SpadeHeart 
Bracknell Forest Bridge Club
 DiamondClub
Release 2.19q
Recent Updates
Play
25th Mar 2024 16:11 GMT
Directors Rota
23rd Mar 2024 15:27 GMT
Home Page
23rd Mar 2024 15:24 GMT
0 0 0 0 0 0
Pages viewed in 2024
BBL Survey - April/May 2018

The BBL Committee would like to thank all those who took the time and trouble to complete the League survey in April/May this year.  A total of 67 individuals from all clubs responded to the survey:  50 answered the survey for current players and 17 responded to the non-current player survey.  A summary of the responses can be seen on the BBL Web Site

The results were discussed at the BBL AGM.  Following this, the BBL Committee does not propose to make any significant changes in the structure of the League, the playing season or policies regarding where and when matches are to be played.  Greater freedom will be given to teams who wish to organise their matches during the day – but this must be with the express consent of both teams. Although the majority of responses indicated that players are satisfied that the current number of matches is ‘about right’, it is likely that the number of teams wishing to play in the league next season will naturally result in a slight reduction in the number of matches to be played, and the Committee will review this when the applications from teams wishing to play in the next season have been received.

Bridge Jargon

♠ Director ruling - A revoke, where the player that had revoked realised before the trick was completed. Since the revoke was not established (law 63) the card played was withdrawn and replaced with a legal card (law 62). The revoke was by a defender so the revoke card stayed on the table as a major penalty card (law 62B1). The next non-offending player was allowed to withdraw the card he had played and play another (law 62C1).

 Claims -  If a claim has been made, you can now ask for the cards to be played, provided all agree, although it is in your interest to call the Director. This is a change introduced with the 2017 laws (see below).

♠ Tip - If you do not have a convention card that supports your system the TD may rule against you. Complete a convention card!

Welcome to Bracknell Forest Bridge Club
Bridge on April/May Bank Holidays

Just a reminder that we plan to hold our normal sessions on all of the forthcoming Monday Bank holidays in April & May.

Visitor Information

 

You are most welcome!

Bracknell Forest BC’s Monday evening sessions - 19.20 for 19.30 start - run every week on the RealBridge platform.  We are affiliated to the EBU and Master Points are awarded. Unfortunately we do not run a host system, so you will need a partner. To take part please click on 'RealBridge club sessions' on the left-hand menu and choose Play.

The table charge is £2 per visitor. Prompt payment - via Bank Transfer (BACS) - would be much appreciated to the following account...  

 

              Account Name: BRACKNELL FOREST BRIDGE CLUB, Sort code: 40-13-10, Account: 51671308

 

Please specify your name as reference so that the treasurer can determine from whom the payment has come.    If you experience any difficulty please contact the club secretary.

ECats Sim Pairs 11th March

 

The results from the Monday heat of the ECATS SIMS in aid of  MIND and Macmillan Cancer Support are now on the ECATS website here

At this stage, results from 24 clubs have been posted, with a BFBC pair (Simon & Dave) in top spot with over 72%. Next best club pairs are Susan & David (63% in 18th position) and Keith & Jenny with over 58% in 47th.position.

Thank you all for your support of this worthy cause.

Well done Team Lac!

This season's BBL Pivot Cup was won by a BFBC team, so congratulations to Hang Lac, Amanda O'Neill, Bill Ross and Jim Graham, who beat a team from Finchampstead BC in the final. After trailing for most of the 24 board match, victory by just  6 IMPS was secured on the final two boards. A big thank-you also to Mary Harvey, who came into the team as a last minute reserve in the semi-final against a team from Camberley BC.  Well done all.

Bracknell Bridge League End-of-Season Pairs

The traditional end-of-season pairs event (with prize giving for the past league season) will be held at Brownlow Hall on Thursday 1st June, 7-30pm start.

The event is open to all members (and their guests) of clubs who participate in the league, so why not put the clock back three years and enjoy an evening of bridge at Brownlow Hall again. For further details of the event and instructions on how to enter please see the BBL Home Page.

 
Well done Bob and Marge!

Congratulations to Bob and Marge Williams for their win in the Berks & Bucks CBA TESSA TEMPLETON MEMORIAL TROPHY. You can read more about the trophy and their win on the county website here

Laws for online Bridge

One of the advantages of playing online is that the scope for transgression of the many laws of duplicate bridge is much reduced - revokes, bids out of turn, insufficent bids etc are all things of the past if you play online, much to the delight of directors and players alike. However, there are still a few pitfalls that you need to be wary of and one in particular can (ocassionally) cause ill-feeling at the table if it is ignored or not handled in the right manner. This relates to the explanation of a bid during the auction and what happens if an incorrect explanation is given. Many of the laws are not always easy to follow if you try to look them up in the rule book, so Keith offers this translation of what to do in this situation.

