Website: hokowhitubridge.org.nz
NEWSLETTER APRIL 2015
Chair Chat
I do hope that you have been enjoying your bridge during the late summer/early autumn. If you have not yet
returned to the bridge table for 2015, we’d love to see you back on Wednesday evenings and/or Thursday
afternoons. If you need to arrange a partnership, give the relevant hostess a call, as Maureen and Joy will be
pleased to assist.
Beginners Lessons for 2015
The Club will be offering another series of beginners’ lessons in 2015. Lessons will begin on Wednesday April 15,
and will run for 10 weeks, fee $25. Alister Stuck has again very kindly offered his services as tutor. Please spread
the word to your friends, neighbours, family members who might be interested in learning bridge – word of mouth
is the best recommendation. For further information, or to register, email [email protected]
New Board Member
The 2015 Board welcomes Tim Coolbear to the Board as a co-opted member. We are especially pleased to have
one of our novice players – and newer Club members – serving on the Board. Zheng Zhang, who was elected as a
new Board member at the last AGM, has resigned from the Board (and the Club) for personal reasons.
Intermediate Tournament 19 April
Save the date: Our annual Intermediate Tournament is coming up on Sunday 19 April. We'd like to see lots of our
own club members playing in this tournament, which is open to Juniors and Novices as well as Intermediates. To
register your partnership for the tournament, email [email protected] or phone/text Shirley
Barnett on 021 254 5119.
There will also be opportunities to assist with tournament tasks -- our chief organiser, John McCartin, will be
inviting offers of assistance in the near future.
Club Championships
Although the 2015 Club Championships do not begin until 1 July, the Board felt it would be helpful to publicise the
competition rules well ahead of time, so that members have sufficient time to consider their partnerships. See
separate feature.
Good bridging,
Julie Bunnell
WEDNESDAY WINNERS
Winners of Spring Pairs played in October last year were Graeme Donaldson and Janice Willoughby with Maria
Lukkassen and Lita Poll-Verhaar in second place. Handicap winners were Chris Abbey and Janine Fenelon.
November End Of Year Pairs winners were Alister Stuck and Peter Wiles with Frank Dunlop and Mary Scott in
second place.
In February this year the winners were Rohan Wewala and Peter Wiles with Jill Hart and John Benton winners on
handicap.
MEMBERS
Resignations:
The resignations of Robin Davis, Fay Main, Margaret Vaughan, Isabelle Vanderkolk and Zheng
Zhang were accepted with regret. Please amend your phone lists accordingly.
New Members:
Tony Paterson has joined the Club. Please do make him feel welcome. His telephone number is 356 2043.
If you have a spare date in your bridge diary give him a call and invite him to play.
Please be considerate to the hostess for Wednesday Evening and Thursday Afternoon.
They do need to know how many tables to set up and numbers attending so that a half table
can be avoided if possible. Could you please let them know in advance if you intend to
play or if you have to cancel. Please advise as soon as you are able.
Bridge Books for Sale
The club has ten copies of the THE BRIDGE BOOK for sale, at $15 per copy. This book, authored by
Tina McVeigh and Graeme Tuffnell and published by House of Cards in Christchurch, is a great reference
book for newer players, or players new to ACOL. Tim Mordaunt has kindly donated these books to the
club. Many thanks, Tim! You can acquire a copy at any Wednesday or Thursday playing session upon
payment of $15 to Graeme Donaldson.
Slow Play Reminder
Occasionally there will be some boards which require extra time/thought. However please be
courteous to other players and do not hold up play unnecessarily, or as a previous
member/instructor Gordon Smith used to say……make your mistakes quickly ! The NZ Bridge
Association have some helpful hints on their website to assist with slow play :Greet your opponents but don't discuss your day
Learn to sort your hand quickly
Your bid should be legible and try to get it on the pad quickly
Learn to put dummy down quickly
Assess before you start to play
Don't take forever to get a detached card on to the table
If Declarer, do not reach over and play the cards from Dummy
Claim when you can
Don't post-mortem until after you have played all the boards in your round
Hokowhitu Bridge Club 2015 Club Championships
The Board is pleased to advise the rules under which the 2015 Hokowhitu Bridge Club Championships will be played.
The 2015 Club Championships will be played over six weeks commencing on 1 July and concluding on 5 August. Members are
encouraged to commit themselves to playing the full six weeks of the Club Championships.
The Club Championships will be played in two grades, “Tournament” and “Progressive”. The winners in each grade will have
their names engraved on an appropriate plaque, which will be presented to them at the Club’s annual prize-giving in December.
Eligibility
Participation in the club championships is open to all members of the Hokowhitu Bridge Club who have paid the 2015
subscription.
Assignment to Tournament and Progressive Grades
Assignment to Tournament or Progressive grade will be based on two characteristics of the partnership:
Past Progressive Grade winner – If either member of the partnership has previously won the Progressive Grade
competition, the pair will play in the Tournament grade
2. Partnership Rating Points – If the combined NZ Bridge Rating Points of the partnership is 25 or more, the pair will play
in the Tournament grade
Please note that the Board reserves the right to make minor adjustments to Tournament/Progressive grade assignment to ensure
suitable pair numbers in each grade.
1.
You can find out your NZ Bridge Rating Points by looking yourself (or anybody else) up on the NZCBA website. Go to
www.nzcba.co.nz/online-points.html and search by your NZ bridge number or by surname. We also have the list of current
Rating Points on display in the bridge cupboard at the Bowling Club.
Determination of Winners
Determination of the winners in each grade will be based on the best five scores obtained by a partnership. Subject to the
substitution rule below, each partnership may drop their worst score from the calculation of rank. If a partnership is absent from
one night of the competition then all of their remaining five scores will contribute. If a partnership is absent for two or more
nights, they will no longer be eligible to win in the Club Championships.
Substitution Rule
A partnership is permitted a maximum of two substitutions during the six weeks of competition. If two substitutions occur, then
it is mandatory to discard the score from one of the sessions containing a substitute.
Substitutes should be at a level similar to, or lower than, the person for whom they are substituting, with level measured by
rating points.
All substitutions for the Club Championships will be arranged by the Wednesday evening hostess, Maureen Watts. Substitutes
must also be current financial members of Hokowhitu Bridge Club, other than in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of
the hostess.
Visitors
With appropriate prior notification to the Wednesday hostess, visiting pairs from another club may take part in one or more
sessions of the club championships. Any visiting pair will be treated as a “phantom” for scoring purposes.
Julie Bunnell, Chairperson
Hokowhitu Bridge Club
27 March 2015