Galway Virtual Bridge, Galway, Ireland

Galway Virtual Bridge

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Some helpful guidelines when playing on Galway Virtual Bridge

Galway Virtual Bridge has been established for players from Galway and environs, and friends, who would like to play bridge online, in particular while the threat posed by Covid-19 remains strong and deters many from resuming face to face bridge.

We like our competitions to be environments where players can enjoy a good game in a friendly atmosphere and we have found that the following guidlines can help to achieve that objective.

PRE-START:

1) Where possible, please complete registration as early as is practicable. This allows the TD to jetter judge, in a timely manner, what type of movement to use.. A heavy load of last-minute registrations gives the TD less wriggle room in this respec!

2) Check that your partner is Online! This is a regular issue that TD's have to cope with and can be easily solved as follows; Locate your partner's Profile and select 'Follow' from the drop-down Relationshp menu (just below Proflie image). This now defines your partner as a BBO 'Friend'. Wheneveer you login into BBO you can use the 'People' feature on right hand side of screen and this will list all 'Friends and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, their current BBO statuis! Friends that are not currently online will be listed with a RED cirlce to right of their name. Friends currently playing online are identified by a Yellow circle, and Friends that are Online are indicated by a Green circle. Thus, if you are waiting fo a competition to start you should check that your patner is listed under Friends with a Green circle to the right of their name. In all other instances contact your parner immediately and let them know that they are not showing as being Online. Note that a competition may start without the partnership if either player is not showing as Online.. [Yes, a TD can use a feature called +allavail+ whcih will delay the start of a competition until all players are showing as being 'online' but time is then wasted trying to contact the errant player and this delays the start time for everyone else!]

AT START OF EACH ROUND

1) PLEASE greet your opponents in a courteous manner, espcially those that may be new to playing online or generally inexperienced.

2) PLEASE be civil in your communicaitions especially if difficulties arise re absence of an Alert or lack of bidding explanation.

2) PLEASE provide a brief System Summary at start of each round which should include reference to strength of 1NT opening, whether 1♠ /1♥ openings are 4 or 5 card, minmmum length of 1♣ opening and whetther a 1♦ response is negative or natural (3+ cards). NOTE that BBO offers a Chat Manager feature where you can store a System Summary (a separate one for each of your regular partners) which means that you don't have to re-type a system sumamary at start of each round. This feature is accessed by clicking in the chat window and selecting Chat Manager from the pop-up list. Youi can create your System Sumamry(ies) offline and just be sure to save each one under a unique name, e.g. partner's name. In competition, at start of each round, simply access Chat Manager and then select the summary you wish to use and click on 'Chat. BE SURE that the destination of the Chat is set to Table and not to Tournament or any other inappropriate target!

ALERTING

The major difference re online bridge on BBO compared to Face2Face bridge is that each players alerts THEIR own bids.

3) PLEASE ALERT all conventional bids or bids that have spcial meaning/agreemtn for you and partner and of which your opponents would nto be aware. NOTE: An alert description shoudl be entered BEFORE the bid is made. If a player forgets to enter the Alert BEFORE the bid is made then a player can 'clcil' on thier bid and enter a delayed' alert. Alternatively a player can message both opponents PRIVATELY re the meaning of the bid BUT shouold NOT send a chat message to the Table whIch would also alert partner!

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We like our competitions to be environments where players can enjoy a good game in a friendly atmosphere and we have found that the following guidlines can help to achieve that objective.

PRE-START:

1) Where possible, please complete registration as early as is practicable. ..........

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Alerting during the bidding

Although online bridge differs in several respects to Face2Face bridge one aspect that is common to both is the requirement to ALERT. Note that whereas online bridge eliminates several of the situations that can bedevil face to Face2Face, e.g. bid out of turn, lead out of turn, insufficient bid, etc. one aspect of the game that remains the same is the requirement to ALERT bids that have a special meaning, especially when the bid is not natural.

What should be Alerted? Any artificial, conventional, or non-natural bid should be alerted or any bid that carries a special meaning or understanding which may not be available to the opponents except via an Alert.

Note that it is not sufficient to Alert a Conventional bid by referring to it by it's name/title, e.g. Lucas, Benji, Multi, etc. The Alert should incorporate reference to the shape and strength and whether it is forcing or not. For example a two suited overcall should indicate which two suits (if known) as well as their respective lengths and the overall strength of the hand or an indication as to whether the bid is forcing or not.

Who should Alert? One of the major differences re online bridge is the fact that each player alerts his/her own bids unlike Face2Face bridge where you Alert partner's bids. DO NOT alert any of partner's bids.

When should you Alert? You should Alert BEFORE you make your bid! Many players fail to alert BEFORE making their bid and as a consequence of which the next player may make a bid without the essential benefit of being alerted to the nature of his right hand opponent's bid. This can lead to a situation where the non-offending side may have been damaged by the lack of an Alert and the TD may be required to take corrective action, e.g. adjust the result after the hand has been played.

How do I Alert? This is done by entering the text that will describe your bid in the Alert Description box that appears in the bidding window. You simply type the text FIRST and then click on your bid. This means that your bid will be displayed on your opponents screen with an accompanying Alert message. Note that your partner will NOT see the Alert and will not be aware that you have Alerted your bid. This is proper. Note that you should NOT type Alert descriptions via the Chat window which would provide Unauthorised Information to partner and might even give a reminder to an otherwise forgetful partner about the nature of your bid!

