Sydney Bridge Centre

♣♦ A Special State Event in SBC ♥♠

Results

The majority of players in the bridge community has fewer than 100 masterpoints. Sydney Bridge Centre is going to run a special event for this most important group of players – the Under 100 Masterpoints Pairs Championship (flyer) this Sunday 26th November 2023, 1.30pm – 4.30pm. You can play in a familiar environment with familiar faces, and your results will be ranked among all the competing pairs from all participating clubs in New South Wales. We understand that 100 masterpoints is still wide ranged, so the results will be handicapped to 4 divisions 0-10, 10-25, 25-50 and 50-100. ALL ARE WELCOME. Both players MUST have fewer than 100 masterpoints for this competition.

For those who are not eligible to play in the Under 100 Masterpoints Pairs Championship, join us in the Sunday Funday which will run in parallel.

No extra fee for UHMP participants. A delicious afternoon tea (tea sandwiches, bread & butter puddings, cheese platter and drinks) included.

Under 100 Masterpoints Pairs Championship / Sunday Funday

• Date: Sunday 26th November 2023
• Time: 1.30pm – 4.30pm
• Venue: Level 1, 162 Goulburn Street, Surry Hills
• Cost: $20 (member) / $17 (concession member) / $24 (visitor)

For UHMP participants, enter in advance preferred, especially if you need a partner. For Sunday Funday, walk-ins are welcome.

♣♦ Change in Table Money Fee ♥♠

While the Club is on the right track with new players and youth development, immediate action is still required to bring back our financial fitness. The good news is, it is confirmed that there will be NO CHANGE in the upcoming membership fee. However, some changes are coming to table money fees in the City sessions from 1st November:

• For normal duplicate sessions, the table money fee will be $16 (member) / $13 (concession member) / $20 (visitor)
• For Lesson plus Supervised games and Sunday Fundays, the table money fee will be $20 (member) / $17 (concession) / $24 (visitor)
• For Workshop, the entry fee will be $60 (members & concession members) / $65 (visitors) from 1st December.

The new table money fee will apply to all Canada Bay sessions starting from 1st January 2024, due to an increase in the venue hire cost in Canada Bay Club. We are trying to sort out some technical settings so both eligible Sydney Bridge Centre and Strathfield members can enjoy the Concession Rate in our Canada Bay sessions in the new year.

♣♦ November Events & Programs ♥♠

RED Melbourne Cup Day @ City

Under 100 Masterpoints Pairs Championship @ City

Sunday Fundays @ City

♣♦ October Events & Programs ♥♠

Sunday Fundays @ City

Upcoming Workshops @ City

Is there bridge on Labour Day 2nd October?

♣♦ Learn to Play Bridge ♥♠

Bridge Beginners Courses

Bridge is a family game. We have a lot of players telling us how they started their bridge journey because of their grandparents, parents, in-laws and siblings. It’s a game to be enjoyed by any age – to keep our mind sharp, to learn a lifetime hobby, and to make new friends! Of course, different age group learn things differently. We have designed the following Beginners programs to suit different needs:

For Juniors and Youth (age 25 or below)

For Everyone who is interested in learning the game

♣♦ September Events and Programmes ♥♠

Next Sunday Fundays @ City

Stroke Awareness Day @ City

Australia-Wide Open Pairs @ City AND Canada Bay

A little competition is good for your bridge! This is a single session tournament to be held on Thursday 31st August from 10.00am – 1.15pm, in both City and Canada Bay. We aim to play 24-28 boards. All are welcome!

Australia Wide Open Pairs

• Date: Thursday 31st August 2023
• Time: 10.00am – 1.15pm
• Venue: City and Canada Bay
• Table money fee: $18 (member, $15 for concession member) / $22 (visitor)

Your results will be compared with other participating players in the whole country – a much better indicator to find out where you are in you bridge journey! All participants will receive a booklet of hand analysis as a souvenir after the event. The booklet will cover all the hands you have played in the competition.

No need to book. Visitors and Walk-ins are welcome.

