(ABIN) 2o%e THE AMERICAN BRIDGE TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION UARTERLY MAGAZINE Also In This Issue — The 1NT Shift Key A Beginner’s Strategy ama eho Do’s and Don’ts of Teaching\ No 2M AUDREY Presenting in a manner that informs and excites our students is important. Many come to this course because they think they have to; everyone seems to be playing this new system, and they feel they might be left behind. Since they think it's a large revision to what they've been playing, there is apprehension that there will be a lot to digest. As teachers, we have to focus on general concepts, and deliver material that has the potential to empower and amuse players the next time they play bridge. This book will bring you just that! ), GAME fd} FORCE OVER For Teachers’ Manual: kathy@betterbridge.com | | NRO 4 and Eric Rodwell Tn nee oa eI To order books contact Baron Barclay: BRgzon ' ARCLAY www.baronbarclay.com BRIDGE SUPPLYA MAGAZINE OF VALUE TO BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS Bippine: Dealer: West Pass YD Vul: Both N Pass |w e€| Pass & BETTER § BRIDGE 1. What's your call? 2. What would your students call? reas 3. What would Andrew Robson do with this hand? Every issue of AUDREY GRANT'S BETTER BRIDGE MAGAZINE brings the opinions of the experts for teachers to share with their students. Pray: As South, you're the declarer after this auction: WesT NORTH East SOUTH ANT Pass Qe Pass 24 Pass 4a All Pass 4K1097 vK43 473 #KQU7 Lead: w2 wd aAJ86 v¥Q65 AJB #A94 West leads the v2, you play low from dummy, and East plays the wJ. 1. Which player holds the vA? 2. How do you plan to avoid losing two heart tricks? 8. Which defender is dangerous? 4. How do you plan to handle the trump suit? Avuorey GRANT'S BETTER BRIDGE MAGAZINE guides you through the play in deals like this in the regular Playing Detective feature. DEFENSE: |s it better to lead away from a king, a queen, or a jack? Jerry Helms discusses the advantages and disadvantages of leading away from various honors in his regular article in the BETTER BRIDGE MAGAZINE. Bippinc, PLAY, DEFENSE. ..a well-balanced diet of tips ready for your students in the Better Bridge Magazine. It's worth its weight in gold...and it's only $29 a year! ARON To order magazines contact Baron Barclay: 1-800-274-2221 BRIDGE SUPPLY www.baronbarclay.com |ABTA QUARTERLY PAGE 4 Fall 2009 The American Bridge Teachers’ Association Quarterly Magazine The American Bridge Teachers’ Association Quarterly Magazine (ISSN 0891-6462) is published quarterly by The American Bridge Teachers’ Association. Office is 5712 Ainsley Avenue, Columbus, OH 43230-8334. Annual subscription of $30 is included in $35 annual membership dues paid to The American Bridge Teachers’ Association. Periodical postage is paid at San Francisco, California. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the American Bridge Teachers’ Association Quarterly Magazine, 5712 Ainsley Avenue, Columbus, OH 43230-8334. ABTA OFFICERS & REGIONAL DIRECTORS Officers President JOYCE PENN 2800 Squires Ridge Columbus, OH_ 43220-6201 jpenn@columbus.rr.com Vice President BRENDA SIMPSON 11725 East Glenview Circle Spokane, WA 99206-5716 bsbridge@aol.com Recording Sccretary KATHY ROLFE 490 North Winnebago Drive Lake Winnebago, MO 64034 kroifeS@comcast.net Immediate Past President KRISTINE MOTOYOSHI 1524 East Beacon Lane Spokane, WA 99217-8747 dkmoto@mindspring.com Special Officer Business Secretary/Treasurer MARSHA REALL 5712 Ainsley Avenue Columbus, OH 43230-8334 mdreall@columbus.rr.com Regional Directors East Canada MB ON PQ NB NL NS PEI KATHIE MACNAB 5 Wren Street Halifax, NS_B3M 2R1 Canada kmacnab@eastlink.ca New England CT ME MA NH RI VT BRENDA MONTAGUE 14 Capstan Way ‘Swampscott, MA 01907-1231 montagues@comcast.net North Pacific AK CO ID MT OR WA WY DEE BERRY 7211 Harrow Place Arlington, WA 98223 deeandduane.berry@comeast.net South Atlanti FL GA NC SC Caribbean LINDA GREEN 40 Bosun Way Detray Beach, FL 33483 irwinlinda@bellsouth.net North Atlantic DE DC MD NI NY PA VA AMY NELLISSEN, 7 Sun Watch Court Ramsey, NJ 07446 amynellisen@yahoo.com North Central IL IN KY MI OH WV WI MARSHA REALL 5712 Ainsley Avenue Columbus, OH 43230-8334 mdreall@columbus.rr.com South Pacific AZ CA HI NV NM UT MARY ANGELA JOSEPH 77-263 {toquois Drive Indian Wells, CA 92210-9028 bridgemary@aol.com South Central AL LA MS TN REBA JERNIGAN 3107 Colyar Drive Chattanooga, TN. 37404 rejera@aol.com Southwest AR MO OK TX SANDY STEVENS. 22111 Crossbrook Drive Katy, TX 77450-8637 dabbler8885@aol.com West Canada AB BC SK DELMA MURRAY 1297 Ocean View Road Victoria, BC_V8P 156 Canada delma_murray@telus.net Midwest IA KS MN NE ND SD TED APPLEGATE 309 West 21st Street Hays, KS 67601 frapple@ruraltel.netABTA QUARTERLY r TABLE OF CONTENTS President’s Message New Members ABTA Online Activities ABTA MPP Teacher of the Year Award Eligibility: Teacher of the Year Award | Software Review Interview with John Rayner The INT Shift Key Book Reviews Running a Teacher’s Workshop A Beginner’s Strategy | More 2009 ABTA Applebasket Entries Teaching Transfers Fast Tricks—Slow Loss I Paper & Pencil Relaxed Discussions Marketing & Advertising Statement of Ownership Do’s & Don’ts of Teaching Penn Reall Sparrow Scagram Seagram Simpson Sparrow Laderman Berry Editor Shafer Schuett Hodel Penn Macnab Colbourn Shafer Murphy Williams ADVERTISERS EDITOR & PUBLISHER Baron/Barclay 2&3 RALPH “CHARLIE” WILLIAMS Great Games Products 10 & 11 331 Market Street East #154 Masterpoint Press 31 & 32 Gaithersburg, MD 20878-6410 slamhand@verizon.net Note to advertisers, columnists and regular contributors: Please send your submissions to Charlie Williams or Leslie Shafer. Their email is slamhand@verizon.net or they can be reached by tele- phone at 301-977-0314. Their mailing address is 331 Market Street East #154, Gaithersburg, MD 20878-6410. FUTURE ABTA QUARTERLY PUBLICATION DEADLINES Winter: January 15,2010 Spring: April 15, 2010 Summer: July 15,2010 — Fall: October 15, 2010 FMR OU ROMO RRC Cm OR Cm aiCa more professional more effectivelyABTA QUARTERLY President’s Message Joyee Penn It's impossible to measure the en- joyment I've had in the last fifteen years introducing bridge to the engag- ing people who take classes from me. Yes, many inhabit the tables in their country clubs, homes, and places of business at lunchtime, but another group populates the Columbus, Ohio duplicate clubs and senior centers. Representing you as ABTA president is the icing on the cake in fulfilling many bridge goals for me. The first two years that | taught, | didn’t know that the American Bridge Teachers’ Association existed. When | saw it mentioned in an NABC Bulletin, | took the time to investigate who you were and what the organization might offer me. Enjoying the Quarterly each year, | repeatedly saw descriptions of sum- mer meetings that had either occurred three months before or were about to occur, always several days before my already confirmed plane reservation to the summer NABC. What a revelation when | attended my first seminar and convention! if | were to choose one goal, as your new president, it would be to help other teachers see the value of joining. Whether it's sharing creative ideas, PAGE 6 Fall 2009 taking advantage of our online dis- cuss group, learning how to become a better teacher, or testing product lines available in teaching, the $35 annual membership fee brings many rewards to us in bridge education. For three exciting days, preceding each summer NABC, we hone our skills at these meetings designed to strengthen teacher skills and intro- duce us to fascinating lectures by noted teachers, authors and profes- sional bridge players. Next summer, in Now Orleans from July 20,2010, to Juuly 23, 2010, I invite teacher members and those wishing to join the group, to come join the fan. (Registration begins in early spring.) Our dedicated volunteers planning these meetings include Nancy Abbott, Leslie Shafer, Sandy Stevens and Marijan Word, program chairmen. Ann Gill, Brenda Monta- gue and Sheridan Colbourn are also working to ensure your enjoyment, so be sure to put these