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The Bridge Hub

April 2024

By

Deanna Stewart and Sherry Kinkopf

Welcome back to the Bridge Hub. We will hold our annual elections on May 8th. Plan on bringing a dish as we elect officers, celebrate each other’s accomplishments, and play bridge. 

 

President’s Report: Sherry Kinkopf

I am proud to have served you this past year as president and look forward to continuing to work to grow our unit in any way that I can. I will also be writing the District 10 Newsletter. Please check it out and share anything that you think needs to be included to represent our unit. 

 

Directors review: Deanna Stewart

This month we will look at the fourth of the Big Five Boo Boos that occur at the bridge table: Bids/Passes/ and or Doubles out of rotation.

 

Law 31: Bid out of rotation

A bid out of rotation can occur when it is either RHO or partner’s turn to bid.

• A bid is established if the next person in line bids.

• A bid is not established if the next person in line has not bid.

• Director is called and options are reviewed:

• First option is the next person can accept the bid and the auction proceeds normally.

• Second option is not to accept the bid.

• The bid is withdrawn and the person whose turn it is can make a call or pass

• If that person passes, the offender must make the same exact bid.

• If that person bids, the offender must make a comparable call in order to not suffer further penalties for their side. 

Law 23: Comparable call

This law explains what a comparable call is. It must have the same meaning as the original bid that was made out of rotation in spirit. It must convey the same point count range and imply the same suit. The bid can be more specific if it includes the same information, but it can not expand the meaning. 

Example: 1 club bid out of rotation. Bid is not accepted. Opponent bids 1 spade. A takeout double expands meaning and is not comparable. Two clubs is a comparable call  if the partnership would have an opening hand to overcall at the two level , if not then there is not a comparable call. Director will ask to see your convention card to verify your agreements on the point range for a two level overcall. 

• If a bid out of rotation is not accepted, the director must pull the offender aside and explain the caveat of a comparable call. 

• If a comparable call is made, the auction continues normally with no rectification or restrictions on the partner of the offender and no lead restrictions would apply. 

• If a comparable call can not be made, the partner of the offender must pass for one round and if this partnership ends up on defense, lead restrictions may apply. 

Law 30. Pass out of rotation

A pass out of rotation can occur when it is RHO or partner’s turn to call.

• The pass is established if next person line bids or passes before realizing the pass was out of rotation. 

• A pass is not established if next in line has not made a call.

• Director is called and options are reviewed.

Director reviews options :

• The next person in line may accept the pass and bidding proceeds without any penalty or rectification.

• The next person may decline the  pass and bid reverts back to the actual person whose turn it is to bid. If that person passes, offender must pass also

• If it is the partner’s turn to bid and they make an opening bid, RHO passes, the offender must make a comparable call. 

Example: If a pass out or rotation offender has one or both majors after one of a minor by partner  is made, Offender can not bid one of the major because that bid does not limit point count.

If a comparable call is not made, the partner must pass for one round and lead restrictions may apply if the pair ends up on defense. 

Law 36 : Doubles out of rotation

A double out of rotation is always going to be an inadmissible bid. Exception would be if a double is inadvertently pulled out and the offender meant to pull out a pass, the director could change the law back to pass out of rotation. 

An inadmissible double carries heavy penalties. Partner must pass the remainder of the auction!

Educational Liaison Report: Deanna Stewart

We are now in the middle of our second beginner 2 series: Supervised play. Monday nights from 5:30 to 7:30pm. This six week course is designed to give our students confidence at the bridge table and hopefully bring them into the fold. We want them to start playing soon. 

I am recommending that we consider adding a newcomer’s game to our schedule to help acclimate our newer players. A newcomer’s game is defined as 0-20 point maximum . It could be played concomitantly with one of our regular games. We would need 2 and ½ tables in the newcomer game. These tables count towards the master point reward of the concomitant open game. 

Featuring: Sue Cunningham

by Sherry Kinkopf

Not only does Sue Cunningham hail from the state of Texas, but she also hails from a family that enjoyed playing games of all sorts. Some of Sue’s earliest memories are of her parents, aunts, uncles, and friends playing games every weekend during family BBQs. One of the family’s favorite games was Texas 42 which is played with dominoes–and, bridge fans, this game allows pairs to name trumps with dominoes.  Once Sue understood the concept of trumps in Texas 42, she was fascinated and hooked on trumping opponents.  

From childhood to highschool. Sue continued her love of games and ultimately learned card games like Rook, Hearts, and Spades; it’s probably not a coincidence that she gravitated to these games that featured trumps as a part of the strategy. “My family moved to the styx between Purvis and Baxterville when I was a teenager, and there was nothing to do!”.  Sue recalls that her parents generously converted their garage as a hang-out space for Sue and her brother and all of their friends because they wanted their children to have a space to gather with friends. They would cram six or seven card tables in the garage and play Spades or Hearts until the wee hours of the morning.  

Graduation came and Sue went off to college where she met a boy from Joplin, Missouri.  This chap’s family introduced Sue to the ultimate trump game:  Bridge.  She learned a bid during her time in college, but wasn’t yet hooked on this more complicated game.  Bridge players know that while you can learn how to play Rook, Hearts, or Spades in one sitting, it takes years to develop into a bridge player.  After college came medical school for Sue and games took a bit of a backseat until she began working in Hattiesburg as a physician.

