Don't Miss the Next Bala Sectional -- October 10-12
With nearly 300 tables in play and appearances by many bridge stars including Eric Greco, Shannon Cappelletti, and Kevin Dwyer, the Unit 141 September Sectional at Bala was a terrific success. We thank you for your support and say, "Let's do it again!" October 10-12 is the other fall sectional at Bala and guarantees the same valet parking, plentiful hospitality and range of Open and NLM events across the three days. For more information about anything related to the sectional, see the event flyer by visiting the Unit 141 website ( www.philadelphiabridge.info) or clicking the link to the left in Upcoming Events. If you still have questions, contact Tournament Chair Meyer Kotkin ( [email protected]) or Unit 141 President Mike Giesler ( [email protected]).
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0-500 Non-Life Master I/N Team Tournament: November 17
The Unit 141 Intermediate/ Newcomer Program hosts its next sectional on November 17. This event reprises a sellout TEAMS event and introduces new players to this exciting -- but sometimes unfamiliar -- format. Only players with fewer than 500 masterpoints who are not life masters are eligible to participate. Hosted at the lovely Bala Golf Club, the tournament will include lunch as well as plenty of guidance on how to play, score, and move through a teams event. It is a two-session event and registrants must play both sessions. All winners earn silver points! The total cost, including lunch, is $90 per team or $45 per pair. Pairs may register and will be teamed up by the director to make a team. The first session starts promptly at 10 AM (players are asked to arrive by 9:30 AM), lunch follows the first session, and the second session follows immediately after lunch (around 2 PM).
Pre-registration is required. To resolve any questions or register, please contact I/N Tournament Chair Bruce Lang at 267-312-6221 or [email protected]. Additional information and a registration form is also available through this link.
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All three NAP flights play their District finals this month. Flight A plays on October 18-19, Flight B plays on October 25, and Flight C plays at clubs on October 18. Remember that you need to be eligible for the flight in which you play and to have earned a club qualification. For information about locations, times, and more, click on the flight-appropriate link in Upcoming Events to the left or contact Jay Apfelbaum ( [email protected]) with questions.
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Unit 141 and District 4 maintain an online partnership desk to help its members find partners or teammates for upcoming regionals, sectionals, and even some club games. The site includes an online tutorial that explains how to register and use the site. Click here to link directly to the partnership desk.
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A few months ago, the Unit 141 Newsletter ran a series of articles by club liaison April Apfelbaum offering tips for club owners. This month, the series continues with a "to do list" for duplicate players.
- It is courteous for regulars at a game to call the director if they are not coming or are delayed.
- If you are not a regular, call the club whenever possible to let them know you are coming.
- When you talk about hands, remember that they will be played later. Do not broadcast results or let the next table have enough information to gain an advantage.
- Don't ask others about partnership matters. Work them out with your partner.
- E-W pairs - if you finish early, find an out-of-the-way place to sit or stand so there is no suggestion of impropriety and so the next pair can begin to play.
- If you do not need to sit N-S, please be considerate of those who do.
- Play your cards in tempo. It's not always easy, but consider: If you only have one card left to play in a suit, it is unethical to hesitate or touch several cards before playing it. Similarly, it is unethical to hesitate when declarer appears to be taking a finesse when you do not have a finessable card in your hand.
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The 12th Annual Bridge Tournament for Lupus had a great turnout at Green Valley Country Club on September 29th. Complete results are available at the Unit 141 website (www.philadelphiabridge.info) in the Results section on the homepage. Note that the results include two sections which can be viewed by clicking the tabs labeled Section A and Section B.
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Table Tips: Play and Lead in Tempo
Last month, Table Tips talked about the importance of leading first before doing any housekeeping, such as recording the contract on a personal scoresheet. While it's important not to waste time noodling around before leading, it is also important not to give away unauthorized information on the opening lead by leading with uneven tempo. Just as it is important to play in tempo, it is also important to lead in tempo. A fast lead, for example, suggests a singleton, while a not-so-fast one suggests a doubleton. A "fast ace" is from Ace-King, while a slow ace might be from Ax(xxx). A fast lead of a low spot card against a notrump contract seems like fourth best; slow might be from honor-third (Hxx). It takes time to figure out the right card to lead, so don't waste that precious time by writing down contracts or entering them Bridgemates. Instead, use it to decide which card to play. That said, lead in tempo so you don't give unauthorized information to your partner or the declarer. The declarer is entitled to take advantage of any inference that can be made from speed of the opening lead. Remember that the next time you declare a hand! |
News from Around the Unit
The Bridge Center of Delaware County is hosting a Saturday Open Pairs game, beginning September 27th at the club. The game will start at 12 noon. For more information and directions, please visit www.delcobridge.com. The North Penn Bridge Club has joined the Common Game for all of its afternoon and evening games. Yes, that means pre-dealt hands for all events. The Common Game enables players to compare results across the entire field of participating clubs, view online records and double dummy analysis, and read expert hand analysis for many boards. Visit the North Penn website for more information about its participation in the Common Game or the club: www.northpennbridge.com/
Local clubs and players are encouraged to send announcements, news, updates, or information for placement in upcoming newsletters.
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