♠ ♥ Bay State Bridge Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 3 / November 2021

Welcome to Bay State Bridge! The merged Newton Bridge Club and Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club host in-person games in Wellesley and Peabody. Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• All of our games through the end of 2021 award extra points!
• With the addition of Monday games starting November 15, we have games in Wellesley on most weekdays.
• Unfortunately, due to other activities at the Italo American Club, we do not have games on Monday Nov. 1, Thursday Nov. 4, Friday Nov. 5, Monday Nov. 8, Wednesday Nov. 24, or Friday Nov. 26.
• Supervised Play with Stuart Whittle Thursdays (including November 4), 10:00 a.m. to noon.
• Participate in Supervised Play on Thursday morning and play free in the noon game.
• Peabody games Tuesdays at 12:15.
• No game or Supervised Play on Thursday, November 25. Happy Thanksgiving!

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the November schedule and our club news.

Managers’ Blurb

Monday games resume November 15 at 10:30. Now we have games in Wellesley on most weekdays and weekly games in Peabody.

Unfortunately there are several November dates when we can’t hold games in Wellesley due to other activities at the Italo American Club. Please see below for those dates or check the calendar. For a ready-to-print version, suitable for framing, click here.

Congratulations to Bay State players who advanced in masterpoint rank in July, August, and September, including Silver Life Masters (1000 points) Ed Astrachan, Barbara Blauer, and Yumi Hough; Gold Life Masters (2500) Michael Lindheimer and Jean Shaffer; Diamond Life Master (5000) Barbara Murphy; and Emerald Life Master (7500) Charlie Polay. Congratulations also to Bay State players who rank high in district masterpoint races through September, including race leaders Venky Venkataramani, Barbara Murphy, and Stephen Gladyszak. For complete lists, please see Masterpoint Achievements.

Mark Aquino’s new book, Shark’s Pointers, will be published imminently by Master Point Press. The book is based on Mark’s weekly Shark’s Pointers talks on Zoom while we were closed for in-person bridge. Thank you and congratulations, Mark!

If you miss face-to-face bridge, please give us a try—we are looking forward to seeing you again! If there’s anything we can do to make our club better for you, please tell us!

— Tim Hill <thill75@wesleyan.edu> and David Metcalf <david@newtonbridge.com>

Club Schedule

• Our Wellesley games are most Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays at 10:30, and most Wednesdays and Thursdays at noon.
  • Unfortunately, due to other activities at the Italo American Club, we do not have games on Monday Nov. 1, Thursday Nov. 4, Friday Nov. 5, Monday Nov. 8, Wednesday Nov. 24, or Friday Nov. 26.
• Our Peabody games are Tuesdays at 12:15.
• For our current calendar, please click here. For a ready-to-print PDF of our November calendar, please click here. For directions, please click here.
• Please note that we require proof of vaccination upon your first visit to the club.
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

Newcomer Activities

• Supervised Play for beginning and intermediate players every Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
  Teacher: Stuart Whittle
  Fee: $17/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Stuart <swhittle617@gmail.com> to register.
  After Supervised Play, you may play for free in the open game from noon to 3:00.

Tournament Schedule

• New England Regional in Mansfield canceled
• North American Pairs New England District Finals October 16–17 online. For more information, please click here.
• North American Bridge Championships in Austin, Texas, November 25–December 5. For more information, please click here.
• Eastern Massachusetts Sectional in Watertown December 10–12. For more information, please click here.

Refreshments

We will not be serving lunch for the foreseeable future, but you’re welcome to bring your own. Coffee, tea, and water are available at no charge. Soda and bottled water are available for purchase (thank you for paying on the honor system).

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Bay State Bridge Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 2 / September 2021

Welcome to Bay State Bridge! The merged Newton Bridge Club and Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club host in-person games in Wellesley. Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• All of our games through the end of 2021 award extra points! All our September games are all International Fund which award extra-points.
• No Peabody games in September.
• No games on Mondays after Labor Day. No games September 13, 20, 27. We will have a game on Monday, September 6.
• New: Thursday afternoon game at 12:00 p.m. starting September 23.
• Supervised Play with Stuart Whittle every Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
•  “Welcome to In-Person Bridge” with Kim Gilman for newer players on Sunday, September 12, at 1:00 p.m.
• No game on Friday, September 24.

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the Fall schedule and our club news.

Managers’ Blurb

Who would have thought we would still be worried about Covid in September?
The good news is: despite what we see on the news, the rates in the Boston area are still quite modest: a positivity rate of <3% is among the lowest in the country.
Nevertheless we are continuing to be cautious: checking vaccination cards, requiring masks, and limiting snacks, all in the name of keeping us all safe.

If you miss face-to-face bridge, please give us a try - we are looking forward to seeing you again!

If there’s anything we can do to make our club better for you, please tell us!

— Tim Hill <thill75@wesleyan.edu> and David Metcalf <david@newtonbridge.com>

Club Schedule

• Our Wellesley games are Tuesdays at 10:30,  Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. and and Fridays at 10:30 a.m.
  Our Monday games will end after Labor day in Wellesley. The Italo-American club had a standing Ballroom Dancing Class on Mondays and we are not able to use the space at all on Mondays (with the exception of Holidays). The Italo-American is also hosting events on some Fridays this fall and we can't host a game on September 24. Make sure to check our schedule on our website before coming! We insisted heavily with the management and this is the best we can do. 
   
• Starting Thursday, September 23, we will host a weekly afternoon pair game which will start at noon. Please be mindful as you enter the building to get your entry on Thursdays as Supervised Play will still be in session and ends at noon.
   
• No Peabody games in September.
   
• For the current calendar, please click here. For directions, please click here.
   
• Please note that we require proof of vaccination upon your first visit to the club.
   
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”
   

Newcomer Activities

• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
  Teacher: Stuart Whittle
  Fee: $17/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Stuart <swhittle617@gmail.com> to register.
   
• Kim Gilman is hosting a “Welcome to In-Person Bridge” event for newer players on Sunday, September 12, 1:00–3:30 p.m.
  Did you learn to play online during the pandemic, and now look forward to meeting your fellow players? Are you ready to play face-to-face with fellow bridge enthusiasts? Kim can’t wait to meet her online students. Everyone is welcome if you are a relative newcomer, so join the party! Here is the schedule for the afternoon:

  1:00–1:20 — Social Time & Light Refreshments
  1:20–1:40 — How to Play in Person — Logistics etc. (Those who already know — please come to help show the newbies how it works!)
  *1:40–3:10 — Friendly Duplicate Bridge Game 
  3:10–3:30 — Optional Q & A with Kim on the hands you played

  *Please arrive no later than 1:30 if you wish to play in the bridge game. Late arrivals can observe, but may not be able to play.

  Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required to attend this event. There is no charge, but a $10 donation is requested to help cover facility rental and costs. 
  Please RSVP by e-mail to kgilman11@gmail.com.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• October 1-3, Watertown, MA (Sectional). For more information, please click here.

Refreshments

We will not be serving lunch for the foreseeable future, but you’re welcome to bring your own. Coffee, tea, and water are available at no charge. Soda and bottled water are available for purchase (thank you for paying on the honor system). 

 Contact Information

♠ ♥ Bay State Bridge Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 1 / July 2021

Welcome to Bay State Bridge! The merged Newton Bridge Club and Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club host in-person games in Wellesley and, starting July 13, in Peabody. Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• All of our games through the end of 2021 award extra points! About half of our July and August games are North American Pairs games with even more extra points, half of them red. The awards are about 100% to 200% higher than for most online games.
• NEW: Peabody games Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m. starting July 13.
• NEW: 299er games Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. starting July 14. Free entry on July 14! Pre-game talks by Dean Panagopoulos at 11:15.
• NEW: Supervised Play with Stuart Whittle Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., starting July 15.
• Save the date: Pro-Am on Monday, July 26 at 12:00 p.m.
• Save the date: Kim Gilman will host a “Welcome to In-Person Bridge” event for newer players on Sunday, September 12, at 1:00 p.m.

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the July schedule and our club news.

Managers’ Blurb

We’re gratified that so many of you (perhaps more than anywhere else in North America) have eagerly returned to in-person club bridge!

We want to improve the experience for newer duplicate players. While we want you to enjoy playing in any of our games, we understand that you may feel overwhelmed when most of the other players are strong veterans of decades of duplicate bridge. To that end, next week we’re starting 299er games, pre-game talks, and supervised play just for you. Please join us! Note that entry to our first 299er game is free. We’ll be delighted to schedule more masterpoint-limited games if you show us you’ll turn out for them.

We’re also planning a special “Pro-Am” event on Monday, July 26, a “Welcome to In-Person Bridge” hosted by Kim Gilman on Sunday, September 12, and fall “Learning Games” taught by Kim. Watch for details.

For our friends on the North Shore (a long drive from Wellesley), we’ve scheduled games in Peabody starting next week. Gary Peterson will direct most Peabody games.

If you haven’t returned to regular in-person bridge yet, give it a try!

If there’s anything we can do to make our club better for you, please tell us!

— Tim Hill <thill75@wesleyan.edu> and David Metcalf <david@newtonbridge.com>

Club Schedule

• Our Wellesley games are Mondays and Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. and Tuesdays and Fridays at 10:30 a.m.
  Our Peabody games are Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m.
  We will add more games in the future as attendance warrants.
  Please note that all our games through the end of 2021 award extra masterpoints!
   
• For the current calendar, please click here. For directions, please click here.
   
• NEW: Peabody games on Tuesdays at 12:15 p.m. start July 13.
  North Shore players are left out no longer! Check out our new location in Peabody!
   
• Pro-Am July 26! Help bring new players to the club. Please invite a friend or a student to play with you! Our A stratum is thriving; our C stratum not so much!!! Help us out by coming on Monday, July 26, at 12:00 p.m.
   
• Please note that we require proof of vaccination upon your first visit to the club.
   
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

FREE 299er Game!

• We are launching a new game for players with under 300 masterpoints. Please join us on Wednesdays starting July 14. Free entry for all 299ers on July 14!!!
• Free pre-game talks by Dean Panagopoulos Wednesdays, 11:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
• The games start at noon.

Newcomer Activities

• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. starting July 15.
  Teacher: Stuart Whittle
  Fee: $17/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Stuart <swhittle617@gmail.com> to register.
   
• Save the date! Kim Gilman is hosting a “Welcome to In-Person Bridge” event for newer players on Sunday, September 12, 1:00–3:30 p.m.
  Did you learn to play online during the pandemic, and now look forward to meeting your fellow players? Are you ready to play face-to-face with fellow bridge enthusiasts? Kim can’t wait to meet her online students. Everyone is welcome if you are a relative newcomer, so join the party! Here is the schedule for the afternoon:

  1:00–1:20 — Social Time & Light Refreshments
  1:20–1:40 — How to Play in Person — Logistics etc. (Those who already know — please come to help show the newbies how it works!)
  *1:40–3:10 — Friendly Duplicate Bridge Game 
  3:10–3:30 — Optional Q & A with Kim on the hands you played

  *Please arrive no later than 1:30 if you wish to play in the bridge game. Late arrivals can observe, but may not be able to play.

  Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required to attend this event. There is no charge, but a $10 donation is requested to help cover facility rental and costs. 
  Please RSVP by e-mail to kgilman11@gmail.com.

Refreshments

We will not be serving lunch for the foreseeable future, but you’re welcome to bring your own. Coffee, tea, and water are available at no charge. Snacks, soda, and bottled water are available for purchase (thank you for paying on the honor system). Snack suggestions are welcome.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• August 31–September 5, Warwick, RI (Regional). For more information, please click here.

 Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 33 / March 2020

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• ACBL-wide Senior Pairs on Monday, March 2 at 12:00 p.m. Extra points, red and black!
• Inter-club Championship pairs on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:15 p.m
• Inter-club Championship pairs on Tuesday, March 17 at 10:30 a.m.
• Charity Swiss Teams on Tuesday, March 31 at 10:30 a.m.
• Save the date: Kim Gilman returns for more Saturday morning classes in April, May, and June. See details below.
• Monday evening Newcomer game every week at 7:15 p.m.
• Marty Cohen is running Supervised Play on Thursday afternoons, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• March special: Come play with us any Wednesday morning this month and get $5 off your entry.

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the March schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Congratulations to Westwood players who advanced in masterpoint rank in January.

The 2019 masterpoint race results are now final. Congratulations to Westwood players who won New England or Eastern Massachusetts brackets in the Mini-McKenney or Helen-Shanbrom-Ace-of-Clubs races: Natalie Bassil, Liv Carroll, Bob Carvin, Phyllis Chase, David Cohen, Marty Cohen, Sandra Drum, Sheila Gabay, Bob Gervis, Chuck Greenslit, Adam Grossack, Harrison Luba, Chris Parker, Stan Piltch, Stewart Rubenstein, Eric Schwartz, and Ulla Winkler.

Now seems like a good time to remind everyone about two simple mandatory procedures. They should be routine, but every day problems crop up that would have been prevented if these procedures had been followed.

1. Make the opening lead face down and say “Any questions, partner?”
2. Whenever your right hand opponent makes a jump bid, pause for about ten seconds, and at least act like you have something to think about. (My trick when I don’t have anything to think about: recite the first two lines of the Nightmare Song.)

Note from Andrew:  Some players have been bringing us their Monopoly Shaws tickets. We will collect them and get some items for the Club if you bring them in. You can leave them in the marked envelope on the desk or give them to Andrew. Thank you!

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
   
• ACBL-wide Senior Pairs on Monday, March 2 at 12:00 p.m. Extra points, red and black!
  .
• Inter-club Championship pairs on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:15 p.m.
   
• Inter-club Championship pairs on Tuesday, March 17 at 10:30 a.m.
   
• Charity Swiss Teams on Tuesday, March 31 at 10:30 a.m.
   
• In March, we have 31 extra-points games, of which, nine are unit games.
   
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m.
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

Saturday morning with Kim

Saturday morning with Kim: "Practice Makes Perfect"

This 4-part series is intended to take you deeper into bridge tactics you may already know, and make you a better player when you solidify your expertise in these common situations.

