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CBC NEWSLETTER..........MAY 2021
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Please welcome our two new board members: Jack Self and Lee Webb!
We are happy to have them on board,
and would like to thank Gwynne Dilday
and Bob McCardle for their service these last three years.
Caroline Grimball has been appointed as Secretary to replace Kathy Belknap who
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stepped down from the position. Caroline will complete the remaining year of the term. |
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Following are the highlights of this year’s matches:
- Everyone is eligible—no prequalification required
- Eligibility based on Masterpoint (MP) holdings as of August 2019
- Flight A (<6000 MP) and C (<500 MP and non-Life Master) finals June 5 & 6 (Flight C is a one-day event on June 5)
- Championship and Flight B (<2500 MP) finals on June 12 and 13
- With 2–4 teams registered: the knockout plays on the first day;
- With 5–8 teams registered: Round Robins the first day with 4 teams qualifying for semi-finals on Sunday (leading team to choose opponent on 2nd day with carryover)
- With 9+ teams registered: Swiss with 4 teams qualifying for semi-finals on Sunday (leading team to choose opponent on 2nd day with carryover)
- If 8 or more teams participate in Flights B and C, the second place team will also receive an invitation to participate in the NABC on-line finals in July
- Game times Saturday: 10 am and 2:30 pm; Sunday: 10 am and TBD
- 20-point victory scale will be used
- Teams may have 4 to 6 members
- The best part—no cost to play ($100 deposit to be fully refunded as long as teams show up and play)
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There are two simple steps to register your team. Teams must be fully registered 1 week prior to the event
Step 1: All members must have a BBO ID. Captain’s email and phone number must be provided to Brian Russell (DIC), brian.russell@acbl.org.
Use the links below to register your team (if eligible, teams may register for more than one flight). YOU MUST HIGHLIGHT THE LINK & THEN “OPEN HYPERLINK”
Step 2: Captain must send $100 check, made payable to District 7, to the D7 assistant treasurer, Vivian McIntire, along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope: 5 Pendleton Place, Kingsport TN 37664.
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FINAL Wednesday Zoom Lesson! |
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Join Jack for a 30 Minute Lesson on Zoom!
The Lesson on May 26, will be the Last in this Series
This Final Session begins at 12:05 PM
Zoom Link:
The CBC Virtual Game will follow the Lesson!
Two sections are scheduled: 12:55 PM 0-300 Pairs and 1:05 PM Stratified Pairs
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The Longest Day -
Virtual Games at the CBC on June 19
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Playing Bridge to Raise Funds
The Longest Day is an annual fundraising event held to support the fight against Alzheimer’s disease by the Alzheimer’s Association. This is the eighth year of ACBL's partnership with the organization, and the bridge community has raised more than $6 million!
The event spans the longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice, and symbolizes the challenging journey of those living with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.
Bridge is uniquely suited for The Longest Day because studies have shown that playing strategic games, like bridge, help keep your brain healthy. The Alzheimer’s Association has even included playing bridge on its list of 10 Ways to Love Your Brain.
How Bridge Players Can Help
Both clubs and players can support The Longest Day.
As a player, simply playing bridge at the club during the event will raise funds, as sanction fees go directly to the Alzheimer’s Association. In return, you’ll earn double black masterpoints in The Longest Day games.
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The CBC will once again participate in the the Longest Day!
AM Session:
9:55 AM 0-300 Pairs
10:05 AM Open Pairs
PM Session:
12:55 PM 0-300 Pairs
1:05 PM Open Pairs
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To make a donation by credit card, click on the picture! Or, you can give a cash or check donation to a game director if you are participating in a Face 2 Face game or you can mail a check to the CBC, 77 Brighton Hill Rd, Columbia, SC 29223.
Please make check payable to the Alzheimer's Association.
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NABC Master (200+)
Judy Sternberg
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Open Positions
CBC has two vacancies we would like our members to help us fill.
CUSTODIAN
The Custodian is a paid position.
