Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Contact your District 4 board members.
PRESIDENT
Jeanne Gehret
jeannegehret@comcast.net
VICE PRESIDENT
Betsy Cutler
betsy2955@gmail.com
SECRETARY
Bill Bauer
william.baueriii@verizon.net
TREASURER
Pat Civale
pat@csa-accounting.com
DISTRICT DIRECTOR
Joann Glasson
joannglasson@msn.com
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Summer seems to have flown by and like past years, I never seem to get my fill of fresh corn, peaches, or any of the terrific local bounty. Of course, something to look forward to in the fall is pumpkins… and doesn’t that remind you of the Lancaster Regional? (And, wasn’t that a very un-subtle transition?)
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In 2022, a small but exciting change is being made to the Lancaster Regional daily lectures, and now I’m letting you in on the news! The change is to focus lectures on “the advancing player,” with (excitement building) lecture presentations being made by GRAND LIFE MASTERs of District 4. Never before has this group been assembled in one place to share their bridge wisdom. I strongly suggest you arrive early at the Lancaster Regional to grab your seat and take part in this very special program.
Some of the details…. the series of 4 lectures will run Tuesday through Friday, beginning at 9 a.m. Additional information, including a list of topics and presenters, is available on the Lancaster Regional page of our District 4 website: www.4acbl.org
September Events:
In addition to September Sectionals in Wilmington DE (9/9-11), I/N at Allentown PA (9/15), Cherry Hill NJ (9/30-10/2); and Rochester, NY (10/1-2) - be sure to make a bee-line to your local club and participate in this year’s 2nd and final Royal STaC Week, from September 19-25. The Royal STaC is a great opportunity to earn that final “little smidge” of Gold, Silver, or Red masterpoints you might need to boost you to the next player rank.
North American Pairs – District 4 Championship Games:
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Now that you’ve “qualified” at a club NAP game, what’s next? Well, it’s time to find a partner and plan to compete in the District 4 Championships, of course!
Event dates are:
· Flight A – October 22-23
· Flight B – October 8
· Flight C – October 23 (at club locations around District 4)
For more information about locations, prizes, and conditions of contest, visit the District 4 website: www.4acbl.org
That’s all for now!
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Until next month,
I welcome your comments or suggestions (jeannegehret@comcast.net)
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From the District Director |
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Congratulation to District 4 Players who had great success in the Central Massachusetts 0-3000 Round Robin Teams in Providence, Rhode Island. In addition to those winners that I reported last month:
Debbie Weil and Emily Losciuto came in first in Bracket 7 and Ann-Marie Corner and Sharon Harrington had a fourth-place finish in Bracket 6.
PROVIDENCE BOARD MEETINGS
The ACBL Board of Directors held its summer meetings July 11 through July 14, 2022 in Providence, RI. Here is a summary of the things that happened at those meetings.
Finance
As of June 30, 2022, the year-to-date revenue is $6,905,370, which is $414K less than budgeted. Total expenses for that same period are $7,339,585, which is $349K less than budget. The result is a loss from operations of $434K for the first six months of 2022, $64K higher than budgeted.
The initial budgeted loss from operations for 2022 was $850K, but with current trends, the loss from operations will likely be closer to $1M by year end. In addition, the unrealized loss in the market value of investments is $994K as of June 30, 2022.
The board will request that management concentrate on reducing fixed overhead expenses in the 2023 budget to ensure expenses are better aligned with current revenues.
Increasing Membership
The Board approved funding for a joint pilot program with the ACBL Educational Foundation aimed at increasing ACBL membership and providing support for face-to-face beginning bridge teachers and face-to-face bridge clubs.
The ACBL Educational Foundation and the ACBL will partner, each handling key program components to drive success. The ACBL will use digital marketing channels to generate leads that will be funneled to participating teachers. The ACBL Educational Foundation will track program results and analyze the data to ensure efficiencies in lead acquisition/cost.
The task force includes Robert Todd, President, ACBL Educational Foundation; Kristen Fredrick, Executive Director, ACBL Educational Foundation; Joel Kramer, Vice President, ACBL Educational Foundation; Joann Glasson, President, ACBL Board of Directors; Paul Cuneo, Region 9, ACBL National Board Member; Cindy Shoemaker, District 17, ACBL National Board Member and Mary Stratton, ACBL Director of Marketing.
