July header

 

 Unit 141 Newsletter            July 2011

   Philadelphia Contract Bridge Association

 

In This Issue

  • Summer Bridge 
  •  

  • Milestones
  •  

  • Unit 141 Clubs
  •  

  • Test Your Play 
  •  

  • Jordan & Gough
  •  

  • Good Cause 
  •  

  • Pro-Am
  •  

  • Newcomer Event 
  •  

  • Table Tips
  •  

  • Club News
  • Upcoming Events

     

    NAP Qualifying Games

    July-August

     

    Wilmington Sectional

    July 4-8

     

    Unit 141 STaC 

    July 11-17

     

    Woodbridge Sectional

    July 15-17

     

    NABC - Toronto 

    July 21-31

     

    York Sectional (NLM-500)

    August 14

     

    Valley Forge Regional 

    August 22-28

    (Note: New location)

     

    Mount Holly Sectional (at Westhampton)

    September 9-11

     

    9th Annual Charity Game: Lupus Foundation of America

    September 26 


    Feedback 
      

    Send your comments and suggestions for future articles to Allison Brandt at allison@dovetailpress.com

     

    Join Button 

    Boat and BalloonSummer Bridge

     

    As spring gives way to summer, you might start looking for ways to avoid the warm weather. What better way to escape the heat than with some cool bridge competition?

     

    One option is to play in NAP qualifying games at local clubs throughout July and August. You can check that item off your to-do list and be ready for the NAP District Finals in October. Check with the club managers to identify which games count as NAP qualifiers.

     

    Don't forget about the Unit STaC, taking place the week of July 11-17. Non-life masters seeking silver points can earn them at local clubs. Life masters can enjoy the thrill of color point competition and the challenge of earning bonus points for high-scoring games.

     

    Start planning for the Valley Forge Regional, which takes place in August. Please note the new location at the Dolce Valley Forge Hotel. (You can link to the hotel site here.) The event will be here before you know it.

     

    For those of you headed to Toronto for the Summer Nationals, we look forward to seeing you there. The August newsletter will include reports on the successes of Unit 141 players at the Summer NABC.

     

    Member Milestones
     
    5 HeartsArnie Fisher Wins US Senior Team Trials
    Unit 141 bridge pro and teacher Arnie Fisher won the top spot in the Senior Team Trials in Detroit on June 11. The win earns him and his teammates, including partner Fred Hamilton, the opportunity to represent the United States as USA1 at the world championships in Veldhoven, Netherlands in October. Arnie also won the Senior Team Trials in 2009. He is a grand life master who has won several national championships and countless regional and sectional victories.

    More Results from Louisville
    Congratulations to Carl Berenbaum-Barbara Kepple, Daisy Goeker (playing with William Esberg), and Meyer Kotkin-Jane Ball for their top 50 finishes in the Rockwell Mixed Pairs at the Spring Nationals. 

     

    Unit 141 Clubs

    oldtime people playingIf you are new to the area, moving around in the summer, looking for a game on a specific day, or just trying to mix things up a little, you need a listing of all the clubs in the Unit. Here it is: A list of all Unit 141 clubs that are open to the public. Please contact the club manager for more information, including exact location and game times.

     

    Bayside DBC

    Ocean City, NJ     609-398-8065

     

    Bridge Alert

    Warminster, PA     215-773-8200

     

    Bridge Center of Delaware County

    Drexel Hill, PA     610-449-4350

     

    Bridge Club of Center City

    Philadelphia, PA     215-732-1148

     

    Cape May Country DBC

    Cape May, NJ     609-463-5905

     

    Central Buxmont

    Warminster, PA     215-773-8200

     

    Cinnaminson DBC

    Cinnaminson, NJ     856-829-3327

     

    Doylestown Bridge Club (Novice only)

    Doylestown, PA     215-622-3289

     

    JCC Bridge Club Friday

    Philadelphia, PA     215-639-4197

     

    Lower Bucks Bridge Club

    Bensalem, PA     215-355-3227

     

    Main LIne

    West Chester, PA     610-889-3863

     

    Moorestown Bridge

    Moorestown, NJ     856-795-7529

     

    Mount Holly Bridge Club

    Mount Holly, NJ     609-267-9247

     

    North Penn DBC

    Lansdale, PA     215-723-5881

     

    Old York Road Bridge Club

    Abingdon, PA     215-635-2063

     

    Philadelphian Bridge Club

    Philadelphia, PA     215-763-8610

     

    Raffles Bridge Club

    Philadelphia, PA     215-620-0466

     

    South Jersey Bridge Club

    Cherry Hill, NJ     856-795-7529

     

    Shore Bridge Club

    Atlantic City, NJ     609-646-8555 

     

    Winfield Hall Bridge Club

    West Chester, PA     610-692-7337

     

    Yorktown Bridge Club

    Jenkintown, PA     215-886-7800

     

    Please send updates or corrections to allison@dovetailpress.com.

     sdfg

    Test Your Playkantar logo
      
    This month, we include a test-your-play challenge from Eddie Kantar. The hands and bidding are below. The opening lead is the diamond 2. East plays the A, followed by the Q and J of diamonds at tricks 2 and 3. At trick 3, you ruff the third diamond low. West followed with the 9 and then the King on tricks 2 and 3. Plan the play.

    North
    S: A J 10 8 7 5
    H: A 4
    D: 7 6 4
    C: A 4

    South (you)
    S: 4
    H: K Q J 3 2
    D: 3 2
    C: K Q 7 6 5

    North     East          South     West
    1S          2D             2H          3D
    Pass      Pass         4C          Pass
    4H         All Pass

    Click here to link to the solution at Eddie Kantar's website, where you will also find a wealth of other information.

