Summer in Dublin 2 (The Declan Byrne Memorial)

Shortly the Dublin Bridge event of the summer will begin. If Des Scannell was still with us he would be the favourite as he was a great matchpoint player. Once when playing against him in a team match he saw a squeeze coming after about 3 tricks and knowing he was bazookered he put his cards back in the pocket much to his partners surprise. I knew I had him too. However you did not get much from Des at the bridge table except undertricks. One year we managed to win Bray Swiss Teams with Des playing with Michael McAulliffe and myself and Karel. Des was quite impressed with one result of +2800 when the Sheridans decided to play in 1S XX and did not make enough tricks.

Anyway that was Des one of the stalwart members of the Regent. The Regent has lost several players this year but I would only comment on those I know well. This Summer bonanza in the Regent is in memory of deceased members. 

So see you all there. I will be hunting the cash myself. No doubt the legendary bounty hunter BJOBrien will be there too. Maybe we will see the incoming President Thomas McCormac make an appearance.
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I went to the Arklow Cup last Sunday and it was good fun but I suffered a few heavy hits. However got in a few good blows myself. Two lads decided to take a puck at me in 4S and then one of them underled the HEART ACE so I popped HEART KING and was about to lose to the doubleton spade TEN when the lad jumped up with SPADE ACE ... 2 doubled overtricks was all the matchpoints. Michael McGloughlin played well on a few boards but mainly it was the opponents going easy on us.
http://www.cbai.ie/documents/ArklowCup2013.pdf
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Bray Bridge Club is celebrating 70 years of playing and they will have a Congress August 31 Sept 01 ..Swiss Teams and Pairs .. Loads of dosh there too for winners .. I have a hrd copy brochure but no soft copy yet. Probably will be up as soon as CBAI have next seasons calendar posted.

More on this Brendan Martin compered event later ...
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European Open Bridge Championships in Ostend coming up soon. I see there is an Irish team captained by Grainne Barton entered in the Open Teams starting June 22nd. I must look again and see who else is entered. There is also a Candidates Ladies Team entered.
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So I hear Declan has a new suit with big shoulders for the Regent Summer in Dublin event. He will expect to welcome lots of people from all directions there. Starts on June 14th I think. The night before Neil Young plays music in the O2. A voice like the wind ..so my brother says ..
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Ireland fail narrowly in Senior Camrose

The Senior Camrose Trophy was held in Cardiff last weekend and the Northern Ireland team had the Trophy in the bag but the bag had a hole in it.
The CBAI team represented by Pat McDevitt Michael McDonagh David Jackson Thomas Gibson and the muscular Pat Quinn Pat Liston (after their 5-6 sessions in the bidding gym ) suffered a heavy hit late on Friday night as the powerful England squad overwhelmed them. I have not analyzed the boards yet but that is like the scores I used to suffer against the Pat Walshe teams back in the day.
However fair play to Pat and Rory one night after another heavy defeat they spent the time to go thru the 24 boards with Paul Delaney and Myself. Probably cost us a beer but thats ok.

Meanwhile Mr Chop Chop expects ye all down in Sligo where sun is forcast for the Sligo Congress.
Sligo Bridge Congress brochure     Click the link for the brochure

You can even make the train home to Dublin or anywhere between at 6pm after the Teams event.
See the brochure and you might go there ..
Fergal says go

They having a party there too on Saturday night and you don't have to pay to go in unlike the bridge.

Meanwhile one of the hands that got my attention in the Senior Camrose ...

Anybody fancy getting into the bidding as North South. I spotted that NS had rolled home 4HX in the other room so felt somewhat disappointed that our lads could not enter the bidding. 

However it is not so easy to get into the bidding at all ..

Jan Martel took the bait and defended Jackson and Gibson to the hilt. I felt that with 10+ clubs in the game between North and West that a 1H bid from Jackson might get the ball rolling ...However I know for certain this would not be Jackos style. Jacko bids his long suits and slowly. Meanwhile in the other room South opened with some kind of 2D bid ... maybe both majors maybe something else ..it can be found on 

http://www.bridgegreatbritain.org/

if you drill down to Senior Camrose and convention cards.

Results and hands and data and stuff can be found here 

http://www.wbu.org.uk/Int/2013/SeniorsCamroseResults.htm

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Thats all really ... Wbridge5 continues to flourish ... A great 16 board tourney which you play with and against robots .. BJ is still struggling to catch EamonGall or maybe he passed him out recently.

