Van Learners Bridge Results

July 22, 2024

Section X  North-South
VanLearners Monday Eve Session July 22, 2024
Leaders after  5 rounds  Average:   30.0
Place   Pct   Score  Pair
  1   65.83   39.50   X-2   Diane O'Connor - John Fraser
  2   50.00   30.00   X-1   Marlee Sheinin - Barbara Spitz
  3   50.00   30.00   X-5   Pam Tomlins - Tim Tomlins
  4   44.17   26.50   X-4   Brenda MacLean-Longpre - Cindy Chan
  5   40.00   24.00   X-3   Howard Raphael - Jill Raphael

Section X  East-West
VanLearners Monday Eve Session July 22, 2024
Leaders after  5 rounds  Average:   30.0
Place   Pct   Score  Pair
  1   56.67   34.00   X-5   Jacquie Brown - Vicki Torbett
  2   54.17   32.50   X-1   Ian Wong - Donna Bridgeman
  3   52.50   31.50   X-3   Louise Forsyth - Diane Hardouin
  4   45.00   27.00   X-2   Carol Ward - Doug MacDougall
  5   41.67   25.00   X-4   Mike Bow - Kelly Anderson

Congrats to the winners!

Didn't do as well as you hoped? Don't worry; there is a large luck factor in short sessions, so there are increased chances of scores outside the normal range of about 35-65%. Things tend to even out over time, but less time means less even-ing out! The important thing is to have fun and let the learning happen by gaining experience as declarer, defender, and even as dummy, and perhaps by reading a little about the hands below!

Our game results are posted online here at ACBL Live For Clubs, shortly after the main game ends.

The deals tonight are from July 8's open game. Thanks to Barry who did such a fine job and sent me the files. Happily, I have Tuesday off here in Toronto so I was able to process the files shortly after I received them here in Toronto at the North American Bridge Championships, where on Monday I was one of a staff of six directing a team game of 107 teams, and this was one of a dozen or more events that took place! A few days ago I was one of the directors in a National Event, and after a director call, actually called the technicians to view footage taken of the playing area to see whether a 2♣ bid-box card (hastily withdrawn when the player realized that his right-hand opponent had not passed, but instead had bid 4♠!) was held in a position for partner to see its face; we concluded it was not, but that partner could certainly see that the intent was to make some bid! Even the players were impressed and accepted the eventual ruling when I told them that we had consulted the footage.

Below is a full-colour screen version of the comments for each hand. This works best if you have kept score and brought your scorecard home with you so you can check your results against the hand records and see where there is room for improvement. You will find that the simple act of writing down the score on each hand (good or bad) serves as a sort of marker inside your memory that helps you recall later what the issues you thought about while playing that hand were. It's much easier to remember if you have taken the few seconds to write in the contract and the score than to rely on getting your results off the internet. Something happens in those few seconds inside our brains and you'll be surprised at how much you can remember later with the help of a well-filled scoresheet. More on this here.