Saturday mornings 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

April 18 — Manage Your Entries
Understanding and planning transportation between your hand and dummy is important. Being locked in the wrong hand can result in taking fewer tricks than you deserve! Practice making a plan for how you will cross back and forth.

April 25 — Good and Bad Overcalls
We all want to enter the auction with our 5+ card suits, but there are other criteria for overcalls. Learn the difference between good and bad overcalls, and practice when to bid and when to pass.

May 9 — Playing a No-trump Contract
Many consider no-trump to be most challenging aspect of declarer play. This class will contain lots of practice hands and reinforce the most important principles of playing in no-trump.

May 16 — Practice with Signals
Advice in training yourself to always signal your partner; how to become a keen observer of your partner’s signals; and using the information to set a contract.

Course fee: Sign up for individual classes or all four. $25 per class if registered in advance or $30 at the door. Register for all four classes for $90 if paid on April 18.

Saturday morning with Kim: "Bidding to Win"

This course will cover a few expert bidding techniques that will get you to the optimal contract more often. You too can use these bids!

Saturday mornings 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

May 30 — Should I Open this Hand?
Many experts open certain hands with 10 points, yet will pass a hand with 12 points! Go beyond the basics of an opening bid, and see what other features should play into your decision.

June 6 —Answering a Takeout Double
Life gets complicated when the opponents have opened the bidding, but with the correct answers to a takeout double, your side can still get to the best contract. Explore such responses as jumps, cue bids, and even passing!

June 13 — Cue Bids
Explore the various meanings and situations of bidding the enemy suit.

June 20 — Cue Bids, Part 2
Practice with cue bids, including how they can help you bid slams even in a competitive auction.

Course fee: Sign up for individual classes or all four. $25 per class if registered in advance or $30 at the door. Register for all four classes for $90 if paid on May 30.

Register for all eight classes for $160 if paid on April 18.

Please register by emailing Nathalie at baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com

March Special: Come play on Wednesday morning, get $5 off your entry

Play in any of our Wednesday morning game in March (10:30 a.m.) and get $5 off your entry.

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

If you play ten times or more in a calendar month we’ll give you a free play.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
   
• Our Newcomer games (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Mondays at 7:15 p.m.. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends about 9:30 p.m. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time!
   
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Marty Cohen
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Marty if you have special interests you would like to cover at supervised play. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• March, 7-8, Portland, ME (Sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• March 14-15, Johnston, RI (Sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• March 19-29, Columbus, OH (National), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 32 / February 2020

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• February is Education Foundation month, all our games reward extra points
• ACBL-wide International Fund Pairs on Saturday, February 1 at 12:00 p.m
• Party for Sheila on Sunday, February 9 at 1:00 p.m. (see details below)
• Education Foundation Swiss Teams on Tuesday, February 19 at 10:30 a.m.
• The club will closed Saturday, February 22 and Sunday, February 23.
• Monday evening Newcomer game every week at 7:15 p.m.
• Marty Cohen is running Supervised Play on Thursday afternoons, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• February special: Play Monday evening, get $3 off Wednesday evening (same week)

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the February schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

In my year-end thank-yous last month, I suppose it was inevitable that I’d omit someone. Thank you, Pete Matthews, Jr., for your many excellent contributions to our “Bridge Tales” page!

In case you haven’t heard, New England’s Presidential Regional February 11–16 has been relocated to the Sturbridge Host Hotel. Same schedule, closer to us, cheaper rooms ($88)! Click here for the revised flyer. (The last-minute relocation was necessitated by the abrupt closure of the Red Lion Hotel in Cromwell.)

Starting today, results from all ACBL-sanctioned clubs should appear on ACBLLive. Now our results are available three different ways: on our BridgeWebs site, via The Common Game, and via ACBLLive.

Congratulations to Westwood players who advanced in masterpoint rank in December, including new life master Beverly Keats.

Congratulations to Sheila Gabay, who earned her 30,000th masterpoint in December. She is the 49th player, the third New Englander, and the second woman to pass this milestone. Please join us for a party in Sheila’s honor on Sunday afternoon, February 9, at 1:00 p.m.

Almost all masterpoints earned in 2019 are now in the ACBL’s database, so the masterpoint race results are almost final. (Final results will be posted February 7.) Congratulations to Westwood players who are leading New England brackets in the Mini-McKenney and Helen-Shanbrom-Ace-of-Clubs races: David Cohen, Stan Piltch, Ulla Winkler, Liv Carroll, Marty Cohen, Harrison Luba, Chris Parker, Bob Carvin, Stewart Rubenstein, Phyllis Chase, Adam Grossack, and Sheila Gabay.

Adam Grossack’s 1894 points rank tenth ACBL-wide and first in New England. Zach Grossack and Harrison Luba are first and fourth ACBL-wide in the <26 age group. Harrison Luba is second ACBL-wide and first in New England in the <20 age group.

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
   
• February is Education Foundation month, all our games are extra points. These games raise funds to support Bridge Education.
   
• ACBL-wide International Fund Game on Saturday, February 1, at 12:00 p.m. Extra points game! Hand records and analysis provided.
   
• Sheila Gabay 30K Party! Please join us on Sunday, February 9 to celebrate her accomplishment! We will gather around noon. Please bring your favorite vegan dish!
   
• On Tuesday, February 18, at 10:30 a.m., come to our Education Foundation Swiss Teams game.
   
• The Club will be closed on Saturday, February 22 and Sunday, February 23. We hope to see you in Watertown!
   
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m.
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

February Special: Play Monday evening, get $3 off Wednesday evening

Play in our Monday evening game (7:15 p.m.), get $3 off your entry when you come back two days later (Wednesday 7:15 p.m.).

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

If you play ten times or more in a calendar month we’ll give you a free play.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
   
• Our Newcomer games (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Mondays at 7:15 p.m.. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends about 9:30 p.m. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time!
   
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Marty Cohen
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Marty if you have special interests you would like to cover at supervised play. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• February, 11-16, Sturbridge, MA (Regional), for more information, please click here.
   
• February 21-23, Watertown, MA (Sectional), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 31 / January 2020

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• January is Junior Fund month, all our games reward extra points
• STaC week is Monday, January 6 to Sunday, January 12, come earn your silver points at our club!
• DupliClass with Kim on Saturday, January 11 at 9:15 a.m. See below for more details
• STaC Swiss Teams on Sunday, January 12 at 1:00 p.m.
• ACBL-wide Junior Fund Pairs on Friday, January 24 at 10:30 a.m
• Monday evening Newcomer game every week at 7:15 p.m.
• Marty Cohen is running Supervised Play on Thursday afternoons, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• January special: Play Monday evening, get $3 off Wednesday evening (same week)
• Save the date: Party for Sheila on Sunday, February 9 at 1:00 p.m.

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the January schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2020 from Penticton, British Columbia! Thank you for playing at our club in 2019. We look forward to seeing you and your friends in 2020.

A special year-end thank-you to everyone who worked at the club in 2019. My goodness, this is a long list. Apologies if I left out anyone.

• regular directors Marty Cohen, Andrew Hanes, Tony Keats, and Sally Matthews
• occasional directors Norm Guivens, Peter Matthews, Nathalie Tabor, and Ru Terajewicz
• chef Christine Riviere-Homolko
• occasional cooks Sandra Drum, Stephanie Homolko, Sally Matthews, and Nathalie Tabor
• assistant manager, scheduler, and newsletter editor Nathalie Tabor
• teachers Marty Cohen, Kim Gilman, Norm Guivens, Lisa Procter, Nathalie Tabor, and Ru Terajewicz
• pre-game speaker Mark Aquino
• Thursday postmortem experts Sheila Gabay, Lew Gamerman, Pat McDevitt, and Shome Mukherjee
• house player and jack of all trades Tom Caragliano
• cleaner David Small

Eight local players are on the teams that won the Michael Seamon Junior US Team Championships and will represent our country this summer in Italy in the World Youth Teams Championships. Congratulations to Zach Grossack and Yichen Yin (U26 USA1), Lucy Zhang (U26 Women), Harrison Luba (U21 USA1), and Marley Cedrone, Sam Pahk, Zach Pasternak, and Eric Xiao (U16).

On the sixth of each month ACBL headquarters posts all masterpoints reported from the previous month and updates masterpoint ranks and races. The Common Game supplies us with lists of our club’s players whose masterpoint ranks have changed or who rank in the top 25 in their district masterpoint races. These lists are now posted on our website. Click “Masterpoint Achievements” in the menu on the left side of our home page.

Congratulations are particularly in order for players who became Life Masters in the last year—Paul Durda, Lisa Muir, Trey Hyer, Sharon Stanfill, Diana Lam, Paul Tierney, Cecil Chan, Ulla Winkler, Dan Rice, May Mok, Yumi Hough, Nathalie Tabor, and Hank Shulman—new Gold Life Masters (2,500 points) Arnold Berman, Paul Truesdale, Paul Harris, Charlie McLain, Ellen Oasis, Rob Baum, and Len Aberbach—new Diamond Life Master (5,000 points) Saul Agranoff—new Emerald Life Master (7,500 points) Rena Lieberman—new Platinum Life Masters (10,000 points) Phyllis Chase and Joyce Regan—and new Grand Life Masters (10,000 points plus a major championship) Adam Grossack and Zach Grossack.

Congratulations also to New England leaders in their brackets of the Mini-McKenney and Helen Shanbrom Ace of Clubs masterpoint races (as of December 6): David Cohen, Ethan Wood, Ulla Winkler, Liv Carroll, Marty Cohen, Harrison Luba, Chris Parker, Bob Carvin, Stewart Rubenstein, Phyllis Chase, Adam Grossack, and Sheila Gabay. Adam’s 1,482 points (not including the San Francisco NABC) rank first in New England and 17th in the ACBL.

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
• January is Junior Fund month, all our games are extra points. These games raise funds to support Junior Programs
• Monday, January 6 to Sunday, January 12 is STaC week (Sectional Tournaments at Clubs). Come earn your silver points at your club! ALL our games that week reward silver points.
• On Sunday, January 12, at 1 p.m.,we will host a STaC Swiss Teams game, another silver points opportunity!
• ACBL-wide Junior Fund Game on Friday, January 24, at 10:30 a.m Extra points game! Hand records and analysis provided.
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m.
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

Saturday morning with Kim: Dupliclass

Saturday, January 11, 9:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Have you been wondering what Duplicate Bridge is?
Players with little or no duplicate experience are all welcome to join this introductory class. Winners can earn masterpoints!

Kim Gilman will give a mini-lesson at the beginning of the class on duplicate strategy, and will be available to answer questions during the game if you get "stuck." Each player will receive a hand record at the end.

Fee: $15 if registered in advance or $20 at the door.
Please register by emailing Nathalie at baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com

January Special: Play Monday evening, get $3 off Wednesday evening

Play in our Monday evening game (7:15 p.m.), get $3 off your entry when you come back two days later (Wednesday 7:15 p.m.).

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

If you play ten times or more in a calendar month we’ll give you a free play.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
• Our Newcomer games (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Mondays at 7:15 p.m.. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends about 9:30 p.m. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time!
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Marty Cohen
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Marty if you have special interests you would like to cover at supervised play. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• January 25-26, Johnston, RI (Sectional), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 30 / December 2019

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• Unit games and ACBL Membership games throughout December. See our schedule for more details.
• Charity Swiss Teams on Monday, December 9, at 12:00 p.m.
• Holiday Party and Pot luck on Friday, December 13.
• The club will be closed on December 14 and 15. See you in Watertown!
• The club will be closed on December 25. Happy Holidays to all!
• Interclub Championship Game on Monday, December 30, at 12:00 p.m.
• Monday evening Newcomer game every week at 7:15 p.m.
• Marty Cohen is running Supervised Play on Thursday afternoons, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• December special: Play Wednesday morning, get $3 off Thursday morning
• Save the date: STaC week January 6 to 12 (Swiss Teams on Sunday 1/12), come earn your silver points at our club!

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the December schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. Best wishes for the coming holidays.

Please join us for our annual pot-luck holiday party on Friday, December 13. Game time is 10:30. We’ll take a longer-than-usual lunch break, so the game will end about 2:15. Please bring food (appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, desserts, beverages) to share.

Good luck to those of you at the North American Bridge Championships in San Francisco!

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
• 29 extra points games in December! 7 Unit games and and a mixture of ACBL Membership games, Charity games, and Club Championship games. Check our schedule for more details.
• Club Championship Swiss teams game on Monday, December 9 at 10:30 a.m.
• Holiday Party and Pot Luck on Friday, December 13. Bring your holiday favorites!
• The club will be closed on Saturday, December 14, on Sunday, December 15, and on Wednesday, December 25.
  
• Interclub Championship Game on Monday, December 30, at 12:00 p.m.
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m. (no pregame talk on November 8)
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

Saturday morning with Kim: Dupliclass

Saturday, January 11, 9:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Have you been wondering what Duplicate Bridge is?
Players with little or no duplicate experience are all welcome to join this introductory class. Winners can earn masterpoints!

Kim Gilman will give a mini-lesson at the beginning of the class on duplicate strategy, and will be available to answer questions during the game if you get "stuck." Each player will receive a hand record at the end.

Fee: $15 if registered in advance or $20 at the door.
Please register by emailing Nathalie at baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com

December Special: Play Wednesday morning, get $3 off Thursday morning

Play in our Wednesday morning game (10:30 a.m.), get $3 off your entry when you come back the next day (Thursday 10:30 a.m.).