Also, when you issue an Alert your description should reflect the partnership agreement re the bid that you make irrespective of what is in your hand! Deviating from an agreed system is not an infraction of the rules as long as partner is not aware of your deviation.

What if I forget to Alert before I make my bid? The first thing to note is that it may cause a complication in the subsequent auction and your opponents may claim that they were 'damaged' by your failure to Alert and the TD may resort to applying an adjusted result to the board! HOWEVER, you may be able to redeem the situation by Alerting after you have made your bid by 'clicking' on your bid and then entering an 'explanation/description' which clarifies your bid. NOTE, that the Alert in this instance will only appear after a slight delay and the bidding may have progressed without the opponents having the benefit of the delayed Alert in sufficient time and they may claim that they were 'damaged' by the tardiness of your Alert. Better to get into the good habit of Alerting BEFORE you make your bid.

What should I do if my opponents fail to Alert? Call the Tournament Director.

What should NOT be done re Alerting? At NO stage should a player provide an Alert description via the chat window as this may provide UI (Unauthorised Information) to the partner of the player giving the Alert. Any communication to the opponents re an Alert should be provided via Private Chat to both opponents or a specific opponent if so requested by that opponent.

Can I seek clarification re a bid (Alerted or otherwise) made by an opponent? Yes. At any stage during the auction you may click on an opponent's bid and a popup box will appear on their screen with the word 'Explain'. The opponent witll then enter a brief description that further clarifies his bid. NOTE: Sometimes this 'Explain' box may remain on the screen and prove to be a distraction to you. Simply click on the box and it should vanish!

Click this link to view a short video made by the Andrew Robson Bridge Club that explains and illustrates Alerting on BBO

Click this link to view a short video made by the Scottish Bridge Union that explains and illustrates Alerting on BBO

Paul J Scannell, 30th April 2022

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Claiming during the play of a hand

One feature that BBO provides is the means for Declarer OR an Opponent to make a claim before the play of the hand has been completed. This is a useful feature which can speed up the play and is particularly beneficial where time is short!

What should I claim? You should only claim the remaining tricks to which you are entitled. This may seem to be an unnecessary statement but given the fact that BBO will allow you to claim ANY number of remaining tricks it is important that you neither OVER claim nor UNDER claim. And it is easy to do either! When you use the Claim feature a pop-up box will appear in which you select the number of additional tricks to add to those that you have already won. In that respect it is IMPORTANT to check how many tricks have been completed (note the number creedited to your side as well as the opponents) and pay particular attention as to whether the current trick has been completed or not! You then claim the number of remaining tricks to which you are entitled, being sure that you have identified assured winners and the total number. Then select the appropriate number and click on the 'Claim' button.

How can a mistake be made? Easy... See the screen dump below from a table which included two current Irish international players one of whom was declarer on this hand:

At this point in the play of the hand eight tricks have been completed, including the curernt trick. N/S (the declaring side) have scored SIX tricks while E/W (defenders) have scored TWO tricks. FIVE tricks remain to be played BUT declarer has claimed a total of ELEVEN tricks!!! In addition to the SIX tricks already won declarer can add ♠ 9 and ♥ KQ10 which only gives a total of TEN tricks. Declarer has inadvertently, and innocently in this case, claimed a trick to which she is not entiltled...East will score the last trick with ♣ Q. BUT, what happened was that the defenders accepted declarer's claim and the result was reoorded as 3NT+2. Neither declarer nor the defense spotted the mistake and so the result stood with the error only being discovered long after the game had finished.

The moral of the story is as follows:

1) If you're decalrer and make a claim be sure that you claim the correct number of tricks.

2) If you're a defender and declarer claims be sure that you, and partner, verify that the claim is correct BEFORE accepting it. N.B. Both defenders must accept the claim for it to be accepetd. If one player does not then the claim is automatically rejected and play continues.

3) If you're a defender and unsure about the claim then reject it and let declarer play out the remaining tricks.

Some declarers can become irritated when a claim is not accepted especially when playing against experienced players. In order to avoid any acrimony it is best for declarer simply to play the hand to its conclusion rather than get embroiled in an angry exhange with the opponents who often will be less experienced than declarer and may not be so quick to ascertain whether the claim is valid or not! Declarer should take the easy route and just play the hand out.

What should I do if a misclaim has been made and the opponents accepted it?

1) If you were declarer then call the TD and explain the situation. The TD will adjust the result in accordance with the applicable Laws.

2) If you were a defender and only realised the misclaim after the hand was completed than inform the TD who again will examine the hand and ensure the declarer is only credited with those tricks to which he is entitled accordign to the applicable Laws.

Note also that if you make a claim as declarer then you should include a brief description of how the play will proceed, specifically referring to the need to draw any outstanding trumps BEFORE cashing other winners. Again failure to outline the plan of play for the remaining tricks could lead to a result other than what would apply if a plan of play was included with the claim!

Can a defender make a claim during the play? Yes, a defender can make a claim although it really constitutes a 'concession', i.e. the defender concedes all remaing tricks bar the number for which he is making a claim.

Click this link to view a short video clip, courtesy of the Essex Bridgr Center which explains and illustrates Claiming on BBO.

Paul J Scannell, 30th April 2022

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One feature that BBO provides is the means for Declarer OR an Opponent to make a claim before the play of the hand has been completed. ..........

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How to Call the Tournament Director on BBO

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At some point during a game on BBO you may find it helpful to Call the Tournament Director. ..........