If your partner gives an incorrect explanation, the time you must reveal it depends on whether you end up as declarer or defender.

If you or your partner end up as declarer  then you should reveal any incorrect explanation as soon as the auction is over, before the opening lead is made. If you're not quick enough and the defender leads then normally, in a club setting, I would allow the defender to retract his lead and lead something else. It's a bit less clear cut with online bridge because the opening lead causes dummy to be immediately exposed. TD must use judgement to allow the defender to change the lead because of the misinformation but not because he's now seen dummy and decided his original choice was ill advised (eg. he leads an ace then discovers dummy is void). If in doubt, don't allow the defender to change his lead but be ready to award an adjusted score.

If you end up defending you must not reveal any mistaken explanation until the play of the hand is over. To do so would give your partner Unauthorised Information. Once the hand is completed, you should reveal the misinformation and your opponents can ask TD for an adjusted score if they think they have been damaged. TD must give the benefit any doubt to the non offenders.

Finally, if you have been damaged and ask for an adjusted score, please be patient. In the interests of keeping the evening running smoothly, the adjustment will only be made after due consideration after the session is concluded. 

B&B CBA Committee Cup and Waller Bowl

The County has announced that the finals of both the Committee Cup and Waller Bowl have been cancelled. These were scheduled for April 5th and 26th respectively.

BFBC held a heat of the Berks and Bucks Committee Cup on Mon 20th Jan.  The Cup is a County teams-of-four event, with qualifying teams competing in the final at Windsor on Sunday April 5th. A total of 7 teams competed, with the top three teams entitled to play in the final.   Marceli Smialkowski's team was in top spot, with Bob Findlow's and John Harman's team second and third respectively.

The Waller Bowl (pairs) heat was held on Mon 2nd March. Nine pairs competed, with the top three pairs entitled to play in the final to be held at Windsor on Sunday 26th April. Top pair were Marceli Smialkowski & Andrzej Kwiatkowski, followed by Andy Kirk & Martin Woodbridge and Keith and Jenny Sheppard.

 

Introduction of New Laws of Duplicate Bridge

In 2017, the World Bridge Federation completed its ten yearly review of the Laws of Duplicate Bridge and the EBU has issued an updated book of Laws applicable to the game in England. The trend with the new laws is to try and reduce the number of occasions where boards are cancelled and artificial adjusted scores are awarded.  Whilst most of the laws relating to the common situations we are likely to encounter in the Club remain principally the same as in the 2007 Laws, there are some subtle changes of wording and members are asked to be patient with Directors if they are called to give a ruling whilst they find their way around the new laws. The EBU has produced a poster (link here) that summarises two key changes that all players should know about:  the procedure governing a claim; and the use of comparable calls to replace insufficient bids and calls out of rotation. 

  • The procedure governing a claim has effectively been changed to follow practice at the table where, after a claim has been made, the non-claiming side has said ‘play on’.  The old laws actually required play to stop and the TD to be called in the event of a disputed claim – generally honoured more in the breach than the observance.  The new laws allow play to continue, provided all agree.  However, if the TD is called and declarer’s stated line does not adequately account for all the tricks he is claiming (perhaps because he hasn’t drawn all the opponents' trumps and has not stated that he is drawing trumps when he claims), the TD can rule that the declarer takes a line of play that is less advantageous to him.  If the defence insist on ‘playing on’ and declarer wakes up to the fact that there is an outstanding trump and draws it, the defence cannot then claim that they might have made a trump trick and then call the TD.  The advice remains to call the Director if you are not happy with a Claim that has been made.
  • Comparable Calls will allow the bidding to continue in circumstances where, after an insufficient bid or a call out of rotation, offender’s partner would have been silenced for the rest of the auction. The poster at the above link covers this in more detail.
Messages

For online sessions, if you don't have a partner just join as usual but take a seat at the highest numbered table with free seats..

 

 

 

Calendar
1st April 2024
Monday Pairs
RealBridge Online 19:20
8th April 2024
Monday Pairs
RealBridge Online 19:20
15th April 2024
Monday Pairs
RealBridge Online 19:20
Results
Monday Pairs
Director: Les
Monday Pairs
Director: Keith
Monday Pairs/ECats Charity Challenge
Director: Dave