Appeals & Charges
A motion was passed which amends the Code of Disciplinary Regulations to include the forfeiture of masterpoints and titles for members found guilty of first-degree ethical violations that result in the expulsion or suspension of the offender for two or more years. Furthermore, those members would be permanently ineligible to be awarded the ACBL rank of Grand Life Master and permanently ineligible to be inducted into the ACBL Hall of Fame. Offenders who are Grand Life Masters and/or are members of the ACBL Hall of Fame would be stripped of these distinctions.
The Board continues to move toward a new disciplinary structure as part of a comprehensive transformation in the way cheating cases are handled by the ACBL.
High level (think “felony”) ethical charges arising entirely after February 1, 2022 (based on the earliest hand intended to be used as evidence) will now be referred to arbitration with the Institute for Bridge Arbitration (IBA), the new bridge division of the American Arbitration Association (AAA).
The IBA is independent from the ACBL, and its mission is to recruit expert bridge players who are willing to donate their time to serve as “arbitrators” in bridge cheating disputes. The IBA Steering Committee met in Providence and is preparing invitations to members of the Ethical Oversight Committee and the Online Ethical Oversight Committee, effectively “outsourcing” the current process to the AAA as a qualifying “arbitration” under federal law so that bridge experts are involved in the final decision. Other players are invited to apply to the panel -- expect an announcement around the end of August.
Less serious (think “misdemeanor”) ethical charges against players with limited masterpoints will be handled in a different way, using technology to accommodate the scale of the problem. One such tool is “EDGAR” (Electronic Data Gathering and Anti-cheating Radar), developed by chief architects Franco Baseggio and Brian Platnick. EDGAR will allow the ACBL to scan thousands of cases and look for telltale signs of cheating. The name pays homage to the great Edgar Kaplan, the father of modern bridge ethics. Think of EDGAR like a radar gun being used by law enforcement - if it catches you, the ACBL will issue a "cheating ticket" and impose a small suspension (or take other minimal disciplinary action). Members who are ticketed will, of course, have the opportunity to defend themselves (through arbitration in front of the IBA), but we expect EDGAR will clean up the online game considerably.
The ACBL plans a phased process leading to a full deployment of EDGAR. During the latter part of 2022, EDGAR will be used to support “traditional” OEOC investigations as felony cheating cases begin to be referred to the IBA. Expect a complete rollout in early 2023.
Strategic Planning
The Board has established key goals and objectives for the organization that include a robust return to face-to-face club and tournament play, building and retaining membership and improving technology. Management is developing action plans and implementation strategies for established goals and objectives.
The Strategic Committee is developing the long-range strategy or vision for the organization based on committee, board and management input and is establishing quantifiable targets.
Bylaws
An initial motion passed to change the bylaws to replace the Chairman of the Board with Vice President.
The Chairman of the Board is defined in the current bylaws as the immediate Past President. The selection of the Chairman has not been by election, nor was it always automatic. Provisions were made in the bylaws to select another board member in case the previous Past President was no longer on the Board. In recent years, this was often the case.
A Vice President will have most of the same duties as the Chairman but will always be elected by the full Board of Directors.
Governance
The most important motion the Governance Committee reviewed for Providence proposed revised Unit formation, transfer and dissolution regulations that will be updated in the Board Codification.
A motion was also passed which updates and provides consistent procedures for Board-elected/appointed positions across the ACBL, the North American Bridge Federation and the World Bridge Federation.
Communications
The Communications Task Force puts forth initiatives to improve communication within the Board, between the Board and ACBL Management and the Board and ACBL membership. The Task Force Chair reported the progress of 11 initiatives, including the revision and implementation of the ACBL Member Response Policy based on the ongoing need to improve customer service.
Bridge
A motion was approved that removes the six-year rotational requirement for NABC site locations. Removing the rotational requirement will provide greater flexibility to select NABC sites which may lead to better fiscal decisions.
ACBL Elections and Appointments
Barbara Heller was certified as having been duly elected to the Board of Directors of the American Contract Bridge League to complete the remaining term for Region 6 Director, July 11, 2022 through December 31, 2024 to replace the vacancy created by the passing of Mike Kovacich.
