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November Points: Still Giving More!

We work hard to have more special games which costs more, but gives our players more points. 

November Points for Monday:                                                                     

   1     9.52  John Morano

   2     6.13  Marion Engel

   3     5.58  Jack Falat

   4     5.53  Alan Robb

   5     5.53  Mike Hirleman

   6     5.17  Bob Kramer

   7     5.17  Richard Goings

   8     5.07  Mike Rowray

   9     3.82  Mary Ann Boardman

  10     3.38  Robert Otto

  11     3.38  Thomas Flanders

  12     3.33  Donald Happel

  13     3.33  Alan Craig

  14     2.93  Mary Bennington

  15     2.93  Timothy Bennington

  16     2.52  Gregory Slager

  17     2.41  Bruno Rinas

  18     2.30  Barbara Skogman

  19     2.22  Edward Gorman

  20     2.22  Kenneth Ridler

  21     2.05  James Boardman

  22     2.03  Purnima Chawla

  23     2.03  Ashok Chawla

  24     2.02  Joan Bouslog

  25     2.02  Fay Elson

  26     1.97  Keith Sutherland

  27     1.97  Nancy Sutherland

  28     1.92  John Knodle

  29     1.92  Roger Flint

  30     1.75  Judy Vopava

  31     1.75  Roger Johanson

  32     1.73  Lindel Settle

  33     1.73  Mark Settle

  34     1.73  Tom Amosson

  35     1.72  Diane Roush

  36     1.61  Robert Buckheister

  37     1.45  Lynda Schimberg

  38     1.12  Gary Haddy

  39     1.09  Wilda Gerks

  40     1.09  Darlene Sissel

  41     1.09  Kathy Hedlund

  42     0.95  Ellen Krause

  43     0.95  Melvin Krause

  44     0.90  Sandy Sawyer

  45     0.90  Karen Friest

  46     0.84  Darlene Tammel

  47     0.79  Kay Turner

  48     0.79  Marie Gibbens

  49     0.74  Allethina Harker

  50     0.74  Richard Lamb

  51     0.70  Jack Murphy

  52     0.56  Maryann Shaughnessy

  53     0.54  Mary Bergum

  54     0.50  Sandy Frese

  55     0.47  Mona Bertrand

  56     0.40  Dawn Smith

  57     0.36  Linda Cruise

  58     0.36  Jean Halvorson

  59     0.36  Jan Green

  60     0.36  Marianne Stickley

  61     0.32  Gisela Gunderson

  62     0.31  Jerry Stevens

  63     0.31  Paul Klein

  64     0.31  Dennis Giesler

  65     0.31  Nancy Klein

  66     0.28  James Loehrlein

  67     0.25  Pat Otis

  68     0.25  Peg Orcutt

  69     0.15  Connie Hellenthal

  70     0.14  Shirley Moore

  71     0.14  Linda Hancox

  72     0.12  John Schmidt

 

Total Masterpoints reported:   133.36

November Points for Thursday

1     7.39  Mike Rowray

   2     6.23  James Boardman

   3     5.78  Gary Haddy

   4     3.68  Jack Murphy

   5     3.61  Roger Johanson

   6     3.61  Judy Vopava

   7     3.30  Mona Bertrand

   8     3.30  Gregory Slager

   9     2.98  Gisela Gunderson

  10     2.97  Jack Falat

  11     2.82  Mary Ann Boardman

  12     2.68  Bruno Rinas

  13     1.28  Lynda Schimberg

  14     1.19  John Morano

  15     1.07  Marion Engel

  16     1.05  Dorris Hotchkiss

  17     1.05  Keith Sutherland

  18     0.94  Wilda Gerks

  19     0.87  Thomas Flanders

  20     0.74  Jeannie Slaman

  21     0.69  Karen Friest

  22     0.62  Alan Langenfeld

  23     0.57  Connie Hellenthal

  24     0.49  Tom Amosson

  25     0.49  Robert Buckheister

  26     0.49  Diane Roush

  27     0.35  John Knodle

  28     0.32  Charlotte Pence

  29     0.32  Gretchen Stuhr

 

Total Masterpoints reported:    60.88

Holy Mackerel! No, it’s a Sturgeon!

On November 29, John Schmidt celebrated his 80th birthday at the Cedar Rapids Thursday club. His family provided an amazing carrot cake decorated as a sturgeon to commemorate his fishing days.

John is a valued bridge player, both for his expertise at the table and his exemplary manners. We were honored to share in his cake and his celebration.

