Short ♣ News

Unit Games Pro-Am Saturday Evening 2/4 7PM

Sunday Evening Closed 12/25 & 1/1

Monday Morning Closed 12/26

Monday Evening

Open 12/26 Lesson 7:10PM; Game 7:30PM

Tuesday Morning

Swiss Teams 12/27 and 1/24 10:30 AM

Wednesay Morning: Birthday Game 1/3 11AM

Wednesay Late Game at Oakwood: Jan B’day 1/3 7:30PM

Friday Evening Swiss Teams 1/27 7 PM

Saturday Evening Suspended … for the time being

WHAT’S INSIDE?

Short ♣ News. 1

WHAT’S INSIDE?. 1

Lynn Yokel Lessons around Town. 1

Prez Sez by Dan Turkus. 1

Big Club News. 1

Faye Parsons Yellow Card Lessons. 1

Late November–Early December Winners. 2

Top Ten Games Nov 11-Dec 10. 3

S’mo Smolen by Michael Fleisher 4

Promotions and Titles. 4

Idioter’s Corner 4

Unit 507 Club Games. 6

Lynn Yokel Lessons around Town

Still searching for the perfect present?

Give the gift of Bridge! 

Lynn Yokel will be teaching Beginning Bridge lessons at the Saratoga Community Center and the Jewish Community Center of Los Gatos Starting in January 2006

For more information, contact Lynn at (408) 374-4669 or lynnyokel@comcast.net

Prez Sez by Dan Turkus

Happy Holidays to you all! If you weren't at the Holiday party, you missed out on a great meal. Thanks Panette for cooking the other turkey, and thanks Tania and Teddi for organizing the whole shindig! Also, thanks to everyone that brought their favorite dishes. The potatoes au gratin, yams, chicken salads. green salads, rice dishes, smoked salmon, cookies of every type plus pies, German chocolate cakes, and more! ‘Twas a great feed, and if I missed your dish, it was probably empty by the time I got there. There was also lots of wine consumed as well, and the more that was consumed resulted in more director calls. Thanks a;so to everyone that helped set up and take down the tables. We had 29 1/2 tables, and it appeared everyone had a great time.

Henry and George, one of you left your convention card and so did Michael Fleisher. They are now at the club near the time clock. Congratulations to Melinda Foos and Michael Fleisher who were 1st overall in A and B in the Open Game and to Michael Abrams and Alexander Tampilang who were 1st overall in C. Peggy Sprague and Joseph Poppo who were 1st overall in A and B in the limited game and Chuck Jacobson and Corinn Carter who were 1st overall in C.

We have several unit games scheduled for early 2006, hopefully addressed elsewhere in this edition, if not watch your mailbox for a post card.

The new life master board has been sanded, thanks to Sherry Waki, and is ready for the plaques, which the trophy shop tells me will be ready by Christmas, so be patient a little while longer, it is soon to appear at the club.

Once again, HAPPY HOLIDAYS to All! I'll see ya at the tables.

Big Club News

Faye Parsons Yellow Card Lessons

San Jose Bridge Center presents Standard American Yellow Card lessons for the beginners and review for all intermediate players. 

When: Jan.15

Where San Jose Bridge Center  .

 Time 5:00 to 5:25 Pm.  lessons

Game 5:30

All New players are welcome

Cost free

Game start at 5:30

Late November–Early December Winners

Sunday 5:20 PM San Jose Bridge Center (SJBC)
11/13	Norman Marks - David Sisson A/B/C Ben & Fia Bosklopper A/B Mary Harvel - Randy Rice C
11/20	Team 12 (Sullivan, Chui, Napolitan, Gueldner) A
11/27	Frank Napolitan - Ursula Gueldner A Fred Kurzweil - Bill Garfield A/B Sheri Archer - Jim Valby C Douglas Ryan - Mike O'Connor B
12/4	Dalia Golan - Faye Parsons A 65.77% Joe Chui - Mike Sullivan A Mike O'Connor - Mike Carney B John & Mischel Postas B/C
12/11	Celso & Consorcia/Ching Ravelo A 65.51% Joe Chui - Erin Gove A Jane Casciano - Pam Woods B Vicky Xu - Nathalie Guiragossian C Manju & Raghu Agarwal B/C