One of Sue’s ER doc friends, Bryan Archer, would talk about bridge; Bryan and his father played duplicate bridge in Hattiesburg and may be remembered by some of our members.  Sue learned that the Archers were serious players who went to tournaments, including the NABCs. Sue renewed her interest in learning bridge and talked with Bryan about playing.  “One day I got to work and Bryan told me I was going to go to the Country Club and take lessons from Janet Slay” she remembers.  She went and in 2000-2001 she started her bridge journey witn friends Paula Potter and Diane Cameron.  At first, she dabbled mostly in party bridge with friends,but she and Paul started to play bridge at The Big House where they met Bobo Shearer.  Bobo offered lessons to the ladies for the cost of a good meal at their house–a bargain for sure to learn from Bobo who is a phenomenal player.  

It was a year or two later that Sue got a call from Bryan Archer about playing bridge.  “He called me and said he needed a partner and that I was going to play with him” she remembers fondly.  She had never seen a bidding box and knew nothing about how boards and scoring and moving around worked.  “The first hand we played I opened a weak 2 and Bryan put me in 7 Spades!”  she laughed.  “Of course I didn’t make it, but it’s something I’ll never forget because we got a good board by keeping the opponents out of their game”.  That game was enough to transform this game playing lady into a fierce duplicate player.  She and her friend Paula began to play more at The Big House, which she managed by trading days with her doctor friends in exchange for afternoons off to play bridge.  

Sue did move to Arkansas for a few years and didn’t play much there, but moving back to Hattiesburg brought her back to the game.  Retirement has given her more time to enjoy playing and learning more about this game we call bridge.

 

Trumps or No Trump? By Sherry Kinkopf

I’m always fascinated by histories, which is why I enjoy interviewing our members about their bridge stories.  But, I also have a love of the history of words and am sometimes struck with how a word came to be. As I talked to Sue, I wondered about the history of the word “trump” and why it is used in our beloved game.  Here’s what I learned: 

trump (n.1) "playing card of a suit ranking above others," 1520s, alteration of triumph (n.), which also was the name of a card game."surpass, beat," 1580s, from trump (n.). Related: Trumped; trumping. (https://www.etymonline.com/word/trump)

 

Did you know? By Deanna Stewart

As I look around the room during our bridge games, I notice a preponderance of women playing this challenging game. That made me start thinking about who is considered the best female bridge player of all time.

Helen Sobel Smith

"In my lifetime — said Edgar Kaplan,  former editor and publisher of The Bridge World, "she is the only woman bridge player who was considered the best player in the world. She knows how to play a hand."  Smith learned to play bridge while a chorus girl in the Marx Brothers’ Animal Crackers and won her first national title, the Women’s Pairs, in 1934. She became Life Master #25 in 1941. Smith’s style was frisky and aggressive — so aggressive that "some of her male partners were intimidated," Kaplan said. "These guys felt they were playing in the Mixed Pairs and they were the girl."

1944 was a banner year for Smith — she won the Vanderbilt, the Spingold, the Women’s teams and the Master Mixed Teams and placed second in the Reisinger.  By 1948, she had amassed the greatest number of masterpoints of any woman, taking over the top spot from Sally Young, and holding it until 1964.  She won 35 national titles — the Vanderbilt twice, the Spingold five times and the Reisinger four times — and the McKenney Trophy ( 

She often played with Charles Goren who was considered the King of Bridge. When another chorus girl asked her what it felt like playing with such an expert? Helen replied: I don’t know. Ask him.

She married Stanley Smith in 1966, (her fourth husband) and retired for two years. She died in a Detroit hospital at the age of 60 after a long battle with cancer. The monthly ACBL Bulletin remembered her as a player "without a peer among women and very few peers among men. Helen played like a man, it was true. But she also played like a lady."[9]

At the Spring NABC  each year, The Smith Pairs is named after this remarkable bridge player. 

 

Rank Advancements: 

Let’s give a shout out to these members who moved up in the ranks in the past two past months. Sorry guys it seems to be the girl’s turn this time!

Sarah Finnicum : Club Master

                                 

Karen Furini: Junior Master

Becky Wilson: Sectional Master

 

Deanna Stewart: Silver Life Master

 

 “Successful women have an aura that says I belong in this seat.” , Cathy Black

 

 

/TinyFileManager/resources/files/200///march 2024 bridge hub pdf

 

The Bridge Hub

March 2024

Deanna Stewart and Sherry Kinkopf

 

President’s Report: Sherry Kinkopf

 

I am proud to report turnout at both clubs is looking good. As a unit through March 11th we have had 189 tables. This equates to 7.3 tables per game. As a reminder for all of 2022 we had 4.7 tables per game and for 2023 we had 5.8 tables per game (23% increase in tables per game from 2022 to 2023 ) . Now let’s compare the first three months of 2024 to the previous years.  2023 to 2024 there is a 25% increase thus far and  2022 to 2024 has a 54 % increase thus far! This makes me proud. We are growing . People are feeling better about coming to play face to face bridge again. My goal is to continue these trends through growth of our clubs and new members coming to play. 

 

It will soon be time to have our annual meeting for the unit and to elect new officers. The nominating committee has met and made recommendations. In early April  the board of directors will meet to review the recommendations and finalize the new slate of officers. The new slate will then be presented at the annual meeting to you the membership at large for your approval on May 8, 2024.

 

We will plan on a potluck lunch to celebrate our annual awards day and recognize everyone who moved up in the ranks in 2023! I would also like to recognize our players who play the most consistently across the available games who are helping to drive our table counts up. 

 

Fear isn’t an excuse to come to a standstill. It’s the impetus to step up and strike.