The cake was delicious as well as creative. It was created by an award winning baker from HyVee.

 

 

Vacant Spaces

                                                                    Most players know the “8-ever, 9 never” rule for finding the missing queen, playing a nine-card suit.  The image below shows why this rule works.  (Click to expand. Type Esc to return, or click the “x” in the upper right corner.)

The odds of success range from about 50% to about 58% for the four strategies.  The two best options require playing one top honor and then leading up toward the remaining top honor.  The finesse and the drop strategies are less than 2% apart in their original odds of success.  However, assuming that you have now seen all three small cards, the current odds have become 12 to 11 for the drop.  The difference in present (i.e. updated) probability is 4 % or (1/23).   You arrive at this by taking 20.35% vs 18.65% for the two remaining original cases.   The current probabilities are

.2035/(.2035+.1865) =.522  (or 12/23) and
.1865/(.2035+.1865) =.478  (or 11/23) .

The finesse at this moment is no longer quite a 50% proposition even though it rated as 56% when you began.  Perhaps you wonder where the number 23 came from in the odds.

The “principle” of “vacant places,” or  sometimes “vacant spaces,” says that the odds of finding a single particular card are proportional to the number of “vacant spaces” in each concealed hand.  Each of those hands start with 13 cards.  From 13, you subtract the number of cards in each suit for which the distribution is completely known.  In the key suit, when you are down to the missing honor, having located all the other cards, you can subtract those other cards from the concealed hands. 

At the decision point, you have seen all the missing spot cards in the key suit.  This tells you that the number of vacant places is 13-2=11 in the hand in front of your honor and 13-1=12 behind your honor, so it is better to play for the drop.  Suppose you play several cards in other suits before you tackle the key suit.  If you do not learn any complete distributions of other suits, you still use 13-2 and 13-1 at the decision point.

Suppose the opponent behind your honors has made an overcall, and his partner has raised.  You infer that the suit suit is divided 5-3, with the five cards behind your honors.  At the decision point the number of vacant places in front of your honor is 13-2-3 = 8.  Behind your honor the number of vacant places is 13-1-5 = 7.  This tells you that the odds now favor the finesse by 8 to 7, or about 6.7%.  Often a preemptive bid will shift the odds in favor of a finesse.

When considering vacant spaces, you cannot include suits for which you have seen some, but not all cards played.  You must know (or choose to assume) the complete distribution of the suits you include.  In the key suit, having seen all the spot cards, you can imagine that they constitute a “fifth suit.” for which you know the distribution.

Knowing the complete distribution of  one or more side suits in which the defender behind your key-suit honors holds a total of two more cards than his partner tips the balance in favor of the finesse at the final decision point.  This assumes you have no other reason to place the missing queen with the opponent holding the 5-carder.  

 

 

 

Computing Combined Odds

Often it is necessary to combine the probabilities of multiple events.  For example, holding AKQT, missing six cards, you would like to know the chance of making four tricks. You hope to drop the jack in three rounds, but you finesse when obvious.  The latter succeeds if you drop the jack on the first two rounds (doubleton or singleton) or if the opponent behind the QT ( the RHO) shows out on the first or second round.  You have

Situation Combinations* Individual Probability** Situation Probability
RHO void 1 .0075 .0075
RHO any singleton 6 .0121 .0726
LHO Jack Singleton 1 .0121 .0121
Jack Doubleton 10 .0162 .162
3-3 split     .3553
Total     0.609 (or 61%) 

Note that all the cases considered are “mutually exclusive,” meaning they cannot occur at the same time.  Their probabilities simply are added to form the combined probability of one or more of them happening.  If ”LHO jack singleton”  had simply been “jack singleton”, the case of jack singleton on the right would have been counted twice, erroneously, via “RHO any singleton.“ This illustrates one technique for combining cases:  Define the cases so that they are mutually exclusive and then add the probabilities.

This doesn’t work if the events being combined can occur together.  The simplest such situation is that the events are “independent.”  That is, the occurrence of one doesn’t affect the probability of the other. Though seldom perfectly true, this assumption is good enough in many cases.  For independent events, the probability that they both occur at the same time is just the product of their probabilities.  If you want the probability that at least one of the events occurs, you can’t just add the probabilities.

When you consider two events and  you want the probability of having either or both to occur, their “union,” it goes like this:

P(either A or B) = P(A) + P(B)  – P(A and B together), or,

only for independent events,  P(either A or B) = P(A) + P(B)  – { P(A )  X  P(B) }

This latter can be restated for convenience as:

P(either A or B) = P(A) + P(B)  X  {1-P(A)} ,  or else
P(either A or B) = P(B) + P(A)  X  {1-P(B)}.