♣♦ August Events and Programmes ♥♠

Next Sunday Fundays @ City

Tuesday Lunch & Learn on 15th August @ City

State Wide Pairs on Wednesday 2nd August @ City

Compete in a familiar environment and rank your results among all participating clubs in New South Wales. A single session will be held on Wednesday 2nd August 2023, 10.00am – 1.15pm at City. A souvenir booklet with hand commentary by Warren Lazer will be distributed to all participants. Warren Lazer is one of a few Emerald Grand Masters in Australia and a well-liked Captain in the Teams of Three event! Double GREEN masterpoints will be awarded at the local session and RED masterpoints will be awarded for the state level results.

We intend to run TWO separate fields – one for Rookie (fewer than 20MPs. No Lesson that day) and one for the Intermediate / Open. Cash prizes will be awarded, as well as gift vouchers from the Bridge Shop and certificates for the winners in each club once the statewide results are finalised. Prizes are also awarded in the divisions of Under 25, Under 50 and Under 100 masterpoints, as at 30th June 2023. 

• City – Wednesday 2nd August 2023, 10.00am – 1.15pm

All are welcome. No need to book. Visitors and Walk-ins are welcome. $18 for members / $15 for concession members / $22 for visitors. Delicious event refreshments included.

♣♦ July Events and Programmes ♥♠

Next Sunday Fundays @ City

State Open Pairs Qualifying @ City AND Canada Bay

♣♦ NO bridge on Sunday 25th June 2023 ♥♠

Please note that the Sunday Funday on 25th June is now rescheduled to 2nd July 2023.

The building management just informed us that there will be a replacement of the AC electrical cabinet in the plant room this weekend, power and air-conditioning of the whole building will be turned off. It doesn’t sound like fun playing cards in the dark. So the next Sunday Fundays are now moved to:

• Sunday 2nd July 2023, 1.30pm – 4.30pm
• Sunday 16th July 2023, 1.30pm – 4.30pm
• Sunday 30th July 2023, 1.30pm – 4.30pm

The Workshop this Friday 23rd June 2023 will not be affected and will run as normal.

♣♦ Queen’s Birthday Monday 12th June Opening Hours ♥♠

• City – we are OPEN for normal duplicate session, 10.00am – 1.15pm. RED masterpoints.
• City – our Improvers Course will run as normal, 10.00am – 12.30pm.
• Canada Bay – Closed. There will be NO bridge on that day. Please join us in the City.

♣♦ Australia Wide Novice Pairs AND Sunday Funday ♥♠

Please note that there will be different Opening Hours for our two venues on Monday 12th June 2023:

A no-fear afternoon session on Sunday 28th May from 1.30pm – 4.30pm. We aim to play 24 boards. ONLY players with fewer than 100 masterpoints will be accepted to this competition. Players with more than 100 masterpoints are welcome to join our Sunday Funday Open duplicate on the side. Entry in advance preferred.

• Date: Sunday 28th May 2023
• Time: 1.30pm – 4.30pm (our clubroom opens door 1 hour before the start time)
• Venue: Level 1, 162 Goulburn Street, Surry Hills
• Entry Fee: $18 (member) / $15 (concession member) / $22 (visitor)

You can enter as a Pair or enter as an Individual; we will line you up with an appropriate partner for this special event.

This Novice Only competition will be held alongside our Sunday Funday game, tea sandwiches, cheese platter, cakes, drinks and nibbles are included.

A souvenir booklet with analysis on all hands you played will be given to all participants. The sessional winners will receive a Complimentary Workshop of your choice. Your results will be compared with other participating players who are of similar level in the whole country – a much better indicator to find out where you are in your bridge journey!

*Novice player will have fewer than 100 masterpoints as at 28th February 2023.

♣♦ Charity Game for Cancer Council’s Biggest Morning Tea ♥♠

Our annual charity game to support the Cancer Council Morning Tea will be held on Wednesday 24th May 2023. There will be two separate sessions for Intermediate / Open duplicate AND Supervised play (no lesson). Extra $2 table money fee. Sydney Bridge Centre will donate another $4 for each player to Cancer Council. A meaningful game with RED masterpoints!

There will be a variety of teas and cakes. You are also welcome to bring a cake in to help us to raise fund for Cancer Council. There will be prizes for sessional winners, and lots of spot prizes to grab 🙂

No need to book, walk-ins are welcome.

