VOL .13, #5 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 / JANUARY 2016 see GNTs on the back cover District 6 has ““Outstanding Results in National GNT Competition at Chicago NABC! In its best showing ever, District 6 garnered a first place, a second place and a tie for the third/fourth place in the Grand National Teams competition WWW at the 2015 Summer NABC. District 6 of the Mid-Atlantic Bridge Conference of the American Contract Bridge League Websites §www.districtsix.org ¨www.mabcbridge.org ©www.acbl.org ª District 6 TableTALK EDITORIAL B OARD Bill Cole, PUBLISHER Donna Rogall, CREATIVE DIRECTOR , E DITOR Any requests for changes to Lucy McCoy, MANAGING EDITOR the mailing list must be sent Steve Robinson, CIRCULATION MANAGER directly to the ACBL at: Ellen Cherniavsky , MAILING LIST . ...... [email protected] CONTRIBUTING EDITORS : Barbara Doran, Margot Hennings DISTRICT COLUMNISTS : 6 Steve Robinson, Alan Schwartz, Shawn Stringer, Margot Hennings, Barbara Doran, Lynn Jones Tabl e . DISTRICT S IX O FFICERS ACBL District 6 Director: Margot Hennings [email protected] PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE President: Shawn Stringer [email protected] I am honored to serve as President of District 6, and I commit my time and efforts to Vice President: Richard Deyerle advancing the progress we have made in D6 events. In my first letter to the District, I feel that [email protected] it is important for players to understand some of the decision making that goes into choosing Secretary: Susan B. MacLaughlin our regional dates and sites. [email protected] Treasurer: Ron Spieker The annual 4th of July Regional in the DC area offers some interesting discussion. The 2015 [email protected] Regional in Reston, VA was moved to the week after the 4th at the request of the hotel. Many Immediate Past President: Don Berman players asked that we stick with the later week in future years. During recent negotiations, the [email protected] hotel proposed these room rates for the next Reston Regional in 2018: UNIT P RESIDENTS week of June 25 - $199 per night; week of July 2 - $109 per night; week of July 9 - $179 Unit 109: Richmond: Harry Gellis [email protected] per night. Unit 110: Peninsula: Ron Alldaffer The week of the 4th is significantly lower because the demand from business travelers over [email protected] Unit 135: Maryland: Ron Conlon the holiday is lower. You can see that the hotel will sell us the same rooms at a deep dis - [email protected] count simply because the rooms are likely to stay empty otherwise. The bottom line is Unit 139: Piedmont: David Butler that we value input from our players but, despite our best efforts, basic economics [email protected] require us to hold the regional during the holiday week. Unit 146: VA State: Brian Boyce [email protected] District 6 has a committee that analyzes several factors, including hotel Unit 147: Wash. DC: Ellen Cherniavsky ambience, room rate, size and layout of playing space, lighting, parking, [email protected] Unit 218: Northern Va: Ron Kral and availability of local restaurants, to choose regional sites. The sites [email protected] are spread throughout the District so they are geographically Unit 231: SW Virginia: Rich Rio accessible to lots of players. [email protected] Send comments or inquiries to Lucy McCoy, If you have any ideas for a new city or a new hotel to Managing Editor at [email protected] serve as a regional site, please contact me or any Board member and we will vet your suggestion. Thanks for your support. —Shawn Stringer, TO GET ON AN EMAIL LIST FOR BRIDGE N EWS & B RIDGE P ROBLEMS , SEND A 301-275-6363, [email protected] NOTE REQUESTING SUCH TO STEVE ROBINSON AT ROBINSWR 1941@ GMAIL .COM “ 5 D ” “ 3 N T ” “ 1 C ” ocating . ”” . LGames ““ppaassss . REGIONALS page Tabl e . Cambridge, MD Nov 9-15 . .2 . idbids Williamsburg, VA . T Feb 29-Mar 6 . .5 . .. ce . A SECTIONALS page Analyses Baltimore, MD eeping Nov 20-22 . .6 District 6 President’s KWinners Message . .inside cover page Charlottesville, VA Dec 4-6 . .7 Shawn Stringer page High Percentage Bridge Silver Spring, MD District 7 Regional: Jan 7-10 . .8 Reston, VA Counting your Tricks . .7 .. Myrtle Beach, SC Norfolk/Va Beach, VA D6 Regional Winners . .6 Dec 28-Jan 3 . .3 by Alan Schwartz Jan 8-10 . .9 Chicago, IL NABC District 7 Regional: Richmond, VA Jan 22-24 . .10 D6 National Winners . .8 Hilton Head, SC Baltimore, MD Feb 8-14 . .4 Hunt Valley, MD Feb 5-7 . .11 District 6 STaCs: Fairfax, VA D6 Regional Winners . .19 Dec 14-20, 2015 and Feb 18-21 . .12 Feb 8-14, 2016 . .10 Charlottesville, VA 2015-16 North American Mar 11-13 . .13 Pairs Finals & Next Fredericksburg, VA District 6 TableTALK Year’s Planning . .17 Mar 18-20 . .14 Norfolk/Va Beach, VA (ISSN#1543-3978) 1-Year District 6 Apr 1-3 . .15 TableTALK cannot guarantee Calendar of Events . .20 Lynchburg, VA postal delivery. If you miss an District 6 has Outstanding Apr 1-3 . .16 issue, please see: Results in National GNT Silver Spring, MD www.districtsix.org Competition! . .back cover Apr 7-10 . .17 www.mabcbridge.org Fairfax, VA or www.acbl.org Grand National Teams 2015- May 12-15 . .18 for tournament information. 