|
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Contact your District 4 board members.
PRESIDENT
Betsy Cutler
betsy2955@gmail.com
VICE PRESIDENT
Ala Hamilton-Day
alabridge@gmail.com
SECRETARY
Bill Bauer
william.baueriii@verizon.net
TREASURER
Pat Civale
pat@csa-accounting.com
DISTRICT DIRECTOR
Joann Glasson
joannglasson@msn.com
| |
|
As we move into Love-uary, as it is known on the Hallmark Channel, it is clear to me that District 4 is a very busy place. Between the new monthly online games, the Royal StaC, and the fast-approaching GNT district finals, winter weather has not slowed any of us down a bit.
Districtwide Online Games
The monthly online games kicked off on January 20 with two games open to District 4 players only. There were an amazing twenty-six tables in the 0-750 game and twenty in the open. The big winners were Victor Robert and Joanne Gill in the limited game and William Burnett and Jean Fox in the open. The next game will be on February 11 at 3:30pm awarding half red and half black points. We hope you will find a partner to play in these games every month! Here is a link to the schedule of games and instructions on how to login to play.
Free play winners will get an email in the next few days.
Royal StaC week is BACK!! February 12-18!
District 4 players have the rare opportunity to win pigmented points in their local club the week of February 12-18. That week, local face-to-face clubs can upgrade their normal game to a Sectional Tournament at Clubs (STaC). That happens only four times a year. This February is unique because it is a Royal STaC game. So, what’s the big deal? There are lots of big deals:
- Points are pigmented – 25% Gold, 25% Red, 25% Silver and 25% Black.
- Top finishers have their masterpoints increased at the district level. The largest awards are often double digits for each event, depending on how many participate.
- The games go on all week. Any F2F club game the week of February 12-18 can be a STaC game; the game manager/director decides whether the club participates.
| |
|
Grand National Teams – GNT – is again face-to-face!
The GNT district qualifying events are scheduled for the beginning of March with preregistration suggested for all flights. The Harrisburg Bridge Club will host Flight A (0-6000 MP) and Flight C (0-500 NLM) events on March 2 and 3, while the Cherry Hill Bridge Club will host the Championship Flight (unlimited MP) and Flight B (0-2500 MP) on March 9 and 10. Masterpoints are based on the September 6, totals from 2023. Red and gold points will be awarded! The top finishers in all these events will earn a stipend toward a trip in the finals in Toronto this coming July. Here is a link for more information on registration.
As a bonus this year, anyone playing in two different flights will play free in the second event!
I am exhausted just writing about these events and know all of you will have a great time competing for pigmented points in them. I am so thrilled to be part of wonderful District 4 and hope to see many of you at these games.
| |
From the Regional Director | |
|
Louisville NABC
The Spring NABC will be held March 14 to March 24 at the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. Flights to Louisville are inexpensive and the ACBL is offering special hotel discounts to entice players to come to the tournament. I hope to see you there. There is nothing more exciting than the thrill of playing in a national bridge event.
The pandemic has taken its toll on our bridge tournaments and because many of the contracts for hotels were signed years ago, the ACBL is at risk of attrition penalties for not meeting the room blocks at the host hotels. You can help by planning to stay at the Galt House in Louisville. It is always the best player experience to stay where the action is.
Code of Disciplinary Regulations
At a special board meeting in January, a new Code of Disciplinary Regulations (CDR) was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors. The CDR is the official document, which will soon be available on the ACBL website, that controls all disciplinary processes of the ACBL.
The new CDR will enable ACBL to use EDGAR (Everyone Deserves a Game Above Reproach) to detect cheating online and process discipline in a streamlined and efficient manner. It has been almost two years since the concept of an automated cheating system was envisioned, but everything is finally in place to make it happen.
Players who EDGAR finds are cheating will be either given a warning, fast track discipline or processed to the Institute of Bridge Arbitration for a hearing, depending on player experience levels. Plans are also to create a Bridge Integrity Program to educate newer players.
Atlanta Board Meetings
The 2024 ACBL Budget was approved in Atlanta with an estimated loss of $313K. Capital expenditures, largely for technology, are estimated at $543K.
Click here for the complete report from the November ACBL Board Meetings in Atlanta.
Contact me with any questions or comments at joannglasson@msn.com
Joann
| |
The 4Spot features fantastic contributors on a regular rotation: | |
January, April, July, October:
Larry's Learning Center by Larry Cohen
| |
February, May, August, November:
For Novices Only by Marti Ronemus
| |
March, June, September, December:
Schwaidelson's Fractured Four-Hand Tales
| |
Standing in for Marti this month is Unit 141 president John Dickenson with a great teaching hand demonstrating when it's time to shift from attitude to suit preference. Thanks, John! Read and learn here.
| | |
|
Moderator: Nick Straguzzi
All I have to say about this one is that Nick and the MSC are a district treasure, and knowing what I know now, I'm having second thoughts about playing on BBO with Bill Bauer today. Click here and enjoy.
| |
Visit the MSC website to read next month's problem and submit your answers online here. | |
News from Around the Units | |
Unit 112: Central New York
Betty Youmans
readsausten@yahoo.com
| |
|
Congratulations to Jim Patton who has been appointed to the District 4 Goodwill Committee and to Pam Cuda who has received a District 4 Charitable Recognition Award appointment. Complete information about these well-deserved honors are on the District 4 website.