important dates on your calendar for next sum- mer. During college in the 1960's, bridge was a fun pastime for me, beginning with a few hands on my dormitory floor. | wasn't able to play for several years after graduating from Ohio State University's College of Nursing and attending graduate school in nursing education there. My career teaching nursing and rais- ing two sons prepared me well for a second career...bridge. Although temporarily away from bridge for several years, | always Knew that I'd love it when | returned. In 1987, | took lots of lessons in my community and began playing daily, enrolling in the teachers accredita- tion program (TAP) in 1994. It wasABTA QUARTERLY an enjoyable transition to begin teaching bridge, while furthering my own knowledge of the game. A side benefit of assisting aspiring life mas- ters and beyond improve their skill levels, was improving my own, allow- ing me to become a gold life master two years ago. Owning and manag- ing the Columbus Bridge Center from 1996 to 2004, gave me much insight into many of the issues confronting bridge and the frustrations new play- ers experience. Teaching bridge and helping stu- dents learn and improve has only increased my love of this impressive game. It's given me an added depth PAGE 7 Fall 2009 to my teaching, thanks to the ABTA, as | help students understand the logic behind a bid or card play. If you have someone in your community who either teaches bridge or wants to teach, won't you introduce them to the ABTA and/or show them a copy of this Quarterly? You can easily download an appli- cation for them from our website at: www.abtahome.com Feel free to email me at: jpenn@columbus.rr.com or Marsha Reall, ABTA Business Sec- retary and Treasurer, at: mdreall@columbus.rr.com for more information. Fass Ses gS SSSI PSUS SION Alan LeBendig 1948 — 2009 ss 7 iS Recently a great friend of the ABTA passed away. Alan LeBendig was IS a] an expert's expert but never lost touch with the mainstream, average players. }& He always recognized that the less experienced players were the nuts and a 2) Ka) bolts of the ACBL and loved the ABTA for their role in creating hundreds ) ) of players new to the game. 2) I 3 iS i 4 is 5) te} His bridge anecdotes and his flare for delivery were legendary. Dennis fey = A company. | iS Ie) Alan was Master of Ceremonies of the annual panel show at the ABTA 8) Q banquet for many years. The audience used to howl at his clever wit and IS 8 wonderful timing. =) We will all miss him. 8 PSSST SATO TOROS OAT OA TAO OA ONTO OAT ATO [OA OO TO TOTO zy Scott (past President of ABTA) refers to Alan as "one of the funniest men &) fe} Alan was passionate about the game and constantly gave back to it. He fa li (along with Jim Kirkham) was highly instrumental in getting the ACBL to 1) 2) adopt and implement the Zero Tolerance program at tournaments. fay that I have ever known." Alan sparkled at the table and was always good i) i A i — Barbara Seagram }§ ‘J I ) RyABTA QUARTERLY PAGE 8 Fall 2009 elcome New Members Vy Word Ammons Carole Exum Jeannette McNeil 447 Jann Drive 3342 Honeysuckle Drive 7 Sunset Lane Shreveport, LA 71106 Winterville, NC 28590 Menlo Park, CA 94025-6731 Bob Ammons Hugh Howarth mesunset(@aol.com 447 Jann Drive 2133 Platinum Drive Shreveport, LA 71106 Sun City Center, FL 33573 fitzi Schafer ~6491 7435 Greenport Cove Bob Ayers Boynton Beach FL 80 Oakview Drive Jane Malloy 33437-3988 Covington, GA 30016 10 David Drive wordmew@aol.com Thornton, PA 19373-1029 janej661234@comeast.net mitzischafer@ymail.com Betty Cooley 126 Belfair Oaks Blvd Sam Marks REUSTATED MEMEEX Bluffton, SC 29910 720 Latour Drive Jane Ann Buchwalter tbeool687@aol.com —_ Atlanta, GA 30350 2671 S Course Drive sam@sammarksbridge.com Apt 507 Theodore Cooley Pompano Beach, FL 33069 126 Belfair Oaks Blvd Claudia McDonald janeann|2@yahoo.com Bluffton, SC 29910 Virginia cooleylte@aol.com Do you need an updated 2009 Membership Roster? Have you recently moved? Do you know if it’s time to renew your membership? Please send questions and updates via email to our Business Secretary: Marsha Reall 5712 Ainsley Avenue Columbus, OH 43230-8334 Home: 614-475-8999 Email: mdreall@columbus.rr.comABTA QUARTERLY PAGE9 Fall 2009 A Online Activities By Maggie Sparrow, Ontario BE SURE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH OTHER TEACHERS THROUGH OUR ONLINE ACTIVITIES. ABTA’s website is www.abtahome.com. Check our website regularly. Are you listed on the teacher page, so prospective new students may find you? ABTAdiscuss. Join our email discussion list and send in questions and com- ments by email. This is a great way to discuss bridge teaching with others. Sometimes the list is very quiet, other times there is a flurry of activity. Once you have joined the group you can read all the past messages, and we've had some interesting discussions. There are also some things in the files that you will find very useful. The link access is: http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/ABTAdiscuss ABTAchat. Come to our once-a-month Chat (usually the 4th Sunday evening at 8:30 pm Eastern) at Bridge Base Online. Download the WINDOWS BASED. BBO program ahead of time from www.bridgebase.com. Topics are pre-set, and you will receive an email reminder a few days before. But don't be fooled, we get through a surprising amount in just one hour, so feel free to jump in if you have a pressing question. (If you're not receiving the reminder each month, maybe we don't have your correct email address: let Maggie Sparrow know at msparrow@csolve.net.) Those unable to attend the Chat in person may request a saved copy by email attachment as a Word document. Feel intimidated by technology? It’s really simple when you know how, email Maggie for help. Don’t be shy, come and say hi! Chat topics for the next few months: January 24, 2010. Are you a bridge club owner as well as a teacher? Come and chat with Kathie Macnab, who runs a successful club in Halifax, Nova Sco- tia, about any problems you have in your dual role. February 28, 2010. How do you get your students to listen to the bids, or the lack of them? Come and chat with Irving Marks from Hackensack, New Jersey about some innovative teaching techniques. March 28, 2010. How do you teach card distribution and probabilities? Do you have any particular methods for helping students to count out the hand? April 25, 2010. What are the biggest pitfalls for brand new bridge teachers? Can you remember, when you first started teaching, what went wrong and how you fixed it? Do you ever suggest that a new teacher come and train with you? New chat topics are always welcome!Great companion for students taking a bridge course, but detailed enough to stand alone !! Introduction to Bridge - Play & Learn indow: , with Pat Harrington aeons (Lessons 1-6) / (Lessons 7-13) Vista /7 Special Introductory Price Retail $34.95 (ABTA Price $21.00) Teaches both bidding and play Paced appropriately for beginners e Lessons teach the mechanics, trick taking, and provide the background for bidding Lessons teach opening bids and their responses Quizzes to reinforce your understanding Provides an extensive glossary and reference section Includes carefully crafted instructional deals, and BONUS practice hands Presented in an easy-to-use, interactive format. LEARN AND PRACTICE BIDDING CONVENTIONS Based on the WINNER OF THE 2007 ABTA SOFTWARE OF THE YEAR 4 Help your students learn up to 7 different conventions ¥ Ideal for students looking to learn a new convention ¢ Perfect for students to help refine and practice their understanding of a convention they already know * Student will learn both the introductory aspects of a convention and its complicated subtleties and Windows continuations 95/98/2000/Me! Volume 2~ Basic Conventions XP/Vista Only Blackwood * Takeout Doubles + Strong 2C + Preempts Not available for the Stayman + Jacoby Transfers * Weak Two-Bids Macintosh Volume 3 - More Basic Conventions Retail: $29.95 Unusual 2NT « Splinters * Michaels + Limit Major Raises ABTA Bice AB Foreing INT + Jacoby 2NT + Negative Double ‘To Order Call