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Monday 16th December Spoons Christmas Lunch and Tournament in The Fair o’ Blair, the Blairgowrie Wetherspoons

 

 

Bridge Banter
Teams

Teams vs Pairs
Most experienced players rate teams competition highly and many prefer Teams to Duplicate Pairs.
Because of the differences in scoring, different tactics are appropriate.
In the regular club pairs sessions, your score is compared to all other pairs holding the same cards. You are awarded 2 match points for every pair whose score you exceed and 1 for each pair your score equals. If your score is the best on a board played 10 times, your score is 18, regardless of the margin over other scores. The key to success is how often you are ahead of your opponents (the other pairs sitting in your direction).
In teams, you have only one opponent. He or she is sitting in your seat at your current opposition’s home table. The key to winning is how much you do better than your opponents on each board.
An example. In pairs you bid 3S and make an overtrick for 170. All other pairs bid the vulnerable game scoring 620. You have the bottom score on this board worth 0. But you can get it all back on the next hand by scoring 110 when your opponents all score 100. At teams you will lose 10 imps on the first board. The second board will be scored as no gain to either side, so you are still 10 imps behind.
This has the following implications for teams play:
1. Declarer’s top priority is making the contract. Typically in teams you may deliberately sacrifice a possible overtrick if by doing so you can guarantee making the contract. This is usually incorrect at pairs.
2. Defenders’ top priority is to defeat the contract rather than simply try and limit the overtricks.
3. Play in the safest contract. This applies at any level. Game, slam or partscore.
4. Keep your teams overcalls sound. Especially at the two level vulnerable. At pairs
you are overcalling based on the probability of finding a playable contract. If two thirds of your pairs overcalls result in a good score, it doesn’t matter how bad is the third one. A single big minus in teams can cost you a match.
5 Bid your games. At pairs (either vulnerability) you should bid a game if you rate it a 50% or better chance. Be more aggressive in Teams, especially vulnerable. Stretch to bid a vulnerable game with a 40% or better chance of making. You will be come out ahead (provided the failing games are undoubled, minus one).
6 Bid a small slam with a 50% or better chance of success. (As you should in pairs). But in Teams If there is a choice of denomination, choose the safest slam.
Bid a grand slam only if 13 tricks are certain. There is nothing worse than failing in a grand slam and then finding that your opponent played only in game or part score at the other table.
7. Your main gains will come from bidding games missed by your opponents, and from accurate part score bidding. Small plusses at both tables really help your score along.


 

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Possible grand slam on Board 4 at the BirnamArts BridgeDay


Another good day's play at the BirnamArts.  A full house at 15 tables, and fourteen 2-board rounds played.

One hand springs to mind.  On board 4 playing against Derek & Priscilla from Perth, as dealer, sitting West,  I picked up

♠ A Q 9 8 7 5

 A

 10

♣ A J 5 4 3​

15 points all working together well, and 6-5 in the black suits - what a cracker!

My partner Hazel held

♠  -  

  J 9 6 5 2

 A J 7 2

♣ K Q 9 7

As best as I can remember, we bid spades - hearts - clubs and Hazel supported clubs.  We finished in 5♣ 

I always agonise between drawing trumps and cross-ruffing - often unwisely trying a bit of both, and rarely with great success.

The computer says all 13 tricks are on in clubs, but I was pleased this time to get away with 12 (for a second top).  Top marks go to Deannie & Angus  McMaster from Inverness  who not only made 12 tricks, but bid it too.  Well done them - and they finished the day on the podium with the silver. 
3NT makes 9 tricks and 4♠  also makes. Both these contracts were bid more than once. Hands like this aren’t the easiest to bid and it’s hardly surprising that 4 pairs didn’t reach game and only one pair did the slam. “

Derek French

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Spoons 2024 charity

Any profit from any Spoons bridge events goes to charity. 
In 2022 the charity was McMillan Cancer Support. In 2023, Alzheimer Scotland. 
A few extra fundraising ‘add ons’ and the big CaféBridge Dunkeld day in October enabled over £2000 each year to be handed over. 
Emptying the Spoons account at the end of the year! 
This year, 2024, the regular Monday morning players at Wetherspoons have voted and the majority vote was for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance, based in Scone.
Here’s a bit from their website….

Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) saves and improves lives across Scotland every day. 

SCAA currently operates two helicopters, both EC135-T2is, and two rapid response vehicles - taking life-saving pre-hospital care to the scene of time-critical emergencies.  SCAA then transports patients to hospitals all over Scotland to receive the most appropriate medical care.

SCAA makes a difference - a patient’s chance of survival and full recovery are greatly increased if they receive the right medical care within the first hour of injury or illness.  The fast response of SCAA and its ability to reach Scotland’s most remote and rural areas saves vital minutes when every second really does count.

SCAA can be airborne within five minutes of receiving an emergency call and can reach 90% of Scotland’s population within 25 minutes.

As Scotland’s only charity air ambulance, SCAA is funded by the people of Scotland, primarily through donations, fundraising, events and our life-saving lottery.

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“Behave to your partner and opponents as though you are hosting a tea party then Duplicate Bridge will start to thrive again. It’s such a fabulous game.”

Three spot on Times articles from Andrew Robson. 

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Play Bridge with your kids and grandkids!
 

Bridge might be best known as the sport of retired adults, but did you know there are SO many benefits for young people? Here are some of our favourites!

1. Highly Sociable: Bridge is a partner game, best enjoyed with friends. Whether you're teaming up with friends or meeting new people at a bridge club, it's a chance to connect with people from all walks of life.

2. Mentally Stimulating: Think of bridge as a mental workout. It challenges  analytical skills, memory, and strategic thinking.

3. Competitive Spirit: Bridge offers a healthy dose of competition. Whether you're playing casually with friends or diving into tournaments, the competitive side is motivating.

4. Transferable Skills: Bridge helps you in all aspects of life, especially your career. The skills you develop—like teamwork, communication, and strategic thinking—are highly transferable skills.

Quote from Melanie Reid

 

”Bridge is like cerebral cage fighting, a peculiar mixture of risk analysis, memory, maths and terrifically low cunning. ” Melanie Reid

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Serious business at BridgeDays3 with Fizz, Medals and Carrots to win….


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A few snaps from The Hairy Coo Swiss Teams
  • Hamish
  • AberbourHarbour
  • The Rumens
  • Joan Hornett, A Canny Cowgirl
  • Steven
  • MaryJane Campbell
  • Best Tee
  • Pam and Mary from Stirling
  • The Cowhands v Prime Cuts
  • Champion Coo, Karen Noble
  • Top substitute, Darrell Crompton, A Canny Cowboy
  • Cream scones
  • Mexican Mike
  • The Stirling Cowgirls
  • Best Dressed Prize Winners Penny and Diane
  • Mexican Mike meets Aberfeldy Hamish, while TD Horst looks bemused.
  • The Ayrshire Coos aka Acheye the Moo
  • T-Bones
  • Pam Benton (with her woolly ewe?)
  • Hornbulls
  • Bos Taurus Taurus
  • Prime Cuts

 

16 tables. 26 boards. All went well! 
Players came from Dundee, Elgin, Edinburgh, Stirling, Killin, Preswick and Achnacloich! 
 
Bridge, food and prizes for a bargain price of £20 per player.

Tournament Director was David McLeod. Not many questions!
 Our USP- the delicious cream scones- welcomed all players! 

 

A Thank you ‘certificate’ from Alzheimer Scotland for our 2023 fundraising

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Spoons Individual Competition 2023

The 2023 individual competition is now over…..

20 events throughout 2023 were scored using Brianbridge. 

Very close. 12 players scored over 50%.  Miriam Drysdale just squeezed into top place, just above joint runners up, Bob Ross and Jean Pitchforth. 