Arthur Ashe

 

Director’s review: by Deanna Stewart

We are learning about the Big Five Boo Boos that occur at the bridge table and the laws that govern these errors. In January’s newsletter, we discussed leads out of turn. In February’s newsletter, we learned about the revoke. Now it is time to address the exposed card or the PENALTY CARD.

 

Exposed cards can happen in several ways. The laws that deal with these occurrences depend on the circumstances in which a card was exposed.

The laws that cover this topic include: 24,46,48-53.

1. A card is dropped for all to see either during removal of cards from the board initially or accidentally during the bidding phase 

2. A card is led out of turn and the declarer chooses the option of deeming it a penalty card

3. A card is dropped during the play of the hand by the defender

4. A card is played inadvertently during the play of the hand. ( A revoke that is immediately recognized by the offending player or a player accidentally pulls out two cards at one time)

5. A card is inadvertently exposed where partner can possibly see it during play of hand ( this relates to how you hold the cards)

 

Penalty Cards: Laws 50-52

1. A card that is exposed during the auction is either a major or a minor penalty card. Anything that is a10 or higher is considered a major penalty card. This differentiation is also made if during the play of the hand two cards are inadvertently pulled out at once. 

2. If the same player exposes a second card on the same hand , it is automatically a major penalty card. 

3. A penalty card must be played at the next legal opportunity. 

1. Example: You accidentally drop the Ace of clubs out of your hand. It is now a major penalty card. DECLARER is playing a spade contract and is drawing trumps. You are out of trumps. You must now play your ace of clubs. Once the penalty card has been played the law is satisfied. 

 

Educational liaison report: Deanna Stewart

We have now completed our second beginner class. We are offering a beginner two class again. This is supervised play. Anyone who needs a refresher is welcome to join us. Dates: April first through May 6th from 5:30 to 7:30pm.

 

Our intermediate group is examining the convention card. This is the ACBL link which explains the card and defines all abbreviations. The ACBL requires a complete, legible, identical convention card to be completed by each partnership during a game.

https://www.bridgewebs.com/nwt/How%20to%20Fill%20Out%20the%20New%20CC.pdf

 

Featuring: by Sherry Kinkopf

Vivian Carver.

 

Some people are born into a family of bridge players, others find bridge in unexpected ways.  For Vivien Carver, bridge wasn’t in her family’s DNA, but she learned about the game from her dear friend, and ours, Lillian Range.  Lil and Vivien were academics at Southern Miss and neighbors, so a natural friendship developed and part of their time together was a daily walk.  With every step they took, Lil explained her recent bridge experiences—at first, Vivien listened to Lil’s excitement about hands and conventions, and doubles, and down 1 stories. All of this to the untrained ear must have seemed like a foreign language, but Viv’s academic instincts and natural curiosity turned into a quest to learn the game Lil spoke of so passionately.In 2016, Vivien found herself learning bridge from Ellen Davies White at Ollie.  Vivien played some party bridge while she learned, but her competitive side kicked in and she and Lil started playing duplicate through BBO.  Many times Vivien almost quite—we’ve all been there—but her drive for becoming better won out in the end.  She’s worked with other beginning players in small groups, teaching them what her teachers have taught her.  She continues to learn more about bridge by studying what experts say about this convention or that—knowing it is sometimes frustrating that there is no one answer and that bridge players will never “know it all”. 

Vivien is a treasure for all of us, and I thank her for sharing her bridge story with me and with you.

 

 

 

Did you know? by Deanna Stewart

 

The laws of a duplicate bridge game were first published in 1928. The initial laws were influenced by Harold Vanderbilt when in 1925 he changed bridge altogether with the current concept of scoring. The board was used and the idea of a director was introduced. Initially the laws were promulgated by the Portland bridge club in London and the Whist club in NYC. As the game of bridge grew world wide, The World Bridge Federation was formed and the duplicate bridge laws are now commissioned and interpreted through this organization. The ACBL commissions its version with American spelling, but incorporates all changes by the WBF. The latest version was updated in late September of 2017.

 

 

The Bridge Hub

February 2024

Deanna Stewart and Sherry Kinkopf

We are back again. Here is what is happening in our unit. 

 

President’s Report: Sherry Kinkopf

 

We are off to a great start.We have just had our sectional tournament. Thank you to everyone who participated.  It was so uplifting to see everyone pull together and show off our Hattiesburg hospitality. 

 

We also recently participated in STAC week through District 10. Monday at the RKDC we had 5 tables. Three pairs made the overalls out of 76 tables: Peggy Brian/Louann Knight; Skip Dews/Patsy Fagan; and Sherry Kinkopf/ Martin Booda. Wednesday’s game at the HDBC had 8 ½ tables. Five pairs made the overalls out of 60 ½ tables: Deanna Stewart/ Sherry Kinkopf (2nd);Tommie Wright/Sandra Baggett; Jane Shurden/Cathy Gersh;Skip Dews/Patsy Fagan; and Cathy Garner/Lynn Stuart. Friday’s game at the HDBC had five tables.Three pairs made the overall out of 65 tables: Janice Kirkpatrick/ Sandra Baggett (5th); Sue Hegwood /Linda Valentine; and Sue Cunningham/ Lynn Stuart. First through fifth place district wide gets a multiplier on the number of points won for the day! 

 

Director’s section: Deanna Stewart

 

In the last newsletter we reviewed leads out of turn. In this newsletter we will continue our journey through the Big Five “Boo Boos” that occur at the bridge table. This time we will look at the REVOKE.