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

If you play ten times or more in a calendar month we’ll give you a free play.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
• Our Newcomer games (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Mondays at 7:15 p.m.. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends about 9:30 p.m. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time!
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Marty Cohen
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Marty if you have special interests you would like to cover at supervised play. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• December 13-15, Watertown, MA (Sectional), for more information, please click here.
  Pro-Am Friday, December 13, at 7:30, contact Stuart Whittle if you wish to be matched up.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 29 / November 2019

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• Unit games and ACBL Membership games throughout November and December. See our schedule for more details.
• Last Saturday morning with Kim Gilman on Saturday, November 2 at 9:30 a.m. on Help Suit Game Tries. Register now! See details below
• Interclub Championship Game on Wednesday, November 6, at 7:15 p.m. 
• Club Championship Swiss Teams on Tuesday, November 19, at 10:30 a.m.
• The club will be closed on Thursday, November 28. Happy Thanksgiving!
• Save the date: Holiday Party and Pot luck on Friday, December 13.
• Monday evening Newcomer game every week at 7:15 p.m.
• Marty Cohen is running Supervised Play on Thursday afternoons, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
• November special: Play Wednesday morning, get $3 off Thursday morning

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the November schedule and our club news.

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
   
• 28 extra points games in November! 7 Unit games and and a mixture of ACBL Membership games, Charity games, and Club Championship games. Check our schedule for more details.
   
• Interclub Championship Game on Wednesday, November 6, at 7:15 p.m. 
  
  
• Club Championship Swiss teams game on Tuesday, November 19 at 10:30 a.m.
    
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
   
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m. (no pregame talk on November 8)
   
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”
   

Saturday morning with Kim: Bidding Brush-Up, Part 2

Saturday mornings 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

November 2 - Help Suit Game Tries

Course fee: $25 if registered in advance or $30 at the door. 
Please register by emailing Nathalie at baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com
 

November Special: Play Thursday morning, get $3 off Thursday morning

Play in our Wednesday morning game (10:30 a.m.), get $3 off your entry when you come back the next day (Thursday 10:30 a.m.).

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

If you play ten times or more in a calendar month we’ll give you a free play.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
   
• Our Newcomer games (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Mondays at 7:15 p.m.. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends about 9:30 p.m. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time!
   
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Marty Cohen
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Marty if you have special interests you would like to cover at supervised play. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• November 2-3, Dover, NH (Sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• November 6-10, Mansfield, MA (Regional and GNT/NAP), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 28 / October 2019

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• October is the Jane Johnson Club Appreciation Month. Look in our calendar for all our extra points points games, Swiss games award gold this month only!
• No games on Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6.
• Club Appreciation Swiss Teams on Monday, October 7 at noon, Sunday, October 13 at 10:00 a.m., and Tuesday, October 22, at 10:30 a.m.
• Annual Bob Simpson Club Appreciation weekend October 11, 12, and 13. See below for details
• Pro-Am Friday, October 11 starting at 6:30 p.m. 
• Saturday morning with Kim Gilman continues on some Saturdays in October and November. Register now! See details below
• Newton Bridge Club Tuesday evenings games at Westwood on Tuesday, October 15 and 22 at 7:15 p.m.
• Wednesday evening Newcomer game has moved to Monday evening at 7:15 p.m. 
• Marty Cohen will be running Supervised Play on Thursday afternoons, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
• October special: Play Wednesday morning, get $3 off Thursday morning.

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the October schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Who’s that hansom young man on the cover of the October Bulletin? Could that be the kid who came to the table where I was sitting about a dozen years ago? His legs didn’t reach the floor, he couldn’t keep still, he played like lightning, he cleaned our clocks, and he moved on to the next table. Now he and his “big” brother have officially moved into the bridge stratosphere. Congratulations, Zach and Adam!

Looking forward to our seventh annual club tournament in memory of Bob Simpson. It’s October 11–13. Hope you’ll join us!

The first six Simpson tournaments included an individual game. You folks, er, voted with your feet to end that practice. This year we’ll have a barometer game on Friday. I’ll miss the individual, but apparently not many others will, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy the barometer game.

Another October change: The ACBL’s rules for Jane Johnson Club Appreciation month now permit us to run both Club Appreciation games in a given session as pair games (formerly one of them had to be a team game). So we’ll have “only” three “gold dust” team games in October, including the two-session game on Sunday, October 13.

I was away directing tournaments or vacationing too much this summer. I had lots of fun, but I’m delighted that I’ll be home at the club most of the rest of the year!

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
   
• October is Jane Johnson Club Appreciation  month. We are offering 18 Club Appreciation Games which are all extra points.
  Club Appreciation Swiss teams games on Monday, October 7 at noon, Sunday, October 13 at 10:00 a.m., and Tuesday, October 22, at 10:30 a.m.
  Swiss Teams games this month award a fraction of gold points!
   
• The club will be closed on Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6. We hope to see you in Watertown for the sectional!
  
  
• Please join us on October 11-13 for the seventh annual Bob Simpson Club Championships, in memory of Bob Simpson (1963-2012). Over three days, we will have several different events:
  • an Barometer game on Friday, October 11 at 10:30 a.m.,
  • a Pro-Am on Friday, October 11 starting at 6:30 p.m. (please sign up as soon as you can by emailing Nathalie),
  • a two-session pair game Saturday, October 12 at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. (single-session entries available),
  • and a two-session Swiss team game on Sunday, October13 at 10:00 a.m..
    Lunch will be served on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Dinner will be served Friday evening.
    Winners will be honored on the permanent plaque hanging in the club.
     
• Interclub Championship games on Monday, October 7 at 7:15 p.m., and on Tuesday, October 15 at 10:30 a.m.
   
•  On Tuesday, October 15 and Tuesday, October 22 at 7:15 p.m., the Newton Bridge Club Tuesday evenings games will be held at Westwood
   
• The Wednesday evening newcomer game has moved to Mondays at 7:15 p.m.
    
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
   
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m. (check the calendar for the exact schedule)
   
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”
   

Saturday morning with Kim: Bidding Brush-Up, Part 2

This class will you review opening bids and responses, and what to do at your second and third turns as well!

Get help finding out “Where?” and “How High?” to place your contracts. Bring your bidding problems to class!

Saturday mornings 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

October 19 - Bidding to Slam

October 26 - Advanced Takeout Doubles

November 2 - Help Suit Games Tries

Course fee: Sign up for individual classes or all three. $25 per class if registered in advance or $30 at the door. Register for all three classes for $70 if paid on October 19. 

Please register by emailing Nathalie at baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com
 

October Special: Play Wednesday morning, get $3 off Thursday morning

Play in our Wednesday morning game (10:30 a.m.), get $3 off your entry when you come back the next day (Thursday 10:30 a.m.).

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

If you play ten times or more in a calendar month we’ll give you a free play.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
   
• Our Newcomer games (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Mondays at 7:15 p.m.. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends around 1:00 p.m. for the daytime game, and ends about 9:30 p.m. for the evening game. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
   
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Marty Cohen
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Marty if you have special interests you would like to cover at supervised play. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• October 4-6, Watertown, MA (Sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• October 19, Auburn, MA (Sectional), for more information, please click here. For players with <750 MPs.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 27 / September 2019

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• September is International Fund Month. All our games are extra points.
• International Fund Swiss Teams on Tuesday, September 10, at 10:30 a.m.
• Saturday morning with Kim Gilman returns on Saturdays in September. Register now! Starts this week. See details below
• BB2 class with Lisa Procter on Wednesday afternoon, starting September 11, see details below.
• Wednesday evening Newcomer game is moving to Monday evening starting September 9 at 7:15 p.m. 
• Marty Cohen will be running Supervised Play on Thursday afternoons, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
• September special: Come to Kim's class on Saturday morning, get $5 off your entry to the game Saturday afternoon.

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the September schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Greetings from Stonington, Maine.

I'm delighted that Kim Gilman and Lisa Procter will both teach in Westwood again this month. Kim will present a “Bidding Brush-up” on Saturday mornings starting September 7. Lisa will teach “Competitive Bidding” on Wednesday afternoons starting September 11. More information below.

Congratulations to Adam and Zach Grossack, who both earned their 10,000th masterpoints at the Hunt Valley (Baltimore) Regional in August. With three or four national championships already under their belts, this makes them both Grand Life Masters. At age 22, Zach is the youngest player ever to reach this rank (previous record holders Justin Lall and Joe Grue were both 25). Watch for the cover story in the October Bulletin.

Congratulations to Westwood players who won events at the Warwick regional (through Saturday, Aug. 31): Bart Bussink, Marley Cedrone, Paul Durda, Bill Finch, Sheila Gabay, Lew Gamerman, Kim Gilman, Adam Grossack, Zach Grossack, Bill Irvine, Eddie Kelley, Donna Marshall, Pat McDevitt, Shome Mukherjee, Elizabeth Paige, David Poole, Stewart Rubenstein, Eric Schwartz, Hank Shulman, Alan Silver, Vik Srimurthy, Nathalie Tabor, Carole Weinstein, and Ethan Wood.

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
   
• September is International Fund month, all our games rewards with extra points.
   
• International Fund Swiss teams game on Tuesday, September 10 at 10:30 a.m.
   
• Wednesday evening newcomer game is moving to Mondays. Last Wednesday evening game on Wednesday, September 4 at 7:15 p.m. then on Monday evening starting Monday, September 9, at 7:15 p.m.
    
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
   
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m. (no pregame talk on August 2 and 30)
   
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”
   

Saturday morning with Kim: Bidding Brush-Up

This class will you review opening bids and responses, and what to do at your second and third turns as well!

Get help finding out “Where?” and “How High?” to place your contracts. Bring your bidding problems to class!

Saturday mornings 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

September 7 - Major Suit Openings and Responses

September 14 - Minor Suit Openings and Responses

September 21 - REBIDS by Opener and Responder; Forcing and Non-Forcing Bids

September 28 - No Trump Bidding (and Play Tips)

Course fee: Sign up for individual classes or all four. $25 per class if registered in advance or $30 at the door. Register for all four classes for $90 if paid on September 7. 
Stay for the noon game and get $5 off your entry fee.

Please register by emailing Nathalie at baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com
 

Bridge Basics 2 with Lisa

Wednesday afternoon, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., September 11, 18, 25, October 2, 9, and 16. 
Teacher: Lisa Procter
Course fee: $150 per class, payable at the first class. Please register as soon as you can.

This is a second course for players who have taken the bridge for beginners’ class based on the Audrey Grant Bridge Basics 1 textbook.  We will continue using Audrey Grant’s excellent text, Bridge Basics 2 – Competitive Bidding.  In this class, we will be learning the overcalls, advancing overcalls, doubles, preemptive bids, and how to handle the interferences.  The approach is hands-on, we will be playing many hands throughout the course. For more details, please click here

To register, please email Lisa Procter.
 

September Special: Come to Kim's class on Saturday morning and get $5 off the entry on Saturday afternoon

Come to Kim's class on any Saturday in September, stay for the noon game right after the class and get $5 off your entry.

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

If you play ten times or more in a calendar month we’ll give you a free play.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
   
• Our Newcomer games (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Mondays at 7:15 p.m.. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends around 1:00 p.m. for the daytime game, and ends about 9:30 p.m. for the evening game. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
   
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Marty Cohen
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Marty if you have special interests you would like to cover at supervised play. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• September 14-15, Portland, ME (Sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• September 21-22, Johnston, RI (Sectional), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 26 / August 2019

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• June, July, and August are North American Pairs (NAP) months. About half our games are NAP games with extra points, half of which are red.
• Monday, August 19 at noon, at 10:30 a.m., Charity Swiss teams game
• Special mini-course with Ru, August 13 and 20. See details below
• Saturday morning with Kim Gilman returns in September. See details below
• August special: Come play Wednesday, get $3 off on Thursday that week

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the August schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

It was good to see many of you at the North American Bridge Championships in Las Vegas. Mark Aquino, Natalie Bassil, Sheila Gabay, Lew Gamerman, Stephen Gladyszak, Adam Grossack, Zachary Grossack, Laurence Lebowitz, Pat McDevitt, Shome Mukherjee, Marina Polestra, and Stewart Rubenstein scratched in unlimited national events. Shark, Stephen, Adam, and Pat had the best result, reaching the semifinals of the Grand National Teams before losing narrowly to the team that went on to win. Natalie Bassil, Sabrina Miles, Christina Parker, Marina Polestra, and Stewart Rubenstein scratched in limited national events. Kimberly Gilman won an unlimited two-session event. Daniel Albert-Rozenberg, Donald Caplin, Marley Cedrone (age 14), Lew Gamerman, and Ethan Wood (age 17) won unlimited one-session events. Lew Gamerman, Adam Grossack, Shome Mukherjee, and Pat McDevitt each earned over 100 masterpoints. (Sorry if I missed anyone!)

In June we turned off Bridgemate traveler display for a week. Thanks to those who shared your opinions of this experiment! I’d hoped a consensus might emerge, but, alas, your “votes” were evenly split three ways: yes, no, and don’t care. I decided to return to the status quo ante, but please remember that viewing travelers immediately after playing a board is a privilege (you can spend as much time as you like studying the same information and more on the web after the game). Abusing the privilege results too often in slow play, distraction, overheard comments, and rudeness (or perceived rudeness) to partners and opponents. Here are some Bridgemate operation and etiquette tips:

• Type the board number before taking your cards out of a board. (This reduces the chance of playing or scoring a wrong board.)
• Enter the contract and opening lead right away, but face your opening lead or table your dummy first. (We have the Bridgemates validate opening leads because this catches all wrong-declarer errors and most fouled boards and wrong-board errors.)
• Let everybody see the travelers silently. (The NS pair who will play the board next can hardly help overhearing “It makes 6♣,” even sotto voce. The declarer probably won’t appreciate hearing “Everybody else made an overtrick” from his partner or an opponent.)
• Be aware of the clock. (It shows the round number—two smaller digits on the left—and the remaining minutes in the round—two larger digits on the right. You have 15 minutes for two-board rounds or 21 minutes for three-board rounds. You should usually finish a round with at least two minutes on the clock.) Don’t look at travelers if you’re behind.

Apologies to everyone for never finishing and sending the July newsletter, and especially to Nathalie who wrote most of it while she was on vacation in Paris.