Next Sunday Fundays @ City

♣♦ GOLD SBC GNOT Qualifying Event ♥♠

The Grand National Open Teams (GNOT) is the only club qualifying event offering GOLD masterpoints! You don’t need to form a team, just compete as a pair. We will put the two winning pairs* together to form a team to represent Sydney Bridge Centre to compete in the GNOT Metropolitan Final on 5th-6th August 2023 in NSWBA clubroom. So why not grab some gold points to decorate your masterpoints profile?

• Date: 4 Tuesday Mornings on 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th May 2023
• Time: 10.00am – 1.15pm
• Venue: Level 1, 162 Goulburn Street, Surry Hills
• Only 3 best out of 4 results counted! Play them all to drop the worse score. Butler Pairs scoring.
• Extra $2 table money fee (which allows us to cover the $10 charge from ABF and $2 from NSWBA). SBC will sponsor the entry fee (worth $280!) of one team (formed by the two winning pairs) to the GNOT Metropolitan Final.

*One pair must be SBC member.

♣♦ RED masterpoints for ANZAC Day ♥♠

Our City venue is open on ANZAC Day! The Tuesday Morning Duplicate will run as normal, offering RED masterpoints. For those who are still working and never have a chance to play in the daytime, come join us for a game that day, enjoy some ANZAC day snacks and get to know your buddies 🙂

• City – Tuesday Morning 25th April 2023, 10.00am – 1.15pm. Normal table money fee, RED masterpoints.

Please note that there will be NO evening session on ANZAC night. The next Tuesday Night game will be on 2nd May 2023.

♣♦ Win to Represent SBC in the State Mixed Pairs ♥♠

There are a few major State events that involve clubs every year, the State Mixed Pairs is one of them. Clubs run Qualification Events to select their representative who will compete with all other club representatives in the Final. We are going to select two pairs to represent SBC via the following qualifying events:

• Date: Over 3 Thursday mornings on 30th March, 6th April and 13th April 2023
• Time: 10.00am – 1.15pm (normal morning session)
• Venue: City (Canada Bay will run normal Green masterpoints club duplicate)
• Super RED masterpoints for each session, extra $2 table money fee.

Only two out of three results will be counted, that means you still have a chance to qualify by playing the next two Thursdays! The two winning pairs* will be sponsored by SBC ($120 value) to compete in the State Mixed Pairs Championship Finals from 20th – 21st May at the Goulburn Street clubroom.

We are going to include non-mixed pairs in the sessions, but only mixed pairs who play at least two sessions with the same partner are eligible to qualify, please try to find a partner of opposite gender! If you need a partner of opposite gender, please contact Wing and she will try to line you up with an appropriate partner.

*One pair must be SBC homeclub members.

Next Sunday Fundays @ City

♣♦ March Events and Programs ♥♠

Upcoming Workshops @ City

Let’s Go Central Coast – SBC Dinner Out after Local Congress

RED The (Almost) St Patrick’s Day @ Both City AND Canada Bay

♣♦ Social Game on Sunday Afternoon 19th February ♥♠

♣♦ Our Beginners Course will postpone 1 week ♥♠

♣♦ Social Game on Sunday Afternoon 5th February ♥♠

♣♦ City Vs CBC on Australia Day 26th January ♥♠

There were 11 tables in the City and 10 tables in Canada Bay competing in the special Australia Day session this morning. Congratulations to the sessional winners:

City
NS	1st	Jay Novak – Tim Cregan
	2nd	Peter Cloke – Bruce Nelan
	3rd	Faith Blake – Robyn Quinlon
EW	1st	Victor Clarke – Paul Barnett
	2nd	Phil Halloran – Rob Ward
	3rd	Greta Davis – Libby Tonkin

CBC
NS	1st	Wing Roberts – Mick McAuliffe
	2nd	Sari Larsen – Beth Haggerty
	3rd	Tom Lee – Gwen Rafferty
EW	1st	Arthur Chung – Emi Kaiwa
	2nd	Ken Cahill – Vicky Cahill
	3rd	Venie Parsons-Mason – Linda Dewberry

Overall Ranking
The Overall Results are available on Pianola.

♣♦ Kickstart 2023 with NEW Programmes ♥♠

Happy New Year! Health and happiness to you and yours in the new year ahead. ALL the sessions will restart on Monday 2nd January 2023 in both City and Canada Bay venue, offering RED masterpoints!