Example 1 :  You make your contract if a 50% finesse succeeds or if a different suit splits 3-3 at 36%.  Your chance of success is

P (success)= .36 + .5  X .64 = .68 .  (alternatively, .5 +.36  X .5 =.68)

Using approximation rules for suit splits, you would obtain

P (success)= 1/3 + ½ of 2/3 = 2/3 or .67 . (alternatively, ½ + 1/3  X  ½  = 2/3)

You cascade three independent events in the same way.  Once you get P( A or B) you treat that combination as one event and combine it with a new event “C” using

P( any of A or B or C)  =  P(either A or B) + P( C ) * {1 – P(either A or B)}. 

This recursive procedure continues when you have additional events to combine.

Example 2:  You make your contract if a 50% finesse succeeds or if either of two other suits splits 3-3 at 36%.  The first two events were combined as P(either A or B) in example 1.  You now incorporate the additional chance of success as

P (success)=.68 {from Example 1} + .36 * .32 = .8 (approximately) .

If using approximation rules for suit splits, you would have

P (success)=2/3 {from Example 1} + 1/3 * {1 -2/3} = 7/9 = .78

To recap: you combine the first two cases using P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) X (1- P(A)) .  Then you take that result and combine with the next by the same rule.  And so on.

Example 3: Maybe you need either of two suits to split 3-2.  Your approximate probability would be

P (success)=2/3 + 2/3 X 1/3 = 8/9 = .89.

A much easier way to do this,  is to compute the probability of Failure and then subtract from 1 to find the probability of Success.  That is because a Failure is often an intersection (“A and B” instead of “A or B”) of independent events, and its probability is, therefore, just the product of the probabilities.

From Example 1:  Failure = ½  X  2/3 = 1/3.  P (success)= 2/3.


From Example 2:  Failure = ½  X  2/3  X  2/3 =2/9.  P (success)= 7/9 = .78.

From Example 3:  Failure = 1/3  X  1/3 = 1/9.  P (success)=8/9 = .89.

One reason for starting this article with the harder method is to clarify that you cannot simply add probabilities for events that might occur together.  The Kelsey book, Bridge Odds for Practical Players approaches the matter similarly.

You are unlikely to calculate complicated cases at the table, but you can apply the methods to bridge problems and puzzles, especially in studying card combinations.  At the table you often can estimate the chances of successive failures and subtract from one.  

Footnotes

*”Combinations” refers to the number of ways you can form the given holding. You can usually figure it out without any formulas.  “Jx” from 6 cards, for example, is 10 combinations because there are 5 spot cards you can swap in and two sides where you can place the doubleton.   Or look at it from the other side, where there are 4 x’s.  One of the 5 x’s is on the other side, and there are 5 ways to do it. Consider another case, one-sided QJx — xx from 5 cards.  This offers 3 combinations, swapping x’s.

**For “individual probabilities” see Basic Bridge Odds or Wikipedia .

  

Basic Bridge Odds (revised 4/1/2025)

The “Suit Splits” tables at the end of this post show the odds (casual wording) of a split of a certain number of missing cards.  The information is from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contract_bridge_probabilities but rearranged to emphasize patterns.  These “a priori” probabilities assume you haven’t played a single card and don’t know anything about the hidden hands.  If you do know something about their distribution, it can shift the odds.  One should commit to memory the 2/3 —1/3 rule for an odd number of missing cards  and 1/3—1/2—1/6 rule for an even number.  These approximations often suffice at the table but are less accurate for smaller numbers.  For two missing cards, the 2-0 and 1-1 splits are almost equally probable , or 1/2 -1/2.  For 3 missing cards, the 2-1 vs 3-0 split is approximately 3/4 vs 1/4.  See Summary and Tables sections.

The “individual probability” column is used for considering card combinations*.  The total probability of a given card placement is equal to the “individual probability” multiplied by the “number of combinations.”  For example,  suppose one wanted to know the probability of dropping the QJ doubleton, missing 5 cards.  This allows only 2 combinations of the 20 within a 3-2 split, one combination on each side of you, so the probability is 2 X .0339 =.068, or one tenth of the probability of the 3-2 split.  Another way to arrive at this same conclusion is to assume a 3-2 split and imagine drawing the two cards from five.  Chances of getting both honors in two draws from 5 cards are 2/5 X 1/4, or 1/10, leading to a probability of .068.