Thank you Sally, Nathalie, and Stephanie for keeping us fed while Christine’s in France! Christine will be back August 22.

Hope you’ll take advantage of the many extra-masterpoint opportunities this month, including 18 North American Pairs qualifying games, nine Charity games, and three Club Championships games.

I’m traveling a lot this summer—nine tournaments and three vacations between late May and mid September. I’ll be at the club more in the fall and winter. Thank you Andrew, Marty, Nathalie, Ru, Sally, and Tony for holding down the fort when I’m away!

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
   
• June, July, and August are North American Pairs (NAP) months. About half our games are NAP games with extra points, half of which are red!
   
• Charity Swiss teams game on Monday, August 19 at noon.
   
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
   
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m. (no pregame talk on August 2 and 30)
   
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”
   

Mini Course with Ru

Tuesday August 13, and Tuesday, August 30, 14:30 - 16:30 
Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
Course fee: $30 per class, payable at class
Please register as soon as you can.

August 13: Strong Openings

August 20: Slam Bidding

We will be playing several practice deals including learning bridge thinking.

To register, please email ru.terajewicz@gmail.com.

Saturday morning with Kim: Bidding Brush-Up

This class will you review opening bids and responses, and what to do at your second and third turns as well!

Get help finding out “Where?” and “How High?” to place your contracts. Bring your bidding problems to class!

Saturday mornings 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

September 7 - Major Suit Openings and Responses

September 14 - Minor Suit Openings and Responses

September 21 - REBIDS by Opener and Responder; Forcing and Non-Forcing Bids

September 28 - No Trump Bidding (and Play Tips)

Course fee: Sign up for individual classes or all four. $25 per class if registered in advance or $30 at the door. Register for all four classes for $90 if paid on September 7. 
Stay for the noon game and get $5 off your entry fee.

Please register by emailing Nathalie at baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com

August Special: Come and play Wednesday morning and get $3 off Thursday morning

Play in the 10:30 a.m. game on Wednesdays, and get $3 off your entry the next day at 10:30 a.m.

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

If you play ten times or more in a calendar month we’ll give you a free play.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
   
• Our Newcomer games (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m.. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends around 1:00 p.m. for the daytime game, and ends about 9:30 p.m. for the evening game. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
   
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• August 1-4, Barnstable, MA (Sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• August 10-11, Portland, ME (Sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• August 17-18, Nashua, NH (Sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• August 27-September 1, Warwick, RI (Regional), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 25 / June 2019

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• June, July, and August are North American Pairs (NAP) months. About half our games are NAP games with extra points, half of which are red.
• World Wide Bridge Contest on Friday, June 7 at 10:30 a.m., and Saturday, June 8 at noon.
• Saturday morning seminars are coming back in June with Kim Gilman, see below for more details or click here
• Monday, June 17, The Longest Day: three games - noon, 3:30 p.m., and 7:15 p.m - to support Alzheimer's research and care (see details below)
• Monday, June 24 to Sunday, June 30, Sectional Tournaments at Clubs (STaC), all our games are extra silver points
• Sunday, June 30 at 1 p.m, STaC Swiss teams game
• June special: Come to Kim's lecture on Saturday and get $5 off your entry fee for the Saturday noon game

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the June schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Hope you’ll take advantage of the many extra-masterpoint opportunities this month, including 18 North American Pairs qualifying games, two World Wide Bridge Contests, and nine Sectional Tournament at Clubs games.

Do you like seeing results, hand records, and double-dummy analysis on Bridgemates after each board?

Do you dislike the ensuing distraction, wasted time, and easily overheard comments?

I’m of two minds. As a player, I do like seeing the information, but I’m definitely more relaxed and probably play better without the distraction. As a director, I know games are faster and smoother if the Bridgemates don’t display travelers and hand records.

Click here for the ACBL’s official view.

As an experiment, we won’t display results or hand records the week of June 3. (Of course, everything is available online after the game.) At the end of the week, please tell us whether you’d like us to resume displaying results and hand records.

The United States Bridge Federation is conducting Open, Women’s, Mixed, and Senior Team Championships in Chicago from May 10 through June 9. Each of these eight-day events selects two teams to represent the U.S.A. at the World Team Championships in Wuhan, China, in September. Six Westwood regulars were in the star-studded field, including Mark Aquino, Bart Bussink, and Selen Hotamisligil. The most successful were on the DONNER mixed team: Gary Donner–Yoko Sobel, Giorgia Botta–Zach Grossack, and Sheila Gabay–Adam Grossack.

DONNER was fourth in the two-day round-robin phase. While the top two from the round-robin faced off for the USA1 spot, the other teams started a six-day competition for USA2. DONNER jumped ahead of RADIN by 50 IMPs in the first 30 boards of their 120-board quarterfinal match and held on to win by 10. For their USA2 semifinal match, DONNER drew the loser of the USA1 final. KOLESNIK took the lead on the fourth board, and were up 63 IMPs after 45 boards and 60 IMPs after 75 boards. DONNER fought back in the next 43 boards. On the penultimate board, Zach scored up 630 against 120 at the other table to take the lead by 1 IMP. Final score: DONNER 293, KOLESNIK 291.

In the USA2 final, DONNER faced the powerful ROSENTHAL team (Andrew Rosenthal, Debbie and Michael Rosenberg, Chris Willenken, and Migry Zur Campanile). Most of the first day was a seesaw battle, but ROSENTHAL went ahead to stay on the 48th board, winning 271 to 212.

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
   
• June, July, and August are North American Pairs (NAP) months. About half our games are NAP games with extra points, half of which are red!
   
• World Wide Bridge Contest on Friday, June 7 at 10:30 a.m., and Saturday, June 8 at noon. For more details, click here
   
• Saturday morning seminars are coming back in June with Kim Gilman, see below for more details or click here
  
  
• Monday, June 17, The Longest Day: three games - noon, 3:30 p.m., and 7:15 p.m - to support Alzheimer's research and care, for more details, click here
  
  
• Monday, June 24 to Sunday, June 30, Sectional Tournaments at Clubs (STaC), all our games are extra silver points
   
• Sunday, June 30 at 1 p.m, STaC Swiss teams game
   
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
   
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m.
   
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

June Special: Come to Kim's lecture and get $5 off the Saturday noon game

Come to Kim's play of the hand class on June 8, June 15, and/or June 29. Stay for the game after the lecture and get $5 off your entry. The game starts at noon.

Saturday Morning with Kim Gilman

Kim Gilman will teach an ongoing series on Declarer Play this summer and fall. She'll show you specific techniques to make your contracts, and will also help you develop the skills to make a plan each time dummy hits the table.

Join us in June for her 3-part series on "Wait to Draw Trumps?" Normally, in a suit contract, Declarer draws trumps immediately so the defenders can't ruff their good tricks. This is a good rule — draw trumps UNLESS you have a reason not to. Sometimes, these "reasons" override the need to draw trumps right away. Learn how to recognize each situation and get some great practice playing hands in class.

Sign up for all three classes or for individual classes.
Class time is 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM

June 8: Reason #1 — Ruff in the Short Hand First

June 15: Reason #2 — Eliminate Losers First

June 29: Reason #3 — Use Trumps as Entries

Each class is $25 if registered in advance, or $30 at the door. Or, pay for all three on June 8 for one price of $65.

Please register by emailing Nathalie at baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com

Stay tuned for upcoming topics and dates in August and September.

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

If you play ten times or more in a calendar month we’ll give you a free play.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
   
• Our Newcomer games (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m.. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends around 1:00 p.m. for the daytime game, and ends about 9:30 p.m. for the evening game. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
   
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• June 8-9, Johnston, RI (Sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• June 18-23, Nashua, NH (Regional), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 24 / May 2019

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• May is Grass Roots Fund Month, all our games are extra-black points!
• Grass Roots Fund SWISS teams, Friday, May 17, at 10:30 a.m.
• The club will be closed Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26.
• On Monday, May 28, please note the delayed start time, the game will start at 2:00 p.m.
• NEW: Beginners classes start on Monday, May 13, at 9:30 a.m. with Lisa Procter, check our website for details
• Save the date: Saturday morning seminars are coming back in June with Kim Gilman, stay tuned for details in the next Newsletter!
• Save the date: World Wide Bridge Contest on Friday, June 7 and Saturday, June 8.
• Postmortem discussion with Pat McDevitt or Lew Gamerman immediately after our Thursday games
• “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks on Fridays at 9:45 a.m. See Schedule for details.
• May special: Newcomers pay $6 for the Wednesday morning Newcomer game

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the May schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Our annual Richard Burns Memorial Patriots’ Day Bridge Marathon on April 15 raised $320 for The Boston Foundation.

• Adam Grossack won the Marathon with a 62.27% average. Adam scored 64.12% with Ann Jenkins and 60.42% with Steve Diamond.
• Marley Cedrone had the second-best two-session average, 58.30%, successfully defending his B stratum (0–1500 masterpoints average) title. Marley played all three sessions. His best two were 59.65% with Sally Matthews (his grandmother) and 56.94% with Peter Matthews.
• Jeff Vendetti and Jerry Smith won the C stratum (0-500 masterpoints average) with a 49.53% average.

Adam, Marley, Jeff, and Jerry will be commemorated on the perpetual plaque for the event.

Last week, due to a scheduling problem, there were tournaments in Falmouth (Senior Regional and Open Sectional) and Gatlinburg, Tennessee (the largest regional in the ACBL). Westwood was well represented at both.

In the Falmouth senior regional:

• Sheila Gabay and Natalie Bassil won the Wednesday pairs. Katy Love and Don Smith won the B stratum.
• Joyce Regan and Terry Byrne won the Thursday pairs. Diana Chirita and Alan Silver were second and won the B and C strata.
• Arnold Berman, Pete Matthews, Jr., Bob Bertoni, and Andrew Hanes won the Friday Swiss. Ken Bloom, John Hrones, Steve Rzewski, and Margie Sullivan were second. Bob Carvin, Ruth Weston, James Vierra, and Richard Palmer were third. Christine Halkiotis, Diogo Teixeira, Frank Caine, and Becky Ames were fourth and won the C stratum.
• In the semifinals of the top knockout bracket, Geoff Brod, Rich DeMartino, Sheila Gabay and Pat McDevitt and John Malley, Jack Maselli, Natalie Bassil, and Marina Polestra were tied after 24 boards. Brod won the four-board playoff and went on to finish second. Malley was third.
• Paul Durda, Vic Khaitan, Ron Williams, and Pam Jerskey won the fourth knockout bracket.
• Geoff Brod, Rich DeMartino, Sheila Gabay and Pat McDevitt won the Sunday Swiss. Rena Lieberman, Charlie Polay, Amnon Gabay, and Marina Polestra and Bob Carvin, Fred Magnus, Saul Agranoff, and Stuart Whittle tied for second. Carvin won the B stratum.

In the Falmouth open sectional:

• Sol Hartman and Ginny O’Toole won the Wednesday afternoon pairs.
• Barbara Perkins and Pat Houston won the Friday morning pairs.
• Ginny O’Toole, Sol Hartman, Tom Seder, and Steve Diamond won the Saturday Swiss.

In the Gatlinburg regional:

• James and Anne Hawkes, Adam Grossack, Eric Rodwell, and Jeff Meckstroth won the top bracket of the Monday-Tuesday knockouts. Sabrina Miles, Ann Pozdol, Bob McCaw, and Sarah Sykes were second in the second bracket.
• Bart Bussink, Arjun Dhir, Chris Parker, and Stewart Rubenstein won the third bracket of the Friday-Saturday knockouts.
• Bob McCaw, Sarah Sykes, Sabrina Miles, and Brenda Glaze won the third bracket of the Sunday bracketed Swiss.

This newsletter is our 24th. Many thanks to Nathalie Tabor for conceiving and editing them!

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
• May is Grass Roots Fund Month, all our games are extra-black points!
• Grass Roots Fund SWISS teams, Friday, May 17, at 10:30 a.m.
• The club will be closed Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26. Please join us at the Sectional in Watertown, we hope to see you there!
• On Monday, May 28, please note the delayed start time, the game will start at 2:00 p.m.
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m.
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

May Special: Newcomers pay $6 on Wednesday morning

Please join us Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m., starting today, May 1, for a separate game just for players with less than 20 masterpoints.

We’ll play about 15–18 boards, finishing between 12:45 and 1:15. Ru Terajewicz will be here for at least the first three Wednesdays to help you enjoy and learn. Come with or without a partner.

Entries for these games are half price in May—just $6 per player. The May games are all Grass Roots Fund games, and masterpoints are awarded at about 2½ times the regular-game scale.

Note that our Wednesday evening newcomer games continue. Game time is 7:15.

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

If you play ten times or more in a calendar month we’ll give you a free play.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
• Our Newcomer games (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m.. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends around 1:00 p.m. for the daytime game, and ends about 9:30 p.m. for the evening game. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• May 4-5, Auburn, MA (Sectional), for more information, please click here.
• May 24-26, Watertown, MA (Sectional), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 23 / April 2019

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• April is Charity Month, all our games are extra points!
• Starting Tuesday, April 2 at 2:30 p.m., Ru will start teaching a BB3 course, see details on our website
• ACBL-wide Charity Pairs on Wednesday, April 3 at 10:30 a.m.
• Marathon Monday, April 15, three games in one day! Special game times: 10 a.m., 2 p.m., 7:15 p.m.
• Charity SWISS teams, Tuesday, April 30, at 10:30 a.m.
• Newcomer Game (0-19 Masterpoints) every Wednesday evening at 7:15 p.m.!
• Postmortem discussion with Pat McDevitt or Lew Gamerman immediately after our Thursday games
• Supervised Play for beginner / intermediate players every week, on Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.
• “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks on Fridays at 9:45 a.m. See Schedule for details.
• April special: Please Wednesday morning, get $5 off Thursday morning

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the April schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Greetings from Milan! Jan and I started our visit with La Cenerentola at La Scala. We’ll meander across northern Italy to Venice and return home just in time for:

Our annual Richard Burns Memorial Patriots’ Day Marathon is on Monday, April 15. We’ll have games at 10:00, 14:00, and 19:15 (no 12:00 game). The names of the individuals or pairs with the best two-game average in each stratum will be added to the perpetual plaque.

