Sunset bridge is back this month, with a curry theme.  The cost of $15 includes curry, wine and bridge, and commences at 6pm.  Please put your name on the list in the club house if you are interested in attending.

• Play through strength and up to weakness
• Second hand plays low and third hand plays high

• Prefer majors to minors
• Prefer length to strength
• With a misfit bid cautiously; with a good fit, bid boldly

To view Dave's latest Hands of the Week, click HERE (or click on Hands of the Week in the navigation bar on the left).

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Belated thanks to our committee and team of wonderful people who organised, set up, cooked, shopped, operated the bar, and cleaned up on the Social Sunday last weekend.  Everyone who attended had a wonderful time, with a delicious spread, and interesting cards ...

STOP PRESS!!!

The playoff for the Country Teams zone final will be held over the weekend 16-17th July 2016.  For the past 4 years this has been in Wagga. 

Leading up to this, teams from the different NSW regions can play off in the respective regional finals which will qualify teams for the zonal final.  The Illawarra Bridge Association  (IBA) is interested in conducting the South Coast regional final.  The makeup and timing is still to be determined, but at this stage they need to know numbers.

Are you interested in being in a team to represent Nowra at this regional final? If so please advise Jean Barbour ASAP.

A doctor was called away from the bridge table to attend an emergency and asked the kibitzer to take his place even though he knew nothing about the game. The players tell him to just bid what you’ve got and follow suit. He, sitting South, starts the bidding sequence (E/W pass throughout).  Click on Show All Hands.

South took the lead of the KS with the A, cashed the AK of trumps, came to his hand with the AC and played all his diamonds. On the last diamond lead, West was hopelessly squeezed in hearts and spades, and ultimately discarded a heart, whereupon South made the last 4 tricks in hearts.

When the opposition saw South’s hand they called the director, who asked for an explanation of the bidding, and got the following reply:

I was told to bid what I have, and I have – 1 club, two spades, 3 hearts and 7 diamonds!

Archived 15/5/16

The next twilight bridge session will be held on Thursday 19th May, commencing at 6pm, with a break about 7:30pm for pizza.  Dave's forum discussing interesting hands submitted by members will commence at 5pm.  Please send any you would like discussed to Dave by email on oldsage@bigpond.net.au. The cost is $15 which includes pizza, glass of wine, and bridge.

Congratulations to Julian Vyner and David Christian, who on Tuesday 9th February achieved what may a record-breaking percentage of 80.95%!  Does anyone know what has been the highest recorded percentage at Nowra to date?

Renowned bridge teacher Joan Butts is again offering lessons/workshops at Kiama Bridge Club, to be held on the weekend of 13th-14th February.  The Sunday workshop for teachers is funded by the ABF and NSWBA.

Day One - Saturday 13th February - 9:30am-11:30am - "Opening Leads for No Trumps and Suit contracts", suitable for all improving players.  Cost is $15 per head.  For further details please click on Joan Butts Lesson Kiama 2016.

Day Two - Sunday !4th February - 10:00am-4:00pm. Free to all bridge teachers and intermediate to advanced players.   For more information please click on Joan Butts CPD Kiama 2016.  For information about the subjects being taught that day please click on Joan Butts CPD Kiama 2016 Program.

Please note that if you wish to attend one or more of the days, you MUST book in so that numbers are known in advance.  You can pay on the day for Day One.  To book in, either add  your name to the form on the board in Kiama Bridge Club, or call Ann Blue on 0413731146, or email her on annblue50@hotmail.com.

Come and learn bridge at Nowra Bridge Club!  The next series of lessons will be held on Mondays from 1:30pm to 4pm,, commencing on 15th February.  The cost is $80 which includes the text book.  For more information contact Lu Aliberti on 4421-0269.

The next Pizza and Plonk night will be held on Thursday 16th June at 6pm for bridge, with a break at 7:30pm for pizza.  Dave is willing to hold his forum at 5pm and will discuss any interesting hands sent in to him - email oldsage@bigpond.net.au

Please note that if there are insufficient numbers it will be cancelled again - get your names in early to keep this fun night going!