With 4 cards missing, including QJ, suppose you play one round and drop the Jack behind your AKT9x.  The singleton jack is one combination from the 3-1 distribution for a probability of .0622, whereas the doubleton QJ is one combination from the 2-2 distribution for  a probability of 0.0678.  You are tempted to think that you should play for the drop.  However, you must account for the possibility that the human player has made a discretionary choice between two equivalent cards.  The usual way out of this conundrum is to assume that, if the player had both honors, he would play the jack only half the time.  Hence  the combined probability of QJ and that the jack, in particular, was played is cut in half from the probability of QJ. This leads to the well-known ‘rule of restricted choice,” which states that, generally, the defender is less likely to have made a choice between equal honors than to have played the only choice he had.

An different approach, favored in this post, is to classify the missing cards as HHxx, where “H” denotes one of two equivalent honors and “x” denotes equivalent spot cards. In the mind’s eye, note that an “H” has been dropped but do not identify it specifically as jack or queen, as a basis for decision.  Treat the honors as indistinguishable, like same-colored marbles from a jar.   This highlights the two combinations of relevant singletons as elements in the probabilities, so the actual probability of the 1-sided fall of a singleton “honor” is recognized as being twice as large, or 0.1244 vs 0.0678 for a doubleton.

This “marbles” approach eliminates the human element in a different way than restricted choice.  Instead of replacing the defender with a 50-50 model, his choices, if any, are neutralized by declarer’s treating the equivalent cards as indistinguishable members of a class –“colored marbles”– throughout the numerical analysis.  This is easier to compute, to explain and to justify mathematically.   Restricted choice, however,  is easy to remember and is widely known and explained; and, for those reasons, it may be preferred at the table.  Many examples are given in Encyclopedia of  Bridge, 7th Edition.

The numbers 0.1244 and 0.0678 above are the “prior” probabilities of the positions you have found.  At the decision point, they represent the only remaining cases.  The “posterior,” or “conditional,” probabilities always keep the same ratios they had before other cases were ruled out by your “experiments” and “observations.”  This means you have arrived at a point where the present “odds” favor the success of the finesse by .1244 to .0678, or 18 to ten.  The present “probability” of success, at the decision point, has become 0.64.  These tiny numbers are “amplified” at the decision point.

Consider a holding of AK1098 opposite xxx.  Five cards are missing.  You need to capture one of the two missing honors, and would be pleased to capture both.  Start by playing the A.  This identifies a 5-0 split and also drops a singleton honor on either side.  If an honor drops behind, it may be from H alone, HH or HHx, but certainly not from HHxx.  The HHx case would be a deliberate falsecard.   At trick 2, an x is led toward the strong hand.  Next comes the decision whether to finesse.  The realistic probabilities are:

H:     2 * .0283 = .0566 — Suggests finesse for 2nd honor.
HH:  1  * .0339  =.0339 — Suggests play to drop 2nd honor .
HHx: 3 * .0339 = Zero to .1017 — The second honor cannot be captured.

Whether an honor falls under the ace, finesse on the 2nd trick.  This will resolve the entire position.  Losing both honors will occur only when HHxx or HHxxx  are behind the hand, about 10%.  The possibility of a false-card does not affect the decision to finesse.

Holding a suit like AKJTxx opposite xx, it can be tempting to play off one top honor, hoping to drop the singleton Q.  However, this limits the number of times a finesse can be taken.  Two finesses are needed to pick up Qxxx.  This holding is four times (.1132) more likely than the singleton queen (.0283) because  the former represents four card combinations.  Therefore, the first-round finesse is indicated.

An example by Hugh Kelsey, of enhancing success by considering relative probabilities, is described here.

Summary:

The probability of a given holding by defenders is computed multiplying the number of card combinations in the given holding by the probability for one combination.  That probability is obtained by dividing the probability of a given split by the total number of possible combinations within that split.

Utilize these approximation rules at the table:

1)Missing an odd number of cards, they will divide evenly 2/3 of the time and one step from evenly 1/3 of the time.  (Ignore greater steps.)  Exception: 3 missing cards divide 2-1 about 3/4 of the time.

2)Missing an even number of cards, they will divide evenly 1/3 of the time, one step from evenly ½ of the time and two steps from evenly 1/6 of the time.  Exception: 2 missing cards divide 2-0 about 1/2 of the time.

