Aurora Bridge Club Team Leagues Are Coming Your Way 
The Spring Tournament Tournament Season is just around the corner. Join or form a team to play in the Team League at the club.
Here is your opportunity to develop the game strategies needed to play in Swiss Team and Bracketed Team Games at those tournaments and to understand the IMP (Imperial Master Point) scoring. Let's try to start a simple team league at Aurora Bridge Club. There is very little opportunity for our players to practice playing in team games with IMP scoring.
What is involved?
- Let’s aim for five or six teams to start.
Each team will have a captain whose responsibility is to schedule the date and time of the match with the other team's Captain.
- Each team may have four to six members.
- Each match will play 28 boards.
- Each team will play every other team in the league.
- The matches will take place on any day the club holds pair games, allowing for a certified director to be present.
- Teams will be handicapped based on masterpoints and experience. A perfectly balanced team would include one “A” player, two “B” players and two “C” players and have no handicap.
- Teams may field any combination of players and handicaps will be awarded based on the composition of the team to a maximum of 15 IMPS.
What’s next?
Whether solo or an established partnership or a team, complete a registration form at the club.
If you would like to participate in this event, please contact me at gailmodel@hotmail.com. I will be happy to try to network with other players if you need to find additional players to fill out your team.
When teams are formed, the captain of each team will be responsible for scheduling a match with each of the other teams. All matches must be completed before April 30. Scoring will be done on a 30 point scale.
Register no later than March 8th. All team games must be completed by April 30th.
How to ride a Moose?
Once a year, if we are lucky, we are dealt a hand with so many high card points that we refer to it as a Moose. The following hand occurred recently and all I can now say is, “When there is a Moose on the road, be careful how you drive!”
As opening bidder, you hold 27 points, so you start by opening 2 clubs. With opponents silent throughout, I’m relieved that my partner first responds 2 diamonds – this shows either a king or ace (either or both of these card(s) have to be in spades as I have the Kings & Aces in all the other suits!). If responder held a bust hand, our agreement is that he would respond 2 hearts – denying either an ace or king and less than 5 points.
As opener my next rebid was 2NT. Did you expect me holding the Moose to rebid 3NT instead? Since our bidding has us in a game force, I want to give my partner a chance to further describe his hand at a comfortable level. I have left him bidding room to either transfer in a major (holding 5+M) or bidding Stayman if he held a 4 card major, below the game level.
My partner then bids 3NT, denying major suit interest. His bidding helps me understand what his hand shape is like. I now know 100% that he has at least 1 four card minor suit as he has denied a 4 card major suit by failing to either transfer or invoke Stayman. Since I also know that he has 6+ high card points based on his 2 diamond positive response (of which either 3 or 4 HCPs are in spades), it makes us 33+ HCPs combined).
Holding the Moose I must have a fair shot at 12 tricks (I can count 7 in the minors and 4 in the Major tricks, and there must be a good chance for a 12th trick). I am now in position to place the best final contract which is 6NT. This is the complete hand:
Author
John Jarman
Player Analysis: Try logging in as a member and see your personal results, and also update any missing information in your profile Go to: Useful Links; Aurora Bridge Club Members Login is located on the bottom of this section Aurora Bridge Club - Members Login
 Look on our Index Column for Results. We now have competitions listed.
Gentle Bridge
Newmarket Lawn Bowling Club
400 D'Arcy St., Newmarket, ON (North on Lorne from Eagle and turn right at the driveway just beyond Stuart Scott Public School. Parking is available in the Lawnbowling club lot by 12:45. If the lot is full, please drive around to Church St. and park in the arena lot, walk west on the laneway to the club.)
Join us at 1:00 pm for a short lesson followed by 12 hands offering an opportunity to practise the skills of the lesson. $10 pay-as-you-go. Suitable for recent graduates, and anyone wishing to review their skills. Please note: Indoor shoes required.
Lessons:
We will soon have 30 graduates from Bridge Basics 1 looking forward to a progression to Bridge Basics 2: The Competitive Auction. If you are a seasoned player who is wondering why other players often outbest you, then join us for this look at how to outbid the opponents in a successful way. Topics include: preemptive bidding, overcalls and advances with an introduction to the use of Law of Total Trump and cue bids, Doubles: Negative, Takeout, Penalty and the ever helpful Redouble.
Two classes will be offered: 1:00 - 3:30 Monday afternoon and 9:00 to 11:00 Tuesday mornings at the Newmarket Lawn Bowling Club. Club members receive a discount at $100 for the five week program.
Information about all the lessons can be found in the directory to the left of the Home Screen on our website under Learning and Mentoring.
To register: contact Denise Donovan, dcdonovan49@gmail.com
We all need help sometime. 
Take advantage of our willing mentors. Experienced players are here to help you!
C ontact Ken Collins: ken.collins@solution-integrity.com
Games at the Club
♣ Tuesday OPEN at 6:45 pm
Starting January 6th: Gentle Bridge at 1:00 pm
♦ Wednesday Open at 12:30
♥ Thursday 0 - 300 at 12:30 pm (Partner guaranteed.)
♠ Friday OPEN at 12:30
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Helpful Weblinks
How To Upload a Convention Card
Changes to Alerting
Tutorial on How to Play on BBO
How to Bid and Play on BBO
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To Join ACBL
Contact the Club Manager
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