Cindy: 1-800-426-3748 or Fax Cindy: 301-765-8004 Email: sales@greatgameproducts.comBridge Baron 20 2008 Individual-World Computer-Bridge Championship Runner-Up Available in English (Windows/Mac) Frangais (Windows/Mac), and Deutsch (Windows / Mac) on Windows Vista / XP / 2000/7 Retail: $6495 tacintosh/iMae/MacOS : Universal Mac OS X application, requires OS 10.4 or later While supplies last Bridge Baron 19 - $20.00 Bridge Baron 20 has a host of NEW features, including these: 4 Greatly expanded the defensive lead and signal agreements ¥ Added 26 new play problems from the bridge book entitled A Computer's Twist 4 Improved the bidding and play # Added 3 new bidding conventions: Soloway Jump Shifts, Mechwell, Lebensohl after Reverses & We have added seven new Bridge Tournaments for free: the 2009 Cavendish (with cross-IMPs scoring), the 2009 NSWBA ANC Butler Open Selection (with Butler IMPs scoring), the Winter 2009 Blue Hen Sectional, the Winter 2008 Dave Treadwell Sectional, the Fall 2008 Delaware Open Pairs, the Fall 2008 Diamond State Sectional, and the Spring 2008 Wilmington Sectional We have added 24 new challenging problem deals for a total of 288 Challenges @ =~ We have improved the graphical user interface Buy 1-10 copies: $39.60 each Buy 36-50 copies: $36.30 each Buy 11-20 copies: $38.50 each Buy 50+ copies: $35.20 each Buy 21-35 copies: $37.40 each **Plus Shipping Have your students get more out of Bridge Baron ! ! Bridge Baron Companion Book Retail $24.95 (ABTA Price $12.50) This book attempts to lift that veil and demonstrate how Bridge Baron can be used by both beginning and advanced players not only to play bridge, but also to learn the game, study the game, practice with partners, compete in tournaments, and more. Website: www.GreatGameProducts.comABTA QUARTERLY PAGE 12 Fall 2009 Announcing the ABTA Master Point Press PEST mee me lat By Barbara Seagram, Ontario Not every _ bridge teacher has authored a bestseller, written a newspaper column, or become well-known enough to receive an entry in the Eneyclo- pedia of Bridge. Nevertheless, there are many teachers who continue to inspire their students day in and day out, promoting the game in their community and answer- ing any question clearly, concisely and without judgment, whether it’s about Roman Keycard Blackwood or simply, “What's a finesse?” Their work too often goes unrecognized, yet it is vital to the future of the game. Starting next year, thanks to Master Point Press, the world’s largest pub- lisher of books on bridge, and the American Bridge Teachers’ Associa- tion (ABTA), these anonymous-yet- praiseworthy mentors will finally have an annual award to call their own: the ABTA Master Point Press Teacher of the Year Award. “This is really for the unsung heroes of the bridge world,” Barbara Sea- gram, co-author of the bestselling 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know, chair of the ABTA Teacher of the Year Committee, and a bridge teacher herself, said in a statement. “At last there is an award for those in the trenches.” To nominate someone, students are encouraged to e-mail one or two para- graphs to Seagram at bseagram@ca.inter.net explaining why their teacher deserves consideration. Nominees must have at least five years of teaching experi- ence and teach at least 75 hours a year. Nominations will close on April 1, 2010. The award will be given to a teacher who exemplifies what Seagram calls “love for the game.” “They may not have a famous name, but...their communication skills and enthusiasm promote bridge’s future, adding to your enjoyment,” Seagram said, Master Point Press co-founder Ray Lee is “delighted” to be working with the ABTA to create the Teacher of the Year award. “It is the bridge teachers who bring new people into the game, and we want to recognize their hard work and dedication,” he said. The first winner will be presented with a “Teacher of The Year” plaque and a cash award next July in New Orleans, at the ABTA’s 2010 conven- tion,ABTA QUARTERLY. The ABTA is a professional organiza- tion of bridge teachers from Canada, Mexico and the USA. Its mandate is to help those who teach bridge to do it better. Master Point Press is the world’s larg- est publisher of books on contract bridge with more than 150 titles in print. Most recently MPP has ex- panded its reach by starting a blog site at www.bridgeblogging.com PAGE 13 Fall 200! aimed at providing a forum for dis- cussion on all things bridge, and a sister site www.masteringbridge.com designed for teachers and students. For mote information, contact Bar- bara Seagram (416-487-8321) at www.barbaraseagram.com or Linda Lee (416-781-0351) at www.mh rpointpress.com or visit the ABTA website at http://www.abtahome.com. Dina ieo eee PUM e lela Eligibility: Bridge teacher for at least 5 years ¢ A member of the ACBL OR ABA © A member of ABTA or prepared to join the ABTA if nominated © Must teach at least 75 hours a year (e.g., 2 hours a week for 38 weeks or 3 hours a week for 25 weeks, etc.) Criteria for Nomination. Teachers will be considered with a focus on the following: A) Teaching excellence B) Service to bridge, including marketing C) Service to the community D) Innovation A. Teaching excellence (approx 40%) © — Student response or recommendations © Percentage of students who join or- ganized bridge games © Quality of material used in courses, especially personally developed mate- rial © Recommendation of other teachers or bridge professionals © Rationale provided by nominator(s) Original written material used in teaching students B. Service To Bridge (30%) This will be based on evidence such as: © Roles in bridge organizations past and present (ABTA, ACBL, ABA or other) © Promotion of bridge and theit own services through newsletters, web- sites, columns in print media, TV or on the web, etc. © Role in organizing events for stu- dents but also for all players (such as tournaments) © Establishing or participating in pro- grams to teach bridge to young peo- ple All attempts to build the bridge com-ABTA QUARTERLY (Continued from page 13) munity: encourage participation in bridge games, tournaments (online and in person) or membership in the ACBL or ABA © Mentoring, including mentor students or other teachers or directors e@ = Any and all efforts which will help to promote the game of bridge and/or the services of the teacher The nominator & the nominee are asked to provide some of this information. C. Service To The Community (20%) ¢ All volunteer activities, but espe- cially those related to bridge. This. could include donating services in teaching or running games. © Organizing and participating in chari- table events with a focus on those associated with bridge, but other charity activities will be considered. © Allefforts associated with raising PAGE 14 Fall 2009 money for bridge (c.g., money for youth, international teams, promo- tion of bridge, ete.) e@ Any other demonstrable activities which help the community in which that person resides, whether bridge related or not, and whether paid or not D. Innovation (10%) Demonstration of innovation associated with bridge teaching or bridge promotion including, but not limited to: Bridge teaching methods Reaching out to youth Teaching seniors Teaching material Course content and approach Promotion of bridge Promotion of teacher ooo000000 Use of the Internet Software Review CMB CoE MS TUT AWA Tract Bridge Baron 20 Let’s assume you are the teacher and a novice student wanted to know about the new Bridge Baron 20. Was it worth the price? Was it too diffi- cult for them to use? It would scare them off to tell them about the 100+ conventions and the seven different bidding systems in- cluded in the software. Newbies would be overwhelmed. Suffice to tell them that any convention they want to learn and practice can be done on this software. They just need to take it one step at a time, Some of the features a novice student would appreciate can be found under the help menu. One is the ACBL “Learn to Play Bridge” tutorial (Windows only). It’s great to review the sections on the overview, con- ducting an