Monday 11:00 AM SJBC
11/14	Bill Yetter - David Gambelin A 71.59% Dolores & Jack Clinch A Richard Jacobs - Malcolm Stewart B Bev Rennie - Coline Maclean C
11/21	Lynn Shannon - Bruce Scott A/B/C Billee Giansiracusa - Lucille Groshong A/B Maxine & Ray Lubow C
11/28	Ted Richmond - W Riester Jr A Mary Gerner - Harriel Shea A Samuel Shat - Y.E. Chen B Harriet Rounds - Paul Nelson B Maxine & Ray Lubow C
12/5	Missy Coy - Bill Yetter A 65.71% Tania Moalem - Mostafa Hafezi A Marilyn Campbell - Paul Nelson B Geri Colwell - Cheryl Liptak B

Monday 7:30 PM SJBC
11/14	Harry Shannon - Hugh Roberts 66.56% Jewel Schimke - Bob Shannon
11/21	Eileen Kotecki - Norma Epler
11/28	Mich Ravera - Pam Woods Kat Wesolowska - Erin Gove
12/5	Michael Fleisher - Chris Lazarovici A 68.75% Richard Jacobs - Ron Baron A Jane Casciano - Joy Baker B Melanie Kakalec - Jin Zhu B/C

Tuesday 10:30 AM SJBC
11/15	Consorcia/Ching Ravelo - Norma Black A/B Lynn Yokel - Diane Shannon A Josephine Cooley - Paul Nelson B
11/29	Team 5 (Black, Ravelo, Cuzner, Riley) A/B
12/6	Kit Humphrey - Henri Farhi A 74.93% David Gambelin - Bill Yetter A 65.64% Consorcia/Ching Ravelo - Mark Pensler B

Tuesday 7:30 PM SJBC
11/15	Melinda Foos - Michael Fleisher A/B Judy Fisher - Steve Chen A Victor Rivkin - Boris Ginzburg B
11/22	Bruce Luttrell - Dana Brown A Chris Lazarovici - Daren Kuo A/B Derek & Teddi Fiero B
11/29	Jack Verson - Kou-Ping Cheng A Melinda Foos - Michael Fleisher B Kit Humphrey - Henri Farhi A Boris Ginzburg - Victor Rivkin B
12/6	Judy Fisher - Bonnie Beardsley A Carole Dietz - Jack Verson A Paul Nelson - Richard Jacobs B Ben Franz - Peggy Sprague B/C

Wednesday 11:00 AM SJBC
11/16	Art & Colette Quaife A/B Donna Armstrong - Sioux Atkinson A Jack Clinch - Sidney Safir A/B Norma Epler - Eileen Kotecki B Richard Sarsfield - Julian Heicklen A Victor Rivkin - Malcolm Stewart B/C Mary Harvel - Happy Fordham C
11/23	Maxe Obermeyer - Pat Steinile A/B/C 67.50% Yongdong Liu - Yan Chen A/B/C Linda & Robert(Chris) Caren A Donna Armstrong - Sioux Atkinson B Jack Clinch - Sidney Safir A/B Bruce Scott - Jesse Merlin C
11/30	Joan Simpson - Dan Hoffman A Lynn & Bob Shannon A Mostafa Hafezi - Steve Bosma A Tania Moalem - Richard Sarsfield A Colette & Art Quaife B Jack Clinch - Sidney Safir B Patricia Yelvington - Jan Kiernan C
12/7	Steve Barasch - Sioux Atkinson A Shaila & Hemant Mandpe A/B/C Irene Shibuya - Paul Nelson A/B Colette & Art Quaife A/B John Newman - Jack Birnbaum B/C

