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| November and December Newsletter 2014 |
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Welcome to the November/December 2014 Newsletter.
Suggestions for content are always welcome. Send them to me at mikeandfu@gmail.com
Michael O'Malley, Editor
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Upcoming club events and competitions
2014
Dec 11 - Turkey Competition (Pairs)
Dec 18 - Turkey Prizes and a few mince pies
Dec 25 - CLOSED – No Bridge
2015
Jan 01 - CLOSED – No Bridge
Jan 17 - New Year Party - See note below
Feb 05 - CBAI Simultaneous Pairs
Feb 12 - McGillicuddy Golden Wedding Trophy
Feb 19 - McGillicuddy Golden Wedding Trophy
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New Year Party 17 January 2015
As you know, our party is always in the New Year. We like to brighten up your lives in the quiet days of January.
We will start seliing tickets before Christmas, because the club will be closed for two weeks at Christmas and New Year,
The party is on Saturday 17th January, and we've kept the price down to €30.00.
Note the change in venue - this year, it is in Grange Golf Club.
As usual, we start with bridge at 2.30 pm, then move on to dinner, dancing and general craic in the early evening.
Put the date in your diary now!
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Christmas and New Year
Unfortunately, Christmas Day and New Year's Day are on Thursdays this time round. This means we will be closed for two weeks over the holiday period.
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Light bulb moment
How many bridge players do you need to change a light bulb?
Four. One to change the bulb and 3 to tell him how he could have done it better
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Membership -
Every year, long-standing good members forget to renew their membership. Strictly, this means they are not entitled to play in our trophy competitions.
We know what's happened. They play in more than one club, and they've simply forgotten which memberships they've paid.
Even if you are sure you paid Cypress membership, can you please check the list of paid members, which will be posted on the board.
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The Joker System
Cypress offers a "Joker" system to try to guarantee everyone a partner for an evening's bridge. If anyone comes without a partner, we try to find one for them.
Our Joker Coordinator is Mary Pierse Kelly, and she is expert at matching players with partners of a similar standard. We are very grateful to Mary for her work.
Mary needs time to work her magic. If you wish to use her service, you should turn up before 7.15 pm and check in with the Joker Co-ordinator.
To make it work, Mary needs a Joker each Thursday - a spare person who is available to play with anyone for whom she cannot find a partner.
We need people to volunteer as Joker. to keep the service alive. If you will be partnerless on a particular night, please put your name down as Joker.
The Joker is not guaranteed a night's bridge. However, the Joker usually plays and gets a free night's bridge as a reward.
Please respect this tradition and offer to be Joker. If you have gained from this service, please return the favour.
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A sense of proportion ...
The bride came down the aisle, and when she reached the altar, she saw the groom with a deck of bridge cards in his jacket pocket.
She said, “Darling, what are your bridge cards doing here?”
He looked her right in the eye and said, “This isn’t going to take all day, is it?”
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A turn for the worse.
We have noticed that a couple of our senior players have developed an odd habit. After a trick is complete, a card played to a lost trick is turned towards their partner, a won trick is turned sideways.
This is the reverse of the normal procedure.
Don't copy them. Law 65 B says that they must follow the standard practice - won tricks pointing towards partner, lost tricks towards opponents.
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Results on line
Go to http://www,bridgewebs.com/cypress to find our club website.
Unless there is some query about your section's result, it should be on the site late on Thursday night.
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No time to think
One of our long-standing members plays a bit slowly.
When asked to speed it up a bit, she said: "I'm sorry, but I can't think and play bridge at the same time."
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Hesitation and other unauthorised information
While playing a hand, you and your partner may only communicate about it through bidding and playing cards. Any other communication about it breaches the Laws. You may not use information from your partner’s comments, reactions or gestures during bidding or play.
If unauthorised information is given, it is a breach of the Laws. The Laws say you must ignore it, and bid or play as if you had not received it. There will be a presumption that the information guided you, unless it is clear that you acted naturally without referring to it.
Suppose you lead a suit, and your partner glares at you. You have received unauthorised information that it was the wrong suit. If your natural action is to lead that suit again, then you must do that, ignoring the information you have received.
If your partner hesitates for a long time, then passes, you know she has a hand which might justify a bid. You don’t have to pass, and it is in order to make any call if you would clearly make the same call if your partner did not hesitate. If you would otherwise pass or make some other bid, then you must pass or make that bid.
Some hands need thought. There is usually less problem if you hesitate then bid something, other than pass. However, sometimes any hesitation may give unauthorised information.
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The Bridge Journal
We strongly recommend that you buy the Irish Bridge Journal. It deserves our support as bridge players.
It costs only €20 a year for six magazines, which will be posted to you. It has articles to help players at every level of bridge, together with news and items of interest.
Application forms can be found round the bridge centre, or contact unawalsh41@gmail.com
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Congratulations to Jill
One of our members, Jill Kulchycky is a member of the winning team at the Lady Milne trials. As a result, she has qualified to represent Ireland in the Women's International team playing in the Lady Milne Trophy.
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A wise player once said -
"You'll see both genius and stupidity at the bridge table. But only genius has limits."
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Outside competitions, events and congresses coming up
(Details are available from brochures, from Contract Bridge Association 492 9666 or www.cbai.ie/competitions)
December 6th-7th - CBAI National Master Pairs, TCCBC (Masters only)
January 1st - 4th - Regent Bridge Club Congress, See note above.
January 1st -4th Tralee Bridge Congress
January 9th - 11th - Waterford Congress
January 24th - National Men's and Women's Pairs (Revington and Jackson Trophies), Westmanstown (Mainly for Masters but A's can play. No mixed pairs)
January 25th - National Men's and Women's Teams (Geraldine and McMenamin Trophies) Westmanstown (Mainly for Masters but A's can play. No mixed teams)
January 30th - 31st - Ennis Congress
January 31st - Dublin South Regional Teams Competitions for Master, Inter A and B grades (Pigot, O'Brien, and Giddings Cups) |
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Sit down earlier, please
Remember that bridge is meant to start at 7.30. We can't start until we know exactly how many pairs are in your section.
And we can't do that unless everyone sits down well before that.
You and your partner should both arrive by 7.20. Immediately agree which table to sit at so you don't cause confusion by booking seats at two tables.
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| Last updated : 3rd Dec 2014 13:35 GMT |
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