Last month’s Bridge Bulletin featured two smiling Victoria bridge players. Our little contest asked you to name them.
A total of 616 players received the invitation (also posted on our website), with 300 actually opening the email. Of these, 21 accepted the challenge and sent in their answer.
15 gave the correct answer, which can be found on page 25 of the October Bridge Bulletin. The featured players are Jill Plasteras and Madeleine Tremblay, part of the runners-up in the 0-2500 Mini-Spingold KO Teams.
The winner, drawn randomly from the correct results is Jim Brackenbury. He received Augie Boehm’s book, Masterpiece Deals, A Gallery of Beautiful Card Play.
I’m sure most players enjoy the monthly Bridge Bulletin. In fact, I’ve been told that some people who are no longer playing keep up their ACBL membership just for the magazine.
The October issue features something we rarely see – photos of Victoria players. Have a look. Once you’ve found them, click here for a chance to win a bridge-related prize.
There’s also a very funny and relatable article by Susan Morse on surviving a bad slam. And of course, all the usual good stuff.
Victoria, B.C. — Five talented local bridge players are set to represent Canada at the prestigious World Bridge Championships this Fall. Michael Roche, Daniel Lyder, Gordon McOrmond, Michael Hargreaves, and James McAvoy have honed their skills over years of competitive play and are excited for the opportunity to compete on the international stage.
The group secured their spot at the World Championships by winning a competition sponsored by the Canadian Bridge Federation in May 2024.
Michael Roche (Grand Life Master, Canadian Hall of Famer) and his young partner, Daniel Lyder, qualified for the Open Pairs event, while Gord McOrmond and Mike Hargreaves qualified as part of a Senior Team.
They will be accompanied by non-playing Captain, James McAvoy (Grand Life Master), who will be sharing his extensive experience representing Canada at 6 World Championships. He will set lineups and coach the team in strategies for specific opponents.
Left to Right: Daniel Lyder, Michael Roche, James McAvoy, Mike Hargreaves, Gord McOrmond at Victoria Bridge Centre. *Photograph Confetti Cards by Phil McOrmond
“We feel fabulous about qualifying, having been underdogs in winning the Canadian trials” says Daniel Lyder about his first World Championships. “I was extra happy for our team, because relative to other competitors, we had significantly less experience.” adds his expert partner, Michael Roche.
Each member brings unique strengths to the table but one thing they all have in common is the ability to perform well under pressure, keep their emotions in check, be flexible and stay positive. “Have fun and play well, is my mantra” says Michael Roche.
The World Bridge Championships, held every two years, gather the best players from 116 countries around the globe, making it a highly competitive event. This year’s championship will take place in Argentina, providing not just a chance to compete but also to experience a rich culture.
The World Bridge Federation, which hosts the World Bridge Championships, is recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
Duplicate Bridge is a Sport!
The team has been preparing intensely, refining their custom systems, practicing their bidding and playing for several hours every week. They hope to, not only perform well, but also foster connections with players from different countries.
Left to Right: Michael Roche, Gord McOrmond, Daniel Lyder, Mike Hargreaves at Victoria Bridge Centre. Photograph by Phil McOrmond
As they prepare for their journey, the group emphasizes the camaraderie and friendships built through bridge. “The mental challenges of bridge are a big attraction for me” shared Mike Hargreaves, “but probably the most important would be the social aspect. I have played bridge in 8 different countries and been greeted with open arms even where little English is spoken.”
For those unfamiliar with duplicate bridge, it’s a card game that combines elements of strategy, psychology, and teamwork. Unlike rubber (kitchen) bridge, luck plays a minimal role in duplicate bridge, as all pairs play the same hands. This format ensures that success is determined by skill rather than the luck of the deal.
Mike Hargreaves further explains: “It also offers near infinite variability. For example, in chess, every game starts with exactly the same board layout but in bridge there are hundreds of billions of combinations. One literally never plays the same hand twice.” Because of this “No matter what your level of experience, you can play a hand against the best players and have a chance to beat them”, Michael Roche explains. There is always an exciting new challenge ahead that keeps players coming back for more.