Wednesday 7:00 PM SJBC
11/16	Jack Verson - Marshall Yancey A Victor Rivkin - Boris Ginzburg B/C
11/23	Mike Roney - Marolyn Imaoka-Yancey A Melinda Foos - Michael Fleisher B Dan Rappaport - Matt Moore C
11/30	Kit Humphrey - Henri Farhi
12/7	Tania Moalem - Panette Talia A Derek & Teddi Fiero A/B

Wednesday 7:30 PM Oakwood
11/16	Steve Bosma - Mostafa Hafezi A Leon W Lee - Jerry Lundquist A/B Laura Walters - Joseph Chui B/C Cathy Stahler - Gary Ratts C
11/23	Nancy Nakamura - Barbara Soohoo A/B/C Steve Bosma - Bill Yetter A Mervin & Shirley Falk B/C
11/30	Paul Chang - Elaine Erickson A Joseph Poppo - Shirley Foreman A/B/C Patricia & Richard Bader B/C
12/7	Ruthann Critchfield - Dan Turkus A/B 66.86% Lynn Yokel - Gigi Spinazze A Matt Moore - Dan Rappaport B/C

Thursday 10:30 AM SJBC
11/17	Barbara Harkleroad - Dee Dobbs A Dolores & Jack Clinch A Samuel Shat - Cassandra Leung B
12/1	Diane & Lynn Shannon A Y.E. Chen - Chi Yung Lin B Tania Moalem - Carole Dietz A
12/8	Olive Tangney - Lynn Yokel A Paul Nelson - Josephine Cooley B Kit Humphrey - Bill Langlois A

Thursday 7:00 PM SJBC
11/17	Leon W. Lee - Joe Chui A 67.56% Bob Reinthaler - Judy Travis B Celso & Consorcia/Ching Ravelo A Joel Koransky - Kat Wesolowska B/C
12/1	Mike O'Connor - Mike Carney A/B Joseph Poppo - Peggy Sprague C Chris Lazarovici - Kamen Nedeltchev A/B/C
12/8	Mich Ravera - Ken Rosenfeld A/B/C Nancy & Tom Cadwell A/B/C

Friday 11:00 AM SJBC
11/11	Mary Lou Brandt - Mae Miron Molly Kaufman - Janice Scott
11/18	Doris Oelberg - Consorcia/Ching Ravelo Bernard Hoyt - Julie Joyce
11/25	Jewel Schimke - Hugh Roberts
12/2	David Gambelin - Derek Fiero 67.56% Harriet Rounds - Doris Oelberg
12/9	Maureen Ellenberg - Ruth Sporer A/B 65.34% Jerry Lundquist - Raja Smadi A/B Karen Hunt - Sheri Archer C

Friday 7:00 PM SJBC
11/11	Norman Marks - Karie Willyerd A/B 73.39% Rein Luik - Mike Carney A Art & Colette Quaife B Ed Laycock - Micki Goldsmith C Michael Bodell - Karen Paffendorf C
11/18	Art & Colette Quaife A/B Norman Marks - Karie Willyerd A/B Melanie Kakalec - Jin Zhu C
11/25	Alan Malloy - Wendy Fotland A/B/C 68.75% Mich Ravera - Sharon Sava A Jo Murray - Erma McCrory B
12/2	Hemant & Shaila Mandpe A H Lyle Supp - Karie Willyerd A Manju & Raghu Agarwal B/C Karen Kulander - Lynne Johnson B/C
12/9	Hemant & Shaila Mandpe A Judy Lampl - H Lyle Supp A Donna Webb - Gail Meikle B Ed & Martha Sutton C Art & Colette Quaife B Mary Harvel - Karie Willyerd C