2016— Get Your Team Williamsburg, VA Together . .back cover May 20-22 . .19 1 CAMBRIDGE, MD MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL The Hyatt is a gorgeous resort on Maryland’s historic Eastern Shore. Amenities include a championship golf course and a European health spa for pampering and relaxation. ª —A short trip from major East Coast 6 cities and Maryland/DC airports —® t —Restaurants on site and in town provide 100 H ERON BOULEVARD c hesapeake Regional i C ® C festive Bay dining — YATT EGENCY HESAPEAKE AY ESORT AMBRIDGE ARYLAND r H R C B R C , M t Terrific room rate of $114 s i Call 888-421-1442 by Oct. 12 —Eastern shore hospitality every night —® Friday, November 13 Wicomico Compact KO ........................................9 D and mention “BRIDGE” to reserve —Terrific I/N program with guest lectures —® Two 12-board matches, continues 9 am Sat. Book early —hotel will sell out! —Full Monday Gold Point schedule —® © Baltimore Side Series (4th of 5) ..........................9 Note hotel penalty for late cancellation —® —Team events starting every day I/N Pairs 5/20/50 & 100/200/300 ............9 /1 / 7 5 —Five Gold Rush games —® Open Pairs 1500/3000/3000+ .............1 & 7 1 Terrapin Pairs Wednesday, November 11 Gold Rush 0 0-300/300-750 ...............................1 & 7 STRATS Nanticoke Compact KO ...................9 2 Sandy Point Lighthouse KO ...............1 & 7 DETERMINED Two 12-board matches, cont. 9 am Thurs. Continues 1 & 7 Saturday , BY MP Baltimore Side Series (2nd of 5) ..........................9 AVERAGES , Kent Island Side Series (3rd, 4th of 4) ...........1 / 7 5 I/N Pairs 5/20/50 & 100/200/300 ................9 /1 / 7 BUT NO PLAYER Stratified Swiss Teams ..........................................7 1 MAY EXCEED Open Pairs 1500/3000/3000+ ........................1 & 7 - I/N Swiss Teams 50/100/300 .................................7 EVENT LIMIT Blue Crab Gold Rush Pairs 0-300/300-750 ...1 & 7 9 Currituck Lighthouse KO .............................1 & 7 Saturday, November 14 Monday, November 9 Continues 1 & 7 Thursday Baltimore Side Series (5th of 5) ..........................9 R I/N Pairs 5/20/50 & 100/200/300 ...............9 / 1 / 7 Open Pairs 1500/3000/3000+ ........................1 & 7 Annapolis Side Series (5th, 6th of 6) ..............1 / 7 E I/N Pairs 5/20/50 & 100/200/300 ....................1 / 7 Stratified Swiss Teams ..........................................9 Rockfish Gold Rush Pairs 0-300/300-750 .....1 & 7 B Stratified Swiss Teams ..........................................7 Open Pairs 1500/3000/3000+ ........................1 & 7 Stratified Education Foundation Swiss Teams ....1 Oyster Gold Rush Pairs 0-300/300-750 ........1 & 7 M I/N Swiss Teams 50/100/300 .................................7 Charity 5/20/50 & 100/200/300 Pairs .............1 / 7 Cape Henry Lighthouse KO ..........................1 & 7 E Thursday, November 12 Assateague Lighthouse KO ...................................7 Continues 10 am & TBA Sunday V Potomac Compact KO ..........................................9 Continues 9, 1 & 7 Tuesday Easton Side Series (1st, 2nd of 4) ...................1 / 7 O Two 12-board matches, continues 9 am Friday Annapolis Side Series (1st, 2nd of 5) ...................7 Stratified Board-a-Match Teams ...........................7 Baltimore Side Series (3rd of 5) ..........................9 N Afternoon games benefit ACBL Ed. Foundation I/N Swiss Teams 50/100/300 .................................7 Evening games benefit local charity I/N Pairs 5/20/50 & 100/200/300 ................9 /1 / 7 Sunday, November 15 ¨ Ralph White Chesapeake Bay Tuesday, November 10 A/X Swiss 0-5000, 5000+ ...........................1 & 7 Cambridge A/X Swiss 0-5000/5000+ ......10 & TBA y Choptank Compact KO .........................................9 Ralph White Bracketed Flight B Swiss .........1 & 7 Cambridge Bracketed Flight B Swiss ....10 & TBA b Two 12-board matches, continues 9 am Wed. No player over 3000 MPs; 8 teams per bracket; No player over 3000 MPs; 8 teams per bracket; d Baltimore Side Series (1st of 5) ............................9 3 teams in each bracket win gold 3 teams in each bracket win gold e I/N Pairs 5/20/50 & 100/200/300 .......9 /1 / 7 t Kent Island Side Series (1st, 2nd of 4 )...1 & 7 Easton Side Series (3rd, 4th of 4) .................10 / 2 s (0-5 players play FREE today) Stratified Board-a-Match Teams .............7