B U L L E T I N B O A R D
Information for Unit 559 Members
You will learn more bridge from losing to good players
than you will from winning against poor players.
I am always saddened when I hear of the passing of a friend... Notices like this seem to coming more often, lately.
Markle Vandenvort, one of the kindest and most polite gentlemen ever to play bridge, has passed away of natural
causes. Markle had moved to Arizona a few years ago, but Mark Hartzell says he missed us and was considering
returning to this area. I would have liked to see him again. Rest in peace, my friend.
The Creation of Lebensohl
Imagine someone naming a convention after you because they erroneously thought you invented it. ` Next, imagine that you
didn't particularly like the convention, but it became popular anyway. And lastly, imagine that "adding insult to injury"
they spelled your name wrong, and the convention has subsequently appeared on millions of convention cards with the
misspelling intact.
Sound implausible? Not to Ken Lebensold.
Lebensold has not played duplicate bridge since the early 1980s, but he was an expert player whose partners included Bart
Bramley, David Berkowitz and John Solodar.
But how did "Lebensold" become "lebensohl?" The answer comes from a piece written by George Boehm in the November
1970 issue of The Bridge World magazine where the convention first appeared in print. George, an expert player
who lived in New York City, was the late father of current Bridge Bulletin columnist Augie Boehm - Augie wrote this story:
About a year ago, my son Augie and I converted our crammed and smudged convention card into a gaudy "menu" with all our
gadgets and gimmicks highlighted in red letters. At the start of the first match, a gaunt, Lincolnesque youth sat
down at our table and began studying the new bill of fare. "What's this?" He asked, pointing to a red line that
readi Lebensohl when you overcall our notrump opening.
"Oh, that's just a little refinement Augie recently picked up in Boston. It's the brainchild of a very bright
MIT student named Ken Lebensohl."
After explaining the convention, our opponent-to-be humpfed, which incensed me not a little. "I'll have you know,
young man, that Ken Lebensohl is reputedly a fine player and a brilliant, though youthful, theorist." He replied
quietly, "I'm Ken Lebensold, and I don't think I want any part of your newfangled convention even if you
spelled my name right."
Since Mr. Lebensold disowned the convention, we have decided to designate it lebensohl, with a lower-case letter "L" and
to continue to use it without fee or license.
--------------------
NOTE
You might have missed the above sentence where it says this story was written in the early 1970's.
That means the lebensohl convention is about 50 years old.
Thanks to Joe Viola for the research on the origins of lebensohl, and I think it was Joe
who taught it to me about 30 years ago!
Stray Words of Wisdom:
There's a play called the Deschappele coup where you deliberatly sacrifice an honor to kill
the entry to declarer's dummy. Perhaps the dummy has a weak hand with a long suit that is
almost ready to run and also has an ace side entry. If you have the unsupported king behind
the ace and you lead it, you will sacrifice the king to kill the entry.
Alexandre Deschappell, 19th century whist player
paraphrased from Wikipedia
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 possible
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.
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
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.
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 use Pasa
or 559 for our virtual club.
BBO Virtual Club -- Our unit members can play in a virtual club game set up by Mojo and Paula...
WEB PAGES AND WEB SITES
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Status Change for our Members
Status Change for our Members
New Members
Max Huntsman
Pasadena
Robert Jennings
Pasadena
Jennie McCarthy
Pasadena
Advanced in Rank - 6
Guerry Collins
Junior Master
Mary Nafisi
Junior Master
John Wolf
Junior Master
Teri Unsworth
Club Master
Kathy Cresto
Unit 559 Membership Report
Ranks are updated quarterly after the 7th of the month
Other information is updated monthly
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
0-5
No color points needed
5-20
No color points needed
20-50
No color points needed
50+ 5+ silver points
100+ 15+ silver points
and 5+ gold points
200+ 25+ silver
and 20+ red/gold/platinum
(5 must be gold or platinum)
300+ 50+ silver
and 50+ red/gold/platinum
(25 must be gold or platinum)
500+ 75+ silver
and 100+ red/gold/platinum
(50 must be gold or platinum)
750+ Life Master with
at least 750 points
1000+ Life Master with
at least 1000 points
(200+ must be silver/red/gold/platinum)
1500+ Life Master with
at least 1500 points
(300+ must be silver/red/gold/platinum)
2500+ Life Master with
at least 2500 points
(500+ must be silver/red/gold/platinum)
3500+ Life Master with
at least 3500 points
700+ silver/red/gold/platinum (350+ must be gold or platinum)
5000+ Life Master with
at least 5000 points
1000+ silver/red/gold/platinum (500+ must be gold or platinum)
7500+ Life Master with
at least 7500 points
1500+ silver/red/gold/platinum (750+ must be gold or platinum)
10,000+ Life Master with
at least 10,000 points
2000+ silver/red/gold/platinum (1000+ must be gold or platinum)
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
February Total Membership 358
Bridge Lessons
Are you looking for a bridge teacher?
Imagine someone naming a convention after you because they erroneously thought you invented it. ` Next, imagine that you
didn't particularly like the convention, but it became popular anyway. And lastly, imagine that "adding insult to injury"
they spelled your name wrong, and the convention has subsequently appeared on millions of convention cards with the
misspelling intact.
, 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.
You can cue bid your void... 4
. That will give
your partner the oppportunity to cue bid his trump king -- 4NT.
