Masterpoints & Travel

This year has been full of bridge victories and fun travel for Sun Valley Bridge players in such diverse locations as Panama, Paris, Antigua, Florida, Tucson and Seattle. Join us in celebrating the bridge victories of Susan Potts (BBO: Seadogs), Betty Brannan Berger (BBO: PTYgal), Kathe & Edwin Williamson (BBO; KatheGWI & EchoDelta), Nancy Mulroney (BBO: SunValleyN), John Carr (BBO: John Carr), and Fran and Lew Rumford (BBO: Sunnyping and Retowing2.)

--Chuck Abramo and Jo Murray

What If Partner Preempts? If Opponents Preempt?

Our upcoming lessons will focus on preempts.

• What the Experts Know About Preemptive Bids - Monday, March 20, 8:45 to 10:15 a.m. Mountain Daylight
• When Partner Preempts - Monday, March 27, 8:45 to 10:15 a.m. Mountain
• When Opponents Preempt - Monday, April 3, 8:45 to 10:15 a.m. Mountain Daylight
• Preempts: Putting It All Together - Monday, April 10, 8:45 to 10:15 a.m. Mountain Daylight

Contact Jo for reservations.Cost is $130 for a package of 5 online lessons or $30 for an individual lesson.

Preempt and Remain Silent.

Preempt only if you can describe your hand almost completely in one bid. Once you preempt, your partner becomes captain. Do not bid again unless your partner makes a forcing bid.

If you think you may be tempted to bid again, this is usually a sign that you shouldn't preempt

Double-Points & Silver Points Coming Soon

Double black points will be awarded in our games on Wednesday, April 12 and Sunday, April 16. Games will benefit the ACBL Charity Foundation.

Silver Linings Week will bring games with 150 percent of the usual awards and the points will be silver. These games will be Wednesday, April 26 and Sunday, April 30. The cost of these special games will be $8 per person.

Playing Bridge on a Panama Island

Betty Brannan Berger (BBO: PTYGal) invited Jo Murray (BBO: Jo Murray12) and Debby Sagues (BBO: DLSagues from Ross, California, a frequent online partner of Betty and Mitzi Miller) to come to Panama and visit her home on Contadora island for bridge and relaxation. Betty and Mitzi Miller (BBO: Chumico), a Panama resident and regular Sun Valley summer visitor, organized a trip to the Panama canal and Panama City sights before all left for the island. We even played two hands of bridge on our cell phones while we waited for a movie on the canal to start. (Photo above, from left, Mitzi, Jo, Debby & Betty.)

Jo and Debby got to meet Betty and other Panama students in person for the first time. Anabella Rubinoff (BBO: Pielkitis) joined us on the island.

The grand finale to the island visit was when Jo and Betty partnered in the Sun Valley Bridge online game and came in first with a 74 percent game.

By the way, in case you are wondering about Betty's BBO name, PTY is the airport code for Panama City.

Dinner in Panama City: From left, Debby Sagues, Georgina de Albageo, Mitzi Miller (standing), Betty Berger (seated), Anayansi Herrera and Jo Murray. At left: Pool at Betty's beach house and the Biomuseo garden in Panama City.

Nancy Mulroney (BBO; SunValleyN) and John Carr (BBO: John Carr) came from Idaho to Arizona to visit Jo and Chuck, bicycle in nearby Patagonia (Arizona), and play in the Tucson regional. They won an amazing 7.72 gold points, plus half a red point, in Tucson. As an added bonus, they placed third in the Sun Valley Bridge online game and got an additional half a masterpoint. Photo: From left, Nancy, John, Chuck and Jo.

Kathe & Edwin Williamson (BBO: KatheGWI & EchoDelta from Washington, D.C., ) won the Bridge Week tournament at the Mill Reef Club in Antigua.

Susan Potts (BBO: Seadogs from Seattle) came in first in the Seattle Tennis Club bridge tournament.

Fran & Lew Rumford (BBO: Sunnyping & Retowing2, also from Washington, D.C.) took second place in the bridge game in Delray, Florida.

Away from the Bridge Table:

Competitive Ballroom Dancing in Paris

We're always interested in hearing what our players are doing away from the bridge table. Rob Rosenfeld (RR7320, who divides his time between Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles) has returned from Paris where his wife, Sophia D'Angelo, competed in the Nuit de La Danse ballroom dancing competition. We never realized how beautiful or athletic competitive dancing can be. (You may have "met" Rob when he partnered with Chuck Abramo (BBO: CJA1942) in a recent game.)

Have You Placed in a Tournament?

Please let us know so we can include it in our e-newsletter.

We'll also incude a list of the Mini-McKenney winners in a future newsletter. If you placed in the Mini-McKenny or Ace of Clubs competition and you receive your ACBL Bulletin at a location outside of Idaho, please tell us.