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How to use Chat Manager especially for Brief System Summary

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Chat Manager is a simple and easy to use feature offered by BBO which can be used to speedily communicate with opponents at the Table and is especially useful in terms of presenting your System Summary at start of each round WITHOUT having to type the summary each time. ..........

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Welcome to Galway Virtual Bridge

Lee Barton Obituary and LiveStream of Celebration of Life Service.

Click here for link to obituary:

A Celebration of Life will be at 10129 Princess Elizabeth Avenue of Serenity Funeral Service (Edmonton, Canada) on May 17 starting at 2pm. [NOTE: This will be 9pm Irish Time]

For those unable to attend, there will be a livestream of the celebration, please follow the link below.

https://www.mattfosseyent.ca/lee-barton

Paul J Scannell, 16th May 2025

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Update... 12th May 2025

Several announcements below:

1) We sadly announce the recent passing of regular member Lee Barton (Canada) who died last week. Further details in window below. Together with his wife Lucille they played virtually every day in a Galway BBO competition since early 2023!

2) Our 2024-2025 Loyalty Reward Programme has been in operation since 7th November 2024 and will continue up to the end of play on Thursday, 6th November 2025. So, plenty of time to accumulate the 25, 50, 75 or even 100 pts and earn the associated Loyalty Prize of 5BB$, 10BB$, 15BB$$ or 20BB$. Congratulations to Michele Heaslip who becomes the first player to reach 75+ pts in the 2024-2025 Loyalty Programme . See updated list in dedicated window below. Congratulations also to Paschal Browne, Aidan Cleary, Marian Davenport, Elaine Doyle, Sean Hegarty, Bridie Redahan, Mary Santry, who have all reached/exceeded 50+ pts

3) This year we have adopted a new approach re CBAI Masterpoints and we're delighted to say that we're actually ahead of the posse this time! We have created a system whereby CBAI Masterpoints are allocated to players at end of play each evening! The listing below shows all players who have won any CBAI Masterpoints to-date since 1st September 2024. Listing is displayed alphabetically by BBO username. Note that the current season for CBAI Masterpoints ends on 31st May 2025. Where appropriate details (Full Name, CBAI #) have been provided to us we will forward to the CBAI the list of eligible players together with Masterpoints won during the past season.

4) Note that this week (12th - 15th May) we will be running the annual Celtic Nations BAI Simultaneous Pairs which is the main fund-raising event for young bridge players! Again, the competition will be organised by our friends at ECatsBridge. You can check the results at close of play each night at their website to see how you fared nationally!

Paul J Scannell, 12th May 2025

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Celtic Nations Simultaneous Pairs 2025

Galway Virtual Bridge is pleased to announce that it will offer the annual Celtic Nations Simultaneous Pairs, a major fund-raiser to support Junior bridge.

On this page we will present a link to the ECats Bridge website with access to the National Results for each event over the coming four days. Also provided are links to hand records and expert commentary for each event. Simply click the relevant link in the table below.

Day / Date	Link to ECats Bridge	Hand Records	Expert Commentary
Mon, 12th May	Click here	2025-Celtic-Pairs-Monday-Hand-records.pdf	2025-Celtic-Pairs-Monday-Commentary.pdf
Tue, 13th May	Click here	2025-Celtic-Pairs-Tuesday-Hand-reords.pdf	2025-Celtic-Pairs-Tuesday-Commentary.pdf
Wed, 14th May	Click here	2025-Celtic-Pairs-Wednesday-Hand-reocrds.pdf	2025-Celtic-Pairs-Wednesday-Commentaryy.pdf
Thu, 15th May	Click here	2025-Celtic-Pairs-Thursday-Hand-Records.pdf	2025-Cetic-Pairs-Thursday-Commentary.pdf

N.B. Links will not become active until play has completed.

NOTE: 'Kibitzing' on Galway Virtual Bridge will be switched off for the duration of these events.

Also, a frequent question is why my Club score differs from my National (Overall) score. Click here for explanation.

Paul J Scannell, 15th May 2025

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Lee Barton R.I.P.

It is with much sadness that we report the recent passing of Lee Barton (Canada) who played regularly with his devoted wife Lucille on Galway Virtual Bridge / Summer Bridge @ Galway / The Sunday Game @ Galway. They literally played every day... well almost every day, over the past 4 years or so!

Lee had suffered from Parkinson's for several years and could have trouble controlling the mouse, and the keyboard when playing online. Recently he was also diagnosed with dementia which sometimes led to confusion. Fortunately many of our members were aware of Lee's condition and gave appropriate consideration. As Lucille put it... 'In playing bridge on-line, Lee and I feel fortunate to have found the Galway game and have been touched by the kindness and understanding that we have been shown.’

Bridge was a HUGE part of Lee's life and he so looked forward to his regular game online

We offer our condolences to Lucille and the extended family.

May He Rest In Peace.

Paul J Scannell, 10th May 2025

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Meet The Bartons

Meet the Bartons

[Lee & Lucille Barton. January 2005]

You can’t have played on Galway Virtual Bridge, Summer Bridge @ Galway or, The Sunday Game @ Galway over the past couple of years without encountering The Bartons. They have played virtually seven nights a week! So, who are The Bartons?

Lee & Lucille are Canadians who originally met whilst playing bridge in Edmonton, Alberta in the early 1970s. They got married in 1982 and have been happily together ever since. Lee recently celebrated his 86^th birthday and Lucille is a sprightly 92.