 

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2023 Dunkeld CaféBridge
  • 8b6239a1 16a4 4b0d 862a 5ecde4d2cc9d
  • AS2023
  • AS20231
  • AS202313
  • AS202315
  • AS202316
  • AS20232
  • AS20233
  • AS20234
  • AS20235
  • AS20236
  • AS20237
  • AS20239
  • Dunkeld CB 23
  • Karens bunting
  • Roberts
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Bridge Banter

Chat

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Perth, Cromarty, Dunkeld and Plockton CaféBridge Days

The next four Scottish CaféBridge days are listed below. Places are filling up quickly. Book soon to secure your spot.

Perth (part of the Festival of Bridge) Saturday 31st August 

Cromarty (in aid of Alzheimer Scotland) Thursday 19th September 

Dunkeld and Birnam (in aid of Scottish Charity Air Ambulance) Tuesday 22nd October

Plockton (in aid of Rag Tag Textile) Thursday 24th October

Link to further information and booking pages

https://www.brianbridge.net/cafe/

 

Bunting and the bunting creator both seen at the Perth Swiss

Karen’s bunting on the banisters at PerthBridge Club for the Spring Swiss. 
Karen and Kerr Noble with Bea MacDonald analyse results after round 4. 36 boards played. Good fun! 

 

SPOONS CHRISTMAS JUMPERS PARTY

 

Our festive day of bridge at The Fair o Blair, Blairgowrie WETHERSPOONS. 29 players! Great lunch, crackers and all! Results now up! 
Well done everyone. 

 

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Monday Mornings With Spoons.

Sharpen your brain with this great card game and meet new friends

If you are looking for a friendly group to play bridge with, then we would be delighted for you to join us at the Blairgowrie Wetherspoons every Monday morning at 10.30 for 12 hands. Whether you are an accomplished player or a complete beginner, we are pleased to welcome you.

These Monday mornings in Wetherspoons are just about fun playing. Please don’t use our Spoons playtime as an opportunity to teach or even to preach or, worse still, don’t diagnose every hand and make prognosis’s.
if you want to teach bridge, start a class! If you want to learn better bridge, go to a class! 
We just play 12 hands together, it’s our Monday morning mental gym, our mind sport, our bridge playtime. We play, we chat and we drink coffee. Simple. That’s our Spoons ethos. 
If there is an even number, we can score, using BriAnBridge. If we have some set hands, even better. The results and hands go up on this site. 
There’s no charge. It’s free and it’s open. All players are welcome. 

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“Ups and Downs at BirnamArts”

The BirnamArts Bridge Day is becoming a regular event and everyone should have a go at it.  I played with Hazel Grant last Monday and we thoroughly  enjoyed the day.  

We duly arrived at Graham Bullock's table, who for the second time was TD.  He is a long term partner of mine so of course I was anxious to give him a proper drubbing.  Success on the first hand, board 4.  They got themselves into an impossible 4S going 3 off.  +300 for us was a joint top - great stuff!  

Then came board 5.  Graham competed to 3D and we let him play in it.  3S by us was on but we didn't bid it.  3D should go down, but of course he made it - a complete top for them.

So there you go - you win some and you lose some.

Derek French

Hazel Grant and Derek French, the winners EW. 

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Nice quote

“Computers may be able to play good chess – a distinctly inferior game – but when there will be a computer able to compose a 5th Symphony or paint a Mona Liza, then ‐ and only then ‐ shall I accept that computers can play good bridge.”
Victor Mollo

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Hot Chocolate and Cheeses on the Dunkeld CaféBridge route

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Winners at BridgeDays3 on 26th September


Frances Morgan, Bob Ross and Fiona Harris. Liz Duguid, partner to Frances, had to rush away before the prizegiving. But she did get her fizz and her medal. 
 

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Congresses are good fun and good value!

The smallish Scottish weekend congresses are always good fun. Usually in a 3 star hotel, all in rates, with lots of competitive bridge and a nice town to explore. 

Recommended….

February

Newtonmore, run by the Ness Club Inverness. 


March

Oban, run by Oban Bridge Club

Strathpeffer, run by Dingwall Bridge Club

August

Montrose, run by Central District

October

another in Newtonmore, run by the Ness Club

November

Arran, run by Paisley Bridge Club

 


 

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Karen’s suited bunting


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‘BridgeDays’ is dedicated to the development of the wonderful sport of bridge! 

