥ by responder functions as a waiting or relay bid. Opener then has the following options to further describe their hand:

2♠ Flannery

2NT 4441 shape and a singleton ♦

3♣ 4441 shape and a singleton ♣

3♦ weak 6 card ♦ suit

Bridge on the Edge — “Bollywood”

In the recent Club Pairs, Championship, Winston sitting East opened

1♣, South overcalled 3♠. Paul (West) bid 4NT (RKC agreeing ♣). I an-

swered 5♦ (1 or 4 KC) which South doubled. Paul, knowing that I held

the A ♠ and figuring that the double from South located the DK bid

5NT (asking for lowest King). I answered 6♥ and Paul bid 7♣, counting at least 10 tricks in his own hand (11 including the K♦ ) opposite my

opening hand. This is by far the best contract as 7NT is one off as a ♦ has to be conceded on optimum defence. Paul was the only person to

find 7♣ so congratulations to him.

Congratulations to Peter and Helen Tootell who are the 2014 Ballina Pairs

Page 4

Grand Slam Bidding—7♣