If the director scheduled to run a session determines for any reason that a game is to be canceled, an email will be sent to players for whom we have a valid email address. A notice will also be posted to the home page of this website. Both notifications will be made by 7:30 AM.

Note: We make our own determination as to whether to cancel a game, and no longer follow the lead of the RSU 13 school sysem.

If you have any doubts about whether a game will be canceled please check this website before heading out. And please don't drive in any weather that makes you feel in the least bit uncomfortable. Stay safe!

11/29/23

If the director scheduled to run a session determines for any reason that a game is to be canceled, an email will be sent to players for whom we have a valid email address. A notice will also be posted to the home page of this website. Both notifications will be made by 7:30 AM. ..........

This website provides an excellent tool for hand analysis. Here’s how it works:

• In the “Results” column to the right of this page, click on the date of the session in which the hand was played.
• Click on your pair in the overall rankings (in the “Players” column).
• In the upper right corner of the page that’s next displayed, click on the small gray box displaying the number of the hand you want to review/replay.
• When the hand is displayed, click on the “Play it again” button about midway down the page and to the right.
• Click on the “BSOL” button (but note that there are other means by which the hand can be analyzed and replayed).
• The next page displays the hand.  Each intersection of strain and declarer shows the best possible result given ideal defense and declarer play.  A hyphen indicates that a contract cannot be made by that declarer in that strain.  The box highlighted in yellow indicates the strain and declarer as played.
• Choose a combination of contract strain and declarer to analyze by clicking on that intersection.
• After selecting a strain and declarer, click the “Play” button.
• At this point the hand of the defender on lead is displayed.  Each card in that hand displays the maximum number of tricks that player’s side can potentially score if that card is led.
• Click that card, and the next hand in rotation will be displayed.  From that point forward the highlight the hand on lead and the number of tricks that can be scored -by that side - for each legal play available.

Enjoy!

8/12/21

This website provides an excellent tool for hand analysis. Here’s how it works:

• In the “Results” column to the right of this page, click on the date of the session in which the hand was played.
• Click on your pair in the overall rankings (in the “Players” column). ..........

Looking for a partner for one or two games, or maybe looking to form a regular partnership? Try using our "Messages" function.

• Click the blue "Members only" button to the left of this page.
• Log in using your email address or ACBL #. A password is required, primarily to protect comtact data against viewing by people outside of our club.  Instructions for setting a password are provided on the login page.  If neither your ACBL number nor email address is recognized by the system, contact Lance at lbtcg987@gmail.com.
• Click the "Messages" tab. If you see a message created by a person looking for a partner and you're interested...contact them!  If not, don't leave without creating your own message:
  • Click the "New Message" button.
  • Create your message and click the "Save" button.  You can delete or modify your message any time by clicking the "Amend" button to the far right of the page.
  • Make sure to include your contact data, dates you're interested in, and any other information that would help someone decide whether they'd like to play with you.

If you have any problems with the Messages function, please contact Lance and he'll help you out.

6/28/21

Looking for a partner for one or two games, or maybe looking to form a regular partnership? Try using our "Messages" function.

• Click the blue "Members only" button to the left of this page.
• Log in using your email address or ACBL #. ..........

New alert and announcement procedures have been established by ACBL effective the first of this year.  Here is a link:

to an ACBL website page which explains the new procedures in complete detail. 

Most of the changes are relevant only to advanced bidding systems that are rarely if ever used at our club, so this post will highlight only the changes as they relate to the bidding systems which are.   If you detect an omission please feel free to let me know and I’ll edit this post.

Let’s all be patient as we transition to these new procedures.  It will take time to become accustomed to them and get them into routine use (remember when NT openers didn’t require announced HCP ranges and suddenly did…?).

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Pre-Alerts

Strong club – If a 1C opener is artificial and forcing, announce “We play a strong one club opener.”

Announcements

Transfer - If a call is artificial and intended as a transfer to a suit partner of the bidder should announce just the suit.  Example: 1NT P 2H…”Spades.” 

Short club - If a 1C opener could be short, announce in the form “Could be X” where X is the minimum length of the suit.

Alerts - required/not required

Relays - A call that is an artificial relay to a suit (which might then be corrected to another)...requires an alert. Examples: 1NT P 2S (relay to clubs, could be corrected to diamonds), or 1NT X (relay to clubs using “DONT”).  Partner should alert the call and provide an explanation only if asked.  If 2S is a transfer to clubs, partner should announce "Clubs."

Support double – Example: 1C P 1H 1S X.  “X” shows three card heart support…no longer requires an alert. 

Support redouble - Example: 1C P 1H X XX.  “XX” shows three card heart support…no longer requires an alert. 

Natural jump shift by responder – Example: 1S P 3C (showing clubs, whether weak, intermediate or strong) in an uncontested auction (or, “not in competition”)…no longer requires an alert.  If the jump shift is artificial, it still needs to be alerted. Example: 1S P 3C (Reverse Bergen raise showing four card spade support and limit raise values) must be alerted.

Delayed alerts

Some conventional bids require a delayed alert (the alert is issued at the end of the auction and before the opening lead). Example: 1H P 2NT P 4S - if the pair is using “kickback” 4S is a control-asking bid, equivalent to 4NT in the 1430 system.  The alert is delayed, and when the alert is given the explanation should also include any control bids that were made during the auction, without requiring the defense to ask about them.

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Reminders about general alert/announcement procedures

Upon the request of an opponent a player must fully explain the meaning of any of their partner’s calls including any inferences from related auctions and from partnership experience.  When asked for an explanation please avoid simply stating a convention name, and don’t accept a convention name as a response to your request for an explanation.  If 1S P 3C is a Bergen raise, don’t respond to a request for explanation with “Bergen.”  Instead, respond with “A constructive raise with four card spade support”  

Alerts must be made verbally by saying the word “Alert” and visually by tapping the “Alert” strip or showing the “Alert” card in the bidding box. When a call has been alerted an opponent, at their turn to call, may ask about its meaning. The preferred form of the question is a simple “Please explain.”

Penalties for failing to alert are not automatic. However a player who is misinformed by an opponent’s failure to alert will be protected. A player who does not ask about an alerted call will not be protected, even if the meaning of the call is not what they expect. Note that experienced/skilled players are expected to protect themselves and ask for an explanation if they feel a call was not properly alerted.

If you are not sure whether to alert a call, err on the side of alerting it. You should alert a call that requires (or may require) an alert even if you do not remember its meaning. However, do not alert any call that the new procedures indicate should not be alerted. 

Finally, do not ask for an explanation of a call, whether alerted or not, if your primary purpose is to clarify the call for your partner’s benefit. The answer given to you would constitute unauthorized information given to your partner.

4/13/21

New alert and announcement procedures have been established by ACBL effective the first of this year.  Here is a link:

to an ACBL website page which explains the new procedures in complete detail. 

Most of the changes are relevant only to advanced bidding systems that are rarely if ever used at our club, so this post will highlight only the changes as they relate to the bidding systems which are. ..........