Welcome to our unit's website!

You are Visitor Number  3248118 Go to the bottom of the page       I've played bridge over half my life...    The lesser half I wasted.--roy    Roy Wilson -- Contact:                    unit559webmaster@gmail.com 626 340-9575 Club Managers and Directors Support (Or are you a player with a question?) Do you need help with a ruling, scoring or an administrative question? The ACBL has a toll-free number available from 8:00 AM until midnight. 855 275-7629      Need help with the Common Game?   941 404-6600 ACBL - Duplicate Decisions Arcadia Bridge Center San Marino Bridge Club District 23 Bridge News Map of District 23 Clubs Pat Abbey Bridge Club La Fetra Bridge Club ACBL Headquarters Telephone and Email Directory Tips, Articles & Announcements - ACBL BridgeFeed American Contract Bridge League email:  Marie  email:  Roy   email: Jan   email:  Diane   email:  Mojo   Friendship Chairman:    Rosemary Schroeder 626 449-6346 714 349-5535 - Cell rosemary@acblunit559.com Unit Game Director:    Marie Nimmrich 626 448-3304 626 552-2344 - Cell marie@acblunit559.com Unit President:    Jan Wickersham 626 487-4014 jan@acblunit559.com San Marino Bridge Club:   Marie Nimmrich 626 448-3304 626 552-2344 - Cell marie@acblunit559.com Arcadia Bridge Center: Diane Gulbrandsen 626 445-3797 626 357-1590 - home Unit 559 Webmaster: Roy Wilson 626 340-9575 unit559webmaster@gmail.com . BBO Virtual Club:   Mojo - Morris Jones 626 247-4457 mojo@acblunit559.com . San Marino BC Game Results     Arcadia BC Game   Results The Common Game   STaC Game Results   District Club Game Results B U L L E T I N   B O A R D Information for Unit 559 Clubs Arcadia Bridge Center               San Marino Bridge Club               Mojo's BBO Results District 23 Bridge News You will learn more bridge from losing to good players than you will from winning against poor players. This website is open XXIV / VII     That's 11000 / 111 in binary or 30 / 7 in octal     Happy Mother's Day! A Different Use for the 3NT Opening Bid Long ago, Ol' Charlie Goren told us that an opening bid of 3NT was a balanced hand with 26-28 points, or something like that.  I don't ever remember opening that bid.  Today, there might be three people in the entire ACBL membership that still play an opening 3NT that way, but everyone else has found a better use for the bid. Would you like to see a discussion of some uses for 3NT as an opening bid?   Discussion - Opening 3NT Gambling 3NT This agreement says that the opener has at least a 7-card minor, and also has no losers in the suit.  Most players agree that the hand has no outside ace or king.  Perhaps a hand like this: We seldom get hands like though, because 7-card suit occur approximately 3.5% of all hands, and when you require a solid suit as well, its under 1% of the time.  It's also played from the wrong side most of the time, with the opening lead going through any tenace honors that partner may have.  And... if partner happens to have a void in that particular minor, there is no entry to the long and solid suit.  It's almost always better to have partner be the declarer. Players who play the Gambling 3NT usually have these responsive agreements as well: Responder's Bids Pass     I hope you make it! 4     Pass or correct to 4 5     Pass or correct to 5 6     Pass or correct to 6 6     Correct to 7 or bid 7 Broken Minor Sort of the opposite of the Gambling 3NT, this shows a standard minor suit preempt that is not solid.  When the player actually has a solid suit, the opening bid is either 3 or 3 which invites partner to be the declarer in a 3NT contract.  If partner does not wish to play in 3NT, he raises his partner to whatever level is appropiate.  There are two advantages here:  the correct side of the table is the declarer, and as a preemptive bid, an opening call of 3NT is more effective that either 3 or 3. Both Minors A third use for 3NT is to show both minors of at least 5+5+. Its the sort of hands occur that we often describe as the Unusual Notrump when an opponent opens the bidding. But how do you show both suits when you are in the opening seat?  If you use this, you can set the point-count agreement to whatever you want, but 10+ is recommended, and if you only have 10 points, they should all be the two minors.  The point count is unlimited, however.  These hands occur more often than the other 3NT treatments described here... I think its about 5.8% of hands. Both Majors An opening 3NT can also be used with hands that contain at least 5-5 in the majors, but the popular treatment is to agree that its weak - perhaps the same strength as a weak-two bid.  Some of the Scandinavians prefer the point count be 10-15, so if you use this, you will have to decide on the point-count range.  There is no "standard."  when you have 16+ points, you can describe these hands with a standard reverse.  (Bid your higher suit at your second time to bid.) NOTE:  Precision players can use both 2NT and 3NT to describe 5-5 holdings, but both bids are usually unlimited in point-count. Low-Level Blackwood One more use for the opening bid of 3NT... There are times that you have a stand-alone suit and know there is a game, and possibly a slam.  All you need to know is the number of aces in partner's hand.  Opening 4NT would work, because what else could it be but Blackwood?  Unfortunately, if partner does not have enough, you are playing at an uncomfortable five level.   Make the agreement that 3NT is Blackwood.   Close   Unit Board Announcements Pasadena-San Gabriel Unit 559 Our unit is one of nine in District 23 and we are sanctioned by the American Contract Bridge League.   We have an elected board of 12 members that meets monthly and is responsible for unit games and the annual John Waken sectional.  There are two clubs in our unit - The San Marino Bridge Club and the Arcadia Bridge Center. Unit Board Members Unit Board Reports Unit Board Policies Our Virtual Club For lots more information about the Pasadena Pomona Downey virtual bridge club, visit the website at: bridgemojo.com How to Find Our Club on the BBO Website When you log on, you are at the Home screen.  Click on Competitive and then click on All Tournaments.   There's a Search Box at the top, on the right... Simply type in a few letters or numbers that will help identify what you are looking for:   23 is sufficient for District 23, and 556 is enough for Unit 556.  You can type in Pasa for our virtual club. BBO Login Download and Install Zoom           Mojo's Youtube Lessons           ACBL BBO Events           TCG = The Common Game BBO Schedule   Our Virtual Club   Monday 0-1000 Pairs   7:15 PM   Tuesday 0-500 Pairs   10:45 AM   TCG   Wednesday 0-500 Pairs   10:45 AM   TCG 0-100 Pairs    7:15 PM (12 hands) Open Pairs    7:30 PM   Saturday 0-500 Pairs   10:00 AM   TCG 0-100 Pairs   12:20 PM (12 hands) Open Pairs   12:30 PM  TCG   Sunday Open Pairs   12:30 PM  TCG District 23 0-500 Pairs 3:15 PM

WEB PAGES ON THIS WEBSITE