A revoke is failing to follow suit when you can or failing to lead a suit required after an irregularity is committed by your side.  

• A revoke can be by either side

• A revoke becomes established once the offending side plays to the next trick; therefore if you are declarer and revoke on a trick and do not win the trick but realize you revoked once one of the opponents leads again as long as you do not play to that trick and call the director the revoke is not established.

Prevention of a revoke if possible is ideal. So this is a list of who can ask a player if they are out of a suit to prevent a revoke from being established.

1. Dummy may ask declarer if he is out of a suit played, but may not ask either defender

2. Declarer may ask either defender if they are out of a suit played

3. A defender may ask partner if they are out of a suit played

A revoke must be corrected once attention has been brought to it if it is non-established.

• If revoke was by declarer, the card is withdrawn and replaced by a legal card. Declarer may place the misplayed card back in hand.

• If a revoke was by the defender, the card is laid aside as a major penalty card and replaced with a legal card. 

• A subsequent card played after the revoke may be withdrawn and replaced with another card if so desired.The non- offending partner is not penalized personally.

A revoke on the twelfth trick must be corrected once realized even if the winner of the trick is established.

If a revoke is by a defender, once corrected partner may not use this to his advantage

A revoke is established once the offender or his partner plays the next trick.

A revoke is established when the offender or his partner designates or names a card to be played to the next trick.

A revoke is established once a claim has been made.

A revoke is established when agreement or concession occurs to one’s claim

A revoke may no longer be corrected once established and hand is played out. One of four things will happen:

1. No adjustment needed. The offending side did not win the revoking trick or a trick after the revoke.

2. Automatic trick transfer: one trick. Offending side won the revoking trick or just one trick after the revoke

3. Automatic trick transfer: two tricks. Offending side won the revoking trick and one more afterwards

4. If the above trick transfers are not deemed sufficient because of extenuating circumstances, the director adjusts the score to the likely result as if no revoke had occurred. 

Educational Liaison Report: Deanna Stewart

We have started teaching a new cohort of beginning bridge students. We have six new students starting the journey with us and one popping in for a refresher. Anyone from our last series is welcome to join us to review and refresh. The Beginning series is from 5:30 to 7: 30 pm Monday nights through March 4th. 

Please welcome our new students:  Sharon Coats and her two daughters , Dixie Coats and Victoria Harris, Loryn Davis, Martha Davis , Rebecca Altymer, and Sonya Woodard

Pictured: Victoria Harris, Martha Davis,Deanna Stewart, Dixie Coats and Sharon Coats. 

 

 

Featuring: by Sherry Kinkopf 

 Diane Cameron

Like many bridge players, Diane Cameron’s journey is long and fragmented by time and place.  Diane recalls that her mother-in-law, Yvonne Lewis (her late husband’s mother) was the first person she encountered who played bridge.  Yvonne was a “master player”, according to Dianne, and she traveled to tournaments regularly.  “She was very clever with her play and dedicated to the game–none of her children played and I was the first family member to take an interest” Diane remembers.  As a young mother, Dianne decided she wanted to learn the craft and took lessons in downtown Hattiesburg at what is now  the cultural center.  Joined by friends Martha Johnson, Gail Moore, and Rosi Johnson, her journey began some 52 years ago.  

 

Because Diane was a teacher by day,  she was only able to play party bridge in the evenings. Try as she might to enjoy both bridge and family, she soon discovered that she didn’t have the time to play bridge, teach school, and have a toddler.  Life and family took Diane away from bridge and  Hattiesburg for some years. She moved back in 2004.  It was at this time that her interest in bridge resurfaced.  Diane laughs and says that “I took lessons from just about anyone in Hattiesburg that would teach me: Janet Slay, Ellen White, Bobo Shearer, Linda Valentine, and Tommie Wright.   Diane says it has been good for her to have had so many talented teachers.  With a renewed interest, she found her home again in party bridge from 2004 to 2014 with a group of 8 ladies who gathered regularly for the cards, socialization and the friendships that bridge offers.  After her retirement in 2008, Diane played with friends regularly. But, all good things come to an end and a duplicate bridge came calling to this tight group of friends. 

 

In 2014, her friend , Betty Archer and several other ladies from her Timberton group, discovered a duplicate bridge game. The group disbanded to go on and try their “hand” at this new version of bridge.  Diane recalls that bridge gave her something  to do with her time in her retirement years. Diane remembers how fascinating the scoring was in duplicate compared to party bridge–she enjoyed learning how she fared in each game compared to the other players in the club.  “It’s so different to compare yourself to others”, she says. She may not consider herself as much of a student of bridge as she should be for the sake of my partners, but Diane’s love of the game and her friends keeps her coming back each week.   Diane says that “I compare it (bridge) to golf–I understand what “ making a great shot in golf”  is like, because if I have a decent score in a bridge game it makes me want to go back for more. “ I still enjoy the challenge of bridge”. 

Did you know? By Deanna Stewart

ACBL MASTERPOINT PLAN: https://www.acbl.org/masterpoints/

The ACBL masterpoint plan is the way of ranking yourself against other members of the organization. It is designed to promote achievement in steps of accomplishment. To achieve higher and higher ranks, one must broaden the level of competition beyond the local club. That is why there are different colors of points. We just hosted a sectional tournament which awards silver points. These tournaments are designed to draw players from about a 100 to 200 mile radius of your club to increase competition. Each level of accomplishment requires one to play in larger and larger tournaments. For our new players, we hoped you enjoyed the experience of meeting people outside of our club who also love this game and who traveled to play. Enjoy the ride through the colored points as you experience different levels of play and travel to chase the “silver and gold”!