Heneghan has been putting up some fine scores recently and I also saw a high 60s score from A2 player Mary Kavanagh. 

http://bridgez.net:3002/ConnectingPlayer.html

Its possible to play the event here and you can play 0-16 boards a day ..at any time of the day and in groups  of 1 or 2 or 3 or up to the whole 16 in a sitting.

This is where its at. 

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I saw Willem Mevius beating up on the Nelsons and Greer last night in the Inter City online league.

They will play a welsh team in the quarter finals. 

http://intercity.cloudapp.net/Results.aspx

Welsh dragons next for Cloonboo ...I dunno where Cloonboo is though

It might be where Jeroen and Bernie live. 

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Summer in Dublin (Waterloo Road)

Good morning all ...

I am hearing there is money to be won for playing bridge in Dublin this summer.

Thats all the details I have for now. However the idea of trousering 1000 euros does appeal to me.

I suspect I would have to attend the Regent Bridge Club about 5 Fridays in a row in order to collect this cash. However with Ostend in progress for some of the same time my chances might be improved.

Depends whether it is imps or matchpoints. I being a student of the matchpoint game would have a great chance. Of course one has to examine the format and conditions of contest.

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There is also some cash to be won down in Galway at the Pokerstars Bridge event on Bank Holiday weekend in August. Galway pokerstars BRIDGE

Click above for Fergals description

http://cbai.ie/competitions/documents/IrishBridgeMastersleaflet.pdf

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Starting tonight we have the Senior Camrose event involving the Home Nations.

Details can be found here 

http://www.bridgegreatbritain.org/

You need to dig a little to find it. Home Internationals and then Senior Camrose.

Ireland are represented by Pat McDevitt Michael McDonagh David Jackson Thomas Gibson Pat Liston and Pat Quinn. 

I had the pleasure of tuning up Pat Quinn and Pat Liston in the bidding gym over the past 2 weeks. 

Hopefully the exercise will pay off. 

Bidding is the most important part of bridge but so few top players want to put in the training.

So its off to Cardiff in the United Kingdom for the Senior Camrose event at 1930 this evening.

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www.regentbridgeclub.ie

for the 1000 euro prize. If you are not in you cannot win. 

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Ireland team runs on well in Germany Bridge Teams.

The Irish Team climbed into Division 1 of the German Bridge Trophy and held their place this morning thru

3 tough matches. Now they have won 2 of the final 3 matches and are placed 5th in the top group. 

5th place is about it though as the gap is large to 4th place so unless they play and beat a leading team not much chance to improve.

However a fine performance given some of this team have been dusting off the cobwebs and they played 4 handed .

In Poker Terms they made the final table ...

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The Presidents Prize is in full swing in the Regent. I don't get in there much as I spend too much time directing. However it is still the premier bridge club in Ireland.

www.regentbridgeclub.ie

Nowadays The Regent runs improvers and beginners and all sorts of levels as well as the Premier Wednesday night game. Former junior international bridge player Declan Byrne runs a tight ship and has educated himself in all facets of computer skills and tourney directing. 

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A strong game can still be found in 

http://www.bankersbridgeclub.com/

but I have not played there for quite a while.

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Both the above clubs are probably semi open for the summer.. June to August but I am not certain of this so ring ahead to check with number or contact on website.

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I am certain that Malahide Regional Bridge Club is open for all comers every night June to August.

www.malahideregionalbridgeclub.com

1930 each night ..Monday to Friday ..

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http://www.merlin-liveticker.de/gbt-2013/13_05_08_wer.html

German Bridge Teams we still await the final round start but results can be found here ..

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If any pair wants some interference bidding practice feel free to contact Eamon Galligan at 0879032505.

No complaints yet ... Have had some strong Irish players in my bidding gym. 

I only set the thing up ..I don't educate folk. 

Thanks 

Eamon Galligan

German Teams .. Ireland team promoted to section B

http://www.german-bridge-trophy.de/

For those with the time and inclination and interest more details can be found above including the live ticker of the results. The next round starts at 1430 irish time ..and there will be 3 more rounds of Bonn Swiss.

By my estimations the Irish team will be promoted to Section B and will be leading that group going into

the next 3 matches. 3 decent results will be required to gain a further promotion into Section A for the final two sessions. One can study the format on the website if one chooses.

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Open Bridge in Malahide Regional Bridge Club every Friday at 1930. 