Bridge has been at the centre of their relationship since before they met. Lucille grew up in a bridge playing family but only started to play duplicate bridge in the 1960s. Lee learned bridge whilst at university and then pursued a career in the Oil Industry before turning to training his own harness horses which he raced in Edmonton and Calgary.

Together they travelled on holiday every year to Regional Tournaments in the United States and Canada, including Alaska, Hawaii, Houston, Nashville, Albuquerque and Palm Springs. They also played bridge in Christchurch in New Zealand as well as Brisbane and Sydney in Australia. Unfortunately they never made it to Ireland!

Lee developed a ‘control asking’ bidding system and was one of the earliest proponents of ‘Splinter Bids’. This is the system that he and Lucille now play and she recently wrote a book aptly titled ‘The Barton System – Advanced Control Asking Bridge Bidding System’.

Until Covid up-ended bridge around the world they played in their local club in Edmonton, Alberta three night’s a week.

Then came Covid and like many players around the world, they found themselves playing bridge ‘online’. As Lucille put it in an earlier email to me… ‘In playing bridge on-line, Lee and I feel fortunate to have found the Galway game and have been touched by the kindness and understanding that we have been shown.’ [Note: Edmonton is approx. six hours behind Galway!. So, what is an evening game for local players on Galway Virtual Bridge is an afternoon game for Lee & Lucille.]

But Lee has been plagued with Parkinson’s for the past fifteen years and can have trouble controlling the mouse, and the keyboard. In the past few years Lee ‘s health has been compounded with a diagnosis of dementia which can lead to confusion. Some days are better than others. And some are worse than others. On Tuesday 26^th December 2023 I noted that Lee had a difficult time and I expressed my concerns to Lucille … “I wonder whether your last session with us was simply a particularly bad day for Lee and that other days would be better.” Lucille’s reply included the following… “…It turns out that Lee had a heart attack sometime Xmas night but while he was having some difficulty, I just thought his Parkinsons had gotten worse. How he was able to get through the game on Tuesday is a wonder. We had a houseful of grandchildren & great grandchildren, and they finally got me to call 911. He is now in the cardiology unit in hospital where they are also treating him for pneumonia. By yesterday he was almost back to his normal self but very weak. The challenge will be dealing with the heart problem but also being strong enough to get around with his walker so that he can come home. Bridge is Lee's main interest now and I hope you will see us back playing in your game before too long. Meanwhile you may see me playing with my son, Brian Ellestad, who is playing "The Barton System" with me.

It is with much sadness that I must advise that Lee has not played in a Galway BBO competition since 16^th March 2025. On the 4^th April Lucille wrote to me… “In the past couple of weeks Lee has taken a real downturn and is quite confused and having hallucinations. It is really sad for me to see him have so much trouble when he was such a fine declarer and defender, but as his neurologist said, dementia always comes after ten years of Parkinson’s diagnosis and Lee was diagnosed about 15 years ago. Brian [her son] and I will still play in Galway as he has time.”

As Lucille notes it is so sad to see someone close to you decline in terms of their mental faculties and physical abilities.

In doing some research for this article I came across the following story as told by Bob Crosby, a legendary Edmonton player and former partner of Lee’s. “During the 1970’s, Lee Barton and I won the right to represent Canada in the world Olympiad held in New Orleans. In one of the sessions, we came to a table that was three rows deep with female kibitzers. Lee and I had our Canada badges on; we exchanged glances with them and discovered that the opponents represented Egypt. There was one guy the women seemed to find particularly attractive. His name was Omar Sharif. Lee and I got to a nice spot on the first board, so the mood changed for the opponents. The next board Omar put his partner in 3NT and Lee lead the ♠Q with ♠Kxx hitting the dummy. Declarer played small; I had ♠92 so I played the 9. The queen held the trick and Lee continued the ♠J; declarer played small again. Lee now cashed his Ace and two more spades for down one in a hand cold for 660. The commotion that came later did not seem like acting, so Lee and I made a hasty retreat. Within earshot of the opponents, Lee said to me (and this is a direct quote): “Bob… Homer the Sheriff is not so tough.”

And today, 16^th April, the news is worse… Lucille writes... ‘I have sad news in that Lee has gotten much worse. There is no possibility of Lee being able to play bridge again.’

I hope that all players on our BBO Galway clubs will join us in sending best wishes to Lee and Lucille and that you will keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Lee & Lucille Barton, December 2022]

Paul J Scannell, 16^th April, 2025

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Update re GVB Loyalty Reward Programme 2024-2025 and CBAI Masterpoints 2024-2025

NEW! ... 17th March 2025

1) So...four players have now reached the 50 pt mark in our Loyalty Reward Programme... Lee and Lucille Barton (Canada) who are on 68 and 64 pts respectively, and Michele Heaslip who has accumulated 55 pts, and new addition to the group, Angela Dunne on 52 pts..

And Guy Gill, who is currently on 48 pts, will surely join the 50+ club this coming week.

There are now 42 players with 25-48 pts.

And there are four players on 24 pts.

See below for full listing... or click here: Competition - GVB Loyalty Program 2024-2025.

And remember... the GVB Loyalty Reward Programme continues until 6th November 2025.

2) CBAI Masterpoints won since 1st September 2024.

Top 20 winners of CBAI Masterpoints since 1st September:

BBO Name	TOTAL

soph1702	6444
lahinch	6443
L_barton	6316
barton	5865
dlidd	5479
cunn1ng172	5248
cara	4764
paradise c	4219
weston4	4096
devider	4069
sconnor	4062
Allways3	3681
Doublinman	3595
eoin MN	3581
clrya	3476
caoimhe712	3295
maria89	3032
fionuna	3013
PQ2	2879
stevemale	2837

See below for full listing in BBO username order.