    Eddie Kantar

     

    Jordan and Gough Races 2011

     

    start of raceEach year, Unit 141 gives an award to the player from the Unit who accumulates the most masterpoints in all of the six sectionals. The award is presented in two categories: 

     

    Jordan Trophy The Jordan Trophy, named for Robert Jordan, is presented to the player in the Unit who accumulates the most masterpoints in unit sectionals.

     

    Gough Trophy The Gough Trophy, named for Billy Gough, is presented to a non-life master who starts the year with under 500 masterpoints and accumulates the most masterpoints in unit sectionals.

     

    The winners in each category this year will receive:

    1st place: 10 free plays at any 2012 Unit 141 sectional  

    2nd place: 6 free plays at any 2012 Unit 141 sectional  

    3rd place: 3 free plays at any 2012 Unit 141 sectional  

     

    Here are the standings as of June 20 (four sectionals completed, with two to go):

     

    Jordan Trophy

    1. Ken Cohen, Philadelphia PA       62.34

    2. Meyer Kotkin, Cherry Hill NJ        57.44

    3. Neal Satten, Wynnewood PA      48.18

     

    Gough Trophy

    1. Kim Guinan, Doylestown PA        15.36

    2. Ralph Collins, Warminster PA      12.40

    3. Marianne Bruni, Doylestown PA  12.38

     

    Contact Dave LeGrow, who maintains these standings, with questions: d_legrow@att.net. For more information, including past winners and additional places in the standings, visit the Unit 141 website.

     

    Play Bridge for a Good Cause
    Card Love
    The 9th Annual Charity Bridge Game to benefit the Lupus Foundation of America will be held on September 26, 2011. This year, the event will be held at the Green Valley Country Club. For reservations or more information about this enjoyable and worthwhile event, contact Arlyne Shockman at 215-517-5070
    .

     

    Pro-Am at the Conshohocken Sectional
    cartoon
    Non-life masters can participate in a special Pro-Am event on October 14 as part of the Conshohocken sectional
    .

    The regular entry fee entitles each entrant to a partnership with an illustrious Pro, the chance to earn silver points, and wonderful hospitality including wine, cheese, and exceptional desserts after the game. See the link below for a partial list of Pros who will be matched with with non-life masters by random drawing.

    Participation requires pre-registration through your local club manager or the Event Coordinator Joan Brandeis. For more information about this unique event, click this link or contact Joan Brandeis by phone (215-884-4076) or email (JOBFlowers@comcast.net).

     

    Do You Have Fewer Than 99 Masterpoints? This Event Is for You.

    cards and bidding boxOf the 2757 members in our Unit, how many have fewer than 99 masterpoints? The answer might surprise you. It's 1285, or nearly 47%.

     

    Unit 141 supports new players trying to learn about tournament bridge with a newcomer sectional. It will be held November 14-15 in Doylestown and is open only to players with fewer than 99 masterpoints. This special tournament will include free daily lessons, hand records, and plenty of hospitality. 

     

    Look for more detail in upcoming newsletters. Please send questions to Tournament Chair Jane Ball (janeball@msn.com).

     

    Table Tips: How to Lead

     

    Hand pulling cardThe bidding at your table has ended and it's time to lead. The hard part is choosing the right card to pull from your hand, but there are actually procedural issues too. While the few tips below won't help you make the correct lead, they should help you lead correctly.

     

    1.     Lead in a timely way. If you are on lead, make selecting a card the top priority. Delay writing down the contract, inputting scores in a bridgemate, or taking care of any other tasks until after you lead. You are entitled to thinking time, but the other chores can wait. The players at the table, including your partner, are waiting for you; lead so they can begin studying it and the dummy. 

     

    2.     Lead with the card face down. There are two key reasons to lead with the card face down. One is that it gives your partner a chance to ask questions about the bidding. The other is to prevent you from leading out of turn. If you "try" to lead out of turn and the card is face down, you still have a chance to correct the error. If the card is face up, however, it's too late. You cannot correct the error and are subject to penalties.

     

    3.     Know that a face-down lead may not be changed. It is important to know that a face-down lead cannot be changed (except when the Director rules that the lead can be changed because of misinformation). If you table a card and then take it back, you can be subject to a procedural penalty, so ask all of your questions about the bidding before you table a card. After you lead, you can query your partner, "Any questions?" You cannot change the lead, however, based on the answers.

     

    Readers who are interested in reading about which card to lead, can check out these links to eddiekantar.com and bridgewinners.com.

     

    Club NewsSlow Play

     

    The Philadelphian Bridge Club runs a regular duplicate game every Thursday night. The club features hand records, $5 card fees, and free parking. Check out their new website at www.bridge2401.com. The club will run an NAP qualifying game on Thursday, July 7 and host a Unit Championship game on Friday, August 5. Reservations for both events are recommended. Contact the club manager Linda DiLuco (bridge2401@gmail.com; 215-763-8610) for more information or reservations. 

     

    Remember that NAP Qualifying games are being held throughout July and August, but each club determines its own schedule, so please check with your club manager.

     

    Local clubs are encouraged to send announcements, schedules, updates, and special games for placement in this newsletter.

     

    Unit 141 Newsletter, July 2011
    Volume 1, Issue 3
    Editor: Allison Brandt (allison@dovetailpress.com