Daniel Lyder adds: “Bridge is basically the only game left where the best humans can beat the best computers. The contextual understandings in partnerships allows them to communicate with their cards at a level unmatched by computers. Bridge is the total package in terms of strategy and teamwork. Bridge is also unique in that it’s a game of fierce ethics. Under the rules of the game, you must alert your opponents to every understanding that you and your partner possess and that creates levels of sportsmanship unheard of at high levels of almost any other competitive endeavour”.
The local community has rallied behind the team, organizing fundraising. “The local bridge community has been exceptionally supportive. I know the 5 of us from Victoria really appreciate the kind words and the efforts to help with the travel costs.” says Mike Hargreaves.
With their sights set on the championships, Roche, Lyder, McOrmond, Hargreaves and McAvoy are ready to take on the world, hoping to bring home not just memories but also some accolades for their community.
Victoria (ACBL Unit 431) is a fertile training ground for high-achieving bridge players. We have more Grand Life Masters per capita (7) than any other Canadian city as well as a thriving bridge community with games at 2 clubs and online that cater to all levels of experience.
Entry level competitive bridge offerings include Mentor and Duplicate Light (play and learn) games that make growing one’s skills a fun experience with opportunities to ease upwards when ready. In addition, ACBL Unit 431 can help find a partner, if needed.
If you would like a new challenge and a taste of duplicate bridge, see our local ACBL Unit 431 website for more information: https://bridgevictoria.ca/
By Catherine Mustafa (250.744.7780, cmustafa@shaw.ca On behalf of ACBL Unit 431
Victoria, B.C. Canada
September 2024
*The image of the group, Confetti Cards, captures the essence of duplicate bridge — a game steeped in strategy and skill, yet brimming with unexpected twists and shared experiences. However, the cards fall, every hand played, whether triumphant or troublesome, is part of a larger narrative woven through countless tournaments and social gatherings. Yet, those fleeting moments of flying cards remind everyone that behind the competitive edge lies a community united by their love for bridge, its complexities, and the occasional serendipity that comes with it. In the end, it’s not just about winning or losing but about the connections formed and the joy of playing together.
The Ace of Spades Sectional for players with fewer than 500 MPs will be held on October 18, 2024 at Strawberry Vale Hall, 11 High Street, Victoria, BC V8Z 5C8.
Over 20 Victoria players attended the Summer NABC in Toronto, held from July 17 to 28.
Here are pictures we received.
Jill Plasteras and Madeleine Tremblay teamed up with Floridians Richard Aufmann and Patrick Thompson to win the Silver Medal (in Olympic terms) in the 0-2500 Mini-Spingold. In actual bridge terms, they won 31.5 Gold MPs for finishing second.
Ernie Tradewell, Deb Hargreaves, Barb Stewart, Anne-Marie Crabbe, Chris Penner, Debbie Wastle, Gina Curran, Shelley Burnham and David Reid were some of the Island players.
Jon, Caroline and Shelley share a moment.Debbie, Gina, David and Jon are all looking happy.
The Duncan Sectional will be held March 16-18 2023 (Thursday through Saturday) at Eagles Hall, 2965 Boys Rd, Duncan (south end, just before the bridges). The tournament flyer is shown below.
To help our members get there we could set up some carpooling. However, we do need to know ahead of time if you are interested in either getting a ride or sharing your car with other players.
Please email our tournament coordinator, Ruth Davies at tournaments@bridgevictoria.caif you are requesting or offering transportation.
If you currently hold fewer than 300 master points and want a chance to get some silver, our Ace of Hearts Sectional Tournament is just the ticket. All the information you need is in the flyer below:
As most Victoria players know, the Kirkwood Trophy is awarded to the District 19 resident who wins the most masterpoints at District regionals in a calendar year. Our four district regionals this year were Leavenworth, Penticton, Lynnwood and Whistler.
You can find more information, including this year’s rankings and the list of the past 54 winners by accessing D19’s Kirkwood Trophy page.