Saturday 12:45 PM SJBC
11/12	Joan Simpson - Dan Hoffman Jewel Schimke - Surendra Mandava
11/19	Mildred & Russell Brewer Charles Monia - Dolores Halden
11/26	Gabriella Bowling - Randee Palmer John & Robert Newman
12/3	Alan Becker - Jo Ann Rogers Albert Lyew - Judy Travis
12/10	Judy Travis - Ed Chen A/B/C James Burlingame - Lu Weakland A Mich Ravera - Jerry Lundquist B Melanie & Michael Kakalec C
Special Unit Games
Sat 12/10 Eve	Hemant & Shaila Mandpe A/B/C
Sun 12/11 Morn	Derek & Teddi Fiero A/B Bernard Bertonis - Rita Tingley A Hemant & Shaila Mandpe B/C

Top Ten Games Nov 11-Dec 10

1	74.93%	Kit Humphrey - Henri Farhi	12/6 AM
2	73.39%	Norman Marks - Karie Willyerd	11/11 Eve
3	71.59%	Bill Yetter - David Gambelin	11/14 AM
4	68.75%	Alan Malloy - Wendy Fotland	11/25 Eve
	Tie	Michael Fleisher - Chris Lazarovici	12/5 Eve
6	68.18%	Celso & Consorcia/Ching Ravelo	11/21 Eve
7	67.56%	Leon W. Lee - Joe Chui	11/17 Eve
	Tie	David Gambelin - Derek Fiero	12/2 AM
9	67.50%	Maxe Obermeyer - Pat Steinile	11/23 AM
10	66.86%	Ruthann Critchfield - Dan Turkus	12/7 Late

Next Month … The Top Ten Games of 2005

The Friday Night 299er Group

photo by Knoll Dietz

S’mo Smolen by Michael Fleisher

I fully agree with Jeff’s statement from last month that if you are likely to forget a convention, that you shouldn’t use it However, I do like Smolen, and find it useful. 

If you play at least semi-serious bridge you should be looking at the bidding structure over 1^NT as a whole. By doing so, you can decide how to treat, among others, hands with 5-4 in the majors and values for game. In my system Smolen always came in handy and it simply fits nicely, and therefore very easy to remember.

A reasonable way to bid this kind of hand would be to jump to 3 of a major promising 5 in the major that you jumped in and 4 in the other major. At this point, partner can bid 4 of your major or 3^NT. In the first case the contract is good but wrong sided. Not only is the strong hand dummy, but declarer’s hand is almost an open book. Nine cards are known already to be in the majors and defense is much easier.

Now, given that you have 5-4 in the majors, would it be more likely to find partner with 4 cards in one of your majors, or with 3 cards in your 5-card major? The answer: 3 cards in your 5-card major. This happens often enough (I remember at least 3 times in the last month) to be worth the slight effort of this convention.

Smolen players will get the same frequency of better results that transfer players will. So, Smolen players, in my experience, will consistently score better than the ones that don’t use Smolen. The reasons: strong hand is dummy and declarer’s hand distribution is known.

I will keep my eyes open for more examples, but here is one: You open 1^NT with ♠Axx ♥Jxx ♦AKQ ♣Kxxx and find partner with ♠KQJx ♥KQxxx ♦J ♣xxx

Now, playing Smolen, you find LHO with ♠xx ♥Ax ♦xxxxx ♣Axxx.

Since LHO is on the lead everything is fine. If partner plays 4♥ and gets the ♣Q as the lead you go down.

So, on this hand, you reach a good contract from the wrong side if you don’t play Smolen and Smolen saves a trick!

Unit 507 Board Officers
President	Dan Turkus
Vice President	Ray Yuenger
Secretary	Erin Gove
Treasurer	John Prior
Sergeant at Arms	Art Fonda
Membership	Will Watson
Ethics	Bill Langlois
Unit Recorder	Carole Dietz
Forum columnist	Ray Yuenger
Unit Game Coordinator	Rekha Nirula
Tournament Coordinator	Tania Moalem
The Di-Rek’Tor Editor	Michael Angelo Ravera
Education/NAOP	Lynn Yokel
District 21 Representatives	Jeff Hack Stu Goodgold
New Player Representative	Mich Ravera

Promotions and Titles

CLUB MASTER	Mary Henderson David Sisson
SECTIONAL MASTER	Amar Chunder
NABC MASTER	Judith Israel
BRONZE LIFE MASTER	Neil Robinson
SILVER LIFE MASTER	Melinda Foos

Idioter’s Corner

The book “The Official Rules” includes among its many gems of wisdom that “The odds are about 6-to-5 that the light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of an oncoming express train”.