Aces & Knaves, a new documentary film about bridge, is in the Boston International Film Festival. It’s showing Saturday, April 13, at 11:00 a.m. in Cambridge. Click here for more information.

Some players have been bringing us their Monopoly Shaws tickets. We will collect them and get some groceries for the Club if you bring them in. Thank you!

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
• ACBL-wide Charity Pairs on Wednesday, April 3, at 10:30 a.m. Extra points game.
• Marathon Monday, April 15, three games in one day! 10 a.m., 2 p.m., 7:15 p.m.
• Charity SWISS teams on Tuesday, April 30, at 10:30 a.m.
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m.
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

April Special: Play Wednesday morning and get $5 off Thursday morning

Come and play in our 10:30 a.m. Wednesday games in April, and come back the next day at 10:30 a.m. for $5 off your entry!

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

If you play ten times or more in a calendar month we’ll give you a free play.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
• Our Newcomer games (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m.. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends around 1:00 p.m. for the daytime game, and ends about 9:30 p.m. for the evening game. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• April 11-14, Sturbridge, MA (Regional for Intermediates/Newcomers), for more information, please click here.
• April 13-14, Sturbridge, MA (GNT district 25 finals), for more information, please click here.
• April 24-28, Falmouth, MA (Senior Regional and Sectional), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 22 / March 2019

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• Two-over-one class on all Saturday mornings in March with Andrew Hanes, see details below
• Charity SWISS teams, Friday, March 8 at 10:30 a.m.
• ACBL-wide Senior Pairs on Monday, March 11 at noon. Extra points, red and black!
• InterClub Championship Pairs on Wednesday, March 13 at 10:30 a.m.
• Newcomer Game (0-19 Masterpoints) every Wednesday evening at 7:15 p.m.!
• Postmortem discussion with Pat McDevitt or Lew Gamerman immediately after our Thursday games
• Supervised Play for beginner / intermediate players every week, on Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.
• “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks on Fridays at 9:45 a.m. See Schedule for details.
• March special: Take the two-over-one Saturday morning class and get $3 the entry to the game on the same day.

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the March schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Westwood players won six of the 15 brackets in the Helen Shanbrom Ace of Clubs for Eastern Massachusetts: Jerry Smith, Paul Durda, Robert Gervis, Steven Paxhia, Chuck Greenslit, and Sheila Gabay. Paul, Chuck, and Sheila also won their New England brackets. Sheila was third ACBL-wide.

Westwood players won nine of 15 brackets in the Mini-McKenney for Eastern Massachusetts: Marley Cedrone, Paul Durda, Parul Jain, Sabrina Miles, Stewart Rubenstein, Marina Polestra, Adam Grossack, Zachary Grossack, and Lloyd Arvedon. Paul, Sabrina, Marina, Adam, Zachary, and Lloyd also won their New England brackets. Adam won his ACBL-wide bracket.

Twelve Westwood players made the Barry Crane Top 500 and the New England top 25: Adam Grossack (25th ACBL-wide / 1st in New England), Zachary Grossack (38/2), Lloyd Arvedon (42/3), Sheila Gabay (46/4), Mark Aquino (146/6), Bill Irvine (149/7), Sabrina Miles (174/10), Stephen Gladyszak (211/12), Shome Mukherjee (263/16), Pat McDevitt (311/18), Stewart Rubenstein (348/23), and Barbara Murphy (422/25).

The top 25 New England Youth (under 20) include Ethan Wood (21st ACBL-wide, 2nd in New England), Marley Cedrone (39/5), Zach Posternak (83/7), Jaan Srimurthy (187/9), and Adrien Tabor (453/25). (Harrison Luba of Lynnfield, MA, is first ACBL-wide.)

The top 25 New England Juniors (under 26) include Adam Grossack (1st ACBL-wide), Zachary Grossack (3rd ACBL-wide, 2nd in New England), Ethan Wood (54/4), Marley Cedrone (98/13), Zach Posternak (190/16), Jaan Srimurthy (346/19), and Solomon Tarlin (489/25).

Congratulations!

Perhaps you remember the excellent evening game Marty Cohen ran in Framingham. I’m delighted that Marty’s directing again, now that he’s retired from his insurance agency. Marty is now our regular Wednesday morning director and is filling in at other times.

One of the nicest gentlemen in our bridge community died Tuesday. David Green was 91. He earned 3,000 masterpoints almost entirely in club games. I’ll miss his demeanor and his stories and jokes. I’ll always remember the times he came to the club without a partner, asked whether Larry Cohen was available, and then cheerfully played with whoever was.

Please help us nurture the friendly environment in our club. “For the love of the game, play nice!” And please tell the director if someone does misbehave. Our directors will take appropriate action if you tell them there’s a problem. Occasionally I’ve heard that a player won’t come to our club because the player or a friend had an unpleasant experience some time ago. Please tell us if this happens! We want to fix any problem, but we can’t if you don’t tell us about it.

Some players have been bringing us their Monopoly Shaws tickets. We will collect them and get some groceries for the Club if you bring them in. Thank you!

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
• Two-over-one class with Andrew Hanes on Saturday mornings in March from 10:30 a.m. to 11:25 a.m. on March 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30. $15 per class or $50 for all five payable at the first class.
• Charity SWISS teams on Friday, March 8 at 10:30 a.m.
• ACBL-wide Senior Pairs on Monday, March 11, at 12:00 p.m. Extra points game, half black, half red! Hand records and analysis provided.
• InterClub Championship Pairs on Wednesday, March 13 at 10:30 a.m.
• In March, we have 22 extra-points games, of which, six are unit or unit-wide games.
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m.
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

March Special: come to the Saturday morning class, get $3 off the game following the class

Participate in the two-over-one class on any or all Saturday mornings in March and get $3 off the entry to the game following the class.

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

If you play ten times or more in a calendar month we’ll give you a free play.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
• Two-over-one class with Andrew Hanes on Saturday mornings in March from 10:30 a.m. to 11:25 a.m. on March 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30. $15 per class or $50 for all five payable at the first class. Sign up by emailing us baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com

• Our Newcomer games (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m.. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends around 1:00 p.m. for the daytime game, and ends about 9:30 p.m. for the evening game. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!

• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• March 9-10, Portland, ME (sectional), for more information, please click here.
• March 16-17, Johnston, RI (sectional), for more information, please click here.
• March 23-24, Dover, NH (sectional), for more information, please click here.
• March 30-31, Woburn, MA (sectional), Silver Stampede for 499ers.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 21 / February 2019

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• Tomorrow, Saturday, February 2, ACBL-wide International Fund Pairs at noon. Extra points, red and black!
• Club Championship Swiss Teams on Tuesday, February 5 at 10:30 a.m.
• ACBL-wide Charity Pairs, Wednesday, February 20 at 10:30 a.m.
• The club will be closed on Saturday, February 23 and Sunday, February 24 (Watertown Sectional) 
• NEW: Two-over-one class on Saturday mornings in March with Andrew Hanes, see details below
• NEW: Beginners Bridge class on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. starting February 21
• Newcomer Game (0-19 Masterpoints) every Wednesday evening at 7:15 p.m.!
• Postmortem discussion with Pat McDevitt or Lew Gamerman immediately after our Thursday games
• Supervised Play for beginner / intermediate players every week, on Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.
• “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks on Fridays at 9:45 a.m. See Schedule for details.
• February special: Play in our Wednesday morning game, get $3 when you come Thursday.

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the February schedule and our club news.

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
   
• ACBL-wide International Fund Game on Saturday, February 2, at 12:00 p.m. Extra points game, half black, half red! Hand records and analysis provided.
   
• Club Championship Swiss Teams on Tuesday, February 5 at 10:30 a.m.
   
• ACBL-wide Charity Pairs on Wednesday, February 20, at 10:30 a.m. Extra points game! Hand records and analysis provided.
   
• The Club will be closed on Saturday, February 23 and Sunday, February 24, we won't be hosting games but we hope to see you in Watertown!
   
• In February, we have 23 extra-points games, of which, eight are unit or unit-wide games.
   
• NEW: Beginners Bridge series with Ru Terajewicz on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m., starting February 21, spread the word! See below or our website for more details.
   
• NEW: Two-over-one class with Andrew Hanes on Saturday mornings in March from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on March 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30. $15 per class or $50 for all five payable at the first class.
   
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m.
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

February Special: come Wednesday morning, get $3 Off Thursday morning

Play in our Wednesday morning game (open or newcomer) and get $3 off the next day (Thursday morning game).

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

If you play ten times or more in a calendar month we’ll give you a free play.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Beginners Class

Looking for an engaging mental challenge? Come on Thursday evening for an introductory class that will have you learning to play bridge on your first day!

Thursday Evening class 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
February 21, February 28, March 7, March 14, March 21, March 28, and April 4 (please note: no class on 2/7, 2/14, and 2/21)
Teacher: Ru Terajewicz

Course fee: $175 for seven classes, payable at the first class (book not included). Please register by February 15, the class may be cancelled if not enough interest.

The class is based on the Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction book by Audrey Grant. This class provides everything you need to establish a solid foundation. The approach is hands-on, you will start playing hands at the first class.

Everyone is welcome! Our emphasis is on having a good time while learning the most fascinating card game in the world! Come and try it!

Questions and registration: ru.terajewicz@gmail.com

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
   
• NEW: Two-over-one class with Andrew Hanes on Saturday mornings in March from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on March 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30. $15 per class or $50 for all five payable at the first class. Sign up by emailing us baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com

• Our Newcomer games (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. and Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m.. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends around 1:00 p.m. for the daytime game, and ends about 9:30 p.m. for the evening game. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!

• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• February 13-18, Cromwell, CT (regional), for more information, please click here.
   
• February 22-24, Watertown, MA (sectional), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 20 / January 2019

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• January is Junior Fund month. All games are extra-points!
• STaC week is Monday, January 7 to Sunday, January 13, come get your silver points at the club, every game that week only!
• Silver Points Swiss Teams on Sunday, January 13 at 1:00 p.m.
• ACBL-wide Junior Fund Pairs, Tuesday, January 22 at 10:30 a.m.
• NEW: Newcomer Game (0-19 Masterpoints) every Wednesday evening at 7:15 p.m.!
• NEW: Beginners Bridge class on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. starting January 10
• NEW: Basics II Bridge class on Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m. starting January 8
• Postmortem discussion with Pat McDevitt or Lew Gamerman immediately after our Thursday games
• Supervised Play for beginner / intermediate players every week, on Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.
• “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks on Fridays at 9:45 a.m. See Schedule for details.
• January special: come and try our newcomer game and get $5 off

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the January schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Ru Terajewicz is teaching two courses starting in January, both using the excellent Audrey Grant textbooks. Basics 1—An Introduction starts Thursday, January 10, at 6:00 p.m. Basics 2—Competitive Bidding starts Tuesday, January 8, at 2:30 p.m.

I particularly like that Grant’s curriculum moves directly from the introductory course to contemporary competitive bidding. In duplicate bridge, more matchpoints are at stake in competitive auctions than uncontested auctions. As Grant’s website says, “Although this is the second … in the Bridge Basics series, don’t be fooled by this title. Seasoned players often overlook many of [the covered] concepts. Bridge Basics 2 has been valuable to a wide range of players.”

See our Classes page for more information, and please tell your friends! Tell us if you get a friend to take a course, and we’ll give you a free play.

Good news: At long last, I’ve caught up on printing free-play chits for players who played ten times in a month!

More good news: Free-play chits will be worth $1 more than in the past. 🤔

Bad news: Monday—Saturday daytime regular games will be $11 per player (light lunch included). Evening and Sunday afternoon regular games will be $10 per player. We’ll continue to pass through extra table fees for most special games (usually $1 per player), but …

More good news: Unlike some clubs, we still won’t charge extra for Club Championship, Club Appreciation, or Membership games (because the ACBL doesn’t charge us extra). We’ll continue to award free plays for high scores (details below) and for playing ten times or more in a month.

Many thanks for 2018 to all of our players and to Andrew, Christine, David, Lew, Lisa, Mark, Nathalie, Pat, Peter, Ru, Sally, Stephanie, Tom, and Tony. Best wishes for 2019!

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
   
• January is Junior Fund month, ALL our games are extra-points. These games raise funds to support Junior Programs.
   
• Monday, January 7 to Sunday, January 13 is STaC week (Sectional Tournaments at Clubs). Come earn your silver points at your club! ALL our games that week reward silver points.
   
• On Sunday, January 13, at 1 p.m.,we will host a STaC Swiss Teams game, another silver points opportunity!
   
• ACBL-wide Junior Fund Game on Tuesday, January 22, at 10:30 a.m. Extra points game! Hand records and analysis provided.
   
• NEW: Beginners Bridge series with Ru Terajewicz on Thursdays at 6:00 p.m., starting January 10, spread the word! See below or our website for more details.
• NEW: Basics 2 class series with Ru Terajewicz on Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m., starting January 8. See below or our website for more details.
   
• Norm Guivens is running a newcomer game on Wednesday evenings at 7:15 p.m. Tony Keats is still directing our Wednesday evening regular open game. About a dozen boards will be played, Norm is there to supervise and help the players. Play ends at about 9:30 p.m.
   
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m.
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

January Special: $5 Off Wednesday evening Newcomer game first time you try it

Come and try our newcomer game if you have fewer than 20 masterpoints. Get $5 off your entry your first time playing in January. The game starts at 7:15 p.m.

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

If you play ten times or more in a calendar month we’ll give you a free play.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Beginners Class

Looking for an engaging mental challenge? Come on Thursday evening for an introductory class that will have you learning to play bridge on your first day!