 

Congratulations to Lynn Stuart who moved up to NABC Master and Jane Shurden who achieved Silver Life Master status in January! Please congratulate these ladies when you see them.

 

“The only thing that will stop you from fulfilling your dreams is you.”

 

– Tom Bradley

 

The Bridge Hub

January 2024

Welcome to a brand new year. We are excited to share what is happening here in Hattiesburg with you. 

 

President’s Report: Sherry Kinkopf

We had a lovely holiday season of sharing meals, fun and bridge. Thank you to everyone who helped. If you missed Sandra Bagget’s and Cathy Gersh’s Dirty Santa party, make plans to attend next year–so much fun. 

 

From a business standpoint, our unit is doing quite well. We are growing and excited about our new members. Our table counts grew from 4.7 in 2022 to 5.8 for 2023. That equates to 23% growth for our unit.  We owe that to people who play consistently.  Sandra Baggett, Peggy Brian, Betty Bradley, Cathy Garner,  Pat Millette, Peggy Roberts, Linda Valentine, and Connie Wyldmon  played at every game available in the month of December.  Thanks for coming.

 

I mentioned in the last newsletter the push from ACBL to hold units accountable for their education funds received through the organization. Currently, 11 % of what we pay to the ACBL is returned to us for education. The latest proposal takes it one step further. ACBL has proposed a 5/ 5/ 5 program. You get 5% back automatically, 5 % for retaining and bringing back lapsed members and 5 % for recruiting new members.  We all will need to be involved to keep up and keep growing! 

 

* Table counts are calculated based on ACBL data. Total counts for HDBC and RKBC are added and divided by the total number of days played to reflect our average table count per game as a unit. 

Club manager’s report: Cathy Gersh:

Let’s review some of the common reasons for a director to be called to the table. 

Ooops, I led out of turn!  Leading out of turn is a fairly common event at the bridge table. There are three (3) types of leads out of turn:

 

When a lead out of turn occurs, the first thing for the declarer to do is to call for the director:  “Director, please”.  Once the director arrives, he/she will explain the options available to the declarer. If it is an opening lead out of turn then as declarer you have five options available to you. It is important for you, as the declarer, to listen to all five (5) options and consider which is most beneficial to the line of play. 

In the example below the five of spades is led out of turn on go. 

 

A declarer can also make a lead out of turn during the play.  For example, if the declarer took a trick in the dummy but then led from his/her hand or vice versa, this is a lead out of turn.  I think too often we don’t call the director for this event, but we should!  I think people assume since the declarer can not have a penalty card that it does not matter. But if Declarer leads from Dummy, RHO follows and LHO speaks up and says: Hey: You were in your hand! Declarer now has new information. Director needs to be called.

However; if information is gleaned from the incorrect direction of play, and the declarer adopts that new line of play. Law 16 applies. The director needs to be called so that if the score is affected by this line of play an adjustment may be made at the end of the game. 

Here , a defender has  lead out of turn, so the director should be called.

 

 

I hope this information clears up any confusions or concerns.  Remember, your best option for a lead out of turn is to call the director. Make sure you know your options so you can make an informed decision during play. Remember the director is your resource. And remember if you are a new player and have the director called if you mistakenly lead out of turn that it is nothing personal. 

Educational Liaison report: Deanna Stewart

We are striving to grow our club through education.  After a successful 12 week beginner class, we are proud to welcome new members: Imelda Coleman, Melissa Dews, Johnnie Gutherie, Pat Faler, Sarah Finnicum, William Finnicum,  Martha Johnson, Jean Martin, Anne Sylvest and Sonya Woodard.   Our next series is set to start on January 22nd. Time is 5:30 pm . It will run for another six weeks. Please help us spread the word about lessons. Let’s grow this club together. For questions, concerns , or suggestions please feel free to contact me. 

Deanna Stewart: deannakstewart@gmail.com

 

Newcomer Liaison Report:  Beth Davis

Congratulations to newcomers Sonya Woodard and Melissa Dews for a very successful first sectional tournament.  The pair traveled to Metairie to play Thursday, January 5th, for the morning 0-20 game and played two sessions on Friday.  The pair brings home their first tournament wins!  They placed overall in their session Thursday and tied for 2nd/3rd  overall Friday afternoon! Well done, ladies!

 

HUB CITY SECTIONAL report: Deanna Stewart and Sherry Kinkopf

The time to act is now. Please call and invite your friends from other units to come. We are ready. Let’s pull together once again and throw the best sectional in District 10.  We have a sign up sheet posted for snack items on our bulletin board.  We have a food committee who has been hard at work planning menus–this year we will only do a few items through catering services.  Thank you to Denise Weeks, Val Ramsey, Beth Davis, and Karen Furini for volunteering to do the heavy lifting. The theme will be Mardi Gras. 

And it will be very festive with the help of our decorating committee.  So plan to come and play bridge and bring home the silver!

By Sherry Kinkopf

 

Peggy Brian 

 

Watching her mother and grandmother play party bridge inspired Peggy to learn as a junior high school girl.  Her first teacher was a lady from Laurel who had moved to Baton Rouge where Peggy lived with her parents.  As Peggy moved from young adulthood into adulthood, she continued to play “party” bridge in Baton Rouge–her friends called their group the Monday Night Football ladies because they would play while their husbands watched the weekly game–but 20 years later Peggy found herself and her family in Hattiesburg.  It took her 2 years to find other bridge players, but she soon joined a party bridge club where she met Linda Valentine and Sue Hegwood who invited her to play in the group called The Village Girls because they played at their homes in a subdivision called   The Village.  