Paul J Scannell, 17th March, 2025

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CBAI Simultaneous Pairs 2025

Galway Virtual Bridge is pleased to announce that it will offer the annual CBAI Simultaneous Pairs, a major fund-raiser to support the CBAI (Contract Bridge Association of Ireland).

Day / Date	Results on ECats Bridge	Hand Records	Expert Commentary
Mon, 3rd March	Click here	2025-CBAI-SIMS-Monday-hand-records.pdf	2025-CBAI-SIMS-Monday-Commentary.pdf
Tue, 4th March	Click here	2025-CBAI-SIMS-Tuesday-Hand-Records.pdf	2025-CBAI-SIMS-Tuesday-Commentary.pdf
Wed, 5th March	Click here	2025-CBAI-SIMS-Wednesday-Hand-Records.pdf	Videos of Hands 1-6 Videos of Hands 7-12 Videos of Hands 13-18 Videos of Hands 19-24
Thu, 6th March	Click here	2025-CBAI-SIMS-Thursday-Hand-Records.pdf	2025-CBAI-SIMS-Thursday-Commentary.pdf

N.B. Links will not become active until play has been completed.

NOTE: 'Kibitzing' on Galway Virtual Bridge will be switched off for the duration of these events.

Also, a frequent question is 'why my Club score differs from my National (Overall) score?'. Click here for explanation.

Paul J Scannell, 3rd March 2025

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Update to website...overdue!

Okay...it has been on my 'todo list' for some time and finally I got around to it! So, a number of updates to our website have now been implemented as detailed below!

1) New photo of Galway. This image shows the iconic 'Quay Street', Galway's 'Latin Quarter', which is a bustling hive of activity especially in the summer months. Lots of restaurants catering to all tastes...and bars/pubs galore!

4) Note that next week (3rd - 6th March) we will be running the annual CBAI Simultaneous Pairs which is the main fund-raising event for CBAI teams competing in International events! Again, the competition will be organised by our friends at ECatsBridge. You can check the results at close of play each night at their website to see how you fared nationally!

Paul J Scannell, 24th February 2025

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Galway Virtual Bridge Loyalty Reward Programme 2024-2025

THE 2024-2025 COMMENCED ON MONDAY 11TH NOVEMBER AND WILL RUN UNTIL END OF PLAY ON THURSDAY 6TH NOVEMBER 2025.

Galway Virtual Bridge is pleased to announce that in light of the highly successful Loyalty Reward Programme (2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024) it is introducing a similar programme for the the 4th year of Galway Virtual Bridge's ongoing service to bridge players throughout Ireland and further afield.

For the coming year the following will apply:

1) The Loyalty Reward Programme 2024-2025 will commence on Monday, 11h November 2024 and will conclude on Tuesday, 6th November 2025.

2) The following point scheme will apply:

a) A player will automatically earn 1 point for each event completed on Galway Virtual Bridge (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday nights only).

b) Loyalty Rewards will accumulate as follows: 5BB$ upon reaching 25 pts... and a further 10BB$ upon reaching 50 pts. You will receive an additional 15BB$ when you accumulate 75 pts, and a further 20BB$ upon reaching 100 pts. This amounts to a total of 50BB$ compared to the 30BB$ paid last year for participating in the same number of events!

3) All Loyalty Reward Programme payments will be made upon receipt of an email addressed to galwayvirtual@bridgewebsemail.com which contains:

i) BBO name

ii) Real Name

iii) CBAI/NIBU/OTHER NBID #

N.B. Players from outside Ireland should indicate the NBO (National Bridge Organization) to which they are affiliated.

4) All outstanding claims for payment of Loyalty Reward Programme Rewards must be registered with Galway Virtual Bridge (via email to galwayvirtual@bridgewebsemail.com) by 13th November 2025.

CLICK ANYWHERE IN THIS WINDOW TO SEE CURRENT LOYALTY REWARD PROGRAMME LISTING

Paul J Scannell, 31st December, 2024

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Una Walsh R.I.P.

It is with much sadness that we advise members of the recent passing of Una Walsh, Una was a colossus in the context of bridge, not just in Galway, or the Western Region, but throughout the length and breadth of Ireland. She was a regular supporter of several local clubs in Galway city but it is her role as an administrator of the game for which she will be best remembered. She served as Hon. Secretary of the Western Region from the early 1970s until her appointment as Hon Sec. of the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland in 1991, a position she held until 2002. She also served at national level as President of the CBAI 1978-79 and President of the Irish Bridge Union in 1979-80.

As Hon. Secretary of the Western Region she worked selflessly and tirelessly to encourage clubs to join and she also promoted participation in Regional competitions.

At the table she was always courteous to partners and opponents alike.

Una especially looked out for the interest of novices and intermediates. She also lent her efforts to promoting bridge in local schools.

Una was a strong supporter of the campaign that saw the development of the Galway Bridge Centre, it's existence today being evidence of her efforts and that of others that travelled the same journey.

She also took over the editorial duties of the Irish Bridge Journal when her brother Paddy passed away. Together the published the IBJ for approximately forty years. It was a labour of love for both of them.

In respect of the administration of the game, be it at club, regional, or national level, Una was fearless, and with her a spade was always a spade...and not a club, a diamond, a heart, or even a no-trump! She always spoke her mind and said her piece. Differences with others never lingered.