auction, mechanics, and basic strategies of the play of the hand. The other tutorial is “Learning from the Bridge Baron” —ABTA QUARTERLY e In the Beginner column are sug- gestions of having the student use the Evaluation, Interpretation, and Show All features of a hand. e In the Intermediate column, the suggestions include using the skill level 11 and begin using conven- tions. Also they can begin to use the Deal Library to save deals from the newspaper or dealt hands to retrieve and play later. ¢ In the Expert column, the player can play matches against the Bridge Baron. You can also go to options menu and select Game Play, check deal and set up spe- cific distributions using the deal generator. With the newest version of Bridge Baron, they have expanded the defen- sive lead and signal agreements. Bridge Baron will state the line of play when it claims the rest of the tricks. There is more flexibility with defining bidding agreements under “Selecting Pair Profiles.” ABTA web site: www.abtahome.com Stay updated by checking our site regularly. If you would like your name to be linked to email on the mem- bers page, please send your permission to our web mas- ter, Michael Nistler, at: nistler@bridgehands.com PAGE 15 Fall 200¢ Of course, the biggest reason to pro- mote Bridge Baron to your students is the enjoyment they too can have play- ing the hands. The hint feature is something they will appreciate as well as the flow chart. With the ability to print the hands, your student can bring you special hands they have trouble solving. Lots of times these make great classroom lessons. It is no wonder this software is the most popular bridge computer pro- gram, according to ACBL. V\l be cu- rious to see what new features they can possibly develop for the next ver- sion. Bridge Baron 20 is compatible with both Mac and Windows. It is avail- able at a huge discount for teachers from Great Game Products, who are always at our ABTA conventions with their great software. The list price is $64.95+S&H. Their website is www.greatgameproducts.com Spread the Word!! Recruitment of new members should be a priority for everyone in our organization. You can download a membership form for your friends from our website. There is a supply of back issues of the Quarterly available if you are planning a teacher’s workshop in your area. Make it your goal to recruit at least one new member this year!ABTA QUARTERLY PAGE 16 Fall 2009 POs om ec htioe Missi sauga, Ontario By Maggie Sparrow, Ontario John Rayner educated and entertained those of us who attended the 2009 ABTA Convention in Washington. On the fast morning of the Convention, when some of us were feeling we had reached saturation point, suddenly there was John, obviously a bom raconteur, delighting us with new humour and waking us up to new ways of presenting familiar material...for three hours! John, thank you for that wonderful presentation, which I’m sure sent us all home with renewed enthusiasm for teach- ing this game. Q: How did you first get involved in bridge? John: As a teenager I thought bridge was a silly game that “little old ladies” played and I had no in- terest in it at all. When | attended the University of Toronto, myself and three other dorm mates went up north for a weckend. The first night they said we were going to play bridge. but of course I said that | didn't know how to play. The other three said they would teach me on the spot. From that moment onward | was hooked, I immediately went out and bought Five Weeks to Wii Bridge and the rest, as they say, is . The rest of my life professionally, socially and recreationally has largely revolved around our game. At the age of twenty I first dipped my toes into the water of teaching with a wonderful group of bright late-20's gals who were Mississauga play- ers. | started teaching at night schools and inevitably got involved with directing bridge games—at the Regal/St. Clair club, Audrey Grant's club at College Park, the Oakville Bridge Club and the Mississauga Golf & Country Club. In 1983, I took the plunge and opened a full-time bridge club—the Mississauga-Oakville Bridge Centre. Q: I know you run a very successful bridge club in Toronto. How long has it been running? How many games do you run each week? Do you teach there too? John: My Bridge Centre is now in its 27th year of operation. The first few years were lean and trying, but the business has been a very successful venture for many years now. We run 15/16 sessions a week, and many of our most well-attended games are those geared towards Non-Life Masters and 0-1000 masterpoint players. We offer extensive lesson programs and seminar presentations. Most of my time is spent teaching at my club and at many other locations in the Toronto area, I have a marvelous staff of about ten directors/ teachers who direct/teach at my club and elsewhere for me. When I am absent, I know that my club's interests are well looked after, and this has allowed me in recent years to attend more NABCs and World Championship events as a player and to host the occasional bridge cruise. It has also allowed me to take extended time off to captain the Canadian Women's Teams at the past two World Mind Sports Games: in Istanbul in 2604 and Beijing in 2008. Q: What challenges do you face as both the club owner and the teacher? Do you have a lot of help?JA John: The lifeblood of any bridge club is the continual introduction of new players: to the game. Our lesson programs allow our club to grow and prosper as new play- ers get exposed to the joy of bridge. Of course, we would like to see more young players take up the game, but we are there at any stage of a player's life to facilitate his path into the bridge world. We endeavour to provide many levels of in- struction and various levels of games to make a player's development enjoyable and successful. Our club hosts special party nights several times a year and our entertainers are renown in the area. These types of events nurture a feeling of com- munity among our players. Although the ACBL seems to be treading water in re- spect to membership numbers, Toronto seems to be very much a thriving hotbed of bridge with more than 60 clubs in the area. | am optimistic that our game will continue to grow as it is undoubtedly the most fabulous card game in the world. However, we face many chal- lenges. Bridge just does- nit seem to lend itself to media/TV exposure be- cause of its cerebral na- ture and because bridge at the expert level is so alien to the millions of social players, For similar reasons, find- ing corporate sponsorship is a huge chal- lenge. The internet explosion may ulti- mately get younger players introduced to the game, and I don't think it has hurt bridge clubs, as nothing matches the ex- citement of person-to-person competition at the table, But all of us who so enjoy the game owe it to the future of our passion to be evangelists spreading the gospel of bridge. G. 2006 Q: Let's get down to the actual content of lessons. How do you start your abso- lute beginners? How long is your first course of lessons? Are they lessons you've written yourself or do you use one of the standard texts? For instance, do you use Easybridge!? Or the ACBL series? Do the students take home hand- outs/cheat sheets? John: We start our beginner classes with an cight-week series. We have variously used the ACBL Club Series or Audrey Grant's Bridge Basics | as our text. There is little difference between the two. But the Club Series does touch upon overcalls and takeout doubles, which BB! does not. Therefore the Club Series book is more in line with what we present in our Beginner Lessons. Q. How do your beginners progress after the first course? What percentage of them come to play duplicate? How soon before they take the next course of les- sons? John: We provide Supervised Play follow s for our students and encourage them to play cither at our club or with their peers/friends. We emphasize that they should not take another lesson series until they have played to put their new-found knowledge into practice. We offer many continuing lesson series: Declarer Play (ACBL Diamond Series), Defender Play (ACBL Heart Series), a series on com- petitive bidding, a series on Jacoby trans- fers, Stayman, etc. and a series on the strong 24 opening, Weak 2-bids and pre- emptive opening bids. We offer popular “Bidding Practice for Partnerships sions where partners bid hands and we discuss the auctions immediately after- wards with the whole group, and “Supervised Play for Partnerships” where everyone bids and plays deals that we discuss in all aspects. Our club offersABTA QUARTERLY (Continued from page 17) many seminars on intermediate and ad- vanced topics. | would say that 20-25% of our students become duplicate players, this continuing stream of new players form the lifeblood of our growth. It is the new converts to duplicate who are the keenest and most frequent players in our varied games. Q: I know you have other teachers at your club, how do you work together and coordinate courses? John: | have four or five well-trained, experienced teachers who help teach les- sons at my club, | also teach at my club, but having good help allows me to pursue other teaching opportunities in the To- ronto area. These other teachers are well versed in the courses that our club pre- sents. Q: I know you have been teaching bridge Jor a long time, what changes have you seen in that time? John: | have been teaching now for about 38 years, Things haven't really PAGE 18 Fall 2009 changed all that much. New ideas of course come into play, but emphasizing good, solid basics has always been the objective with new and aspiring players. Q: What advice would you like to offer to new bridge teachers just starting out with their first classes? John: Try to share your enthusiasm for the game with your students. Be patient, understanding how difficult the game is for most people. Try to lead your students into understanding the logic and beauty of bidding and play. Share your humor with your students and help them want to learn more about our wonderful game, The more they learn, the more they will want to Iam more. John Rayner was presented with the 2005 Kate Buckman award by Unit 166, pre- sented annually by the Unit to “the person who contributes most to others’ enjoy- ment of bridge.” His club website is: www.raynerbridge.com ‘A Quarterly Submission Requirements By the Editor }f you would like to submit an article to the Quarterly or send a let- ter to the Editor, we have some suggestions for you: ¢ Please include your name and telephone number, email and snail mail address (we solicit from ABTA members only); Electronic submissions are greatly encouraged (either as files at- tached to an email or in the body of the email); We are especially looking for articles about how to teach bridge (methodology, marketing, advertising, humor, etc.); See page 5 of this magazine for where to send your submissions. Thank you. — Charlie WilliamsABTA QUARTERLY At the ABTA Convention in Washington, Audrey Grant spoke on introducing 2/1 Game Force in bridge classes. At one point, she asked the audience for techniques that they felt were helpful in motivat- ing students to make the switch. Since most human beings live by the credo “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” a motivational argument is needed to encourage students to make the effort of switching to 2/1 Game Force. At the ABTA conven- tion, I gave a short explanation of how I respond when bridge players ask me what advantages 2/! game force has over the “normal” system that they have been playing very happily for decades. Since many teachers seemed to like my com- ment, I figured that it might be useful to repeat it in the ABTA Quarterly. When most bridge players are advanced enough to start playing 2/1 Game Force, they are usually simul- taneously learning INT forcing. I first try to sell them on the power of INT forcing before discussing 2/1 Game Force. I find it useful to high- light the similarity of a shift key on a computer with the INT bid. The shift key enables two func- tions to be performed by each key on the key- board. It enables the 47 keys to represent 94 9 Fall 2009 The 1NT Shift Key in Bridge By Julian Laderman, New York symbols. Can you picture a keyboard with 94 keys? We certainly would not want such an enormous keyboard with separate keys for capital and small letters. In bridge bidding we have a very limited vocabulary. INT forcing is a powerful tool since it enables the responder to create two meanings for most responses by ei- ther making a bid directly or indi- rectly after first responding INT. By doubling the number of bids avail- able to responders it makes it easier for them to choose bids that describe a hand. Emphasizing the word “easier” to students can’t hurt. INT forcing often enables re- sponders to choose whether they want their future bids to be forcing or not. After first discussing the vir- tues of this tool, I then indicate that the system 2/1 Game Force is the best way to unleash the strength of INT forcing. An ideal example is, of course, a direct two heart response toa one spade opener. Without using the shift key it is used as a game force. They now feel that they at least under- stand the name of the system— always a good place to start. Many questions from students about whether a bid is forcing can be an- swered by merely asking “Has the shift key been pressed by the re- sponder?” steABTA QUARTERLY 1 Coups, Finesses, Squeezes and Other Stratagems Compiled by Henry B. Anderson, © 2009 This 600 plus page book “is a compilation and encyclopedic in na- ture.” in the author’s own words. Bridge teachers may want to add it to their library for reference, and for in- triguing sidelights on the history of bridge terms. (The term “squeeze,” for example, was coined by Sidney Lenz in the mid 20’s, inspired by a squeeze play in a professional base- ball game.) Many sections contain “teaching analyses and hands” suitable for bridge class use. I especially liked Anderson’s discussion of “eight ever, nine never;” in fact, the whole section on finesses is exceptionally well done. This is definitely not a “sit down and read the book through” possibil- ity. It does provide detailed informa- tion on “everything you always wanted to know and were afraid to ask.” The chapter on coups, for exam- ple, includes twenty-one basic coups, with many variations. You may be familiar with the Alcatraz Coup, the Bath Coup, and the Crocodile Coup, but are you aware of the Dentist’s Coup, the Dirty Coup, the Dutch Coup, and the Serpent’s Coup? The chapter on squeezes includes 45 PAGE 20. Fall 2009 Book Reviews By Dee Berry, Washington types, including such fun names as the Hedgehog Squeeze, the Mole Squeeze, and the Vice Squeeze. Anderson’s book is self-published and distributed. His address is P.O. Box 527, South Orleans, MA 02662- 0527. it was printed by The Business, Center of Cape Cod, 1694 Falmouth Road, Centerville, MA 92632. For pricing information, please contact the author directly via email at: henryanderson37@comeast.net Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand By Barbara Seagram & David Bird, © 2009 Geared to help newcomers to bridge in particular, two of the world’s most famous bridge teachers/ authors explain how to go about mak- ing a plan as declarer and avoiding that “Nice dummy, partner, but what do I do now?” feeling. Starting with a description of how to count losers in a suit contract, the authors explain the three main ways to eliminate losers (trumping a loser in dummy, finessing, and/or discard- ing a loser.) Each chapter is followed by a “Now try these...” set of prob- lems with suggested answers on sub- sequent pages. The third section is entitled “Adding Clever Moves to Your Plan” and includes other types of finesses, entry management, delaying pulling trumps, partial trump pulling, combin-TONES ing chances and counting. In each section declarer’s plan is highlighted in grey and reduced to no more than three sentences. The thought processes are detailed: for example, with inferences of what was not led spotlighted as much as what was led. Chapters have a “Remember these