Thursday Evening class 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
January 10, January 17, January 24, January 31, February 28, March 7, and March 14 (please note: no class on 2/7, 2/14, and 2/21)
Teacher: Ru Terajewicz

Course fee: $185 for seven classes, payable at the first class (book included). Please register by January 5, the class may be cancelled if not enough interest.

The class is based on the Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction book by Audrey Grant. This class provides everything you need to establish a solid foundation. The approach is hands-on, you will start playing hands at the first class.

Everyone is welcome! Our emphasis is on having a good time while learning the most fascinating card game in the world! Come and try it!

Questions and registration: ru.terajewicz@gmail.com

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!

• BRIDGE BASIC 2 CLASS Tuesday Afternoon Course starting January 8, 2019
  Tuesdays, January 8, January 15, January 22, January 29, February 26, March 5, March 12 and March 19, 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  (No classes February 5, 12 and 19)
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Course fee: $200 for eight classes, payable at the first class. The BB2 book can be purchased at first class for $10.
  Questions and registration: ru.terajewicz@gmail.com
  
  This is a second course for players who know basic bridge or have taken the bridge for beginners’ class based on the Audrey Grant Bridge Basics 1 textbook. We will continue using Audrey Grant’s excellent text, Bridge Basics 2 – Competitive Bidding. In this class, we will be learning the overcalls, advancing overcalls, doubles, preemptive bids, and how to handle the interferences. The approach is hands-on, we will be playing many hands throughout the course.

• The Newcomer game (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m.. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• January 26-27, Johnston, RI (sectional), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 19 / December 2018

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• “Fun with Defense” class with Kim Gilman, last class today, December 1! Stay for the game after the class and get $5 off your entry!
• NEW: Newcomer Game (0-19 Masterpoints) on Wednesday evenings starting November 29!
• The club will be closed Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9 (Watertown Sectional).
• Interclub Championship Game on Tuesday, December 11 at 10:30 a.m.
• Holiday Party and Pot Luck on Friday, December 14, followed by a social gathering after the game.
• ACBL-Wide International Fund Pairs, Monday, December 17 at noon.
• The club will be closed for the evening game on Monday, December 24 and for the day game on Tuesday, December 25.
• Postmortem discussion with Pat McDevitt or Lew Gamerman immediately after our Thursday games
• Supervised Play for beginner / intermediate players every week, on Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.
• “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks on Fridays at 9:45 a.m. See Schedule for details.
• December special: come to Kim's lecture on 12/1, stay for the game at noon and get $5 off the entry

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the December schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

I’m looking forward to our pot-luck holiday party. This Westwood tradition is on Friday, December 14. Please join us, and bring some of your favorite holiday food to share. Shark’s pre-game talk is at 9:45, game time (it’s a unit-wide championship) is 10:30, we’ll take a leisurely lunch break, the game will end a little after 2:00, and we’ll conclude with desserts and a social hour.

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
   
• The last of our 2018 Saturday morning mini-seminars is happening with Kim Gilman on December 1 at 9:30 a.m. See below for more details! Stay for the game after the class, and get $5 off your entry!
   
• Starting November 29, Norm Guivens will be running a newcomer game on Wednesday evening at 7:15 p.m. Tony Keats will still be directing our Wednesday evening regular open game. About a dozen boards will be played, Norm will be there to supervise and help the players. Play is expected to end about 9:30 p.m.
   
• The club will be closed during the Watertown Sectional, Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9. Hope to see you there!
   
• Interclub Championship Games on Tuesday, December 11 at 10:30 a.m.
  
  
• On Friday, December 14, we will have our Holiday Potluck. Bring some of your Holiday Favorites! Stay after the game to enjoy desserts and a social hour.
   
• ACBL-Wide International Fund Game on Monday, December 17, at noon. Extra points game with half red , half black rewards! Hand records and analysis provided.
   
• In December, we have 28 extra-points games, of which seven are unit or unit-wide games.
   
• The Club is closed for the evening game on Monday 12/24, and for the day game on Tuesday 12/25.
   
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
   
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m.
   
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

December Special: $5 Off Saturday afternoon if you come to Kim's class

Come to Kim's defense class on December 1, stay for the game after the class and get $5 off your entry. The game starts at noon.

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Saturday Morning Mini-Seminars

Fun with Defense

Kim Gilman will teach a series of Saturday morning classes this fall, all designed to help you win more at bridge when you're on defense. Bad cards? No problem! Learn how to set the opponent's contracts and get the plus score for your side! You'll play hands in class to reinforce the concepts. 

You can sign up for individual classes. Each class will help you decide which cards to play on defense in different situations. Bring your partner if you can, as expert defense is based on good partnership communication. Singles are welcome and will be paired up in class.

December 1 - Killer Opening Leads

The class starts at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 11:30 a.m. Our Saturday noon game will follow as usual. Please plan on arriving a few minutes early, the class will start promptly at 9:30 a.m.
Cost is $25 if preregistered and $30 at the door.
Please register by emailing baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com. Click here for more details.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
  
  
• The Newcomer game (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m.. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
   
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• December 7-9, Watertown, MA (sectional), for more information, please click here.
  Pro-Am on Friday evening, December 7 in Watertown, to get paired or for more information, contact Stuart Whittle.
   

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 18 / November 2018

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• Unit-wide Championship Games on Friday, November 2, Tuesday, November 6, Wednesday, November 14, and Thursday, November 15, at 10:30 a.m., and on Monday, November 19, at noon.
• Interclub Championship Games on Monday, November 5 at noon, and on Wednesday, November 21 at 7:15 p.m.
• No games during the Mansfield Regional from Wednesday, November 7, through Sunday, November 11. We are open for Supervised Play on Thursday, November 8 at 2:30 p.m.
• Charity Swiss Teams on Tuesday, November 13, at 10:30 a.m.
• “Fun with Defense” class with Kim Gilman continues on Saturday mornings, November 17 and December 1. See below for more details.
• The club will be closed on Thursday, November 22. Happy Thanksgiving!
• Save the date: Holiday Party and Pot Luck on Friday, December 14, followed by a social gathering after the game.
• The club will be closed on Saturday, December 8, and on Sunday, December 9 (Watertown Sectional).
• Postmortem discussion with Pat McDevitt or Lew Gamerman immediately after our Thursday games
• Supervised Play for beginner / intermediate players every week, on Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.
• “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks on Fridays at 9:45 a.m. See Schedule for details.
• November special: come to Kim's lecture on 11/17 or 12/1, stay for the game at noon and get $5 off the entry

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the November schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Congratulations to the winners of our seventh annual Club Championship Tournament in memory of Bob Simpson:

• Individuals: Don Carow (A) and Richard Katz (B and C)
• Pairs: Jan Popiel and Eric Schwartz (A), Elaine Blaustein and Richard Simolari (B), and Eva and Matt Muir (C)
• Teams: Kimberly Gilman, Harrison Luba, Pamela Miller, and James Rasmussen (A); and Matt and Eva Muir, Roberta Francis, and Allan Ganem (B)

The last two of Kim Gilman’s excellent Saturday morning classes on defense are November 17 (suit preference signals) and December 1 (killer opening leads), and attendees are invited to play in the noon game following the class for $5 off.

EMBA holds unit-wide and unit games in November, December, February, and March, and our November schedule has five unit-wide games and two unit games. The first unit-wide game is tomorrow.

We try to keep our club open whenever possible, but we do close during Watertown sectionals. The annual Mansfield regional is next week. Mansfield is a shorter drive from our club than Watertown, and during recent Mansfield regionals we’ve had very small games and difficulty finding directors. This year we’re closing from Wednesday, November 7, through Sunday, November 11. See you in Mansfield!

May I offer four important procedural reminders?

• Opening leads must be face down.
• Any time your right-hand opponent makes a skip bid, you must pause for about ten seconds, conveying the impression that you’re making a difficult decision.
• If you believe your partner has misexplained your agreement (or misalerted or misannounced), you must call the director and tell your opponents at the proper time. The proper time if your side is declaring is as soon as the auction is over (before the opening lead). The proper time if your side is defending is not until the play is over.
• If you choose to view travelers, hand records, and double-dummy analysis on the Bridgemates, please do so only if there’s enough time, do it silently, and pass the Bridgemate around the table.

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
   
• Interclub Championship Games on Monday, November 5 at noon and on Wednesday, November 21 at 7:15 p.m.
   
• In November, we have 23 extra-points games, of which seven are unit or unit-wide games. 
   
• During the Mansfield Regional, the club will be closed from Wednesday, November 7 to Sunday, November 11. No games will be held. The club is open for supervised play on Thursday afternoon, November 8 at 2:30 p.m.
   
• The Saturday morning mini-seminars are still happening with Kim Gilman, two dates this month, November 17 (and the last class will be on December 1). See below for more details! Stay for the game after the class, and get $5 off your entry!
   
• The Club is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22. Enjoy your turkey!
   
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
   
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m.
   
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

November Special: $5 Off Saturday afternoon if you come to Kim's class

Come to Kim's defense class on November 17, stay for the game after the class and get $5 off your entry. The game starts at noon. We will extend the offer to the 12/1 class.

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

Free plays for frequent players: At the end of each calendar month, everyone who played ten sessions or more will receive a free play.

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Saturday Morning Mini-Seminars

Fun with Defense

Kim Gilman will teach a series of Saturday morning classes this fall, all designed to help you win more at bridge when you're on defense. Bad cards? No problem! Learn how to set the opponent's contracts and get the plus score for your side! You'll play hands in class to reinforce the concepts. 

You can sign up for individual classes. Each class will help you decide which cards to play on defense in different situations. Bring your partner if you can, as expert defense is based on good partnership communication. Singles are welcome and will be paired up in class.

November 17 - Signaling your partner: Suit Preference
December 1 - Killer Opening Leads

The class starts at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 11:30 a.m. Our Saturday noon game will follow as usual. Please plan on arriving a few minutes early, the class will start promptly at 9:30 a.m.
Cost is $25 if preregistered and $30 at the door.
Please register by emailing baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com. Click here for more details.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
  
  
• The Newcomer game (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m.. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
   
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• November 3-4, Nashua, NH (sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• November 7–11, Mansfield, MA (regional), for more information, please click here.
   
• November 7–11, Mansfield, MA (NAP, flights B & C), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 17 / October 2018

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• October is Jane Johnson Club Appreciation month. About half our games are extra-extra-points (82% sectional rating).
• Club Appreciation Swiss Teams on 10/1 at noon, 10/13 at noon, 10/18 at 10:30 a.m., 10/21 all day, 10/24 at 10:30 a.m., 10/26 at 10:30 a.m., and 10/30 at 10:30 a.m.
• The club will host a Tuesday evening game on October 2 (Newton Bridge closed)
• On Friday, October 5 at 10:30 a.m., ACBL-wide Senior Pairs
• The Club is closed on October 6 and 7 (Watertown Sectional)
• Annual Bob Simpson Memorial Club Appreciation weekend October 19, 20, and 21, see below for details.
• On Wednesday, October 31 at noon, ACBL-wide Instant Matchpoint game (Note: special game time, no open game at 10:30)
• "Fun with Defense" class with Kim Gilman continues in Saturday morning, October 13 and 27, see below for more details
• Beginner Bridge class starting in October, see below for more details
• Two-over-one class starting in October, see below for more details
• Postmortem discussion with Pat McDevitt or Lew Gamerman immediately after our Thursday games
• Supervised Play for beginner / intermediate players every week, on Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.
• “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks on Fridays at 9:45 a.m.
• October special: $5 off any Monday or Wednesday evening game if you played in a weekday daytime game in the last seven days

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the October schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

October is the ACBL’s annual Jane Johnson Club Appreciation Month, in which clubs may schedule one extra-extra-point pairs game and one extra-extra-point team game in each session with no surcharge. Unlike some clubs, if the ACBL doesn’t surcharge us, we don’t surcharge our players. The Club Appreciation masterpoints are 82% sectional rating—29% more than club championships and charity/fund games. The team-game awards are 5% gold. We have seven Club Appreciation Team games, eight Club Appreciation Pair games, and one Club Appreciation Individual game scheduled, starting with a Swiss Team game Monday, October 1, at noon.

Our seventh annual Club Championship Tournament in memory of Bob Simpson is October 19–21. There’s a one-session individual game Friday at 10:30, a two-session pairs game Saturday at 10:00 and 2:00, and a two-session team game Sunday at 10:00. All are Club-Appreciation-rated. Winners in each stratum are commemorated on a perpetual plaque.

Our October schedule also includes two ACBL-wide games: Senior Pairs on Friday, October 5, at 10:30 and Instant Matchpoint Pairs on Wednesday, October 31, at noon (not 10:30).

We’re fortunate to have a sizable lending library donated by several players, and I’m delighted that many of you have taken advantage of it. Please remember to return books when you’re done with them! Thank you.

Several Westwood players are participating in the 15th World Bridge Series in Orlando. Click here for results.

We have a rich class schedule this month. Please check it out and join us or refer your friends.

We extend a special invitation to our weekday daytime players this month to give our Monday and Wednesday evening games a try at $5 off (if you’ve played in a Monday–Friday daytime game in the last seven days).

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
• October is Jane Johnson Club Appreciation month (16 Club Appreciation games which are extra points).
  We have seven Club Appreciation Swiss Teams games scheduled for October. Monday, October 1 at noon, Saturday, October 13 at noon, Thursday, October 18 at 10:30 a.m., Sunday, October 21 all day, Wednesday, October 24 at 10:30 a.m., Friday, October 26 at 10:30 a.m., and Tuesday, October 30 at 10:30 a.m Swiss Teams games this month award a fraction of gold points!
• On Tuesday evening, October 2, the Newton Bridge game will be held at Westwood and will start at 7:15 p.m.
• On Friday, October 5, the club will hold an ACBL-wide Senior Pair event.
• Please join us on October 19-21 for the seventh annual Bob Simpson Club Championships, in memory of Bob Simpson (1963-2012). Over three days, we will have several different events:
  • an individual game on Friday, October 19,
  • a two-session pair game Saturday, October 20 at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM (single-session entries available),
  • and a two-session Swiss team game on Sunday, October 21 at 10:00 AM. Lunch will be served on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
    Winners will be honored on permanent plaques.
• On Wednesday, October 31, we will participate in the annual ACBL-wide Instant Matchpoint Game. It will start at 12:00 noon. Get treats for taking tricks! Win gold from the comfort of your local club. Masterpoints awards: One gold point to section tops in each direction in each club, remaining points red/black at 82% sectional rating.
  See your score instantly after each deal played! Each player receives a printed booklet with detailed analysis of each hand from Larry Cohen.
  