Congratulations to our advancing players:
Junior Masters
Gail Finkelstein
Nancy Haney
Club Master
Susan Dreyer
Sectional Master
Evelyn Woodlan
Regional Master
Maryann McCabe
NABC Master
Nora Shang
Life Master
Ann Schissel
Ruby Life Master
Joseph Hruschak
| |
|
Unit 120: Northeastern Pennsylvania
Doreese Torrey
doreeset@gmail.com
| |
|
Hello Unit 120!! The newest Life Master Honor in our district goes to our dear friend Harold Koehler. Wahoo, Hoot Hoot, and Hip Hooray! Way to GOOO!
Here is a bit of interesting tidbit on a theory of the original meaning of a deck of playing cards.
- 52 cards for the 52 weeks in a year
- 2 colors for day and night
- 4 suits for the 4 seasons
- 13 cards in each suit for the 13 weeks per season
- 12 court cards (or face cards) represent the 12 months of the year
If you add each of the cards (ace + ace + ace + two + three + four etc, etc) you will get 365. Jokers used in leap year!
See you at the virtual and or face to face bridge tables.
| |
Unit 121: Berks Montgomery
Carl Ziegler
crzig@hometownu.com
| |
Check back next month for Unit 121 news. | |
Unit 133: Lehigh Valley
Lois Fuini
lafuini@yahoo.com
| |
|
Happy Valentine’s Day
Congratulations! New Rank Achievement
Junior Master
Nate Kolo
Club Master
Trudy Fretz
Gold Life Master
Margaret Irvine
Diamond Life Master
Janis Wachsman
“Souper” Bowl Sunday Charity Game
WHERE: Lehigh Valley Active Life
WHEN: February 11, 2024 at 1 PM
WHO: 0-750, and Open Games
WHY: Enjoy a game of bridge to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank. All cash donations and proceeds from the games will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank. Please bring a can of soup or other non-perishable food item for the Second Harvest Food Bank and your favorite snack to share at our tailgating party. Cash donations may be mailed to Nelson Rabenold, 1837 Belleview Circle, Whitehall PA 18052. Please make checks payable to LVBA. Thank you!
COST: $9 per person.
Junior Fund Game
A Special Junior Fund Game, Friday, January11 was held at Lehigh Valley Active Life to raise funds for junior bridge initiatives. This game awarded double black points. Thanks to everyone who supported ACBL for this fundraising event.
Unit 133 Winners:
N/S- Bryan Snapp & Nelson Rabenold
E/W- Michael Dopera & Nate Kolo
Royal STaC Games
All club games are eligible to participate in the Royal STaC games. At this time, Lehigh Valley Active Life will host Royal STaC games on Monday, February12 and Friday, February 16. The fee for these special games is $9. Please check with your local club manager for information about participation. Masterpoints which are 25% gold, 25% silver, 25% red and 25% black and at least double value will be awarded.
Evening Open Games
Face to face Open games will be held Wednesday evenings at 7pm.The games will run the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month and rotate between the Cutler home in Allentown and the Mukherjee home in Bethlehem. We will play 18 boards and the cost will be $5! For more information, please contact Betsy Cutler @betsy2955@gmail.com. Partners are guaranteed.
| |
French Alps ~ Richard Popper | |
Unit 141: Philadelphia
John Dickenson
dickenjb@gmail.com
| |
|
We had 193 tables show up for our split sectional, held January 5-7 at King of Prussia Bridge Club (open) and North Penn Duplicate Bridge Club (I/N). 783 silver points were awarded to 220 unique players. Your unit has two more sectionals scheduled for 2024: April 12-14 and September 27-29. Both will be held at the marvelous Game Friendzy club in Cherry Hill and hosted by Bernadette Hennessy May. And, to you Pennsylvania players: No, you do NOT need a current passport to cross the Delaware river! From my house in Montgomery County it takes under one hour to get to Game Friendzy – give it a try! Game Friendzy features lots of easy parking right outside the door and is spacious and lovely interior.
Your board held its first meeting of the new year. We welcomed new board member, Pamela Scalamandre and elected officers for 2024. Look for the minutes to be posted to our Unit website shortly.
Unit 141’s Pat Andrews received a high honor, recognized for charitable achievement within the District.