points” section which serves as a con- cise review of material covered, Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand was printed by Master Point Press, 331 Douglas Avenue, Toronto, Canada M5M 1H2, (416) 781-0351; email: info@masterpointpress.com The book retails for $22.95 Can and $19.95 US. Contact the publisher for quantity discounts. A BRIDGE to Inspired Dectlarer Play By Julian Laderman, © 2009 Winner of the 2009 ABTA “Book of the Year” award for intermediate players, Julian Laderman’s 4 BRIDGE to Inspired Declarer Play is a rich source of material for bridge teachers. Unlike most bridge books which have groups of hands organized into chapters by the type of play spot- lighted (such as entries, end plays or loser-on-loser) this book focuses on which features of a hand should in- spire declarer to consider the correct line of play. The first section of the book, enti- tled “Problems,” gives nine sets of four problems. Each set is followed by detailed analyses of the type of play, inspirational features, the option of losing or not losing a trick (or not trying to win a trick) as well as sug- gestions for creating other example deals with a card or cards modified. Each problem has a clever title such as “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Ruff?” “Look Before You Leap!” and “A Trojan Horse.” The second section of the book gives sample answers to “Create AJ- ternative Deal” exercises, then the appendices offer additional probabil- ity aids. The first is called “Everything you ever wanted to know about probability” and the second, “Much more than you ever wanted to know about probability.” That was true for this reviewer but still very nice to have available and quite fasci- nating. Pay attention to Laderman’s comment that “We play bridge, not mathematics!” Another Laderman bit of advice in an earlier chapter empha- sized “One key to life, as well as to this deal, is the philosophy that when a bad situation occurs don’t waste energy regretting what has occurred but search for a solution.” Published by Master Point Press, 331 Douglas Avenue, Toronto, On- tario, Canada MSM 1H2, (416) 781- 0351; email: info@masterpointpress.com The book retails for $21.95 Can and $19.95 US. Contact the publisher for quantity discounts. (Continued on page 22)ABTA QUARTERLY (Continued from page 21) Bridge Game Summary Easy Reference & Game Companion By Samir Riad, © 2009 “For beginners and casual bridge players alike,” the author says of this 76-page, 5-1/2 x 8" booklet, designed to be a “game table companion.” The basics are covered in the “Getting Started” section. This re- viewer does wonder about some of the guidelines, such as “The minimum requirement in the opening suit is 5 cards and at least 2-3 honors.” High card points are counted as well as shortness points, although the short- ness points are not counted in notrump. Opening notrump bids are defined as not having a 5-card suit, but a later table includes 5-3-3-2 as a notrump distribution. Game forcing strong two bids are advocated. With 4 -4 in the major suits, the recom- mended response is 1 Spade. However, given these somewhat archaic methods the author also cov- ers weak two bids (6-8 points), Jacoby 2NT, Ogust, Drury, 4th Suit Forcing and Roman Keycard 1430. Cuebid raises ate defined as 3-card support with 6-9 points (for example: 1S—2C [by the opponent]—3C by responder). Readers are told not to use the cuebid raise with more points or more than three trumps. Lebensohl, Negative and Responsive Doubles and the Grand Slam Force also get attention along with many other conventions. There’s a section on playing the hand (including opening leads) as well as one on keeping score. PAGE 22 Fall 2009 To this reviewer, the author simply tried to put too much in too fittle space with too many of the author’s personal bidding choices included. (This reviewer just doesn’t agree with teaching people to make jump-shift responses with 12+ points or recom- mending that in response to a takeout double they “better stay at low level.” Bridge Game Summary may be ordered from: www. bridgegamessummary.com or by calling 1-866-308-6235. It is also available online at www.amazon.com The retail price is $20.99. For dis- counts contact the publisher, Book Surge Publishing, at the above phone number. Bridge is a Funny Game By Mikhael Kollander & Gerry Fox, © 2009 This softcover collection of origi- nal bridge-oriented cartoons will give readers many a chuckle as they recog- nize partners, opponents and occa- sionally themselves. The cover car- toon of a pretty lady telling the judge, “Of course I shot my husband. After all, he went down in an ice-cold grand slam” sets the pace for the color car- toons printed on high-quality paper. Teachers may find some great one- liners to offer to their classes or just enjoy the tongue-in-cheek humor. The book is available from Grand Slam Press, 221 Fairview Drive, Napa, CA 94559 or at gfoxbridge@aol.com for $15.95.ABTA QUARTERLY The Pocket Guide to Acol Bridge By Mark Horton & Barbara Seagram, © 2009 Two well-known authors, Mark Horton of England and Barbara Sea- gram of Canada, have teamed up to produce The Pocket Guide to Acol Bridge, the bidding system most popular in England. This 64-page booklet, geared to newcomer and social bridge players interested in the Acol system, also will be of value to cruise ship teachers who might encounter Acol players, some of whom will need bridge part- ners. The book is based on modern Acol, still with 12-14 Notrumps and four-card majors but offering two PAGE 23 Fall 2009 clubs as a strong artificial opening bid and weak two-bids in the other suits, as well as presenting the more tradi- tional Acol Two-Bids (17 points and eight plus playing tricks). Transfers and Stayman are used after notrump openings. There are brief sections on com- petitive bidding (overcalls and takeout doubles) as well as on protection bid- ding and on opening leads. The Pocket Guide is available from Master Point Press, 331 Douglas Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada MSM 1H2, (416) 781-0351, email: info@masterpointpress.com The booklet retails for $9.95. Contact the publisher for quantity discounts. Running a Teacher’s Workshop Have you ever considered running a teacher’s workshop in your area? In or- der to help you organize a successful workshop, ABTA has produced a teacher’s workshop kit, which is 3-hole punched, ready to insert into a binder, and mailed to you free of charge. Here are some of the items you’ll receive in your kit: ¢@ Finding Door Prizes and Free Give -Aways. © Ideas for Possible Presentations. What topics will you talk about? We have included four possible presen- tations: Choosing Your Course Ma- terial; Ways to Involve Your Stu- dents; Using Humor in Your Teach- ing; and a fun game called the Bridge Liar's Club. = Informational Handouts for All Attendees. (Websites, articles, etc.) e Enough Clip Art CDs and back issues of the ABTA Quarterly Magazine w/ABTA membership applications for all your attendees. (These will be provided when you notify us of the date and site of your workshop.) There is no charge for this material if you are an ABTA member. We do re- quest, however, that you schedule your workshop within 12 months of receiving the kit, ABTA also reimburses you for up to $100 in expenses. Request your kit by contacting your Regional Director (see page four of this issue). All the Re- gional Directors have received a copy of the kit from our Business Secretary. In addition, please go to our website www.abtahome.com and click on the document “Board Standing Rules of Procedure” to read pages 17, 18 and 19.ABTA QUARTERLY sinning Student’s Strategy As a_ bridge teacher, | am always searching for new learning tools for my students. Whenever a newcomer to any card game that requires strategy begins learning, the path to enlighten- ment can be exhausting and hum- bling. It’s my job to make their bridge -learning struggles as painless as pos- sible. 