The page also features an awesome video of the actual Kirkwood Cup. Watch it and you can answer the following question: What was our District called when the cup was created? You won’t get a prize but I will appreciate receiving your answer (just click on the Contact Us button at the right).
The top 10 Victoria area players are shown in the table below:
Just a reminder, folks. If you know people who might enjoy playing duplicate bridge, but are unsure of how to go about it, our weekly Duplicate Light game might be just the ticket. It’s a gentle introduction to the game with no pressure to perform.
You can access the Duplicate Light page on the Unit’s website for more information. If you prefer to talk to the organizer, call Jill at 250-686-4747.
Prospective players can also simply turn up at the Monterey Recreation Centre, any Tuesday, alone or with a partner.
Players will register in the Dogwood Room with a bridge ticket ($5 per person) purchased at the reception, from 11:30 am.
Play is from noon to 3:30-ish. Sometimes there will be a brief bridge lesson before the game.
The Whistler Regional ran from November 3-9 and was well-attended by Victoria players. Twenty-nine of us made the trip, braving snow and ice on the way up.
The Michael Hargreaves/Gordon McOrmond partnership came in second overall, each garnering 120.49 MPs. The complete list of Victoria players and their score is shown at the bottom of this page.
With a substantial number (21) of up-island players also showing up to do battle, Vancouver Island was very well represented as shown in the pie chart below.
The Oregon Coast Regional in Seaside is always a popular destination for Victoria bridge players. This year was no exception with eighteen of us making the trip south. Another six players from up island were also present.
Sandra and Doug Fraser scored big with 66 MPs, coming in 24th and 25th out of a field of 682 players.
Here are the scores and ranks of all Victoria attendees.
After 3 years, Unit 431 returned to tournament play with the Victoria Fall Sectional on September 16 to 18 at the Mary Winspear Centre.
The tournament was very successful thanks to the team of volunteers who worked to organize and pull off the event. Kudos are also due to Tournament Director Bruce McIntyre who masterfully ran the three-day sectional which attracted higher than expected turnout.
It was great to bring together our local players and welcome out of town visitors from up-island, the mainland and the US. The final tally for the weekend of 189 tables was 71% of the 2019 total, a phenomenal turnout! The main decrease in attendance was in the limited masterpoint, or non-life master games, which has been the case across other ACBL tournaments. A challenge across the bridge community is to continue to attract newer players to our clubs and tournaments.
Congratulations to Sandra and Doug Fraser, who, playing together all weekend, were the overall winners with 38.83 silver masterpoints.
The Penticton Regional Tournament was held last week, from June 13 to 19. You can read all about it onACBL District 19’s website.
With respect to ourlittle island, 48 players from the Victoria area (Unit 431) participated in the tournament, with another 42 coming from up-island (Unit 429), for a total of about 12% of attendees.
Perennial tournament chair Marv Norden was happy with the turnout (table count of 1655.5), a bit over 50% of 2019’s.
He also reported five cases of Covid, one of which from Victoria. If you attended and are exhibiting any symptoms, please test yourself and check with your partners and teammates.
So if you were considering going to Leavenworth for the April Regional, but were put off by the need for a Covid test upon your return, it’s something you won’t need to worry about.
Due primarily to the Omicron situation and with no face-to-face Bridge happening in our Unit at this time, the Unit Board has regretfully decided to cancel the Spring Sectional which was to be held March 18-20, 2022.
However, the Board will explore the possibility of rescheduling an event for the late Spring or early Summer should the COVID situation have improved sufficiently by then.
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Here’s another very interesting article (I thought so, anyway) about goings-on in the bridge community, this time from the New Yorker magazine.
I haven’t received much feedback regarding the previous one (“Bridge down under”) but if you feel moved to express yourself, just click on the Comments bubble near the top of the page. This is what it looks like:
As you can see, it currently shows 0 comments. Why not try adding one!
Note: Since posting this item, I have received several comments which you can read by clicking on the Comments speech bubble. And you can even respond to them!
The World Bridge Federation, which hosts the 