 

Her bridge life transformed when she met the late Ada Stewart, a long time Hattiesburg Duplicate Bridge Club member.  Ada coaxed a scared Peggy to move from “party” bridge to the “Big House” back when the games were held at the old YMCA.  “The boxes drove me crazy” she recalls because she was used to the norms of party bridge.  However, what hooked her was learning about the systems of bidding that duplicate offered, like transfers–transfers often allude newer players, but Peggy mastered them quickly   These early years were the days before ACBL Scorer and where directors like the late Rex Stamper and Jan Wansley tallied all the traveler tickets to determine scores at the end of the game.  Peggy played at the YMCA location, but didn’t earn a single point until the game moved to the Sigler Center.  

 

Peggy is an integral part of our unit , and we adore Peggy. She may claim to be “over it” when a hand doesn’t play as planned, but we all know she’s never really over it.  Peggy is a die hard bridge player and a force at the card table.

 

Did you know? 

 By Deanna Stewart: 

As the game of contract bridge developed ,more and more conventions were written. The ACBL modified its laws of duplicate bridge and a convention card was developed in the 1950’s. As late as 1956, The Duplicate bridge director’s book said it was acceptable to write your conventions on the back of your score card.

Convention cards were developed and distributed throughout the membership and versions have been  modified over time. The current version is from 2022 and is not very popular. In fact, the ACBL is allowing partnerships to use this version or the previous one in tournaments

 

The next intermediate bridge class will cover how to fill out a convention card. Please join if you find this confusing. 

Dates:  January 17th and January 22nd 10: 00am ( More will be added if needed)

Class size: Unlimited

Eligibility: Any member of Unit 214  

 

Teacher: Deanna Stewart

 

November 2023

THE BRIDGE HUB:  Welcome Back

President’s Report: Sherry Kinkopf

"No matter where I go, I can always make new friends at the bridge table." Martina Navratilova (tennis legend and bridge player)

 

Table counts continued to trend upward this month.  The RKDBC averaged 6 tables per game, and the HDBC averaged 6.68 tables per game. I am so excited to watch our club grow and want to thank each of you for supporting local bridge games. Keep coming because together we make this club a success

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I attended the recent District 10 zoom meeting and would like to update you,  The emphasis was on membership growth through education. Each unit  currently receives an 11 % subsidy for education based on membership dues paid to ACBL.  That money is earmarked for education. The ACBL is planning on holding units accountable for this money. Units will have to show how they are using it for bridge education or lose the money. Fortunately, we now have a formal education program in place.  We have had two of our Beginner I/II students officially join ACBL. This  is wonderful news; help us welcome Sonya Woodard and Martha Johnson to the unit. Additionally, District 10 datadistributed in early October showed that we are currently #1 in the district for new members–wow!  My focus through the remainder of my term will be on growth utilizing bridge education and visibility,  Check our website for news and updates. 

 

                     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Dream big and dare to fail." — Norman Vaughan

 

October 2023: THE BRIDGE HUB

Welcome back. The Bridge Hub is here to report on what is happening in our unit. Good news. Table counts keep rising. We are up to 5.7/game through August of 2023. We averaged 4.7 per game all last year. 

 

President’s Corner: Sherry Kinkopf

 

We are well on our way to a successful year. Table counts are on the rise, interest in bridge education is blooming and we have a presence on the web. Growing and sustaining our unit remains the goal through all of these endeavors. Please continue to support us. Come to games. Reach out to a new player and invite them to play. Volunteer in one of our education initiatives. We need all of you to make this a successful unit for many years to come. 

 

Website:  We are working diligently to keep our Unit website up-to-date with winners and announcements.  If you haven’t checked it out recently, you can look around by visiting https://site.pianola.net/hattiesburg-duplicate-bridge/.  Please let Sherry know if you have any news or information to add to the site.  

 

The Unit 214 fall board meeting was held on September 20, 2023.  The board heard reports from officers and committee members (see minutes linked here).  In keeping with our Unit Mission Statement, the board voted to approve the president’s proposal to focus on local charities in addition to participating in The Longest Day Alzheimer’s charity through ACBL.  If you have a charity in mind, please talk with Pat Millette who will set up a charity game.  

 

 

District 10 Officer Elections are forthcoming in January 2024.  If you would like to run for office, please see the District 10 Newsletter linked here for details. 

 

New Comer Liaison’s report: Beth Davis

 

We have welcomed several new players into the fold over the past year. It is exciting to see these new faces. With more classes being taught, several more are gearing up to test the waters. Please contact me if you would be willing to play with someone new.  A friendly, experienced partner can really solidify a new player's interest in the game. 

 

Be A Mentor

 

Mentorship is the patronage, influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and professional growth of a mentee. Wikipedia

 

Educational Liaison’s report: Deanna Stewart

 

We finished up our beginner lessons on August  30, 2023. We offered a six-week series attended by an average of sixteen people.  We are eager to continue our education endeavors.  A Beginner Two series started September 25 with nine people attending our first class. An intermediate series started September 20th with 10 people delving into new concepts. Several of our beginner students are trying out games and loving them.  Sonya Woodard admits “She is a little bit addicted. ”

 

Hub City Sectional report: Sherry Kinkopf and Deanna Stewart

We are off to a great start. Committees are set and planning has begun. Keep spreading the word when you go to any of the fall and winter tournaments this season. Let’s fill up the Sigler Center! 