1 am a fan of the Texas Hold 'Em craze which many of you have proba- bly seen on television. I love the game to the extent that a few years ago I found myself attending a poker boot camp in Las Vegas, run — by the famous Howard “The Professor” Lederer. There were morning lec- tures by celebrity speak- ers followed by hold ‘em tournaments for the 450 camp partici- pants. At these lectures, I found amaz- ing similarities between learning bridge and learning poker. Poker, like bridge, is a strategy game based on decision making. This decision-making process is a learned experience. Both games require the student to put time in at the table to gain the experience they need to form better skills. What are the goals of a beginner (of either game)? How do they deal PAGE 24 Fall 2009 By Leslie Shafer, Maryland with the fine art of improving, even when it means they aren't seeing much success or many rewards? It's easy to let frustrations take control and inhibit the search for knowledge. The Professor gave very good advice for beginner poker players which | think also applies for bridge players. Develop a Learning Strategy «It's okay to be a beginner. © Have fun with it. © Play as much as possible. Begin- ners need to put time in at the ta- ble and gain as much experience as possible. There is a direct cor- relation between their learning curve and how much practice time they spend at the table. [Taking bridge lessons and reading books is fine, but beginners need to play, play, play to learn how to apply their knowledge. ] The Best Mindset for Beginners In the beginner's’ mind there are many possibilities, In the expert's there are few. — Shunryu Suzuki He is now forced to admit that he is at the mercy of eve- ryone who is stronger, more nimble and more practiced than he, — Eugen HerrigelABTA QUARTERLY. There is an old Japanese proverb that reads “He who has 100 miles to walk should reckon 90 as half the journey.” The experts know that the last 10 miles will take the rest of their lives. [Bob Hamman, once the highest- ranked bridge player in the world, often states that he is learning new things about bridge all the time.] Creating Their Own Style e Beginners should build their arse- nal one technique at a time. * They should keep what works for them. e They should recognize that it will take some time. [Beginners shouldn’t learn so many gadgets and conventions all at once that they fry their brain cells. Simple is probably better, and certainly eas- ier.] Moving On Up e Beginners shouldm’t be afraid to play up. [Open section, anyone?] ¢ While playing up, they watch the actions of success- ful players. Playing against better play- ers, they will learn at a rate of speed that will shock them. * They should watch the actions of losing players. They can learn from others’ mistakes as well. PAGE 25. Fall 200 Never Stop Learning « We all make mistakes, we should just make sure to learn from them. e They should be an observer. [They shouldn’t take a mental vacation when they're dummy. They should watch their partner’s play as well as the opponents’ defense. | e Friends make great teachers, too. When playing together, beginners should discuss the problems they encounter. Self-discovery is a powerful learning tool. Stay in the Moment e Forget the past. « Don’t worry about the future. © Relax and enjoy the ride. The Zen of Mastering the Game If one really wishes to be master of an art, technical knowledge of it is not enough. One has to transcend tech- nique so that the art becomes an ‘artless art’ growing out of the unconscious. — Daisetsu Suzuki [Many concepts in bridge are difficult to master. But once students master them, they become second nature and almost automatic. When students be- come so comfortable with a certain technique that it is routine and a part of their unconscious, that is the artless art.)ABTA QUARTERLY PAGE 26 Fall 2009 2009 Applebasket Contest Honorable Mentions By Ginny Schuett, Illinois Honorable Mention Teaching Transfers By Chuck Hodel, California When teaching transfers to begin- ning students, I like to tell them that a deal usually plays one trick better if the strong hand is concealed. To illus- trate this point, I use these hands: North @ 3109743 ¥ Q42 097 *& 52 South @ 852 v A%6 # AQL04 & AQS8 I have them play the hand at INT, which is down two or three depending on whether the defenders can unravel their tricks. Next I have North play 2 Spades, which can make with a little luck. To show the value of transfers, T explain how to make South the de- clarer on this deal by transferring and illustrate the value of the closed hand being declarer by having the students distribute the remaining twenty-six cards at random between East and West. With West on lead, the declarer often makes three spades. If you do this exercise with several tables in the room, the majority of the tables will prove your point. I then repeat the exercise with a different random dis- tribution of — the twenty-six cards. The point is usually proven again! Honorable Mention Fast Tricks—Slow Loss By Joyce Penn, Ohio Dir: North = North N-S Vul 4 KQ94 Lead: #5 v KI74 + 109 + Q74 West East a 83 a7 ¥ Q98 v Al065 @ Q8754 @ AKJ6 * A83 & J1095 South 4 AJ10652 v 32 #32 * K62 West North East South Pass le 2a 36 3a All Pass Bidding: The overcall of 24 by South is preemptive. It is the type of hand that South would have opened a weak 24 in first seat. North, realiz-ABTA QUARTERLY ing that South has made a vulnerable preemptive jump overcall, will proba- bly be satisfied competing to 3 only. Evaluation: West will likely lead his fourth-best diamond. South, evalu- ating losers, can count two diamond losers, one or two club losers and one or two heart losers. To take nine tricks, South should play for the fa- vorable placement of heart honors (vA, ¥Q in West's hand) or look for an opportunity to score both the #K and the #Q, Defensive Play: After winning the #K, A, East can see that his ¥A is a likely winner and clubs is the suit in which to score two additional tricks, if his partner holds the 4A. When East leads the #J, if South plays low, West should signal attitude with the #8. West should not rise with the #A or South will win both the #Q and the #K. A fast winner here will result in the slow loss of two club tricks and South making his 3@ contract. When West signals that he likes the club suit, East, with his ¥A winner, will have the opportunity to re-lead the club suit, with the #10, West can cap- ture South’s #K with the #A, thus surrounding the #K, instead of having the #A capture “air.” Summary: When East leads the #J, he promises the #10 and possibly the *9. The novice player is often anxious to score winners as quickly as possible and may be tempted to rise with the #A, no matter what card PAGE 27 South plays. This deal illustrates the value of a delayed winning strategy and helps the student visualize that signaling attitude and postponing taking tricks is often valuable. Play- ing the club suit as suggested will result in South losing five tricks: oA, @K, &A, #9 and WA, Honorable Mention A Simple Piece of Scrap Paper and a Pencil By Kathie Macnab, Nova Scotia When teaching beginners to count their points and their partner's points, give them paper and pencil to add up their hand and their partner's estimated point count. They can change the figure after subsequent bids; this way they start to see when they have the points for game, and they can also deduce the number of points the opponents have. Also help them understand what partner might hold: You open |¥, partner bids INT, you rebid 2@ and partner bids 2¥. A beginner player can deduce that partner is likely to hold two hearts—and what the rest of the hand could be. Carry this practice on to more advanced lessons when students/ intermediate players are trying to understand hand shapes. By getting a student to physically write down an opponent’s hand shape you will help them visualize (Continued on page 28) Fall 2009ABTA QUARTERLY (Continued from page 27) what that opponent holds in their hand. This works well as new players forget to think about what the oppo- nents hold. Example: LHO has opened the bidding with a Weak 2-bid. While playing the contract you pull tramp— getting a