It is with this though in mind that I mention that John Prior did come back to his post as treasurer and board member at our most recent board meeting. We’re still working on his authorization to use the Stun Gun.

Thanks to Michael Fleisher’s article on Smolen in response to Jeff Hack’s article from last month and the contributions from the Dietzes, I’m not left with much room. That’s just as well. I will thank those people who complemented my article from last month.

Also, I give my hope that the light that you see at the end of the tunnel should be your Christmas tree or your menorah or the sun that doesn’t quite set as low as it did the day before or the glow from your oven.

MERRY CHRISTMAS HAPPY HANAKAH

BOUNTIFUL QWANZAA HAPPY LONGNIGHT

HAPPY NEW YEAR HAPPY NEW YEAR

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
December
25 Christmas Day Closed	26 Boxing Day Closed Al’s Lesson: 7:10PM Al’s 0-800 Handicapped Game: 7:30PM Reno Regional Begins	27 Swiss Teams: 10:30AM Supervised Play: 3 PM Ray’s & Will’s Stratified Open Pairs Game with Hand Records: 7:30PM Reno Day 2	28 Bernie’s Lesson 10:30AM Rita & Bernie’s Stratified 299er & Stratified Open Game w/separate sections and hand records: 11AM Jim’s Superchart Game with Hand Records: 7PM Bill’s Open Stratified Game with Hand Records @ Oakwood: 7:30PM Reno Day 3	29 Lynn’s Stratified Open Pairs Game with Hand Records: 10:30 AM Faye’s Stratified Open Pairs Game 7PM Reno Day 4	30 Al’s 0-1500 Handicapped Game 11AM Carole’s and George’s Lesson 6:30 PM Carole’s and George’s 299er Game with Hand Records: 7PM Reno Day 5	31 Al’s 0-1500 Handicapped Game 12:45PM Reno Ends
2006 January
1 New Year’s Day Closed	2 Bill’s Open Stratified Game with Hand Records: 11AM Al’s Game: 7:30PM Monterey Regional Begins	3 Carole & Judy’s Game: 10:30AM Supervised Play: 3 PM Ray’s & Will’s Game 7:30PM Monterey Day 2	4 Bernie’s Lesson 10:30AM 2-Section Birthday Game: 11AM Jim’s Game: 7PM Oakwood Birthday Game: 7:30PM Monterey Day 3	5 Lynn’s Game: 10:30 AM Faye’s Game 7PM Monterey Day 4	6 Al’s Game 11AM Carole’s and George’s Lesson 6:30 PM Carole’s 299er Game: 7PM Monterey Day 5	7 Al’s Game 12:45PM Monterey Day 6
8 Faye’s Lesson: 5PM Fayes 499er Pairs Game: 5:20PM Monterey Ends	9 Bill’s Game: 11AM Al’s Game: 7:30PM	10 Carole & Judy’s Game: 10:30AM Supervised Play: 3 PM Ray’s & Will’s Game 7:30PM	11 Bernie’s Lesson 10:30AM 2-Section Game: 11AM Jim’s Game: 7PM Oakwood Game: 7:30PM	12 Lynn’s Game: 10:30 AM Faye’s Game 7PM	13 Al’s Game 11AM Carole’s and George’s Lesson 6:30 PM Carole’s 299er Game: 7PM	14 Al’s Game 12:45PM
15 Faye’s Lesson: 5PM Fayes Game: 5:20PM	16 Bill’s Game: 11AM Al’s Game: 7:30PM	17 Carole & Judy’s Game: 10:30AM Supervised Play: 3 PM Ray’s & Will’s Game 7:30PM	18 Bernie’s Lesson 10:30AM 2-Section Game: 11AM Jim’s Game: 7PM Oakwood Game: 7:30PM	19 Lynn’s Game: 10:30 AM Faye’s Game 7PM	20 Al’s Game 11AM Carole’s and George’s Lesson 6:30 PM Carole’s 299er Game: 7PM	21 Al’s Game 12:45PM
22 Faye’s Lesson: 5PM Fayes Game: 5:20PM	23 Bill’s Game: 11AM Al’s Game: 7:30PM	24 Swiss Teams: 10:30AM Supervised Play: 3 PM Ray’s & Will’s Game 7:30PM	25 Bernie’s Lesson 10:30AM 2-Section Game: 11AM Jim’s Game: 7PM Oakwood Game: 7:30PM	26 Lynn’s Game: 10:30 AM Faye’s Game 7PM	27 Al’s Game 11AM Carole’s and George’s Lesson 6:30 PM Carole’s 299er Swiss Teams: 7PM	28 Al’s Game 12:45PM
29 Faye’s Lesson: 5PM Fayes Game: 5:20PM	30 Bill’s Game: 11AM Al’s Game: 7:30PM	31 Carole & Judy’s Game: 10:30AM Supervised Play: 3 PM Ray’s & Will’s Game 7:30PM	February 1 Bernie’s Lesson 10:30AM 2-Section Birthday Game: 11AM Jim’s Game: 7PM Oakwood Birthday Game: 7:30PM	2 Lynn’s Game: 10:30 AM Faye’s Game 7PM	3 Al’s Game 11AM Carole’s and George’s Lesson 6:30 PM Carole’s 299er Game: 7PM	4 Al’s Game 12:45PM Unit Pro-Am Game: 7PM