Online Ethical Oversight Committee Appointments: Cheri Bjerkan, Jordan Chodorow, Ira Chorush, Richard Popper and Rick Rowland were each appointed for a three-year term to the Online Ethical Oversight Committee from the end of the summer 2022 NABC through the end of the summer 2025 NABC.
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Flight A: North Wales, PA
October 22-23
Flight B: North Wales PA and Canandaigua NY
October 8
Flight C:Multiple clubs across D4 - ask your local club to participate before Oct 9
October 23
Sectionals
September 9-11
September 15
September 30-October 2
October 1-2
October 19-21
October 14-16
Regionals
Oct 31-November 6
STaCs
September 19-25
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The 4Spot features fantastic contributors, on a regular rotation: |
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Larry's Learning Center by Larry Cohen:
January, April, July, October
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For Novices Only by Marti Ronemus:
February, May, August, November
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The ABC of Bridge by Dave Wachsman:
March, June, September, December
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THE ABC OF BRIDGE
by Dave Wachsman
The full series of ABC articles have addressed Always Be Counting, Communicating, and Curious. I began the series in March 2014 with an article on Counting which I believe is worth discussing again because it emphasizes the need for players of all skill levels to actively think and use logic as much as possible. We would all agree that if we could “see” all four hands, bidding, declarer play, and defensive play would become a great deal easier.
Counting in bridge is all about seeking to visualize all four hands as if you are seeing a bridge hand in a newspaper. It begins with recognizing that 40 High Card Points (HCP) are distributed among four players and the better picture a player has of where the HCPs are, the easier it will be to defend or declare.
Begin your thought process by paying close attention to the bidding. Bids made and bids not made convey information to the attentive bridge player. Counting helps to visualize the location of the HCPs as well as the likely position of key honor cards and suit lengths in various hands. Since bidding occurs 100% of the time, let’s focus on garnering information from the bidding.
What follows is a mental process that each of us needs to embody in our thinking on EVERY hand. Step one is to subtract your HCP from 40 to determine the amount of HCP the other three players have. Now pay attention to the bids that are made and estimate the HCPs of the other three hands. Recognize that bids that have well-defined ranges are very helpful in this Counting process.
Suppose you pick up the following hand:
♠️ 8 6 3
♥️ 9 7 5 2
♦️ Q 8
♣️ 10 7 6 4
Your Right Hand Opponent (RHO) opens a 15-17 NT. You pass, and Left Hand Opponent (LHO) invites to game by bidding 2 NT. The opener declines the invitation by passing. ABC dictates the following thought process:
- The other three player have 38 HCP (40-2)
- My RHO opened a 15-17 NT and declined the game invitation so RHO has 15-16 HCP
- My LHO invited a game so is likely to have 8-9 HCP
- If the opponents have about 24 HCP my silent partner has about 14 HCP (38-24).
What else can you figure out from the bidding? Let’s not only examine bids made but also bids not made. LHO did not bid Stayman. It is reasonable to conclude that LHO does not hold a 4-card or longer major. Why? LHO with a major could have bid Stayman and then invited by bidding 2NT. Why is this relevant to you? Because you need to find the best opening lead to defeat the 2NT contract. Clearly your partner has the bulk of the defensive points (14) and you want to hit his suit.
So, what is your lead? Did you say the 8♠️? Good for you. Your bridge logic can be supported by simple math. Since you have three spades, your partner is more likely to have length in that major rather in hearts as you have a four-card heart suit. Was it the right lead? It was. The key point is that you applied the Counting pillar of the ABC of Bridge. The thought process of subtracting your HCP from 40 needs to be done every time you pick up a hand. After you count your HCP, do the subtraction and recognize that the difference is held by the other three players. Always apply the ABCs of Bridge.
For those readers who would like to see the full hand:
North
♠️ KQ1072
♥️ AJ3
♦️ 1092
♣️ A5
West East
♠️ J9 ♠️ A54
♥️ 864 ♥️ KQ10
♦️ AJ763 ♦️ K54
♣️ QJ2 ♣️ K983
South
♠️ 863
♥️ 9752
♦️ Q8
♣️ 10764
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Moderator: Nick Straguzzi
We assume Nick does not really need anyone to send him money, no matter how much he deserves it for providing us this and many other intriguing puzzles.