Duties are:
a. Cleaning and sanitizing the interior of the building
b. Collection of all trash; recycling and disposal of both.
c. Purchase and maintain cleaning supplies.
d. Reports to Facilities Manager any problems or needed repairs.
An outside contractor will be considered
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FACILITIES MANAGER - OUTSIDE
The Facilities Manager - Outside is a volunteer position.
Duties are:
a. Oversees the grounds upkeep, beds, plants, trees, water system
b. Maintain a regular schedule for ground maintenance
c. Replace trees and shrubs as needed
CBC currently has a contract with a lawn care company; the Facilities Manager basically checks on our water system and sees to our plantings and ground beautification.
Please contact Shelby King -
Phone: (803) 413-3421 or
Email: shelbypbiz@gmail.com
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Sunday Individual Game
Returning to the CBC for f2f Play
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The ever popular Individual Game will be returning to the CBC in June for f2f play.
Two Sundays are currently scheduled: June 13 and June 20.
The game will start at 1:30 PM and be preceded by a lesson.
Check the website for more information.
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Membership is $20.00 per year. Click on the flyer to download the membership form. Memberships may also be mailed to: CBC 77 Brighton Hill Rd., Columbia, SC 29223
Thank you to everyone who supported the CBC with their membership in 2020-2021. You membership made it possible to keep the game entry at the same rate, no matter what ACBL charged us for the special games including Silver Linings and Stardust Week.
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Upcoming Special CBC Virtual Club Games
and Online Tournaments
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Special Games and Events at the Virtual CBC |
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May 24 - 30
May 28
June 1
June 6
June 13
June 15
June 19
June 20
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Silver Linings Week - Virtual Games
f2f Game: Stratified and 0-300 12:30 PM (Black Points)
BBO Hi-Lo Game: +/- 500 MP Pairs 1:05 PM
Board Meeting 4:00 PM
f2f Individual Game 1:30 PM
BBO Hi-Lo Game: +/- 500 MP Pairs 1:05 PM
The Longest Day: AM and PM Sessions: 0-300 and Open Pairs
f2f Individual Game 1:30
All Friday games are f2f at the CBC
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Virtual Regional Tournaments and Other National Events |
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The CBC will be running NAP Club qualifier games both in f2f and virtual play during the months of June, July and August.
The NAP games award upgraded points:
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f2f games will award 200% of Standard Masterpoint rating, divided evenly between Red and Black masterpoints.
- Virtual NAP games will have the masterpoint award reduced by 20% of the f2f game.
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The strats are set by ACBL:
1. Flight A Open to any player
2. Flight B Players with < 2500 MPs as of the June 2021 masterpoint cycle*
3. Flight C Non-Life Masters with fewer than 500 MPs as of the June 2021 masterpoint cycle*
Mixed Flight Partnerships
- Partnerships consisting of players of different flights will be entered in the flight eligible to the top player.
- Any player who qualifies in a flight higher than his own is deemed to have also qualified in his own flight for the next level of competition.
* The June 2021 masterpoint cycle is run by ACBL data processing on May 6, 2021. Any points won but not included in this cycle do not affect masterpoint eligibility.
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One Thing You Can Do Right Now
to Improve Your Game
by Jack Self
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I often hear beginner players ask what they can do to improve their games. Some are looking for the magic potion that will turn them into stellar players overnight. Unfortunately, that magic potion does not exist (if so, I would have swallowed it long ago). Becoming a top player requires a lot of hard work and concentration along with having played thousands of hands. But there are many things that a player can do to become a better player. In this article, I will discuss one of them that has to become routine but takes a conscious effort at first and that is counting out the hand. You need to be able to figure out the distribution of each of the players at the table. Notice that means two people. You already know your own distribution and you know dummy’s cards.
If you have not developed the habit of counting, start simple with counting trumps for all four hands. Usually, you will have some idea of the distribution at the start but may have to refine your count as the hand progresses.
