Bendigo Bridge Club
Release 2.19q
Key Messages

Martin Willcox Workshops

Ballarat BC have engaged Martin Willcox to conduct three workshops on playing strategies for intermediate and advanced players. They have generously decided to invite members of other clubs to attend - free of charge! The workshops will be held at Ballarat BC (1001 Eyre Street) on Wednesdays: 3 May, 7 June and in July (date tba), and will run from 10am-3pm (BYO lunch).

Alert! Ballarat BC have now advised there is no restriction on numbers and no need to book. Just roll up - the more the merrier!

2023 Ashes - Ballarat Win

The Ashes were contested for the 25th time on Saturday 22 April at Ballarat BC. Unfortunately (for us) the hosts were runaway winners and retained the trophy but congratulations to our best-performed Bendigo pair (with 3rd place overall) Ron Wescott & Barb Evans. Thank you to all our pairs that took part and a big thank you to our gracious and generous hosts. Full results are available on the Bridge Unlimited website in the Results > Victorian Congress Events section.

Bridge Victoria

 A link to the May BV bulletin can be found in the Bridge Musings panel below (scroll down). It includes a listing for our Congress.

Relaxed Pairs 

Please note the start time for our Wednesday Relaxed Pairs sessions is now 12.30pm (was 12 noon).

Monthly Nosh & Natter

Our MN&N social dinners will resume on Thursday 23 February. Venue (as before) will be the Kangaroo Flat Sports Club at 6pm. This is an informal social event - a chance for members (and their spouses / partners) to have a friendly natter about... anything really, over some good pub food and drink. 

Need more details? Contact Graeme Hegarty on 0428 380 180.

Relaxed Pairs in 2023

Relaxed Pairs (social bridge) resumed on Wednesday 8th February. Sessions run from 12 noon until 3pm.  All welcome, bookings not required. Contact Janet Rogers for further information - 0499 775 735.

2022 Club Awards & Trophies

The winners of our various awards, trophies and prizes were announced at the Xmas Social. To view a full list of the winners, in the Menu sidebar (above) click on 'Membership & Bookings' then click on 'Club Competitions', then scroll down to '2022 Honour Board'. Congratulations to all our winners! 

 

Covid-19

As at May 2023, Covid-19 is still classed as a pandemic. To keep your fellow members safe from infection, please…

  • Do not come to play if you have any symptoms, go and get tested.
  • Wear a mask when playing. A supply of disposable masks will be available.
  • Sanitise between rounds
  • Wear layers for comfort and warmth – where weather conditions allow we will be opening windows and doors to facilitate natural ventilation.
  • Stay vaccinated – 2023 booster shots are available for most of our members.
  • If you are at high risk of getting very sick with COVID-19, apply for access to anti-viral medicines that can help you stay well, or treat the symptoms if you contract COVID-19.

For further information, please visit the DHSS Coronavirus Victoria website.

Beginners
Beginners Corner

Opening the bidding with 1NT.

If you have 15-17 HCP and a balanced hand ALWAYS open 1NT.  If you have a second suit to rebid, you may open 1 of a suit.  If you open 1NT with a 5 card Major, learn the conventions for managing that situation.

The risk in not opening 1NT with 15-17 HCP is that you can miss a 3NT game if partner has 8-9 HCP, because when you rebid 1NT with 15 HCP but without a second suit, partner will pass.  You will be left in a 1NT contract making 9 tricks for a bottom board!

Some people think that they need to have all suits stopped, but that is wrong thinking.  When you open 1NT your partner has a complete picture of your hand in one bid. 

Remember you only need 7 tricks in 1NT.  Even if the opposition run the first 5 tricks in a long suit, you can still make your 7 tricks. 

If you can't make your 7 tricks it usually means you have stolen the contract from your opponents and should end up with a fair result anyway.

Advancing partner's overcall

If you do not have sufficient points for game over partner's minimum point overcall, consider passing as your first option.

If you must bid, a good rule of thumb is to subtract 2 from your hand value and then consider bidding as though your partner opened.

If you Advance with 1NT it should tell your partner that you have an opening hand with stoppers in the oponent's suit(s), but without a fit in partner's suit.

Only bid your own suit over partner's overcall if you have good point count, are short or void in partner's suit, and have a long suit of your own.

 

Development Tutorials

The Director / Etiquette / Laws & Code of Conduct 

What is my partner's bid telling me?  1C, 1D, 1H, 1S openings and responses

1NT opening and responses - excluding Stayman

Alerting & Announcing

Stayman

Limit Bids

Strong 2C openings and responses

Weak 2 openings & responses (pre-emptive bidding)

Stronger NT Openings (with 18-19 HCP, 20-22 HCP, 23-24 HCP, 25-26 HCP)

Overcalling and when to advance

Double - review takeout X and penalty X

Slam bidding (Blackwood/Gerber)

Sacrificial bidding

Make an opening lead against a suit contract (Ref) (for further information)

Make an opening lead against a Notrump contract (Ref.) (for further information)

The Finesse - a mini lesson

Scoring