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I had another look at Basic Card Play ..a new bridge book by Irish bridge author Michael O'Loughlin.

A fine book for the beginning player and a good reinforcement for the inter B player. There are even a few tips for the Inter As and Area Masters too I suspect. 

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Ireland team start in German Open Teams today

An Irish team comprising of Thomas  Hanlon ,Mark Moran ,Rory Boland and John Carroll will start play in the German Open Teams today. Coverage on BBO and live ticker I believe.

http://www.german-bridge-trophy.de/
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I received a new bridge book in the post today. I looked at every page already.
A fine book for the beginning bridge player and those who took lessons in the last year.
Explains concepts very clearly and has some very good pointers that lesser players often fail to acknowledge.,,,,such as keep length with dummy and the same with declarer,
Also aces are for kings ...not 2s 3s and 4s.
Also the authors name Michael O'Loughlin is there in front of you on every pair of pages.

Finally its printed on very glossy paper and in a very attractive green and white shade.
Michael has been teaching bridge for over 30 years so he knows who it is aimed at.

BASIC CARD PLAY by Michael O'Loughlin...
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I would recommend it for people who attend Paddy English and any other beginner classes
around the world.
Here is  a review on Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A3DMWGZUF4IXNT/ref=cm_cr_pr_auth_rev?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview

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www.wbridge5.com continues to be an interesting challenge..

I don't know Eddie Fitzgeralds new name so cannot post him.

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I met a woman the other night who's first assignment when she started working in the ESB many years ago was to tot up bridge recap sheets to make sure they all added up to the same total.  The woman has never played bridge but she recalled this assignment. She continues to work in the ESB. 

Wonder who her boss was.

Clue ..A member of the Regent Bridge club. 

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Carlow Congress results are covered on www.fob.ie under the National tab.

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Bridge Congress comes to Carlow

Carlows 1st Bridge Congress in my bridge lifetime takes place this weekend

http://www.cbai.ie/documents/Carlow2013.pdf

See the pdf link above ...

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Follow me up to Carlow ..Lonesome Boatman

Click above for music

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Peter Pigot continues his well received Intermediate Bridge seminars

Please book early to e-mail address – . peterpigotbridge@gmail.com or Peter @ 086-8146230, Mary @ 086-8115793

Fee: €30 per person.

Duration: 14.00pm – 18.00pm

Comprehensive NOTES provided on the day.

Peter Pigot runs Bridge Games, daytime/night-time classes for Beginners, Next Step, Improvers1, Improvers 2 and Masters in Dublin and throughout the country. Bookings for classes being taken now. 

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Of course if you don't like to learn from Peter maybe you could read a book or ask Eamon.

However Eamon only does bridge stuff online as he does not have the charisma of Thomas MacCormac or the easy listening style of Malahide Regionals resident teacher Paddy English.

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However I have heard Peter Pigots sessions are very good but have never attended one of them.

30 euro gets me 8 pints of plain and about 16 games of DON in my local establishment.

DON is a well known Dublin and Cork game based around 9s and 5s. The 9 is called the BIG DON and the 5 is called the SMALL DON. 

Nigel DONelly is the best player in our club and Jimmy O'DONaghue is the most experienced.

However the McKenna brothers are creeping up and Philip Marx is also a contender.

DON is played with 13 cards and two sets of partners. Therefore all bridge movements can suit the game if required. However generally its just random hands and random partnerships and lots of snarling. Cheating in DON is known as BILLYING ... and RENAGING in DON concedes the game. Don't know if anybody has noticed but both the best players surnames begin with DON.

Any DON player can learn bridge in about 1 hour  and be competent in a few weeks.

Eamon started a DON game in his local club in November 2012 despite never playing the game 

and since then at least 30 players have passed thru the school. This is quite alot for a small club that often only has 6 or 7 punters in the bar. 

On Saturday May 11th we are having a BRIDGE game in that club as the DON players are intrigued by the bridge and want to see it in action as a demonstration. So we are bringing the mountain to mohommed as they say ..the BRIDGE to DON.

Demonstrating will be THE GREAT MULALL , BIG BILLY RONAN ,Eamon Galligan and another who will probably be PAT CASSIDY but I don't know yet.

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I had two of Irelands Senior Camrose Team for a bidding session this afternoon. They bid 43 competitive hands in 1.5 hours. Its like a gym for bridge players.

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Now I am going to Malahide for a game of bridge at the OPEN night there.Open Bridge at 1930.

Thanks 

Eamon Galligan