Local Events
Despite rumblings at the national level – perhaps time will come to debate those in these pages eventually – there's a wealth of duplicate bridge in Suffolk. Aside from a flourishing club scene there are local events every month with the exception of August when vacations and the English Bridge Union Summer Meeting in Brighton dominate.
There is also a fair mix in flavour for local events. The principal variation is between pairs and teams and although I am aware that a great number of readers are duplicate players, I like to detail from time to time what difference this makes. There a bonus – it serves to remind me as well.
In duplicate pairs bridge the same deal will be played many times; your result on those cards will be ranked with all the others. It will not matter how much better (or worse) your score is than those around you, just the position in the list. You receive proportional points for how far you are along that ranking; 100% for being the best, nothing for the worst. At the end, the average of those scores is what counts.
In duplicate teams bridge the deal may be played on many tables but there are only two results that matter; you against your table opponents and your team-mates against their team-mates. The two scores – your plus is their minus and vice-versa – are added together and usually converted by a sliding scale (to avoid single disasters swamping a whole match). Here the magnitude counts for everything. It is all the difference that you are 500 points better in raw score than 50 – whereas it would have little import at pairs.
It is easier to state here than contain all the inferences at the table. At all levels of the game, from club tyro to world champion, separation into 'pairs' and 'teams players' is common. Here's an example, North-South vulnerable:
- 7542
- Q9763
- J32
- A
At rubber bridge you would surely pass. Actually, free from the constraints of duplicate conventions, you'd probably have doubled three hearts but I'm on less sure ground here. I'm not usually one to leave you hanging from one week to the next but there are some announcements to come, so ponder awhile; are you a teams player or a pairs player – what are your instincts on the hand above?
Suffolk Bridge Results and Local Events
| Lang Cup (Married Pairs) 2007 | |||
| 1. | Andrew & Jane Moore | 73.82% | |
| 2. | Roger & Jill Tattersfield | 57.73% | |
| 3. | John & Maureen Heath | 56.64% | |
| July | |||
| Wed 18 | Seniors Pairs | 7:15pm | Stoke by Nayland |
| Sat/Sun 21/22 | Essex & Herts Congress | Stevenage | |
| September | |||
| Sun 9 | Ipswich Swiss Pairs | 2:00pm | Kesgrave |
| Wed 19 | Ladies & Mens Pairs | 7:15pm | Needham Market |
| Sun 23 | Frinton Teams | Frinton | |
| October | |||
| Sat/Sun 6/7 | Felixstowe Congress | Felixstowe | |
| Sun 21 | Club Teams of Eight | 2:00pm | Colchester |
| November | |||
| Sun 11 | Novice Pairs | 2:00pm | Stoke by Nayland |
| Sun 18 | Stowmarket Swiss Teams | 11:00am | Stowmarket |
Published Saturday 14.Jul.2007