Find out what some of our best and brightest think here.
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Calling all Never-Evers
Don't forget to tell your friends about King of Prussia Bridge Club's one-day Saturday September 10 dip into bridge for total beginners called Learn Bridge in a Day. Word is it's popular, and there will be another class at North Penn Duplicate Bridge Club in November. September flyer here. |
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News from Around the Units |
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Unit 112: Central New York
Betty Youmans
readsausten@yahoo.com
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Following the successful Sectional tournament in July, Rochester hosted an Intermediate/Newcomer Sectional in August. This Sectional drew 16.5 tables, an increase over the last I/N event pre-COVID. This was particularly heartening as attracting 499’s to F2F bridge has been going slowly.
Rochester will host a Sectional on October 1-2 with open and non-life master pairs on Saturday and teams on Sunday. All are welcome! Many thanks to the Rochester event chairpersons and players who make these events possible.
Unit 112 Congratulates its Advancing Players!
Junior Masters
Renyu Li, Ithaca
Katie Sullivan, Clinton
Roger Tinsley, Skaneateles
Ruizhe Wang, Ithaca
Club Master
Karla Krogstad, Rochester
Sectional Master
James Cayer, Canandaigua
Silver Life Masters
Graham Holroyd, Webster
George Isgrigg, Pittsford
Norma Mooney, Pittsford
Grand Life Master
Daniel Boye, East Syracuse
Special kudos to Dan Boye, Grand Life Master! Dan is a positive force in the bridge community. He ably served as District 4 President and has willingly shared his insight as a guest speaker at numerous Regional tournaments.
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Unit 120: Northeastern Pennsylvania
Doreese Torrey
doreeset@gmail.com
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Hello Unit 120!!
As we move toward Fall season, more and more opportunities for both online and face to face playing are opening up, as well as tournaments being held! This is our opportunity to play and reap rewards! Speaking of reaping, as we head toward Autumn, we tend to think of September as apple-picking month. Whether picking your own in an orchard or picking some at the market, the best apples are picked at proper ripeness. Make sure there are no bruises or traces of pests. Apples will last longer if they are not gnawed by pests or have marks on their skin. Damaged apples tend to spoil faster – if you find one in your selection once you get home, eat it first, as its presence may ripen the other apples too quickly. You've all heard that “one bad apple spoils the whole bunch,” and it's true.
Recognition for this month goes to: New Silver Life Masters
Sue K Kluger Kingston, PA
James B Post Hanover Township, PA
(Loud applause!!) Well Done and Congratulations to you both!!
See you at the virtual and face to face bridge tables.
Happy Fall Ya'll!!
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Unit 121: Berks Montgomery
Carl Ziegler
crzig@hometownu.com
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Plan to attend our upcoming Hawley Quier Memorial unit game on Thursday, September 15. Light lunch served at 11:30 am, game time is 12:15 pm. Hawley Quier was the owner of the Reading Eagle Company and an avid bridge player and supporter.
Lessons for beginner/intermediate players are available on most Thursdays from 11:00 to 11:30 am. Call Sue Wessner for further information, 610.972.5327.
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Unit 133: Lehigh Valley
Lois Fuini
lafuini@yahoo.com
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As we celebrate Labor Day with family and friends, please take a moment to remember all the people who have worked and sacrificed for the good of our country. During these trying times, we are especially grateful for all the first responders who have worked so hard to keep us safe and healthy. Happy Labor Day!
In Memoriam
Bob Grover, Unit 133 president from 2006 to 2007, passed away in a tragic vehicle accident in late July near his home in Georgetown, TX. Our condolences to the family. (Information contributed by Waiter Bell.)
New Rank Advancements: Congratulations!