If one of two equal honors drops on the first round, you should usually finesse against the other hand on the second round.  This is consistent with the principle of Restricted Choice.

Another relevant article is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacant_PlacesBridge Odds for Practical Players by Kelsey and Glauert is an in-depth reference for winter reading.  Finally, the principle of “restricted choice” is described here .  Related posts on this website are here and here.

Footnotes:

* To illustrate “combinations,” consider a five card suit containing H1,H2,x1,x2,x3.  For a 2-3 split, ask how many combinations there are in Hxx — Hx.  The doubleton could be either of H1 or H2, together with any one of x1,x2, or x3.  That makes six combinations for Hx or for Hxx on one side.  Swapping the sides gives a total of 12, for a probability of .0339*12 = 0.407.

Suit Splits

Number of Cards Distribu-tion Proba-bility Combin-ations Individual Probability Approxim-ation
2 1 – 1 0.52 2 0.2600 1/2
  2 – 0 0.48 2 0.2400 1/2
           
4 2 – 2 0.40 6 0.0678 1/3
  3 – 1 0.5 8 0.0622 1/2
  4 – 0 0.1 2 0.0478 1/6
           
6 3 – 3 0.36 20 0.0178 1/3
  4 – 2 0.48 30 0.0162 1/2
  5 – 1 0.15 12 0.0121 1/6
  6 – 0 0.01 2 0.0075 0
           
8 4 – 4 0.33 70 0.0047 1/3
  5 – 3 0.47 112 0.0042 1/2
  6 – 2 0.17 56 0.0031 1/6
  7 – 1 0.03 16 0.0018 0
  8 – 0 0 2 0.0008 0

 

Number of Cards Distribu-tion Proba-bility Combin-ations Individual Probability Approxim-ation
3 2 – 1 0.78 6 0.1300 3/4
  3 – 0 0.22 2 0.1100 1/4
           
5 3 – 2 0.68 20 0.0339 2/3
  4 – 1 0.28 10 0.0283 1/3
  5 – 0 0.04 2 0.0196 0
           
  4 – 3 0.62 70 0.0089 2/3
7 5 – 2 0.31 42 0.0073 1/3
  6 – 1 0.07 14 0.0048 0
  7 – 0 0.01 2 0.0026 0
           
  5-4 0.59 252 0.00234 2/3
9 6-3 0.31 168 0.00187 1/3
  7-2 0.086 72 0.00119 0
  8-1 0.107 18 0.0006 0

 

 

 

Dealing Out Big Point Awards in October!

Look at all these points won in the day games! Congratulations!