• The Saturday morning mini-seminars return with Kim Gilman, two dates this month, October 13 and 27. See below for more details!
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m.
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

October Special: $5 Off Evenings for Daytime Players

Get $5 off any Monday or Wednesday evening game if you’ve played in a weekday dayttime game in the last seven days.

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

Free plays for frequent players: At the end of each calendar month, everyone who played ten sessions or more will receive a free play.

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Saturday Morning Mini-Seminars

Fun with Defense

Kim Gilman will teach a series of Saturday morning classes this fall, all designed to help you win more at bridge when you're on defense. Bad cards? No problem! Learn how to set the opponent's contracts and get the plus score for your side! You'll play hands in class to reinforce the concepts.

You can sign up for individual classes. Each class will help you decide which cards to play on defense in different situations. Bring your partner if you can, as expert defense is based on good partnership communication. Singles are welcome and will be paired up in class.

October 13 - Third hand high?
October 27 - Signaling your partner: Attitude
November 17 - Signaling your partner: Suit Preference
December 1 - Killer Opening Leads

The class starts at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 11:30 a.m. Our Saturday noon game will follow as usual. Please plan on arriving a few minutes early, the class will start promptly at 9:30 a.m.
Cost is $25 if preregistered and $30 at the door.
Please register by emailing baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com. Click here for more details.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
• We are offering an eight-week fall lesson series for beginners on Tuesday afternoon (2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.) with Lisa Procter. The class runs from October 9 to December 11 (no classes November 6 and 13). Click here for more details. Sign up by emailing the club at: Westwoodbridgeclub@gmail.com
• We are offering a five-week series on Two-over-One on Monday morning (9:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.) starting in October with Lisa Procter. The dates are: October 15, 22, 29, November 19, and 26. The material will be based on the Audrey Grant and Eric Rodwell book. The cost is $135 for five classes. Click here for more details.
  This class covers the basics of two-over-one game force, a popular variation of Standard American bidding methods. This system makes it easier for the partnership to get the best game contract and explore the possibility of Slam. 1NT forcing bid and responses will be covered to get the partnership to the best partscore. Sign up by emailing the club at: Westwoodbridgeclub@gmail.com
• The Newcomer game (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m.. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• October 5–7, Watertown, MA (sectional), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 16 / September 2018

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• September is International Fund month, all our games are extra points.
• International Fund Swiss Teams on Tuesday, September 11 at 10:30 a.m.
• The club will host three International Fund Tuesday evenings game on September 11, 18, and 25 (Newton Bridge closed)
• On Wednesday, September 12 at 2:30 p.m., mini-course on Third and Fourth Seat Openings & Drury
• Pro-Am Game and dinner at the club on Friday, September 28 starting at 6:30 p.m.
• NEW: "Fun with Defense" class with Kim Gilman starting in September
• NEW: Beginner Bridge class starting in October, see below for more details
• NEW: Two-over-one class starting in October, see below for more details
• Postmortem discussion with Pat McDevitt or Lew Gamerman immediately after our Thursday games
• Supervised Play for beginner / intermediate players every week, on Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.
• “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks on Fridays at 9:45 a.m.
• September special: play Wednesday morning, get $3 off on Thursday

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the September schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Greetings from the Ocean State Regional in Warwick. The tournament is enjoying strong attendance. Westwood players started strong on Tuesday, with Sheila Gabay and Shome Mukherjee winning the Pairs, Tony Keats and Allen Post first in C, and Nathalie Tabor and Lisa Muir winning the Gold Rush. Wednesday Jay Stiefel, Rich De Martino, Pat McDevitt, and Lloyd Arvedon won the Swiss, with Anand Lele, Chuck Greenslit, and Shekhar and Marie Sengupta close behind. The Lele team tied for second in A and first in B. Barry Black and Len Aberbach won the flight B pairs. Sabrina Miles and Bob Bertoni won the evening pairs. In the Thursday–Friday “Monster” knockouts, Gillian Miniter, Joe Grue, and Adam and Zach Grossack won the top bracket, Peter Clay, Paul Harris, Paul Durda, and Florine Schoen won the third bracket, and Parul Jain, Leon Yu, Jonathan Baumel, and Oosman Bashir won the fifth bracket. On Friday, Dan Jablonski and Robin Hillyard won the flight A pairs. Mark Aquino and Selen Hotamisligil won the evening pairs, and Bob Gervis and Venky Venkataramani were first in B. Zach Grossack tops the masterpoint list after four days at 84.

Many thanks to Al McLellan for directing most of our games while I’ve been in Warwick and while I’m on vacation next week!

We’ve scheduled several classes and courses for the fall. See “Newcomer Activities” below for details, and please spread the word.

We have several newer players stepping up to our open games from classes, newcomer games, and supervised play. Please welcome and encourage them (and offer them advice if and only if they ask).

September is International Fund Month, and all of our games are International Fund games. The ACBL’s International Fund supports North American participation in international competitions. All masterpoint awards are 64% sectional black points (about twice the awards for regular club games).

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
   
• September is International Fund month, all our games reward extra points. 
   
• On Tuesday, September 11, at 10:30 a.m., we will host International Fund Swiss Teams.
   
• On Tuesday evening, September 11, 18, and 25, the Newton Bridge game will be held at Westwood and will start at 7:15 p.m.
   
• On Wednesday, September 12, at 2:30 p.m., mini-course by Ru Terajewicz on Third and Fourth seats Opening bids and Drury. The cost is $25. Register by emailing Ru at: ru.terajewicz@gmail.com
   
• On Friday evening, September 28, we will host a Pro-Am tournament. We will have a special buffet dinner at 6:30 PM (delicious French menu by Chef Christine). The game will start at 7:15 PM. The cost is $15 per player.
  Pros with more than 500 masterpoints play with Amateurs (non pros) with less than 500 masterpoints. 
  Registration by September 25 is required for planning purposes. We will accept last minute entries if the configuration allows it. Register by calling the club or by emailing us at baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com.
   
• The Saturday morning mini-seminars return with Kim Gilman starting September 29. See below for more details!
   
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
   
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m. (no talk August 3, 10, 31).
   
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

September Special: Play Wednesday morning and get $3 off on Thursday

If you play in our Wednesday morning game, and come back and play Thursday morning, you will get $3 off your entry. The games starts at 10:30 a.m. 

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

Free plays for frequent players: At the end of each calendar month, everyone who played ten sessions or more will receive a free play.

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Saturday Morning Mini-Seminars

Fun with Defense

Kim Gilman will teach a series of Saturday morning classes this fall, all designed to help you win more at bridge when you're on defense. Bad cards? No problem! Learn how to set the opponent's contracts and get the plus score for your side! You'll play hands in class to reinforce the concepts.

Sign up for individual classes or all five. Each class will help you decide which cards to play on defense in different situations. Bring your partner if you can, as expert defense is based on good partnership communication. Singles are welcome and will be paired up in class.

September 29 - Third Hand High?
October 13 - Second Hand Low?
October 27 - Signaling your partner: Attitude
November 17 - Signaling your partner: Suit Preference
December 1 - Killer Opening Leads

The class starts at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 11:30 a.m. Our Saturday noon game will follow as usual. Please plan on arriving a few minutes early, the class will start promptly at 9:30 a.m.
Cost is $25 if preregistered and $30 at the door. Register for all five classes for $100 if paid on the first class. 
Please register by emailing baystatebridgeclub@gmail.com. Click here for more details.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
   
• On Wednesday, September 12, at 2:30 p.m., Ru Terajewicz will be teaching a mini-course on Third and Fourth Seats Opening Bids and Drury. Sign up by emailing Ru at: ru.terajewicz@gmail.com
   
• We are offering an eight-week fall lesson series for beginners on Tuesday afternoon (2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.) with Lisa Procter. The class runs from October 9 to December 11 (no classes November 6 and 13). Click here for more details. Sign up by emailing the club at: Westwoodbridgeclub@gmail.com
   
• We are offering a five-week series on Two-over-One on Monday morning (9:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.) starting in October with Lisa Procter. The dates are: October 15, 22, 29, November 19, and 26. The material will be based on the Audrey Grant and Eric Rodwell book. The cost is $135 for five classes. Click here for more details.
  This class covers the basics of two-over-one game force, a popular variation of Standard American bidding methods. This system makes it easier for the partnership to get the best game contract and explore the possibility of Slam. 1NT forcing bid and responses will be covered to get the partnership to the best partscore. Sign up by emailing the club at: Westwoodbridgeclub@gmail.com
   
• The Newcomer game (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m.. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
   
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• August 28–September 2, Warwick, RI (regional), for more information, please click here.
   
• September 15–16, Portland, ME (sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• September 22–23, Johnston, RI (sectional), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 15 / August 2018

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• June, July, and August are North American Pairs months. About half our games are NAP games with extra points, and half of the points are red.
• Charity Swiss Teams on Tuesday August 7 at 10:30 a.m.
• Inter-Club Championship on Monday, August 13 at 7:15 p.m.
• On Wednesday, August 22 at 2:30 p.m., mini-course on Splinter bids
• Beginner class starting in October, see below for more details
• Two-over-one class starting in October, see below for more details
• Save the date! Pro-Am at the club on Friday, September 28 in the evening
• Postmortem discussion with Pat McDevitt or Lew Gamerman immediately after our Thursday games (no postmortem on 8/2 or 8/30)
• Supervised Play for beginner / intermediate players every week, on Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.
• “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks on Fridays, August 17 and 24, at 9:45 a.m. No pre-game talk August 3, 10 or 31.
• August special: play Monday evening, get $5 off on Wednesday evening

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the August schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Greetings from the Summer North American Bridge Championships in Atlanta. The tournament is enjoying strong attendance, including many Westwood players. Today’s Spingold round of 32 includes Adam and Zach Grossack (playing on the Levine team) and teams led by Phyllis Fireman and Larry Lebowitz. The team led by Alexander Frieden (who’s now in college in Minnesota) qualified for the round of 64, earning the privilege of playing 64 boards against the great Nickell team. (Nickell won by, um, a lot.) Darryl Legassie, Sabrina Miles, and Ru Terajewicz advanced to today’s round of 12 in the 0–2500 mini-Spingold.

We’ve scheduled several classes and courses for the fall. See “Newcomer Activities” below for details, and please spread the word.

We have several newer players stepping up to our open games from classes, newcomer games, and supervised play. Please welcome and encourage them (and offer them advice if and only if they ask).

We have one more month of North American Pairs qualifiers this summer. About half of our August games are NAP qualifiers, which award half-red, half-black masterpoints at about triple the level of regular games (82% sectional rating). Players who qualify in at least one of these games (look for a “Q” next to your name on the results) may play in the New England District Finals on November 10 and 11 in Mansfield. The top three or four pairs in each flight will qualify for the North American Finals at the 2019 Spring North American Bridge Championships in Memphis. The top two pairs in each flight will receive subsidies to attend the NABC. (Note that most of our non-NAP games this month are Club Championship or Special Fund games, which award masterpoints at 64% sectional rating—about 2½ times the level of regular games.)

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
   
• August is the last month of North American Pairs. We have 18 scheduled NAP games for August, come and get your red points at the club!
   
• On Tuesday, August 7, at 10:30 a.m., we will host Charity Swiss Teams.
   
• Inter-Club Championships on Monday, August 13, at 7:15 p.m.
   
• On Wednesday, August 22, at 2:30 p.m., mini-course by Ru Terajewicz on Splinter bids. Register by emailing Ru at: ru.terajewicz@gmail.com
   
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
   
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m. (no talk August 3, 10, 31).
   
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

August Special: Play Monday evening and get $5 off on Wednesday evening

If you play in our Monday evening game, and come back and play Wednesday evening, you will get $5 off your entry. The game starts at 7:15 p.m. 

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

Free plays for frequent players: At the end of each calendar month, everyone who played ten sessions or more will receive a free play.

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
   
• On Wednesday, August 22, at 2:30 p.m., Ru Terajewicz will be teaching a mini-course on Splinter bids. Sign up by emailing Ru at: ru.terajewicz@gmail.com
   
• We are offering an eight-week fall lesson series for beginners on Tuesday afternoon (2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.) with Lisa Procter. The class runs from October 9 to December 11 (no classes November 6 and 13). Sign up by emailing the club at: Westwoodbridgeclub@gmail.com
   
• We are offering a five-week series on Two-over-One on Monday morning (9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.) starting in October with Lisa Procter. The dates are: October 15, 22, 29, November 19, and 26. The material will be based on the Audrey Grant and Eric Rodwell book. 
  This class covers the basics of two-over-one game force, a popular variation of Standard American bidding methods. This system makes it easier for the partnership to get the best game contract and explore the possibility of Slam. 1NT forcing bid and responses will be covered to get the partnership to the best partscore. Sign up by emailing the club at: Westwoodbridgeclub@gmail.com
   
• The Newcomer game (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m.. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
   
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• August 9-12, Barnstable, MA (sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• August 25-26, Nashua, NH (sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• August 28- September 2, Warwick, RI (regional), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 14 / July 2018

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• Today, STAC Swiss teams game, don’t miss the oppportunity for silver points at our club!
• June, July, and August are North American Pairs months. About half our games are NAP games with extra points, and half of the points are red.
• On Wednesday, July 4, we will host an Independence Day Barbecue and Game
• On Monday, July 9, ACBL-wide Instant Matchpoint Game at noon
• On Tuesday, July 10 at 2:30 p.m., mini-course on Jacoby 2NT and Hand Evaluation
• On Wednesday, July 18, FREE entry for all newcomers!
• Postmortem discussion with Pat McDevitt or Lew Gamerman immediately after our Thursday games (no postmortem on 7/26)
• Supervised Play for beginner / intermediate players every week, on Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.
• “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks on Fridays, July 13 and 20, at 9:45 a.m. No pre-game talk July 6 or 27.
• July special: if you have less than 500 masterpoints, you get $5 off on Thursdays

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the July schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

The semi-annual New England Sectional Tournament at Clubs is coming to an end. Please join us for our all-silver-point Swiss Team game on the final day, Sunday, July 1, at 1:00. Click here for STaC overall results.

