AMERICAN CONTRACT BRIDGE LEAGUE
6575 Windchase Blvd. Horn Lake, MS. 38637
Claire Jones
District 18 Director
(901) 332-5586
2708 Lakeview Ave FAX: (901) 398-7754
Regina, Sk. S4S 1G3
Canada
H: (306) 584-3516
F: (306) 585-1443
Email: stats@accesscomm.ca
New Orleans Report
March 9-12, 2015
Greetings to Everyone,
There are a number of programs on the ACBL web site that everyone should be aware of. The newest of these is the on line partnership desk. You can use this for tournaments and club games alike. Go to the ACBL web site, log into your MYACBL account, and on the left panel you will find a link to the partnership desk. This is an excellent resource for all tournament partnership chairs. If you know of any potential new players be sure to send them to the Learn section of the web site. The ACBL has developed a fine Learn To Play Bridge program that is specifically meant for newer players. Another good section is the marketing web page. There are many resources available for down load to help you with your bridge programs. The cooperative advertising program is still very popular. Be sure to have your teachers apply for the ACBL 75% advertising rebate and get the remaining 25% by applying to District 18 treasurer Doug Adair. The ACBL has changed their tournament insurance carrier. If you require an insurance certificate for your Sectional or Regional there is an application page on the web site. Your tournament chairs can also take advantage of the improved e-mail blast system. Have them contact emailservices@acbl.org to arrange for advertising your tournament. This year the Longest Day falls on a Sunday. In order a accommodate clubs that don’t meet on a Sunday the ACBL will be approving games to support the Longest Day and the Alzheimer’s Association on both Sunday June 21st and Monday June 22nd. A final note is for those people who have downloaded the ACBL Find A Club app. The ACBL has stopped supporting this app. Your app still works but the club information is not being updated. This means you may get out of date information for game times and club locations.
There were a number of motions passed in New Orleans that may be of interest to you. I’ll highlight the ones I believe are most pertinent. You can find the complete New Orleans minutes on the District 18 wasumi.org web page. One of the more interesting happenings in New Orleans actually came following the meetings. The newly developed Technology Committee gave a presentation on future plans for ACBLSCOR. They answered all the questions being asked about what lies ahead. The presentation was video taped and placed on the ACBL web site. If you are interested here is a link to the presentation.
http://www.acbl.org/about-acbl/technology-committee/
I’m looking forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming District 18 Regionals in both Bozeman and Jackpot.
Have a great summer and as always, may all your finesses be successful,
Sincerely,
Claire Jones
District 18 BoD
phone: (306) 584-3516
2708 Lakeview Ave.
Regina, SK. S4S-1G3
New Orleans Motions of Interest:
Item 151-30: Convention Chart Modification Transfer Responses
TRANSFER RESPONSES are added to the COMPETITIVE BIDDING section of the ACBL General Convention Chart as follows
6. TRANSFER RESPONSES (responses after overcalls) where the call shows length or values in the suit of the transfer.
**This transfer sequence is now General Chart: 1H – 1S – 1NT**alert, transfer to clubs
Item 151-31: Convention Chart Modification
Paragraph 7 of the COMPETITIVE BIDDING section of the ACBL General Convention Chart is amended to read as follows:
8. DEFENSE TO:
a) conventional calls (except see #10 RESPONSES and REBIDS above and #7 under DISALLOWED below),
b) natural notrump opening bids and overcalls; except that, direct calls must have at least one known suit, except:
• Double
• 2 Clubs
•
2
Diamonds showing a one-suited hand in hearts or spades
c) opening bids of two clubs or higher
.
**The Woolsey system is now allowed over NT opening. This is an auction where 1NT – 2Diamonds shows one major.
Item 151-141: KO Awards for 5-6 person Teams at Sectionals/Regionals
At non-NABC Events, players on KO teams with more than 4 players who are otherwise eligible for overall awards will be subject to the following participation reduction:
For every segment (half a match) of a match that is won and where a participant sits out, the overall awards for that individual will be reduced by 5%. For example, if a player’s team wins a 4-session KO and that participant played only half of each match, that player’s masterpoint award will be reduced by 20%.
**This motion makes KOs more in line with Swiss Teams by reducing awards when KO players don’t play in all the matches.
Item 151-142: Regional Non-Championship Events
Events that do not qualify for
championship rating by exceeding the number permitted or by being the
same as another event that session (side games) are subject to the "M"
factor appropriate to the event, with the "M" factor limited to 65%
80%. Side games at NABCs are the same as side games at
Regionals.
**This increases the awards for side games at Regionals.