Read Dave's latest Hand of the Week from Tuesday night's play - "Timing is of the Essence" - click HERE or click on Hands of the Week in the navigational bar on the left.

Beginner's Lessons starting 25th July ...

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A series of 8 bridge lessons, with Lydia Adams from Nowra Bridge Club, will held U3A Shoalhaven (48 Berry Street, Nowra, opposite Roxy Theatre).

The lessons will run from Monday, July 25 from 1.30 to 3.30pm.

The cost is $29 for U3A members and $40 for non-members (which covers joining fee and 2016 membership of U3A). A handbook is available for purchase for $15 at the first lesson.

Enrolment dates for Term 3 at U3A for are Thursday and Friday, July 14 and 15 at U3A Rooms and information can be obtained on the website http://shoalhaven.u3anet.org.au/ or email U3A at u3ashoalhaven@gmail.com or phone Terry on 4421 5718.

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Lydia is taking on the website administration instead of Chris Huddle - thanks Lydia - from now on any submissions to the website please email to Lydia at lalakv@westnet.com.au

Don't forget membership fees were due from the start of January.  The cost is $25 if Nowra is your home club, or $20 if your home club is another. You can put your subs into the envelope on the table and please write on the slip next to your name the amount you have paid.

Nowra Bridge Club is trialling twilight bridge sessions, to be held on the third Thursday of the month, with the inital one to be held on Thursday 21st Jan starting at 6 pm.  There will be a break at 7.15 pm for pizza (from the famous NN wood fired pizzas) and a glass of something, with the session finishing around 9.30 pm.  The first night will cost $15 a head, which includes table fees. Don't miss this fun event!

A very big thank you to those who contributed to making this such a great bridge club in 2015:

Our directors - Eddie, Vic, Peter, Ken, Helen, Lydia - and 3 more coming on in the New Year
Our committee - for doing a wonderful job and so creating a harmonious, smooth running club
David - for your informative lessons and thought-provoking Hands Of The Week
Kath - for your educational articles on the website
Lou - who writes weekly to the local paper about results and events
Those who assisted at our 40th party and Xmas party - Jeff and Eddie - for your photos, Bob - for being barman at our Xmas party
- also to all those who help in the kitchen every week, and stay behind to clean up
and lastly but most importantly:
Lydia and Terry, who put in so much time and effort every week throughout the year, in every capacity from organising, teaching and mentoring, and running the club generally.  We couldn't do without you!

The results of the UHMP (under 100 masterpoints) final held on 29th November (at Kiama and other centres) have been announced.  They can be found at  http://www.nswba.com.au/tourn/state/se.asp?Y=2015&E=uhmp
If you go to the above link, click on Club Results and scroll down to Kiama & District, the results for all the players from local clubs who played at Kiama can be found.

Terry Crockford and Jean Barbour performed very well, achieving 11th in the unhandicapped, and 29th in the handicapped results out of 276 pairs in total - congratulations Terry and Jean!

Dwight Eisenhower – maintained a keen interest in bridge throughout his political and military careers. Described by Oswald Jacoby as a superior player, Eisenhower used bridge as a frequent form of recreation while Supreme Allied Commander before the invasion of Normandy, while NATO chief in Paris, and in the White House. When asked who he would choose as his NATO deputy in 1950 he answered, “Al Gruenther – he’s the best bridge player”.

George Burns – "I wonder if God ever makes a mistake at the bridge table!"

Winston Churchill – "The king cannot fall unworthily if it falls to the sword of the ace."

Mahatma Ghandi – used bridge as a metaphor to illustrate a basic Hindu belief – the difference between kharma (predetermined fate) and dharma (man’s action)- kharma is the hand you are dealt, Dharma is what you do with it. How appropriate at duplicate that you can get a good matchpoint score with a poor hand just as easily as with a good hand if you bid and play it correctly.

Chip Martel - "The ultimate in bridge is learning to play with poor cards."

"I was a young man when we started" – Lee Hazen, asking for a review in the 1956 World Championships after the French took 23 minutes to get to the wrong contract!