Thursday Points Awarded 

1     7.91   0.10   7.81  Mary Ann Boardman

2     6.21   0.07   6.14  Bruno Rinas

   3     6.18   0.10   6.08  James Boardman

   4     5.85   0.10   5.75  Judy Vopava

   5     5.85   0.10   5.75  Roger Johanson

   6     4.88   0.13   4.75  Jack Falat

   7     4.39   0.07   4.32  Alan Langenfeld

   8     3.89   0.04   3.85  Mona Bertrand

   9     3.85   0.04   3.81  Mike Rowray

  10     3.82   0.13   3.69  Thomas Flanders

  11     3.68   0.07   3.61  Gregory Slager

  12     2.64   0.04   2.60  Marion Engel

  13     2.55   0.13   2.42  Gary Haddy

  14     2.55   0.13   2.42  John Morano

  15     2.33          2.33  Diane Roush

  16     1.99   0.04   1.95  Dorris Hotchkiss

  17     1.97          1.97  Paul Klein

  18     1.97          1.97  Nancy Klein

  19     1.48   0.01   1.47  Robert Degroff

  20     1.48   0.01   1.47  Kenneth Ridler

  21     1.46   0.01   1.45  Charlotte Pence

  22     1.46   0.01   1.45  Robert Easton

  23     1.43   0.07   1.36  Robert Buckheister

  24     1.25   0.01   1.24  Jack Murphy

  25     0.98          0.98  Karen Friest

  26     0.98          0.98  Janet Hinrichs

  27     0.89   0.04   0.85  Wilda Gerks

  28     0.89   0.04   0.85  Barbara Skogman

  29     0.89   0.04   0.85  Gisela Gunderson

  30     0.89   0.04   0.85  Richard Lamb

  31     0.78          0.78  John Knodle

  32     0.15   0.01   0.14  Letitia Apfelbeck

  33     0.15   0.01   0.14  Gretchen Stuhr

  34     0.15   0.01   0.14  John Schmidt

Total Masterpoints reported:    87.82

Monday Points

1     7.96   0.18   7.78  Dorris Hotchkiss

   2     6.84   0.14   6.70  Gisela Gunderson

   3     6.40          6.40  Alan Craig

   4     6.40          6.40  Donald Happel

   5     6.23   0.18   6.05  Robert Buckheister

   6     6.22   0.10   6.12  Bruno Rinas

   7     6.21   0.18   6.03  Jack Falat

   8     5.87   0.10   5.77  Gregory Slager

   9     5.68   0.14   5.54  John Morano

  10     5.27   0.07   5.20  Marie Gibbens

  11     5.27   0.07   5.20  Kay Turner

  12     5.19   0.07   5.12  Fay Elson

  13     5.08   0.18   4.90  James Boardman

  14     4.91   0.10   4.81  Barbara Skogman

  15     4.88   0.02   4.86  Judy Vopava

  16     4.88   0.02   4.86  Roger Johanson

  17     4.80          4.80  Mary Bergum

  18     4.57   0.14   4.43  Diane Roush

  19     4.50          4.50  Wilda Gerks

  20     4.45   0.10   4.35  Mike Rowray

  21     3.76   0.14   3.62  Mona Bertrand

  22     3.76   0.02   3.74  Marion Engel

  23     3.68   0.02   3.66  Robert Otto

  24     3.68   0.02   3.66  Thomas Flanders

  25     3.50          3.50  Gary Haddy

  26     3.50          3.50  Gretchen Stuhr

  27     3.19   0.11   3.08  John Knodle

  28     3.19   0.11   3.08  Roger Flint

  29     2.80   0.01   2.79  Linda Cruise

  30     2.79   0.07   2.72  Joan Bouslog

  31     2.63          2.63  Tom Amosson

  32     2.48          2.48  Richard Goings

  33     2.48          2.48  Bob Kramer

  34     2.40   0.03   2.37  Edward Gorman

  35     2.40   0.03   2.37  Kenneth Ridler

  36     2.31   0.07   2.24  Marianne Stickley

  37     2.31   0.07   2.24  Jean Halvorson

  38     2.16   0.11   2.05  Nancy Klein

  39     2.16   0.11   2.05  Paul Klein

  40     2.13   0.02   2.11  Ashok Chawla

  41     2.13   0.02   2.11  Purnima Chawla

  42     1.89   0.01   1.88  Robert Degroff

  43     1.78   0.01   1.77  Letitia Apfelbeck

  44     1.74          1.74  Sandy Sawyer

  45     1.68          1.68  Nancy Sutherland

  46     1.68          1.68  Keith Sutherland

  47     1.45   0.01   1.44  Charlotte Pence

  48     1.42   0.07   1.35  Mark Settle

  49     1.42   0.07   1.35  Lindel Settle

  50     1.23          1.23  Ellen Krause

  51     1.23          1.23  Melvin Krause

  52     1.16   0.01   1.15  Richard Lamb

  53     1.13          1.13  John Schmidt

  54     0.96   0.01   0.95  Darlene Tammel

  55     0.96   0.01   0.95  Maryann Shaughnessy

  56     0.92          0.92  Carolyn Wadsworth

  57     0.82   0.01   0.81  Robert Easton

  58     0.76   0.03   0.73  Alan Robb

  59     0.76   0.03   0.73  Mike Hirleman

  60     0.64   0.02   0.62  Mary Bennington

  61     0.61          0.61  Sandy Frese

  62     0.40   0.01   0.39  Jan Green

  63     0.38   0.02   0.36  Jack Murphy

  64     0.36   0.02   0.34  Timothy Bennington

  65     0.34          0.34  Katie Bruce

  66     0.34          0.34  Dennis Sutherland

  67     0.30   0.02   0.28  Alan Langenfeld

  68     0.30   0.02   0.28  Mary Ann Boardman

  69     0.28          0.28  Kathy Hedlund

  70     0.28          0.28  Randy Portz

  71     0.28          0.28  Darlene Sissel

  72     0.23   0.01   0.22  A Marie Buhrman

  73     0.23   0.01   0.22  Jeanwtte Zagwyn

  74     0.18   0.01   0.17  Joanne Parker

  75     0.18   0.01   0.17  Ruth Ann Kelleher

  76     0.18   0.01   0.17  Pat Otis

  77     0.15   0.01   0.14  Allethina Harker

 

Total Masterpoints reported:   199.70

 

 

Players selected: 77 out of 535

 

 

Bridge Seminar on Doubles

On November 17, 2018, there will be a bridge seminar at Country Inn and Suites, airport exit  I-380.  It will run from 10:00 to 3:30 with a 30 minute onsite break for lunch. 