New Regional Masters
Elizabeth Stelts
Nancy Trawin
New Advanced NABC Master
Jon Clemons
Unit 133 Fall NLM Tournament
Please join us for our annual Fall 0-100 and 0-500 NLM tournament on Saturday, September 15th at Lehigh Valley Active Life in Allentown. Games are scheduled for 10:00am and 2:00pm with an hour break for lunch. Register now, with your partner, for $56 per pair. The fee includes both sessions, lunch, and snacks. Preregistration, which is required, is currently open. Thanks to those of you who have already reserved your seat at one of our tables. Please register early! We look forward to seeing you in Allentown. For more information, please contact Lois Fuini at lafuini@yahoo.com. or view the flyer for the event.
Other Events
Unit 133 Fall Sectional October 14th, 15th, and 16th Lehigh Valley Active Life 1633 Elm St. Allentown PA
- October 14th, 15th - Friday and Saturday, 10am and 2:15pm, Stratified Open Pairs and 0-500 NLM Stratified Pairs.
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October 16th - Sunday, 10am-with lunch break, Stratified Open Swiss Teams two session playthrough or 10am single session 0-500 NLM Stratified Swiss Teams. Play both sessions and get FREE lunch, water and snacks every day. For more information, please contact Lois Fuini at lafuini@yahoo.com or view our flyer and registration form for the event.
Restarting Brookside Country Club Duplicate Bridge Games
Unit 133 wishes Sara Gainey, former manager, director, and teacher of the Brookside duplicate games, the very best in all her future endeavors in her new life in Nevada. We are very appreciative for the new members she recruited to our unit and all the effort she made to retain them. Good Luck Sara!
We are pleased to announce Nelson Rabenold, a new Director for Unit 133, will be restarting the Brookside games beginning Tuesday, Aug, 30th at 10am for Open players and Wednesday, Sept. 7th at 10am for 0-199 players.
For more information about either of these games, please contact Nelson at ntrabenold@gmail.com. Please note there will be no game Tuesday, Sept.6th due to club closure. Hope to see you all at the restart of the Brookside games.
Royal STaC Games
The week of September 19th -25th is Royal STaC week. This means double points and that are 1⁄4 gold, 1⁄4 red, 1⁄4 silver and 1⁄4 black. Like the August STaC, this event will only be offered at BBC and LVAL with no additional cost. Also, like the August event, we need 5 tables at each game to be included in the district wide results.
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Unit 141: Philadelphia
Jay Apfelbaum
japfel1@comcast.net
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We are proud to announce that our unit will have a sectional tournament September 30 to October 2, 2022. It will be held at Game Friendzy in Cherry Hill. Bernadette Hennessy May is our tournament chair. I went to her site recently. It is a GREAT place to hold a tournament. Lots of space! Lots of free parking!
Between now and then, you might want to play in one of her games. The club is located at 7 Carnegie Plaza, Suite 400, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003. For those familiar with the area, the club is located off Springdale Road in the Fox Building. The entrance is at the back of the building. The club phone number is the same: 856-795-PLAY (7529). You can find her latest news at https://www.GameFriendzy.com.
Here is the schedule:
Friday (Sept 30) and Saturday (Oct 1)
Game times are 10:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Single-Session Open Pairs Game each session
Single-Session Non-Life Master Pairs Game (also fewer than 500 masterpoints) each session
Sunday (Oct 2) 10:00 a.m. and TBD
One Two-Session Bracketed Dupli-Swiss Teams.
Teams will be sorted into brackets (by masterpoints) and play a round-robin within that bracket using pre-duplicated boards. Hand records will be available.
Lunch will be served to all between sessions. Come out and have a great time! See all your bridge friends and make new ones. Entry fee is $15 per player per session.