A warm welcome to our newest PCBA members!
Ed Austin
Rachel Bach
Dante Decrescenzo
Mary-Beth Kelley
Douglas McNicol
Colleen Philbin
Phyllis Pierce
Cliff Retzlaff
Harriet Rovner
Barbara Story
Dora Tomko
Eileen Winter
Congratulations to our members who achieved a new rank!
Junior Masters
Stephanie Abbonnizio
Paul Balbresky
Craig Bersak
Alison Ellison
Sharla Feldscher
Deborah Robinson
Club Masters
Mimi Bergen
Charles Cutler
Michele Digirolamo
Stanley Joffe
Deborah Kahn
Maria Palumbo
Sectional Masters
Dennis Griffin
Maryellen Holden
Beth Pfleger
Betsy Smith
Regional Master
Marianna Nolan
NABC Master
William Tannery
Life Masters
Lynn Hamlin
Philip Lebovitz
Jeffrey Rohrbeck
Deborah Holt Weil
Bronze Life Masters
Lynn Hamlin
Christine Sgro
Silver Life Masters
William Chen
Ilan Wolff
Ruby Life Master
Lauren Dougherty
Gold Life Master
Alison Shoemaker
| |
|
Unit 168: Central Pennsylvania
Ben Hawn
bwhawn@bellsouth.net
| |
|
Reminder: GNT Flight A (<6000) and Flight C (<500) at the Harrisburg Bridge Club, March 2 and 3. Form a team and join us. Gold points and travel stipends will be awarded!
Here’s a hand I had a few weeks ago at the club. How do I respond to partner’s takeout double given a bid by my righthand opponent? The auction: 1D - X - 1H - ?? I was looking at a six count: Txx JT9x x KQ9xx.
I know what you are going to bid. You’re going to bid the same thing I did. 2C of course. That’s the wrong bid. I knew it was wrong when I made the call, and that’s never good.
I can hear you lamenting - how can 2C be wrong? You have five to the KQ. Yes, I see that. I grant you I have seen worse bids this month. But it’s a distant second best.
The right bid is double. Not a responsive double, but a *penalty* double. Double here says, “Partner, I have some values and I have four hearts, the suit my RHO bid.” Is the final contract going to be 1HX by the opponents? Certainly not. But it’s likely our side that belongs in a heart contract.
Anyway, that’s the right bid in my book. Fifty years ago, there would’ve been little debate. But times change. Now, most people - not all - want to play that double as responsive. Now, I’m a modern guy, and I like to play most of the newfangled conventions. But here’s a case where I think the old way is superior.
As always, one hand proves nothing. But we got frozen out of our heart fit on this deal. If I can double, showing four hearts and values, we will bid up to 3H and make it. There was nothing at all wrong with East’s 1H bid - I would have done the same. What was wrong was for it to terrify my partner and me to the extent that we couldn’t name hearts as trump. We let West play a comfortable diamond partial, making four.
Talk this one over with your favorite partner. Maybe you can convince him to go back to the Stone Age and play this double as penalty. I’m convinced it’s better.
| |
|
Unit 168’s Dennis Shaub recently received a well deserved lifetime appointment to ACBL’s Goodwill Committee. Read about Dennis here.
Congratulations to the following Unit 168 players moving up the ACBL rankings ladder:
Junior Master
Marcie Shaeffler
Club Masters
Martin Eichelberger
Ava Neff
David Weaver
Sectional Masters
Bonnie Barton
Candace Buckbee
Gerald Hoffman
Frances Hutton
New Regional Masters
Carol Cocheres
William Even
Kamrul Khan
Monica Knopf
Advanced NABC Master
Darius Kapadia
Life Master
Bobbie Goodyear
Gold Life Masters
Ruth Ellen Maddock
Todd Thorsen
| |
|
Delaware Clubs
The Bridge Studio of Delaware, Wilmington
Harold Jordan
302-479-5431
club@bridge-studio.org
MOT, Middletown
Cheryl Shields
302-602-1638
c.shields@mehrs.com
Monday Morning Bridge Club
Friday Nooners
Dover
Clare O’Brien
410-310-0549
Clare758@outlook.com
Shore Bridge
Lewes
Monday @ 12:30
Wednesday @ 9:30
Anna DeLapo
302-236-0346
Anna7nt@gmail.com
Shuffles 2
Ocean View Presbyterian Church
Thursday @12:30
Donna Heckscher
215-817-2465
shuffles2023@gmail.com
| |
|
Congratulations to Jackie Humilovich our new Ruby Life Master.
It’s a while off, but please plan to join us for our next sectional tournament May 31 – June 2, 2024.
| |
|
Join Our Mailing List!
It's fast and easy to join our mailing list. And we use SafeUnsubscribe, so it's just one click if you change your mind later.
| | | | |
