Bridge Victoria

The number of Unit members reached the 500 mark earlier this year. Since then,
there has been a steady progression to the current count of 531.

Note: ACBL members who joined before January 2010 need only 300 points to become Life Master. Members who joined subsequently require 500. They become “Advanced NABC Master” upon reaching 300. The “Bronze Life Master” status is only applicable to those in the first category. Of course, any rank also has requirements for pigmented points. Full information is available on the ACBL site.

Our Masterpoint Milestones page has been updated on October 1. Check it out in the Members menu, or click here.

Thirty-eight players were treated to the comfort of a game at Shannon Oaks senior residence in Oak Bay on Saturday afternoon, September 19. Debbie Wastle directed the game and fun was had by all even though North-South got more than their fair share of cards. Several new partnerships were created among the solo players, including the overall winners, Mike Couture and Nancy Fauteux who had a 62.7% game. Also placing were Tom Dodge and Lesley Bilsborough (2), Fran Gaudet and Carmel Davies (3/4), Margot Northey and Gina Curran (3/4), and Rose Kwiat-Kowski and Inge Kohl (5). Congratulations to all.

For detailed results click here

Gina Curran supplied a feast of baked goods and Shannon Oaks laid on coffee and tea. The next Rookie-99er Game for all players with fewer than 100 master points will be held on Sunday afternoon, May 22, at 1:00 pm, with the location to be announced on the Unit 431 website (bridgevictoria.com).

The Unit’s Fall Sectional was held September 10 through Saturday, September 12 at the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney. Ably chaired by Jill Stainforth, the tournament was very successful, drawing players from up Island, the mainland and Washington State as well as the Victoria area.

Attendance was only four tables short of our all-time record and players loved the bright airiness and modern amenities of the venue.

The Pairs Strat A (Henry Birks&Sons Trophy) was won by Ron Smith and Dick Vission from Victoria.  Pairs Strat B (Yuki Miller Memorial Trophy) and Strat C (Totem Tournament Trophy) were won by Sheila Snider and Carol-Anne Ebbs-Canavan from Sooke.  The Madeline Anderson Trophy for Top Individual Performance in the Sectional was won by Ron Smith.

Tournament memories can be found in the Photo Gallery.

On Saturday, September 19, at 12:45 pm, Unit 431 is offering a game for players with fewer than 100 MPs.

It will be held at Shannon Oaks Senior Home in Oak Bay, downstairs. The address is 2000 Goldsmith Street. Parking is free at the end of the street behind the Oak Bay Rec.

The cost for ACBL members is $2.00 and for non-members is $8.00.

Come alone or with a partner. Free treats and coffee or tea.

For information please contact Jill Stainforth (250-686-4747, jstainforth@yahoo.ca)

Click here for September Rookie Game Flyer.

The September issue of the Bridge Buzz is now online. Access it by clicking on the Bridge Buzz menu item above.

Bridge player extraordinaire Sandra Fraser, along with five other women from around the country, will be representing Team Canada at the Venice Cup — the women’s teams world championships in India in September.

Read full story in the Victoria News

After several years of successfully managing/directing Monterey Bridge Club, Karen Billett is retiring but will be pursuing other bridge-related activities including teaching.

Nicole Dupuis who had been assisting Karen for several months is now the new manager/director.

Best of luck to both!

The number of Unit members reached the 500 mark earlier this year. Since then,
there has been a steady progression to the current count of 528.

Note: ACBL members who joined before January 2010 need only 300 points to become Life Master. Members who joined subsequently require 500. They become “Advanced NABC Master” upon reaching 300. The “Bronze Life Master” status is only applicable to those in the first category. Of course, any rank also has requirements for pigmented points. Full information is available on the ACBL site.

• Heather A Davies
• Denis W Johnston

…and transferees from other units

• Thomas Braybrook
• John D Morse

Delma is offering a new series of course for fall. Full information available on the Teachers’ page.

FastResults is a service which delivers pair results from Sectional or Regional tournaments electronically to web and mobile devices immediately after events.

Both the Spring Sectional and the Victoria Regional tournaments have successfully used FastResults, allowing players to see not only their personal score and standing, but also hand records and double dummy analysis of the games just played.

To take full advantage of FastResults, you should register (for free), by accessing the site and entering your ACBL number. You have the option of being notified by email as soon as your results are available.

With the Fall Sectional (in Sidney, Sept 10-12 this year) just around the corner, why not register now? When you’re at the tournament, just use your tablet or smartphone for real-time results.

Here’s the detailed procedure:

1) Access FastResults website (www.bridgefinesse.com/FastResults/D19/)
2) Enter your ACBL number in the ACBL # Login box.
3) You will now have the option to Enroll or Modify Profile.
4) Enter your email address (left panel).
5) Select email notification (right panel).
6) Click “Submit” button (bottom left).
7) Enter your ACBL.org password when prompted.

FastResults is sponsored by ACBL District 9 (Florida).

Thanks to Nev Hircock for photography and montage.

If you have friends who might like to try duplicate without having to jump in at the deep end, bring them to our new D-light sessions.  All are welcome who have some knowledge of bridge and who want to find out how duplicate works. The following sessions are offered:

• Every 4th Friday of the month at Capital City Bridge Club at the Lakehill Lawn Bowling clubhouse at 9:00 am.
• Every Sunday evening from September 13, 2015, at Island Bridge Club in St Aidan’s church hall at 6:30 pm. 

The cost per person is $5 and there will be a director there introducing participants to the way duplicate works while they play 15 or more hands. These will NOT be bridge mentoring sessions — they will just allow newcomers to duplicate to ease in. Ideally people will arrive in pairs but for information about finding a partner, please call the club directors.

The club websites and addresses of the venues are:

• Friday: Capital City Bridge Club (www.capitalcitybridgeclub.com), Ewa Zwicky directing. 3930 LaSalle Street, Parking is at the top of Prestwood Drive, 250-388-7000
• Sunday: Island Bridge Club (www.islandbridgeclub.com), Roy Sadd directing. 3703 St Aidan’s Street, 250-812-1615.

The Unit’s Fall Sectional tournament dates have changed. The tournament is Thursday, September 10 through Saturday, September 12 at the Mary Winspear Centre in Sidney. See Flyer Fall 2015 for details.

Playing bridge means never having to say you’re sorry, ’cause you’re always on your best behaviour. So you probably don’t need to read the following:

Bridge Etiquette (from Cornhusker Bridge, Omaha)
Bridge Etiquette (from Anchorage Bridge Center)

Likewise, you’re not the one to hold up the bidding or the play of the hand. For instance, you always make your lead before writing the contract on your private score sheet. Or better yet, you write it down at the end of the round together with the result. As the author of Playing Fast (below) puts it, “if you can’t remember the trump suit, bridge may not be the game for you.”

Playing Fast (thanks to Monterey Bridge Club)

Contact Us

You have reached Unit 431’s new website. Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself as the layout has changed somewhat.

Note that contents are now grouped under general headings. Hovering over a menu item will reveal a dropdown menu.

For any question or comment, please click on “Contact Us” button.

Three of our own attained the exalted status of Life Master at the Victoria Regional last week.

Congratulations to Nev Hircock, Ann Mazuruk and Reta Morrison.

Ably chaired by Jan Galenza, the Victoria Regional, held April 13-19, was a huge success with a total attendance of 1116 tables. Local participation was over 35%, much higher than the usual rate of 15-25% at Regionals. For full details of the tournament, head to tinyurl.com/d19vic2015, where you will find Bruce McIntyre’s daily Bridge on the Island bulletins, as well as pictures from the event.

Our privacy policy is now available in the Governance section.