count on that suit, then on a side suit when RHO shows out; now you have a perfect count on the shape of the hand and your advancing player is pleased that they can place many of the cards at the table. If they find the exercise difficult, it at least has them started on COUNT- ING and with some practice they can make good deductions in their head. Honorable Mention Relaxed Discussions By Sheridan Colbourn, California I have had a lot of fun and success with this class challenge. I started us- ing it with beginners who were finish- PAGE 28 Fall 2009 ing a basic bridge course. | began playing the game with small classes of two tables or less. Now I have modified the game and used it with classes of six tables. This seems to work with more skilled classes too. I have cach table deal a specific hand for one student, the opener. Then I have a student shuffle the re- maining cards thoroughly and deal them to the other three students. When the class is small (two tables) I have all the students with their hands surround one table. A bid is made by the opener and each student responds according to his or her own hand. After each responder has reached his. or her final bid, the opener shows the hand to the remainder of the class. Depending on the class’s skills, I might insert competitive bids. When I have a larger class, | have two ta- bles combine and work together. The students start recognizing card pat- terns that keep repeating. There is lots of relaxed discussion and fun. Marketing & Advertising eS ECM E AE LCE {This is a continuing column devoted to addressing how teachers can better market their classes. All our members are invited to participate. Send your tips to slamhand@verizon.net] Course Descriptions! If you were going to a bridge teacher's workshop, which of these lectures would you rather attend? 1) How to Teach; or 2) How to Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire! (Vl take door #2 please, Monty.) Similarly, you should title your courses with more drama — think fear and intrigue, as if you had ripped a headline out of a tabloid magazine! Here are a few examples: How to Compete and Survive; What Your Opponents Don't Want You to Know; Sig- naling Without Stress; and, | Hate Finesses! If you find yourself laughing out loud while you're typing it up, that’s when you'll know you've got a winner.\BTA QUARTERLY PAGE 29 Fall 2009 STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION tion Title: American Bridge Teachers’ Association Quarterly Magazine ation Number: 0000-5998 Filing Date: 9/16/09 Issue Frequene: Numbers of Issues Published Annually: 4 Annual Subscription Price: $30 included in $35 Membership Contact Person: Deborah Murphy Telephone: 415-566-4592 Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: ABTA 1254 26th Avenue San Francisco, CA 94122-1505 (until 9/30/09) ABTA 5712 Ainsley Avenue Columbus, OH 43230-8334 (as of 10/1/09) Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: ABTA 1254 26th Avenue San Francisco, CA 94122-1505 (until 9/30/09) ABTA 5712 Ainsley Avenue Columbus, OH 43230-8334 (as of 10/1/09) Full Name and Complete Mailing Address of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: Ralph Williams, 331 Market Street East #154, Gaithersburg, MD 20878-6410 i Full Name of Owner: ‘The American Bridge Teachers’ Association Inc. Complete Mailing Address of Owner: 5712 Ainsley Avenue Columbus, OH 43230-8334 Known Bondholders, Mortgages, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None ‘Tax Status: Has not changed during preceding 12 months Quarterly Average No. Copies No, Copies of Issue Date for Circulation Data Each Issue During _Single Issue Published Below: Summer 2009 Preceding 12 Months Nearest to Filing Date A. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) 650 650 B. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail); 1. Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 438 425 2. In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 0 0 3. Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS 0 0 | 4. Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes | Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail) 55 56 | C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of B] through B4) 493 481 D. Nonrequested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail); |, Outside County Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 0 0 2, In-County Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 0 0 3, Copies Distributed Thru the USPS by Other Classes of Mail 0 0 4, Copies Distributed Outside the Mail 40 0 E, Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of DI through D4) 40 a F. Total Distribution (Sum of C and E) 533 481 G. Copies not Distributed; 117 169 H. TOTAL (Sum of F and G) 650 650 1. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (C divided by F times 100) 92.5% 100% Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the Fall 2009 issue of this publication. 1 certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or Who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). — Deboraly Murphy, Business Manager, 9/16/09ABTA QUARTERLY PAGE 30. Fall 2009 The Do’s and Don’ts of Teaching By Charlie Williams, Maryland The internet is a wonderful tool e Include 5 to 10 for research. I can search and browse minute breaks if articles on teaching styles for hours your lesson lasts longer than one at a time. I don't recall the name of hour. the site, but one search gave me quite an exhaustive list of Do’s and Don’ts. Here are a few of those ex- ~~ Don’t talk down to the students cellent ideas: in a patronizing manner; ¢ Don’t lose your temper when faced with a difficult student; © Don’t joke about sensitive issues (e.g., religion, sex/gender, poli- tics, cultural or racial differ- ences); © Don’t read out loud directly from your notes (unless you're quot- Don'ts Do's ¢ Be punctual and dress appropri- ately; e Be confident. Your students will not know how nervous you are unless you show them; © Introduce yourself at the first class; ing); Be enthusiastic: © Don’t cram too much informa- Regard the students as peers tion into one les: ind whose working and life experi- e Don’t stray off topic with per- ence may lead to valuable contri- Roiial SOLES GLANSEA GIES. butions to the class; e Learn the names of your students Never once was bridge mentioned and make an effort to address in these lists. Regardless of what them by name; your subject is, these are considered © Smile as much as possible. Make the nuts and bolts of teaching meth- the atmosphere friendly yet still odologies. challenging: Many teachers in the bridge com- © Be organized in your materials munity have no previous teaching and mainta ie management; experience; they became teachers in ¢ Vary your teaching styles and order to share their love of the game. engage as many as the students’ However, having a passion for senses (hearing, sight, touch, bridge does not automatically mean etc.) as possible; you will be a dynamic teacher. We ¢ Let them express their views and all should strive to learn HOW to respect different opinions; and teach, not just WHAT to teach.THE BRIDGE SITE FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENT WWW.MASTERINGBRIDGE.COM Includes: * Free downloads for teachers — handouts, quizzes, practice hands, etc. Orrer OF THE MONTH especially for teachers Teacher discussion forum Articles about bridge of interest to teachers Ideas for your lessons Suggested reading for teachers and students * Q&A zones for students and teachers and much, much more Log in and help make this real community for the world’s bridge teachers and their students. MASTER POINT PRESSNew BRIDGE TITLES Master Point Press PLANNING THE PLAY OF A BriDGE HAND by Barbara Seagram & David Bird For the play component of any novice bridge course. US $19.95 TAKE ALL Your CHANCES TAKE ALL YOUR A: AT BRIDGE HANGERS by Eddie Kantar The perfect declarer play book for your more advanced students. US $18.95 Just Pel duty ot Master Point Press, 331 Douglas Ave, Toronto, Ontario, MSM 1H2 416.781.0351 = © Call your bookstore or bridge supplier, aS