New Members
David J Ackerman
Ronald Campbell
Tianyang Chen
Art Ford
Marcie Friedman
Lee P Gemmill
David C Harrison
Alice C Hennessy
Tykie Knight
Mark Liddy
Lov Sarin
Lawrence Solish
William Tannery
New Junior Masters
Mary A Cooper
Andrea Malinowski
Jenni A Punt
Martin R Trumpler
New Club Masters
F Howard Braithwaite
Mary Beth Bright
Pamela S Di Donato
Martin Greitzer
Jane Norvell
Beth Pfleger
Loretta Vogeler
New Sectional Master
Edwin H Wiest
New Regional Masters
Harold Gever
Millie L Gorson
Kathy Heist
Elisa Lock
Ryan Lock
Drucilla C McMullen
Jared Schuller
New NABC Masters
Beverley A Anderson
Gail Kirrstetter
Ellen Luchette
Peggy E Michaud
Dorothy Miller
Cheryl A Rouge
New Advanced NABC Masters
Sharon Goldman
Brendan H O'Malley
Linda W O'Malley
Art Simons
New Life Masters
Patricia A Bowley
Paul Fielding
Becky Levinson
Max L Lieberman
Lucia Nemer
Priscilla O O'Connor
Pamela Scalamandre
Robin M Siegel
Jeanne S Thompson
New Bronze Life Masters
Pamela Scalamandre
Robin M Siegel
New Silver Life Master
Billie Jane Maul
New Ruby Life Master
Tyrone L Davis
New Gold Life Masters
Nicholas Nazarenko
Burton Schlosberg
Elaine Weintraub
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Unit 168: Central Pennsylvania
Russell Poppleton
rpoppleton@comcast.net
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Okay, animal lovers, here we go:
· Sign in a parking lot: Frog parking only - All others will be toad.
· Two wealthy steers were smoking a joint and playing poker. It was a high steaks game.
· Notice in a farmer's field: The farmer allows walkers to cross the field for free, but the bull charges.
Congratulations to the following for progressing up the ACBL ladder:
Junior Masters
Bernadette M Black
Fran Byrnes
Karen Miovas
Club Masters
Connie S Escher
Barbara E Roth
Joan Rottmann
Regional Masters
William F Bash
Brigid S Grode
Margie A Walson
NABC Masters
Jim A Fitzgibbons
Cindy Mueller
Faye Selack
Advanced NABC Master
James P Riccio
Life Master
Sally A Patterson
Bronze Life Master
Lorraine B Hovis
Silver Life Master
Pamela S Rosenberger
Diamond Life Masters
Aristide M Adelizzi
William L Bauer III
You can read more details about the ACBL advancement of James Riccio, Pam Rosenberger and Bill Bauer on the District 4 web page under "Our players' stories." Of particular note was Mr Bauer's quest to get to Diamond Life Master before our 4Spot editor.
South Central PA continues to host virtual games. See the website bridgeboardroom.com for a complete virtual schedule. Both limited master point and open games are held on a daily basis.
Mark your calendars for the Royal STAC week of Sep19 at f2f clubs. Our club managers will be awarding gold, red, silver and black points that week, so get a partner and take advantage of the opportunity.
Point to ponder:
· Against silent opponents the auction proceeds 1C -1H - 2NT. As responder holding approximately 8 HCPs, 4H and 4S, how do you proceed with this auction to explore for a 4 -4 spade fit? Do you bid spades, use new minor force or something else? Make sure you and your partner are in agreement.
· As the summer heat starts to wind down I noticed this sign at a place of worship: "Whoever stole our A/C unit you can keep it. You are going to need it where you are going."
I will close with: "Despite the high cost of living, it remains popular."
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Unit 190: Delaware
Tammy Holm and Paula Varrassi
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Delaware Clubs with In-Person Games
The Bridge Studio of Delaware, Wilmington
Harold Jordon
302-479-5431
MOT, Middletown
Cheryl Shields
302-602-1638
Monday Morning Bridge Club
Friday Nooners
Dover
Clare O’Brien
410-758-2434
Shore Bridge
Lewes
Monday @ 12:30
Wednesday @ 9:30
Anna DeLapo
302-236-0346
UPCOMING EVENTS
Fall Sectional
September 9 – 11, 2022
Bridge Studio
Wilmington
Rehoboth Sectional
Note Change in Dates: October 19-21
Epworth Methodist Church
CHANGES IN RANK
New Junior Masters
Robert Bryan
Jeanmarie Leonard
Gary Moses
Christine O’Brien
New Bronze Life Masters
Nancy Ferguson
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Unit 217: Susquehanna
Jim McKeown
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Congratulations to Jim Bloom on reaching Junior Master and to Mike Anesko on making Gold Life Master.
Based on low attendance at our June sectional, we have decided not to hold a sectional in October. So I invite you to join us for our next sectional on June 2-4, 2023.
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