Anna Kalma's blog

Help Matamata! Te Aroha are looking for an extra team (or even two) to join the 7 teams who are registered to play in an upcoming local club competition.

The Teams event takes place over three Tuesday nights on the 9th, 16th & 23rd of September.

Of course - any competitors who play in a competition at Te Aroha over the year are entitled to attend our famous end of year Christmas Party ... a highlight on the bridge calendar!

Talk to or email Anna Kalma to register (anna_kalma@hotmail.com)

After great performances in the two junior tournaments held so far this year, Raewyn Richards and Barbara Keys are currently lying in joint 3 place on the Waikato Bays League Ladder.

The next event on the calendar is the Junior and Intermediate Tournament in Tauranga on the 30th August.

Attached are the league table to date for both the Intermediate and Junior Sections.

A concerted effort by members selling raffle tickets in town and a great turn out for the annual Benefit night at Matamata saw $1500 raised for the Matamata Health Shuttle Service last Thursday.

Sandra Hunter gratefully received the cheque from President Lawrence Teaz and explained how popular the service was with over 2500 user trips over the past year.

There was 16 tables on the night with visitors from our neighbouring clubs of Morrinsville and Te Aroha also competing and enjoying the supper.

The winners on the night were Dorothy Stubbins & Alex Randrup (North South) and a great result from newly graduated player Maeleen Borkin who partnered Helen Reid for top East West.

Perhaps the happiest player on the night could have been Sherie Gill ... another new player who not only performed admirably to come second North South but also took home the coveted raffle.

The recipe for Jane's slice is attached here.

Morrinsville is hosting a Cream of the Country Bridge Tournment open to all grade (including novice)this Sunday 27th July.

It is only an afternoon and the $6 entry fee includes afternoon tea. Grab a partner and head along for an afternoon of fun bridge.

Venue Morrinsville Bowling Clubrooms (corner Thames (SH26) and Waverley)

Entry $6 per player

Start time 1pm (30 boards played so finish about 4:30 to 5)

Afternoon tea provided at the end

Entries to Nick Whitten at 07 889 7831 or morrbridge@xtra.co.nz

The major Wednesday handicap competition has been won by Mavis Buchanan and Sherryn Wright.

Mavis and Sherryn

They played all 7 rounds and their best six rounds averaged 59.51.Congratulations Mavis & Sherryn.

The Runner up pair were Jim Anelay and Anne Beetham averaging 56.29

Congratulations to Team Carter (Patrick Carter, Julie Atkinson, Jenny Millington & Barry Jones) who triumphed today in the Spa Town Teams over last years winners Team Jacob (Tom & Steph Jacob and Barry & Glennis Palmer) in second and team Glass (Brett Glass, Gary Foidle, Ian and Cynthia Clayton) in third .

Okay the link to Te Aroha is tenuous at best (Barry Jones was Te Aroha president some years ago).

The winners in the inaugural Intermediate Section were the Tauranga Team YOUNG (Malcolm Christie, Graham Young, Ruth Pepper & Mary Toner).

Unfortunately I failed to take any photos today in the rush to get everybody home in this inclement weather ...

Thanks everybody for taking part. Great work from the Director and Scoring Duo - Dallas Dagg & Jan Spaans. Thanks Matamata for letting us steal a lot of paraphernalia from your bridge club as well as the Te Aroha team for pulling it together.

Hope to see you all next year.

Some last minute shuffling of teams means we are expecting 30 full teams in Saturday's Spa Town teams (22 in the Open Section and 8 in the intermediate). Rest assured the roof is still on St Joseph's Hall and the wind has abated in Te Aroha.

Remember: the latest entries can be viewed on the Programme Tab on this website only (the WBBC website does not have the latest entries).

Team Jacob (Tom & Steph Jacob and Barry & Glennis Palmer) are back to defend their title along with all of the other top finishers from 2013 including Team Moore (Ian and Pam Moore, Sue Sterrenberg & Ian Southen)and Team Jarvis .. albeit sporting a somewhat different team in 2014.

There was an early prize draw for a night for two at the Te Aroha Landing Motel for all those teams who registered early. Congratulations to team Roggeveen from Te Awamutu who won this (Ed & Heather Roggeveen, Linda Sloan & Terry Morrison). Here's hoping a good night sleep for at least half their team will mean they arrive refreshed for a day of 60 boards.

Play starts at 9.30am on Saturday 12th July.

The new venue is at St Joe's Hall (next to the Catholic Church) on Te Aroha's main street.

Click here for the link to google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/eCV4X

Please contact Anna Kalma for further information or entry information. Contacts details are 0275 183 133 or anna_kalma@hotmail.com.

A (belated) congratulations to winning the Joanne Prevett Handicap Teams event to the "newbies" team of Jill Ireland,Sue Bruce, Michelle Smith & Bronwyn Milne. They are pictured below with the Team sponsor Joanne Prevett of the eponymously named travel shop in Matamata.

Newbies Team- winner of the 2014 Joanne Prevette Teams

The newbies team employed a number of tactics to surprise everybody to take away the title on the final night ... Perhaps a key to their result was having an average +10 handicap and getting Grandmaster Lesley Quilty as their super sub on the first night (although this dampened down their handicap for the first three rounds). However they did win 3 out of their 9 matches on scratch and had narrow losses with another three matches. Therefore they played far better than their expected handicap against some much more experienced opposition.

On pure scratch results, the clear winners were "Girls and A Guy" - Lynette Morgan, Ian Bond, Zelda Clements & Sonia Crawford who had 8 wins from 9.

Barry Jones (Gold Grandmaster) returned to his original club of Matamata today to impart some of his cumulative knowledge to intermediate/juniors from the greater Waikato/Bay of Plenty (and ably supported by Karen Martelletti).

It was a day of BIG hands and No Trumps ... The first session looked at slam hands and it quickly became obvious that this was the theme of the day.

Nick Whitten from Morrinsville jokingly suggested making a 'psyche' bid to throw his opponents from getting to game (if not slam). Taking his cue, Barry had a word in Nick's next opponents ear ..."Rochelle - bid 3D regardless of your hand". Rochelle did just that ... Nick sitting on a hand with 20+ points and 6 diamonds in his hand was flummoxed ... what to do next??? Barry came to his rescue - perhaps too quickly but it was worth it to see Nick's reaction!

A "psyche" bid where the opposition bids with minimal points against an opposition who potentially will easily bid and make a game/slam contract was debated by those there... is it fair? is it legal? Legal definitely (although the rules say it can't be done with regularity and the partner of the person who makes the psyche must be equally unaware of their intentions) ... although the fairness was debated ... as with many sacrifice bids there is potential downside as well as upside.

Attached are the main points covered today which include Gameforce responses, Lebensohl and Roman Cue Card Blackwood in further detail ... and remember never ever open 4C!!!

Morrinsville hosted a well attended Open tournament with 19 tables turning out on a beautiful crisp winter's day.

Congratulations to Ian and Cynthia Clayton who had two 60+ rounds today to come top beating Richard Fletcher and Linda Lin to take out the Hamilton Quinella.

In third place was a great performance by Olive Davis and Mary Ronke from Waikato Club. Top Piako Pairs were Rodney Harris & Phillipa Kirkpatrick from Morrinsville in 5th place. Ian Bond and Lynette Morgan were best Matamata team and Jacob Kalma and Anna Kalma were best Junior Pair winning a bottle of wine each. Unfortunately Jacob has to cellar his for another few years before he can drink his!

Results are available under the Te Aroha result tab on the www.piako.bridge-club.org website