Club Manager News/Updates:  Cathy Gersh

 

 

 

While some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouth, bridge players are often born with cards in their hands, which is how Martin Booda began his bridge journey.  Martin’s mother was an avid, fierce bridge player who was privileged to play with partners like Alfredd Scheinwold (bridge expert and prolific writer) and Omar Sharif (famous actor & expert player). In his childhood, Martin’s mother taught their entire family to play, and he kept up the game through college.  

 

Martin played at University Bridge Club and a money game in a dorm called Tuttle Hall–he won enough in the .10 cent-a-point game to help pay for his sophomore year of college!  Now that’s a true card shark!  Word spread across male dorms that Martin and Yoshi could teach others, so young men wanting to date girls at a nearby women’s college flocked to lessons, lining up and out the door of their dorm. Martin’s prodigies included football players and a chess-playing Hungarian friend named Dave Schwartz.  When he moved into Venible Garden Apartments in his sophomore year, he and his friends dubbed the complex Vulnerable Garden Apartments.

 

As his college career ended and he began his professional career, bridge had to take a backseat to life.  Like many players who grew up with the game, he felt a call back to bridge after he retired.  In early 2020, he went out for a geocaching adventure and stumbled upon a notice about bridge games at the Sigler Center in Hattiesburg—rather than catching a treasure that day he caught the bridge bug again.  Martin contacted Cathy Gersh and returned to the face-to-face bridge in Hattiesburg when the Pandemic closures ended.  He’s been a part of our club for several years now!  

 

Announcements:

 

If you qualified to play at the district level NAP and want to play, Mike Stewart has agreed to be our proctor and Deanna Stewart has agreed to host. You need to pre-register by Emailing Jerry Buford (jerryburford6@gmail.com). Deadline October 8th. Jerry will need you and your partner’s name, contact information, ACBL #s,  BBO identities, and flight you intend to play in. The tentative date is October 22, 2023. You will need to bring a laptop or tablet to Deanna’s house. 71 Pecan Acres, Hattiesburg, MS. Please notify Deanna or Sherry of your interest for a head count. deannakstewart@gmail.com or sherrykinkopf@yahoo.com

 

If you do well, you win GOLD!!!!!!! FYI: In 2020, Griffin and Deanna played with Tommie and Bob to try and qualify for the Grand National Teams. Their team was fourth in Flight A and won 18 gold points for fourth place.  They had to play on two different days for that event. This event is one day and two sessions. 

 

THE BRIDGE HUB

Welcome to Unit 214‘s inaugural newsletter, The Bridge Hub. Excitement is in the air as table counts start to rise at all three club games. We are averaging 4.88 tables per game for the first six months of the year. Last year the average was 4.7 for the whole year.  We need to keep up the trends.

Andrew Carnegie

 “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

President’s Message: Sherry Kinkopf

 

I was honored to be considered for the Unit President in June when we lost our beloved Janet Slay.  In Janet’s honor, I accepted the position and hope to do it justice. As unit president, my goal is to continue to show my love of the game and our bridge family. If you have a need, please reach out to me anytime.

 

We will have the fall 2023 board meeting on September 20. Sometime later in the month, we will hold a Unit-wide meeting.

 

Have you checked out our website? It is chock-full of information. We have education, general information,and acknowledgment of member’s accomplishments. See what your peers are up to on our website. Giving our unit visibility is once again at the forefront of the Unit President’s mission.  

Unit 214 In Line with ACBL Initiatives

The ACBL continues to focus attention on two key areas:  membership and education. According to the 2023 Spring Meeting report, “New member recruitment is up 118.6 percent from 2022.”  We are contributing to these numbers.  Our local unit is making strides in keeping up with the goals of the ACBL through both strands.  

In July of this year, President Sherry Kinkopf made an appointment for the Education Liaison position strongly recommended by ACBL.  Deanna Stewart has accepted and completed several projects to focus on education.  What does the Education Liaison do,  you ask?  ACBL defines the appointment as someone who works with the Unit, the district, and the ACBL to implement education initiatives for all levels of players.  As such, Deanna has developed three series to help recruit and retain bridge players for the unit:  Beginner I, Beginner II, and Intermediate.  Each series includes content she has developed, videos for at-home study, outside practice, and two-hour lessons with practice boards.  It has been a huge undertaking for Deanna, but with the help of members like Sherry Kinkopf, Patsy Fagan, Sandra Baggett, Sue Hegwood, Jane Shurden, and Beth Davis, the Beginner I class was a huge success!  The class started with 21 students, and though a few dropped out for personal reasons, we maintained 16 students throughout the series.  And, we have 11 of our students planning to return for Beginner II starting September 20, 2023.

In addition to recruiting new players, the Education Liaison is also responsible for helping advance the play of current members.  Deanna has a plan for that, too!  Intermediate Bridge will begin in September, and we have 9 members registered for this class.  Deanna plans to use the same model of video content at home, short lessons before class, and practice boards to apply new skills learned. If you would like to register, the information is below this article.

ACBL also encourages units to appoint a Newcomer Coordinator.  Beth Davis has agreed to fill this role for us.  Please reach out to Beth with your questions and needs.  She can help new players find a partner.  According to the ACBL I/N Coordinator handbook, “the intention was to designate someone in the unit who would focus on integrating students and new players into the local bridge family.” If you have ideas to help Beth, please let her know.