Truly it can be said...she was one of a kind.

Funeral arrangements can be found here: www.rip.ie

Paul J Scannell, 2nd October 2024

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Galway Virtual Bridge Loyalty Reward Programme 2023-2024

NEW... as at 29/09/2024

Congratulations to new centurions Eugene Gath, Joseph O'Keeffe and Michael O'Brien who join Frank Gallachoir, Mary Santry, Phyl Sherrard from last week bringing the total to SIXTEEN, all of whom have played 100+ times in Galway Virtual Bridge competitions...and several more hot on their heels!

And six new entrants at the 25pt level.

A total of 171 players have now received a minimum reward of at least 5BB$ in our 2023-2024 Loyalty Reward Programme which continues until 7th November 2024.

N.B. There is just over one month to go before the current Loyalty Reward Programme ends.

Paul J Scannell, 29th September 2024

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Masterpoints

Masterpoint returns for events run under the auspices of Galway Virtual Bridge / Summer Bridge @ Galway / The Sunday Game @ Galway have now been submitted to the CBAI.

Note that the CBAI recently reached a decision whereby, in future, Masterpoints will only be issued in line with the traditional CBAI calendar, i.e. 1st September to 31st May.

Note also that Masterpoints are only provided to registered members of the CBAI (or members of the Home Countries, NIBI, SBU, WBU, EBU) who have provided us with a real name and membership number.

Paul J Scannell, 2nd August 2024

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Galway Virtual Bridge Loyalty Reward Programme 2023-2024

NEW... as at 10/07/2024

FIFTEEN payees this week, including seven players who achieve the 25 pt mark and receive a first payment.

Congratulations to our latest centurion... James Ward who has reached the 100+pt mark for the third year in a row!.

A total of 138 players have now received a minimum reward of at least 5BB$ in our 2023-2024 Loyalty Reward Programme which continues until 7th November 2024.

Paul J Scannell, 10th July 2024

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56th European Team Championships: 24th June - 4th July

Click the following link to follow the results of the 56th European Championships currently taking place in Denmark (24th June - 4th July).

56th European Team Championships

We especially send our best wishes to our two Galway gals, Joan Kenny and Louise Mitchell, who are playing on the Irish Ladies team.

Paul J Scannell, 25th June, 2024

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John Comyn R.I.P.

It is with much sadness that we advise members of the passing of John Comyn, legendary bridge correspondent of The Sunday Independent for more than 50 years.

John was an enthusiastic and very effective promoter of the game both in terms of attendance at Congresses around the country and through his bridge column with the Sunday Independent. John was also instrumental in establishing the Rothmans Kings, a team of top players who travelled the country playing challenges matches against local selections. And the Rothman Kings had a very high success rate!

John of course was primarily a sports journalist with a big interest in horse racing. Eventually he became head of sport for Independent. Newspapers.

John was a regular presence in competitions run by Galway Virtual Bridge / Summer Bridge @ Galway / The Sunday Game @ Galway until the end of 2023 when ill-health prevented him from further participation.

Funeral details: Death Notice of John Comyn (Rathfarnham, Dublin) | rip.ie

Our sympathies to his wife Anne and the extended Comyn family.

Paul J Scannell, 5th June 2024

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Galway Virtual Bridge Loyalty Reward Programme 2023-2024

NEW... as at 04/06/2024

Okay...a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to Lee Barton who becomes the first player to reach the 100 pt mark in our current Loyalty Reward Programme and has thereby accumulated a total prize of 50BB$! And his wife Lucille is about to join him on the 100 mark!

And Joe Walsh and Frank Browne are in the nineties! And several others are in the eighties!

The issue that had bedevilled us last week seems to have been resolved and the Loyalty Reward Programme listing/ranking seems to be accurate once again!

Paul J Scannell, 4th June 2024

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CBAI Simultaneous Pairs 2024

Coming this week...CBAI SIMULTANEOUS PAIRS...

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday ... 4th - 7th March, Galway Virtual Bridge will be running the annual CBAI SIMULTANEOUS PAIRS, the major revenue source for funding Irish teams in international bridge competitions.

Click the link below to access the Home Page on ECatsBridge for the Celtic Nations Simultaneous Pairs to access Overall Results, Frequencies, Commentary on hands.

ECatsBridge CBAI Simultaneous Pairs Home Page

Below are Quick Links to Overall National Results and Expert Commentary. NOTE: Links will only become active after each session is completed.

Day	National Results	Expert Commentary
Monday	Results	Commentary
Tuesday	Results	Commentary
Wednesday	Results	Commentary
Thursday	Results	Commentary

Paul J Scannell, 4th March 2024

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Galway Virtual Bridge Loyalty Programme 2023-2024

Galway Virtual Bridge is pleased to announce that in light of the highly successful Loyalty Reward Programme (2021-2022, and 2022-2023) it is introducing a similar programme for the the 3rd year of Galway Virtual Bridge's ongoing service to bridge players throughout Ireland and further afield.

In the coming year the Loyalty Programme will reward more frequently and with greater generosity!

For the coming year the following will apply:

1) The Loyalty Reward Programme 2023-2024 will commence on Tuesday, 8th November 2023 and will conclude on Tuesday, 7th November 2024.

2) The following point scheme will apply:

a) A player will automatically earn 1 point for each event completed on Galway Virtual Bridge.

3) All Loyalty Reward Programme payments will be made upon receipt of an email addressed to galwayvirtual@bridgewebsemail.com which contains:

i) BBO name

ii) Real Name

iii) CBAI/NIBU NBID #

N.B. Players from outside Ireland should indicate the NBO (National Bridge Organization) to which they are affiliated.

