Upcoming events

Sunday June 1 - Swiss Teams at Belleisle Community Centre: 10 AM to 5 PM ish

STaC week (June 1-7): Our games June 3 and June 5 will award silver masterpoints

CAN-AT June 25-29 Fredericton Inn, Fredericton NB

Link to flyer: CAN-AT Flyer 2025

Our game on Thursday June 26 will be canceled

2025 Loyalist Sectional Aug 15 - 17

Map and Directions: Map and directions

Details in our Flyer: 2025 Loyalist Sectional Aug 15-17

We are playing bridge Face to Face - looking forward to seeing you soon!

(Check other club websites for their face-to-face and online plans)

If we can't play in person due to weather, facility unavailability, or NB Public health rules, we will play online on BBO.

Local & Virtual Club Game Schedule - see updated list at right --->

New Alert and Announcement procedures updated April 2022!

Link to document on ACBL website: Alert Procedures as of April 2022

There is lot of detail in the documents on the ACBL website, but luckily the January 2021 issue of the ACBL bulletin has an article on p. 35 (continued on page 50) that gives the main highlights.

Here is a summary of the highlights (that most likely apply to Fundy players):

New Pre-alerts (at the beginning of the round)

- strong club system You could say  "We play a strong club" or type "strong club"

- 1 club could be short . You could say "We play 1 club could be short" or type "1 club could be short" (also see change to the Announcement for this)

- don't have to pre-alert if you lead low from a small doubleton, but must be included in the answer if you are asked about leads and carding

Alert changes (remember we use self-alerts online and in face-to-face the partner alerts the bid)

- do not have to alert natural jump shifts in an uncontested auction, whether weak, intermediate or strong

(Updated) - Alert these bids:  "A Natural Opening suit bid at the 2 or 3 level that may contain 12 or more HCP. This does not apply to an Opening in fourth seat" If you aren't sure what your opponents' agreement is with a 4th seat 2 or 3 level opening, you should ask.

- direct cue bid that is not Michaels requires an Alert e.g. 1 club - 2 clubs where the 2 club overcall bid shows a club suit needs to be alerted. If your 2 club overcall shows, for example, spades and diamonds (which is not Michaels) then it needs to be alerted.

- do not have to Alert support doubles or redoubles

- alert an opening 2 club bid that does not meet the definition of Very Strong

“Very Strong”: A hand that contains:
i. at least 20 HCP; or
ii. at least 14 HCP and is within one trick of game assuming suits break evenly among the other hands.
iii. at least 5 Control Points and is within one trick of game assuming suits break evenly among the other hands.

Announcements

- 1 no trump ranges still need to be announced ("15-17" "11-14" or whatever you play)

- instead of saying "transfer" say the suit. e.g. if your partner opens 1 NT and you bid 2 hearts as a transfer to spades, your partner would say "spades" not "transfer" (online if you bid 2 hearts type "spades")

- if you play  that 1 NT - 2 spades is a transfer to clubs - say "clubs"

- but if you play 1 NT - 2 spades shows either minor say "alert" even if the opener is supposed to always bid clubs

- for a 1 club opener that could be short, you must say the minimum number expected e.g. "could be one" or "could be two". Note you need to pre alert this (see above). Also note that if your expected minimum length is 3, that is standard and does not have to be pre-alerted or announced

Delayed alerts

- alerts should not be delayed online. My understanding of this is that control bids should be self alerted. But keycard asking or answers would be explained after the bidding.

- declaring side should explain any delayed alerts or control bids used in the auction without the requirement for the defense to ask about them.