Suppose the auction goes, 1♥ on your left, pass by partner, 1NT (forcing) on your right, pass by you, 2♣ on your left, pass by partner, 2♥ on our right, pass, pass, pass. Already you have a preliminary count. Declarer almost surely has exactly five trumps. When dummy comes down with two hearts, look at how many you have, and you will know how many partner has. Suppose you have two trumps. That means partner has four. Now silently repeat the pattern for the trump: 5-4-2-2. You won’t have trouble remembering who has which.
Suppose the auction went differently. Suppose your left-hand opponent opened 1♠, pass by your partner, 1NT (forcing) on your right, pass by you, 2♠ on your left, all pass. Partner leads and this time dummy again lays down 2 small spades. Declarer has at least six trumps (maybe seven, but probably not eight). Dummy has two and you have three. That leaves partner with two trumps (or maybe just one). Declarer wins the opening lead and draws two rounds of trump with partner playing a trump on the first round and showing out on the second. Now you have the complete count. You have three, dummy has two, partner had 1, so that means declarer must have had seven. Silently repeat the trump pattern: 7-3-2-1. Now you can concentrate on declarer’s other six cards.
Next time you go to the bridge table, resolve that you will count out trump every time you play or defend a hand. Make a note on your convention card (a little check mark) if you did count and figured out the trump distribution. At the end of the game, count how many check marks you have. Yes, sometimes you will forget to do that, but most of the times you will (those little check marks become their own reward. And, yes, sometimes, you will be playing No Trump).
Then the next time, resolve again to do the same thing. You will find it easier this time. Soon you will be on your way to counting the trump suit automatically. And that is a step forward to becoming a better bridge player.
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Support the CBC - So Many Ways to Play!!
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Daily ACBL - SYC Games
ACBL has partnered with Bridge Base Online (BBO) and The Common Game to give you chances each day to earn black masterpoints online. Additionally, the majority of the game fees you pay will be given to your local club to support them during this difficult time.
Support Your Club ACBL Black Point Games are pair events. Games are held on BBO three times a day:
10:00 am, 5:10 pm and 7:30 pm.
Registration opens two hours before game time. You can play with any other ACBL member who has a BBO account.
NEW! Daylong Tournaments are solo events played with robots. In this game, you have up to 24 hours to complete your game, and it doesn’t have to be played all at once. You can even pause in the middle of a hand.
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Play a few of the 18 total boards in the morning, some more after lunch and the rest in the evening. Or, play them all in one sitting! Register anytime, and you’ll have until midnight Eastern time to finish the boards.
Both events use matchpoint scoring, and masterpoints earned in these games will count toward District and Unit races.
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99'er Virtual Game - Every Night 7:00 PM
Play with your friends from the CBC, or make some new ones in Districts 9 & 7 & 24 !!
Play 12 relaxed boards at approximately 7½ minutes a board.
This game pays back to the players' home clubs; the CBC will receive $3.00 every time you play in this game. Lesson before the game and Hand Analysis after. Great way to improve your game and support your club!
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Southeastern Bridge Club Consortium
The CBC has joined with the Southeast Bridge Club Consortium (based in Knoxville, TN) along with more than 30 regional bridge clubs! The SEBCC Mission is to keep bridge players of all levels engaged and excited about bridge.
SEBCC offers games four times each day: 9:30 AM, 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM, and 7:00 PM. Every session has both Limited and Open games available (Open games are awarded extra Masterpoints when there are also Limited games at the same time).
They also offer free weekly lessons and Live Postmortems.
The best way to understand their offerings is via the SEBCC online schedule.
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Have a comment or an article you would like to submit? Reply to this email or send to cbc.news.sc@gmail.com. This is your Club newsletter and all suggestions or submissions for future articles are welcome! Please submit articles by the 3rd of the month. All articles are subject to editorial approval and edit.
The CBC Newsletter is published monthly by the Columbia Bridge Club - Columbia, SC
www.bridgewebs.com/columbiabridgeclub/
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