In June, July, and August, about half of our games are club-level qualifying games for the North American Pairs. All of these games award half-red, half-black masterpoints at about triple the level of regular games (82% sectional rating).

Players who qualify in at least one of these games (look for a “Q” next to your name on the results) may play in the New England District Finals on November 10 and 11 in Mansfield. The top three or four pairs in each flight will qualify for the North American Finals at the 2019 Spring North American Bridge Championships in Memphis. The top two pairs in each flight will receive subsidies to attend the NABC.

(Note that most of our non-NAP games in June, July, and August are Club Championship or Special Fund games, which award masterpoints at 64% sectional rating—about 2½ times the level of regular games.)

Zach Grossack and Shome Mukherjee topped the list of masterpoint winners at the Granite State Getaway regional tournament in Nashua. Adam Grossack, Pete Matthews, Jr., Sheila Gabay, Mark Aquino, and Stewart Rubenstein were also in the top 20.

16-year-old Ethan Wood added almost 25% to his masterpoints. His tournament total of 35 was the highest among players with less than 1000 masterpoints.

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
• Don't miss our Silver Swiss Teams game today (Sunday) at 1:00 p.m. Today is the last day of Sectional Tournament at Clubs (STaC) for our District. STaC games won't return until January!
• On Wednesday, July 4, we will host an Independence Day Barbecue during our NAP game (starts at 10:30 a.m.).
• On Monday, July 9, at noon, ACBL-wide Instant Matchpoint game. One gold point for section tops in each direction, remaining points red/black at 81.8% rating. Hand records and analysis provided digitally. See your score instantly after each deal played.
• On Tuesday, July 10, at 2:30 p.m., mini-course by Ru Terajewicz on Jacoby 2 NT and hand evaluation. Click here for more details. Register by emailing Ru at: ru.terajewicz@gmail.com
• On Wednesday, July 18, at 10:30 a.m., free entry for all newcomers (less than 20 points).
• Post mortem on Thursdays! Immediately after our Thursday game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
• Mark Aquino’s excellent free “Shark’s Pointers” pre-game talks continue before most Friday games at 9:45 a.m. (no talk July 6 or July 27).
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

July Special: $5 off on Thursday morning for all 499ers

If you have less than 500 masterpoints, you will get $5 off when you come play in our Thursday morning game. The game starts at 10:30 a.m.

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

Free plays for frequent players: At the end of each calendar month, everyone who played ten sessions or more will receive a free play.

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
• FREE entry for all newcomers (less than 20 points) on Wednesday, July 18 at 10:30 a.m.
• On Tuesday, July 10, at 2:30 p.m., Ru Terajewicz will be teaching a mini-course on Jacoby 2NT and hand evaluation. Click here for more details. Sign up by emailing Ru at: ru.terajewicz@gmail.com
• The Newcomer game (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m.. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• July 7-8, Barnstable, MA (sectional), for more information, please click here.
• July 21-22, Great Barrington, MA (sectional), for more information, please click here.
• July 26- August 5, Atlanta, GA (national), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 13 / end of May/June 2018

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• May is Grass Roots Fund Month, all remaining May games are extra black points for everyone
• June, July, and August are North American Pairs months. About half the games are NAP games with extra points, and half of the points are red.
• No games on Saturday, May 26, and Sunday, May 27 (Sectional Tournament in Watertown)
• Monday, May 28, please note the delayed game start, 2:00 p.m.
• World Wide Bridge Contest, Friday, June 1, at 10:30 a.m. and Saturday, June 2, at noon
• Sunday, June 3, Mel Marcus Memorial Game hosted by Rena Lieberman. Pot luck brunch at noon, game at 1:00 p.m.. Please bring food and Mel stories to share.
• Monday, June 18, The Longest Day: three games—noon, 3:30 p.m., and 7:15 p.m.—to support Alzheimer’s research and care (see details below)
• Monday, June 25 to Sunday, July 1, Sectional Tournaments at Clubs (STaC), all our games are extra SILVER points
• Sunday, July 1, at 1:00 p.m. STaC Swiss teams game
• Postmortem discussion with Pat McDevitt or Lew Gamerman immediately after our Thursday games (no postmortem on 6/21)
• Supervised Play for beginner / intermediate players every Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
• Mark Aquino’s FREE Friday morning pre-game talks at 9:45 a.m. (no talk on 6/22)
• June special: play at the club on Monday evening, get $5 off on Wednesday evening

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the May and June schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Congratulations to the winners of our annual Richard Burns Memorial Patriots’ Day Bridge Marathon: Mark Aquino (A stratum), Marley Cedrone (B stratum), and Ann Keegan and Lanny Starr (C stratum). They will be commemorated on the perpetual plaque that hangs next to Sol Hartman’s portrait of Richard Burns.

Three Westwood pairs excelled in the annual ACBL-wide Senior Pairs game on March 19. Barbara Pofcher and Richard Saval were tenth ACBL-wide and first in District 25 (New England), Pat McDevitt and John Whistler were second in the district, and Helen Flanagan and Bernie Garbose were fourth in the district.

We’re delighted to have a couple dozen newer players taking classes on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and participating in supervised play sessions on Thursday afternoons. Please make these players welcome and comfortable as they playing more in our Wednesday morning newcomer game and in our open games.

Club Schedule

• For the current calendar, please click here.
   
• Please note that the club will be closed on Saturday, May 26, and on Sunday, May 27. We hope to see you in Watertown! (see details below).
   
• Our Monday game on May 28 will have a special start time—2:00 p.m.—due to the Westwood Parade.
   
• About half of our June, July, and August games are North American Pairs games. NAP games award extra points, half of which are red.
   
• On Friday, June 1, and on Saturday, June 2, we will host the World-Wide Bridge Contest. Last year, Selen Hotamisligil and Mark Aquino won the opportunity to play in the World Championship in China, don't miss your chance!
   
• On Sunday, June 3, Rena Lieberman is dedicating the game to the memory of Mel Marcus. Please bring food and stories of Mel to share.
   
• On Monday, June 18, we will have three games, our usual 12:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m., and an additional fast pairs games at 3:30 p.m. The Longest day is a fundraising event supporting Alzheimer disease care and research (click here for more information).
   
• Monday, June 25 to Sunday, July 1, all our games are rated like a Sectional Tournament (Sectional Tournament at Clubs). Come and play for an opportunity to get the silver points you need to get to the next masterpoint level!
   
• One STaC Swiss Teams game is scheduled on Sunday, July 1, at 1:00 p.m.
  
• “Shark’s Pointers” Friday pre-game talks by Mark Aquino will continue on most Fridays at 9:45 a.m. Come and enjoy this FREE lecture by our District Director.
   
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

June Special: Play Monday evening, get $5 off on Wednesday evening

If you play on Monday at 7:15 PM, you will get $5 off when you come on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m.

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

Free plays for frequent players: At the end of each calendar month, everyone who played ten sessions or more will receive a free play.

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
   
• We have a separate flight every Thursday for players with less than 300 masterpoints. Immediately after the game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
   
• The Newcomer game (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m.. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
   
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• May 25-27, Watertown, MA (sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• June 9-10, Johnston, RI (sectional), for more information, please click here.
   
• June 19-24, Nashua, NH (regional), for more information, please click here.
   

Contact Information

♠ ♥ Westwood Duplicate Bridge Club Newsletter ♦ ♣

Number 12 / April 2018

Here are the highlights of our schedule. Please read carefully below for more details.

• April is Charity Month, all our games are extra points for everyone
• Social hour after the Friday game on April 6, stay after the game for refreshements and snacks!
• No games on Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, April 8 (Sectional Tournament in Watertown)
• Marathon Day, Monday, April 16, three games in one day! Please note the special times: 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.
• Charity Swiss teams Friday, April 20, at 10:30 a.m.
• On Wednesday, April 25, at 10:30 a.m., FREE entry for all newcomers
• Beginner lessons Basic 2 with Ru Terajewicz continues on Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m.
• Tony Keats is back from Florida and will be directing the evening games again
• Postmortem discussion with Pat McDevitt or Lew Gamerman immediately after our Thursday games (no postmortem on 4/26)
• Supervised Play for beginner / intermediate players every Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
• Mark Aquino’s FREE Friday morning pre-game talks at 9:45 a.m. (no talk on 4/6 or 4/27)
• April special: play at the club on Wednesday morning, get $5 off on Thursday morning

Any feedback is most welcome. You will find below more details about the April Schedule and our club news.

Tim’s Blurb

Patriots’ Day is two weeks away, and we have our annual Bridge Marathon in memory of Richard Burns. Please join us for one, two, or three games on Monday, April 16. Game times are 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 7:15 p.m. (no noon game). The individuals with the best two-game averages in each stratum will have their names placed on the perpetual plaque that hangs next to Sol Hartman’s portrait of Richard Burns.

Four Westwood players won national championships at the Spring NABC in Philadelphia! Congratulations to Adam and Zach Grossack, who won the Baldwin North American Pairs, and Pat McDevitt and Sheila Gabay, who won the Rockwell Mixed Pairs for the second time. Zach racked up the third-highest masterpoint total—348—mostly from top-ten finishes in all five national events he entered.

Please help us nurture the friendly environment in our club. “For the love of the game, play nice!” And please tell the director if someone does misbehave. Our directors will take appropriate action if you tell them there’s a problem. Occasionally I’ve heard that a player won’t come to our club because the player or a friend had an unpleasant experience some time ago. Please tell us if this happens! We want to fix any problem, but we can’t it if you don’t tell us about it.

STOP cards are history, but please remember that the requirement to pause about ten seconds for thought whenever your right-hand opponent makes a skip bid is as important as ever.

Some players have been bringing us their Monopoly Shaws tickets. We will collect them and get some groceries for the club if you bring them in. Thank you!

Club Schedule

• For the April calendar, please click here.
• April is Charity Month for the ACBL. All of our games are extra-points.
• On Friday, April 6, after the game, around 1:45 p.m., please join us for our social hour: chats and refreshments!
• Please note that the club will be closed on Saturday, April 6 and on Sunday, April 7.  We hope to see you in Watertown! (see details below)
• Please join us Monday, April 16, for our annual Richard Burns Marathon Monday. We have games at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and 7:15 p.m.
• One Charity Swiss Teams game is scheduled on Friday, April 20, at 10:30 a.m.
• “Shark’s Pointers” Friday pre-game talks by Mark Aquino will continue on most Fridays at 9:45 a.m.. Come and enjoy this FREE lecture by our District Director.
• We participate in The Common Game, playing the same deals as clubs all over the country. Follow the links in the bottom right part of our home page to see how your results stack up against hundreds of other pairs, to read expert analysis, and to “Kibitz the Pros.”

April Special: Play Wednesday morning, get $5 off on Thursday

If you play on Wednesday morning (Open or Newcomer), you will get $5 off when you come Thursday morning (Open or 299er).

Free Plays

Free plays for high scores: we give free plays to players in each stratum who achieve high scores. The qualifying scores are:

• stratum A ≥70%
• stratum B ≥65%
• stratum C ≥60%

Free plays for frequent players: At the end of each calendar month, everyone who played ten sessions or more will receive a free play.

If you bring a new person to the club, we will give you and your guest a free game to be used subsequently.

Free play tickets are kept in a box on the bookshelf near the clock.

Newcomer Activities

• EVERYONE IS ALWAYS WELCOME TO ALL OUR GAMES!
• We have a separate flight every Thursday for players with less than 300 masterpoints. Immediately after the game, an expert (usually Lew Gamerman or Pat McDevitt) will field your questions on the boards you played. Don’t miss it!
• The Newcomer game (players new to the game with less than 20 masterpoints) will continue to run on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. It consists of the play of 12 to 14 boards in about 2 hours (10 minutes per board), play ends between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m.. Players can have access to their cheat sheet. At the end of the game, the director can answer questions regarding the boards played. Come and try it! If you are new to the club and buy an entry to the Newcomer game, we’ll give you a free play to be used at another time! Lunch is included!
• We are offering a six-week follow-up series to our Basics 1 class, the Audrey Grant Basics 2 about Competitive bidding. The class is held on Tuesday afternoons from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is taught by Ru Terajewicz. The class runs until May 1 (no class on 4/17). Click here for more details.
• Supervised Play for beginner and intermediate players every Thursday, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m..
  Teacher: Ru Terajewicz
  Fee: $15/player
  Supervised play is the ideal setting to consolidate learnings, increase confidence, and improve your understanding and expertise. It is suitable for all levels and essential for beginners. Like any activity, bridge requires practice of learned conventions. Play random pre-dealt hands with an ACBL certified bridge instructor and tournament expert. Come with or without a partner and you will be placed with players of similar levels. Walk-ins are welcome but it is very helpful to plan the tables ahead if we know you are coming. Please email Ru at ru.terajewicz@gmail.com if you are planning to come. Click here for more details.

Nearby Tournament Schedule

• April 6-8, Watertown, MA (sectional), for more information, please click here.
• April 13-15, Sturbridge, MA (sectional for Intermediate/Newcomer players), for more information, please click here.
• April 14-15, Sturbridge, MA (Grand National Teams district finals), for more information, please click here.
• April 21-22, Nashua, NH (sectional), for more information, please click here.
• April 25-29, Falmouth, MA (senior regional and open sectional), for more information, please click here.

Contact Information