BirnamArts BridgeDay for Alzheimer Scotland winners

The winners EW were David Deards and Paula Fuge. Winners NS were our TD, Graham Bullock and Ron Barker. All went smoothly and the TD commented it’s the first tournament he has ever directed where there wasn’t a single call for him! We are a friendly well behaved gang of bridge players!
The results are up…in results. 
The Raffle organised by Mary Little made £125 and the day was in profit too. The start of money being raised for our chosen 2023 charity Alzheimer Scotland 

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Dunkeld CaféBridge 2022 winners


Sheila and Ross Herd from Dundee won the Dunkeld CaféBridge Day with 64.08%

WELL DONE! 

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Scoring

BridgeDays duplicates are scored using the BriAn electronic scoring system.  The BriAn system (= "Bridge on iPhone and Android") uses mobile phone technology to replace traditional tabletop scorers.  Players can use their own smart phones or other devices, such as iPads, or use android scoring tablets supplied by the club.

We believe BriAn is a very player-friendly system that has advantages over other systems.  When results are entered for each deal, the next screen shows the full lay-out of the deal, the available tricks in each suit and a full travelling score slip in a single screen. Results of previous boards and a full table of current rankings can be accessed from any device via a menu. The bridge director can create and modify games, adjust scores if necessary and create final files suitable for posting to the web.

If you have a suitable android or iPhone you can become a scorer simply by downloading the free BriAn Bridge app.  Go to the app shop in the normal way and search for "Brian Bridge". It's free to install and easy to use,  You can read more about BriAn Bridge on the website http://www.brianbridge.net.   Using your own phone, iPad or tablet is fun but entirely optional - extra scoring tablets are always available.

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SCORING

Phone scoring - a few pointers

Make sure you check the board number shown as well as the contract, in case the boards have been played in the wrong order. 
Names are given at the beginning of the round, so you can check that you are playing the right people. 
All scores must be written on paper travellers, even if entered on your phone. 

 

Common problems 

App crashes: restart app and tap screen when prompted to restore

Wrong board number: tap one of the black levers on either side of the board number to correct

No connect: first try turning WiFi off. If that doesn't work, try connecting to the venue's WiFi, or suspend phone scoring and catch up later. 

Entered the wrong score: tap the black < beside the board number to go back, then tap 'cancel score', confirm and enter the correct score. 

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We have SPOONS as table numbers!

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Raffle ladies and some winners

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Murder by Natural Causes

Watch out for Helen Erichsen's first novel.

The novel follows Cilla, 22, a bridge-playing contract killer who specialises in murder that look like death by natural causes.

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Feedback from BridgeDays 1 and 2

What's not to like about a grand sunny summer day out, full of mental sport and nice food , meeting old friends and making new ones, in a lovely Arts Venue by the Tay? Some comments from participants.

"We had a wonderful day and met a wonderful group of people." Sean from Elgin

"such a lovely day. Well organised well done" Jenny from Aberlour

" so enjoyable . The organisation ran so smoothly,it was nice to meet many people from different places .

"The venue was very suitable the food and staff excellent." Pam from Kirriemuir

"a great day....brought joy to so many" Mary from Dundee

"thank you for the great day...It was fun..... the staff and everything, especially using the larger space downstairs, were excellent. I even began to enjoy doing the scoring on my phone - will not be anxious about it next time!!" Vivien from Dunkeld 

"Very many thanks for organising a great day at Birnam again. Really enjoyed it and the food was also served up very well and much enjoyed " Carol from Blairgowrie 

"congratulation on another very successful day of bridge. I heard nothing but praise for the day and the organizing of it all. Again lovely lunch and not forgetting the morning scone and a well needed cup of tea to round the event off,  excellent…😁😁" from Fiona from Blairgowrie 


Thank you, everyone, for coming, from Achnacloich to Aberlour, from Prestwick to Glamis. Having fun. Plus raising some funds for MacMillan Cancer Support. Hope to see you on Monday 19th September.

 

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Looking for Suitable Prizes for BridgeDays…..

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