4) All outstanding claims for payment of Loyalty Reward Programme Rewards must be registered with Galway Virtual Bridge (via email to galwayvirtual@bridgewebsemail.com) by 14th November 2024.

CLICK ANYWHERE IN THIS WINDOW TO SEE CURRENT LOYALTY REWARD PROGRAMME LISTING

Paul J Scannell, 22nd November, 2023

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Irish Bridge Union Simultaneous Pairs 2023 - Links for National Results, Hand Records, Expert Commentary

Galway Virtual Bridge is pleased to announce that it will offer the annual IBU Simultaneous Pairs, a major fund-raiser to support Irish teams competing in international events.

Day / Date	Link to ECats Bridge	Hand Records	Expert Commentary
Mon, 6th Nov	Click here	2023-004617-IBU-Monday-Hand-Records.pdf	2023-004617-IBU-Pairs-Monday-Commentary.pdf
Tue, 7th Nov	Click here	2023-005294-IBU-Tuesday-Hand-Records.pdf	2023-005294-IBU-Pairs-Tuesday-Commentary.pdf
Wed, 8th Nov	Click here	2023-006268-IBU-Wednesday-Hand-Records.pdf	2023-006268-IBU-Pairs-Wednesday-Commentary.pdf
Thu, 9th Nov	Click here	2023-007159-IBU-Thursday-Hand-Records.pdf	2023-007159-IBU-Pairs-Thursday-Commentary.pdf
Fri, 10th Nov	Click here	2023-008614-IBU-Friday-Hand-Records.pdf	2023-008614-IBU-Pairs-Friday-Commentary.pdf

N.B. Links will not become active until play has completed.

NOTE: 'Kibitzing' on Galway Virtual Bridge will be switched off for the duration of these events.

Also, a frequent question is why my Club score differs from my National (Overall) score. Click here for explanation.

Paul J Scannell, 6th November 2023

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Celtic Nations SIMS Pairs 2023 - Monday to Thursday

Galway Virtual Bridge is pleased to announce that it will offer the annual Celtic Nations Simultaneous Pairs, a major fund-raiser to support Junior teams competing in international events.

Day / Date	Link to ECats Bridge	Hand Records	Expert Commentary
Mon, 4th Dec	Click here	2023-Celtic Nations SIMS Monday-0042238-Hand Records.pdf	2023 Celtic Nations SIMS Monday Commentary.pdf
Tue, 5th Dec	Click here	2023 Celtic Nations SIMS - Hand Records - Tuesday.pdf	2023 Celtic Nations SIMS - Tuesday Commentary.pdf
Wed, 6th Dec	Click here	2023 Celtic Nations SIMS - Hand Records - Wednesday.pdf	2023 Celtic Nations SIMS - Wednesday Commentary.pdf
Thu, 7th Dec	Click here	2023 Celtic Nations SIMS - Hand Records - Thursday.pdf	2023 Celtic Nations SIMS - Thursday Commentary.pdf

N.B. Links will not become active until play has completed.

NOTE: 'Kibitzing' on Galway Virtual Bridge will be switched off for the duration of these events.

Also, a frequent question is why my Club score differs from my National (Overall) score. Click here for explanation.

Paul J Scannell, 8th December 2023

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Irish Bridge Union Simultaneous Pairs 2023

Galway Virtual Bridge is pleased to announce that it will offer the annual IBU Simultaneous Pairs, a major fund-raiser to support Irish teams competing in international events.

Events will be run on Galway Virtual Bridge on Monday (6th Nov), Tuesday (7th Nov), Wednesday (8th Nov), and Thursday (9th Nov), in conjunction with other online services, as well as the many clubs that will be offering a face to face option.

A session will also be offered on Friday (10th Nov) courtesy of Summer Bridge @ Galway

Note:

1) For these events 'Kibitzing' will NOT be available for the sessions offered by Galway Virtual Bridge.

2) Results will be uploaded to the ECats bridge website for inclusion in the overall national results. The ECats website will also provide detailed results where players can compare their performance in the local club competition with their performance in the national event.

Note: Your percentage score in the club competition may differ from your score in the national event. For some it may increase whereas for other it may decrease! Click this link for explanation.

3) Expert commentary, arranged by IBU, will be provided for each session via a PDF uploaded to the Galway Virtual Bridge website.

Paul J Scannell, 6th November 2023

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CBAI SIMULTANEOUS PAIRS

Coming next week...CBAI SIMULTANEOUS PAIRS...

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday ... 6th - 9th February, Galway Virtual Bridge will be running the annual CBAI SIMULTANEOUS PAIRS, the major revenue source for funding Irish teams in international bridge competitions.

Click the link below to access the Home Page on ECatsBridge for the Celtic Nations Simultaneous Pairs to access Overall Results, Frequencies, Commentary on hands.

ECatsBridge CBAI Simultaneous Pairs Home Page

Below are Quick Links to Overall Results and Commentary:

Day	Results	Commentary
Monday	Results	Commentary
Tuesday	Results	Commentary
Wednesday	Results	Commentary
Thursday	Results	Commentary

Paul J Scannell, 9th February 2023

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John Comyn pens his last bridge column for the Sunday Independent...

John penned his first article for the Sunday Independent on Sunday, December 12th, 1971. That amounts to 2670 articles! John also contributed bridge articles to the Irish Independent, including session results for then current Irish Trials!