Double has many useful meanings besides punishing the opponents. We will cover these conventional doubles: take out, negative, responsive, lead directing and support doubles. Then we will spend some time working on penalty doubles. There will be lots of practice hands to play. 

Sign up with a partner for $50 for the day or as a single for $30. You can purchase a Subway lunch for $5 or bring your own. There will be snacks and beverages provided as well. 

Lots of fun and learning packed into a single day. Get smart fast!

Call MaryAnn at 319 540 4206 or e-mail maryann.boardman@gmail.com

Big Points in Daytime CR Games

You will notice a huge increase in your points won if you play in the daytime Cedar Rapids Games! Check out Thursday and then scroll down to see Monday’s totals. 

Why the big difference? Jim and MaryAnn are paying extra to have special games. The Monday game points are also enhanced because the two games are being scored together and the winners overall get the big benefit. Notice that we gave a bunch of red points too, because of the NAP games.  It’s amazing what a difference it makes! It would take you many months to rack up this many points in the previous scoring matrix. Yeah for Cedar Rapids Bridge. Maybe we can finally compete in the unit masterpoint races. 

Thursday totals:

       Total   Red    Black

   1     6.78   2.16   4.62  Diane Roush

   2     6.40   2.16   4.24  Jack Falat

   3     5.79   1.24   4.55  Gisela Gunderson

   4     4.79   2.16   2.63  Gary Haddy

   5     4.54   1.58   2.96  Marion Engel

   6     4.45   1.60   2.85  James Boardman

   7     3.60   0.32   3.28  Roger Johanson

   8     3.60   0.32   3.28  Judy Vopava

   9     3.36   1.20   2.16  Gregory Slager

  10     3.20   0.68   2.52  Wilda Gerks

  11     3.19   1.60   1.59  Bea Cannon

  12     3.09   1.20   1.89  Mary Ann Boardman

  13     2.90   0.40   2.50  Alan Langenfeld

  14     2.88   1.20   1.68  Jack Murphy

  15     2.09   0.90   1.19  Barbara Skogman

  16     2.09   0.90   1.19  John Knodle

  17     2.05   0.40   1.65  Mona Bertrand

  18     1.79   0.90   0.89  Richard Goings

  19     1.66   0.68   0.98  Bruno Rinas

  20     0.80   0.40   0.40  Connie Hellenthal

  21     0.78          0.78  Gretchen Stuhr

  22     0.78          0.78  John Schmidt

  23     0.77          0.77  Janet Hinrichs

  24     0.62          0.62  Mary Bergum

  25     0.31          0.31  Dorris Hotchkiss

  26     0.31          0.31  Mike Rowray

  27     0.30          0.30  Thomas Flanders

  28     0.22          0.22  Paul Klein

  29     0.22          0.22  Nancy Klein

 

Total Masterpoints reported:    73.36

Monday Points:

