B U L L E T I N   B O A R D

Pasadena Bridge Club                Mojo Jones                626 247-4457             Full Schedule   Regency Bridge Club                Adam Barron                323 318-4308             Thursday   12:30 Unit Game Mojo Jones Pasadena Club 1st and 3rd Sunday   12:30 ACBL Tournaments Schedule         Information for Members                   of Unit 559 Pasadena Bridge Club     Pasadena Club Results Glendale Regency     Regency Results La Fetra Club     La Fetra Results District STaC Results     Mojo's BBO Results ACBL Tournaments     ACBL Live Results Arcadia Club Results     Unit Game Results Our unit games are held twice a month on Sundays, and both games are held at the Pasadena Bridge Club Check my ACBL Masterpoints You will learn more bridge from losing to good players than you will from winning against poor players. Roy Wilson, unit559webmaster@gmail.com Stray Words of Wisdom Let's look at the Smolen agreement... Mike Smolen was a local expert back in the 1970's and recognized a problem we all have, and found a solution for it.  You have 5-4 in the majors and your partner opens 1NT.  Generally, you want the stronger hand to declare, which is why we play transfer bids, but if you transfer to your 5-card suit you might find that you have a 4-4 fit in the other major for a better contract. Mike suggested that you start with Stayman, and if partner bids either major you have found a fit and the strong hand will declare. But what if the opener bids 2?  Are you going to bid the 5-card suit and become the declarer?  Not if you are playing Smolen.  If you jump to the 3-level in your 4-card it's with the understanding that you have five of the other major! Roy Wilson - Diamond Life Master Unit Game Today Winners Nice game played by Kevin Lane and Bob Shore ... They were 1st overall, followed by Cathy Martin and Diana Borgatti.  Congratulations, friends! Royal STaC Games These games start today, May 6, and will go for a week. The master point awards can go over 20 points because the games are scored across the district. The awards are 25% black, red, silver and gold!

3-Level Major Suit Responses to Partner's 1NT Call
Make this agreement with your partner:

• After partner opens 1NT, a jump response in a major is Natural and Forcing
• Opener's second bid must always be a cue bid, showing an ace, starting at the lowest level espossible
• If the 1NT bidder does not have an ace, he simply raises responder's suit
• Responder's second bid is also a cue bid, but can show either an ace or a void
• Any subsequent notrump call by either partner is a cue bid showing either the ace or king of trump

Responder's jump to 3, as with this particular hand, shows a self sufficient suit and require the opener to cue bid any suit with an ace in it, starting at the lowest level possible.  Going past a suit denies holding the ace of that suit.

If the opener cue bids 4 You can cue bid your void... 4.  That will give your partner the oppportunity to cue bid his trump king -- 4NT.
    (That's not Blackwood!)

Your turn... Cue bid the spade suit at the 5-level and be delighted when your partner cue bids 6's showing the club king. 

Bridge is really a very easy game, if you play it correctly.

  Close  

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Unit Historian:    Do you have an old photo or other memorbilia from our past that you can share with us?  Please consider giving a copy to Mike.

Mike Marcucci 818 903-2471 nstarmgm@att.net

Pasadena-San Gabriel Unit 559
Unit Board Announcements

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, our
Holiday party and the annual John Waken sectional.

Unit Board Members     Unit 559     Bylaws Zero Tolerance Standing Rules Unit Board Policies
Unit Membership Roster

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How to Find Our virtual Club on the BBO Website
Our unit members can play in a virtual club game set up by Mojo and Paula...
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 559 is enough for Unit 559.
You can use either the abbreviated Pasa or 559 for our virtual club.

BBO:   BudWilson

WEB PAGES AND WEB SITES

    BBO Login Our Virtual Club bridgemojo.com Our Friends on BBO

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a      Memorial to Lost Friends    Gallery of Players    A Scrapbook of Photos Bridge Cartoons
b   Tips From Our Top Players Interesting Bridge Articles Double Dummy Problems Problems and Solutions
c   Card Play Technique Stuff Everybody Knows Bridge Utilities Standard Bidding
d   Ask the Coach: -  JJ Members Page History of Our Unit Ask the Director:
e   Ace of Clubs - Mini-McKenney ACBL Convention Chart Information Links Maps
f    Frank Stewart's Daily Hand Bridge Stories and Tales D22 - Daily Bulletins D23 - Daily Bulletins      ACBL District and Unit Websites The ACBL Alert Chart Duplicate Decisions The Laws of Duplicate Bridge      The Montreal Relay The Big Club Extended Precision      Keycard Asking Problem Bids Two Bids and Higher Losing Trick Count

Looking for a certified bridge teacher?
Morris Jones	mojo@mojobridge.com
Claudia Elms	elmsclaudia@gmail.com
Zack Vedro	zvedro@hotmail.com
Lisa Walker	lisawalkerlac@gmail.com
American Bridge Teachers Association   ABTA

Unit 559 Membership Report Ranks are updated quarterly after the 7th of the month.
Rank Requirements	The link on the left will take you to the ACBL website where you will find the official requirements for each rank.
Unit 559 Active Members Click the rank below for a list	Master Points
Top 30 Players - Unit 559
Rookie	0-5 No color points needed
Junior Master	5-20 No color points needed
Club Master	20-50+ No color points needed
Sectional Master	50+ 5+ silver points
Regional Master	100+ 15+ silver points and 5+ gold points
NABC Master	200+ 25+ silver and 20+ red/gold/platinum (5 must be gold or platinum)
Advanced NABC Master	300+ 50+ silver and 50+ red/gold/platinum (25 must be gold or platinum)
Life Master	500+ 75+ silver and 100+ red/gold/platinum (50 must be gold or platinum)
Bronze Life Master	750+ Life Master with at least 750 points
Silver Life Master	1000+ Life Master with at least 1000 points (200+ must be silver/red/gold/platinum)
Ruby Life Master	1500+ Life Master with at least 1500 points (300+ must be silver/red/gold/platinum)
Gold Life Master	2500+ Life Master with at least 2500 points (500+ must be silver/red/gold/platinum)
Sapphire Life Master	3500+ Life Master with at least 3500 points 700+ silver/red/gold/platinum (350+ must be gold or platinum)
Diamond Life Master	5000+ Life Master with at least 5000 points 1000+ silver/red/gold/platinum (500+ must be gold or platinum)
Emerald Life Master	7500+ Life Master with at least 7500 points 1500+ silver/red/gold/platinum (750+ must be gold or platinum)
Platinum Life Master	10,000+ Life Master with at least 10,000 points 2000+ silver/red/gold/platinum (1000+ must be gold or platinum)
Grand Life Master	10,000+ Life Master with at least 10,000 points 2000+ silver/red/gold/platinum (1000+ must be gold or platinum) Must have a victory in an eligble event
May Total Membership  365

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Status Change for our Members Updated each month after the 5th
New Member
Mark Hess	Altadena
Roberta Preskill	Arcadia
Transferred In
Bayard Veiller	Pasadena
Transferred Out
Roselyn Teukolsky	Ithaca, NY
Saul Teukolsky	Ithaca, NY
Advanced in Rank - 4
Raymond Boncato	Regional Master
Mariann Nolan	Regional Master
Tim Lee	Life Master
Teresa Thurman	Life Master
Marianne Newmaan	Bronze Life Master

                Since June 16, 2016 --
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This website was established in 1999 by Roy Wilson

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