John wrote 'Doubled Up - Laughing at the game of Bridge' in 2010, which is a personal reflection of his bridge adventures over the 60 years that he had been playing bridge up to that time. An entertaining read which is filled with anecdotes of many of the Irish players that were prominent in the game during those years, many of whom are sadly no longer with us. And John was the inspiration behind the legendary Rothmans Kings, a team of players that also included Pat Walshe, Micheal O'Briain, and Donal Garvey, later joined by others. John had asserted that all good bridge players came from Dublin which prompted a T/4 challenge from Paddy Kiely (Cork). After the match was played, the Kings winning, additional challenges were issued from teams all around the country. John reckons that the Rothmans Kings played 70+ matches and lost only two! Some record!

John sat opposite various partners over his bridge playing career and all the time promoted the game in the pages of Ireland's foremost Sunday newspaper.

John, with his wife Anne in Warsaw in 2006 at the European Team Championships, where John was a member of the Ireland Seniors Team.

John has been a huge supporter of Galway Virtual Bridge since it first launched on November 8th 2021.

Enjoy your retirement, John. It has been well earned...and we look forward to your continued presence on Galway Virtual Bridge.

Paul J Scannell, 5th February, 2023

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Galway Virtual Bridge celebrates its First Anniversary...

We started out one year ago on Monday, November 8th 2021...

We would like to say a Big Thank You to all who have supported us over the past year.

To celebrate the occasion we are offering a Free Lottery Draw which will occur after each of the eight rounds of the games taking place NEXT week, i.e. Monday 14th, Tuesday 15th, Wednesday 16th, and Thursday 17th.

The winner of each draw will be the player seated at the table and position as indicated by the draw, e.g. Table 3, South; Table 15, East, etc.

We extend our sincere thanks to the team at CBAI Head Office who administered all of the draws.

Rules:

1) No player can win more than one prize on any single night.

2) Where the initially designated winner is deemed ineligible (previous winner or a Robot) then the next player, using the cycle N, E, S, W, becomes the winner. If no winner at the initially designated table the winner will be selected from the next higher numbered table.

3) Each winner's BBO account will be credited with 10BB$.

Thank you for supporting Galway Virtual Bridge in our inaugural year.

Paul, Miriam, Robert - 8th November 2022

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Sean Glynn (Loughrea) R.I.P.

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Sean Glynn (Loughrea) who died om Monday morning.

Click here for tribute by Paul Scannell.

Funeral arrangements can be viewed on this RIP.ie link: Click here for funeral arrangements

Note also that there will be a live streaming for those unable to attend: Click here for live streaming of funeral service

Paul J Scannell, 17th October, 2022

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Changes re role of Robots partnering a human!

RE ROBOTS IN A HUMAN/ROBOT PARTNERSHIP - IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ

Galway Virtual Bridge recognises the choice of those players, who, for whatever reason, opt to play with a Robot. While appreciating the clear benefit that this offers to those who choose to play with a Robot we are also aware of the fact that some players have expressed concern about playing against Robots.

We are now about to implement a change to the way in which Robots are used in these Human/Robot partnerships. Specifically, we will implement a change to our competitions which will require the human partner to play all hands that are initially contracted by the Robot. In essence this means that where a Robot is initially deemed to be declarer the human will TEMPORARILY switch place with the Robot partner and will then play the hand. Upon completion of the hand the human and Robot will be re-seated in their original positions for the start of the next hand.

This will happen for each and every hand where a Robot is initially deemed to be the declarer upon conclusion of the auction.

We hope to implement this change on Monday, 22nd August 2022.

Given that this will be a major change from current practice we envisage that some players, especially the Robot's human partner, may initially be confused and not realise that they are declarer and not dummy! Opponents should be alert to this situation and should take the following actions if necessary:

a) Prompt the human via chat to Table (or private message) and remind them that they, and not the Robot, are declarer for this hand.

b) If the above referenced prompt does not produce the desired response then please contact the TD.

A Human playing with a Robot should be aware that they will automatically declare ALL hands that his/her side contract.

Also, the Human should be aware that their original hand becomes dummy. Declarer may need to re-appraise his/her line of play given the re-orientation that takes place when he/she swaps places with the Robot for the duration of the play, especially if the opponents have.bid during the auction.

Note:

1) At the start of play the Declarer's screen will now show the Robot's hand at bottom of their display and dummy will be positioned at top of their screen. This means that the Human/Robot hands have been switched and declarer should thus be aware that the defenders hands have also been similarly re-orientated and declarer should accordingly mentally switch any bidding by the opponents.

2) The change will not impact the defenders whose screens should continue to display the original layout with respect to the orientation of the four hands as at the start of the auction.

3) Upon conclusion of the hand the Human Player will be re-seated in the position that they occupied at the start of the round.

Please note the following screen captures, recorded by Robert Delargy, which illustrate the Human's (Robert) screen during the auction and also at the start of play.

The image above shows Robert in the West seat and his Robot partner has opened 1NT. Robert made a transfer bid of 2♥ and the Robot bid 2♠ which becomes the final contract.

Robert now assumes the role of declarer and his screen is now reflected by the image above, Note that Robert, as declarer, is now holding the Robot's hand and the defender on declarer's left leads ♥ A. Note also that this defender was originally on Robert's right DURING THE BIDDING, as shown in the first image.

NOTE: The defenders screens will remain the same throughout bidding and play.

Paul J Scannell, 17th August 2022

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Results

29th May 2025