         Total    Red  Black

   1    13.32   3.82   9.50  Mary Ann Boardman

   2     8.77   1.80   6.97  Twyla Hall

   3     8.66   2.73   5.93  Gregory Slager

   4     8.31   2.41   5.90  Bruno Rinas

   5     7.28   1.25   6.03  Wilda Gerks

   6     6.68   3.34   3.34  Mike Rowray

   7     6.57   0.77   5.80  Jack Falat

   8     6.47   0.77   5.70  John Morano

   9     6.46   0.75   5.71  Marie Gibbens

  10     6.02   0.42   5.60  Letitia Apfelbeck

  11     5.91   1.34   4.57  Richard Goings

  12     5.91   1.34   4.57  Bob Kramer

  13     5.63   1.83   3.80  Diane Roush

  14     5.61   2.44   3.17  Mona Bertrand

  15     5.58   2.44   3.14  Barbara Skogman

  16     5.16   1.43   3.73  Marion Engel

  17     4.49          4.49  Edward Gorman

  18     4.47   1.38   3.09  James Boardman

  19     4.46   2.23   2.23  Gisela Gunderson

  20     4.33          4.33  Maryann Shaughnessy

  21     4.33          4.33  Darlene Tammel

  22     4.14   1.00   3.14  Timothy Bennington

  23     3.98   0.75   3.23  Kay Turner

  24     3.66   1.83   1.83  Alan Langenfeld

  25     2.85          2.85  Nancy Klein

  26     2.85          2.85  Paul Klein

  27     2.34   0.47   1.87  Jan Green

  28     2.34   0.47   1.87  Marge Costas

  29     2.22   0.90   1.32  Lynda Schimberg

  30     2.14          2.14  Mary Bennington

  31     2.01          2.01  Kenneth Ridler

  32     1.98   0.35   1.63  Mary Bergum

  33     1.72          1.72  Trudy Stewart

  34     1.57   0.34   1.23  Ruth Ann Kelleher

  35     1.57   0.34   1.23  Joanne Parker

  36     1.52          1.52  Joan Bouslog

  37     1.52          1.52  Fay Elson

  38     1.48          1.48  John Schmidt

  39     1.21          1.21  Lindel Settle

  40     1.21          1.21  Mark Settle

  41     1.20          1.20  Pat Otis

  42     1.13   0.57   0.56  Sandy Sawyer

  43     1.13   0.57   0.56  Sandy Frese

  44     0.87          0.87  Purnima Chawla

  45     0.87          0.87  Ashok Chawla

  46     0.80   0.40   0.40  Thomas Flanders

  47     0.80   0.40   0.40  Jack Murphy

  48     0.79          0.79  Ellen Krause

  49     0.79          0.79  Melvin Krause

  50     0.74          0.74  Donald Happel

  51     0.74          0.74  Alan Craig

  52     0.73          0.73  Jim Boardman Jr

  53     0.70          0.70  Dorris Hotchkiss

  54     0.62          0.62  John Knodle

  55     0.52          0.52  Carol Wolf

  56     0.52          0.52  Thomas Ervin

  57     0.52          0.52  Katie Bruce

  58     0.47   0.24   0.23  Jackie Foote

  59     0.47          0.47  A Marie Buhrman

  60     0.47          0.47  Robert Degroff

  61     0.47          0.47  Janet Hinrichs

  62     0.47          0.47  Duane Hinrichs

  63     0.47   0.24   0.23  Nancy Sutherland

  64     0.47   0.24   0.23  Keith Sutherland

  65     0.47   0.24   0.23  Patty Goethe

  66     0.42          0.42  Robert Easton

  67     0.42          0.42  Charlotte Pence

  68     0.42          0.42  Richard Lamb

  69     0.42          0.42  Karen Friest

  70     0.42          0.42  Allethina Harker

Directory Signup or Revision

MaryAnn Boardman is compiling a directory of local bridge players, to be shared among those players. Emails and phones will be shown in the directory. The (optional) home addresses will not appear in the shared directory and are for club use only. If you do not have an email address, make something up, using the style of maryann@boardman.com.

To revise a pre-existing listing, just enter the precise email address it was registered under, and then click “Subscribe.”  This will launch an email to you, containing a link that you can use to finish the process.  (This protects your information from unauthorized changes.)

What Will We Do Differently?

So, one of the regular Cedar Rapids players who plays both evening and daytime bridge asked. “What will you do differently?”  She was referring to the upcoming switch-over of manager duties from Greg Slager to Jim and me. 

I don’t want to mess too much with success, but there are a few things I will change. Using hand records is at the top. We have a dealing machine that can deal the cards for us and produce hand records. Several people have expressed a desire for hand records. Those who have played regularly in other clubs where they use them are especially eager to see them used in the day games. 

Happy Bridge Club? Where did that name come from? It says so little. I spent some time and even enlisted some help from friends in coming up with a more interesting and descriptive name. I think I have a list of about 80 name possibilities. After all that, I decided to close the struggling evening game and switch that name to the Happy side. Happy Bridge Club will be Build Better Bridge Club (BBB for short) starting on July 16. The other two names will remain the same.

I will encourage friendliness, fun and learning. I hope to have some before-the-game mini lessons in the fall. Those of you who care about master points will see a difference in your winnings. I am doing a couple of things to enhance the points per game. The big one will be that there will be more special games. Those cost the club manager more but will never add to the $6 fee that you currently pay. 

Oh, and the food. People have told me that this would be a good opportunity to cut out the food. I can’t picture the Monday club without food. But I don’t have a spouse to spend Saturday in the kitchen like the last two managers. It will be simpler. I want to concentrate on better bridge, not better eats. 

Those are the changes that we will start with. I am open to suggestions if you would like to try anything else different. We are excited about the opportunity to take over these already successful games. Our first Thursday game will be July 12 and our first Monday game will be July 16.