Unit 214: Hattiesburg Duplicate Bridge invites you to an intermediate bridge series to sharpen your skills. 

 

• Learn some of the intricacies of bidding in Standard American

• Need to be proficient in basic bidding concepts. 

 

          Dates: Sep 20, Sep 27, Oct 2, Oct 13, Oct 16, Oct 25

          Times: 9:30 to 11:30

          WHERE: Sigler Center, 314 Conti Ave. Hattiesburg, MS

  Free to members of Unit 214

          Class size: limit 12

          Registration:  Email Sherry Kinkopf at skinkopf@yahoo.com

Cathy’s Corner 

Exactly, what is a Club Manager? I have been asked numerous times, “Exactly, what is a Club Manager”? I hope this answers a few questions. I was appointed in June of 2018 by Robert Kirkpatrick as club manager. Little did I know of the encompassing duties of a club manager at the time. So, what is a club manager & what are my responsibilities? A club manager has many hats, so I’ll do my best to explain them.

First, I act as a liaison between our clubs and ACBL. Every ACBL-sanctioned Masterpoint club game must designate an active ACBL member as its manager.

I am the club’s business manager and am responsible for all expenses and correspondence with ACBL. I am responsible for all electronic filling of the monthly master points and financial reports. Every club is required to submit a monthly report form for each sanctioned session to the ACBL. The ACBL score program allows the club manager to report by email. Therefore, I need to know how to navigate through ACBL score and the various computer duties.

I am responsible for the ordering of all supplies that our club may need. The constant use of playing cards, boards, convention sheets, tables, bidding boxes, bridge mates, and printer toner just to name a few.  I need to make sure we have a suitable club location and availability to hold games. This includes making sure we have directors to run the games.

I need to make sure all games are sanctioned with ACBL. ACBL issues sanctions to club managers authorizing them to run duplicate games at regularly scheduled times and locations and to award master points at those games in accordance with ACBL rules and regulations. Pat Millette started sanctioning games after Jan Wansley left and she has done an incredible job. A lot of work goes into sanctioning each & every game with ACBL. There are many types of sanctions for games that must be scheduled such as club championships, special fund games, junior fund games, charity, international fund championships, and educational foundations just to name a few. ACBL charges different fees for each game so when we have a special game, your fee increases to a $4 game.

In addition, I am responsible for marketing & publicity, recruiting new members, retaining current members and enforcing the Zero Tolerance Policy of ACBL. 

Just remember, I am here to help make bridge a fun and enjoyable experience for all our players.

Cathy Gersh

 

Hub City Sectional Report: Coordinators, Sherry Kinkopf and Deanna Stewart

 

Our sectional tournament will be here before we know it. Let’s get the word out that we are excited to host and that the hospitality of the Hub City Sectional can not be beaten. This fall is packed full of tournament opportunities. If you are attending any of the upcoming sectional or regional events in our District, encourage people to come to ours. Ask Sherry (sherrykinkopf@yahoo.com) for fliers to distribute and talk up our tournament while you are playing.  We encourage each and every one of you to be an ambassador for our unit. Let’s increase attendance. It will take a collective effort from all to make this happen. 

 For a list of upcoming tournaments, click this link. 

Featured Player: By Sherry Kinkopf

Sandra Baggett, Ruby Life Master:  “Go to tournaments” she advises new players. “That’s what we did early on.”

In 2004, Sandra embarked on her bridge journey with friends Cathy Gersh and Jane Shurden. She laughed when she recalled her early lessons taught her rubber bridge and that she could “open a hand with 4 of a major”, knowing now that that doesn’t apply to most duplicate systems.  The group organized a Monday game around their golf schedule and soon realized they wanted more from bridge, while in the interim between Monday social games, Sandra discovered online play through Bridge Base Online (BBO).  It was then that she realized she wanted to grow as a player.  It was time to go to the big house previously located at the old YMCA. 

 

Like most new players, Sandra played with her newcomer friends Jane and Cathy until the late Sue Hinton told her that they needed to branch out and play with better players. Cathy said her exact words were “You’ve got to get out of the sandbox and play with the big kids”! Now that was a “Sandbox Sue” quote!  If Sue spoke, you listened. Sandra recalls that was the best advice.  While she still plays with Jane and Cathy several times a month, she and her friends sought out more experienced players like Walter Lewis from the Gulf Coast and Hattiesburg players Bob Kirkpatrick and Bill McLemore.  

 

The trio started to attend tournaments–they loved to travel anyway–so they began to earn pigmented masterpoints in other cities, like Gulfport, New Orleans, and Dallas to name a few. It was during a tournament in Las Vegas that Sandra and her friends earned their life master rank.  

Announcements: 

• Retirement Reception for Will to be held on September 27, 2023.  Please help us give Will a nice gift by donating $20.00 to our collection; give your donation to Joe White or Pat Millette.

 

• Picture Day:  Grab your regular partners and have your pictures taken during the reception for Will on September 27, 2023.  We will have a bridge-themed background for you and your partners to use.  Mike Stewart will be there to take good photos for us for our website. 

The First Duplicate Bridge (1857) “According to the English Bridge Union, the first game of duplicate bridge ever played was in 1857, thanks to a man called Henry Jones Cavendish in London, who aimed to show the advantages of duplicate bridge over other forms of the game through showcasing skill over luck” (Coyle, A, 2017).

 

If you have a story to share in our next newsletter or an idea to implement to help growth in our unit, please reach out. (cathygersh@gmail.com, deannakstewart@gmail.com ,or (sherrykinkopf@yahoo.com)