Please submit contributions for The Di-Rek’Tor to
Michael Angelo Ravera

Email: mravera@nubridges.com

Voice: 408-432-1020

Printed: SJBC Folder

The Di-Rek’Tor

The Di-Rek’Tor is published monthly by Unit 507 of the American Contract Bridge League, Campbell Community Center, One West Campbell Avenue, Building J-68, Campbell, CA 95008. Opinions in articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Unit Board

Unit 507 Club Games

Day	Time	Game Type	Photo	Directors	Phone (408)
Sunday	5:20 pm	0-499 Stratified (Lesson: 5:00 pm) Monthly Potluck: 4:30 pm		Faye Parsons	378-4719
Monday	11:00 am	Open Stratified Hand records		Bill Traver	379-4490
Monday	7:30 pm	0-800 Handicapped (Lesson: 7:10 pm)		Al Becker	252-1426
Tuesday	10:30 am	Open Stratified Hand Records		Judy Fisher / Carole Dietz	/ 395-6360
Tuesday	3:00 pm	Lesson and Supervised Play		Lynn Yokel / Carole Dietz	374-4669 / 395-6360
Tuesday	7:30 pm	Open Stratified Hand Records		Ray Yuenger / Will Watson	379-7717 / (650)610-0225
Wednesday	11:00 am	Two Sections: Open and 0-299 Stratified Hand Records (Lesson 10:30 am)		Rita Tingley / Bernie Bertonis	261-0268
Wednesday	7:30 pm	Open Stratified Hand Records At Oakwood		Bill Traver	379-4490
Wednesday	7:00 pm	Open Stratified Hand Records Super Chart		Jim Hayashi / Anne Boboricken	292-2370 / 379-2805
Thursday	10:30 am	Open Hand Records		Lynn Yokel	374-4669
Thursday	7:00 pm	Open Stratified	See Sunday	Faye Parsons	378-4719
Friday	11:00 am	0-1500 Handicapped (Review: 2:30 pm)	See Monday	Al Becker	252-1426
Friday	7:00 pm	0-300 Stratified (Lesson: 6:30 pm) One “Teacher Lifeline” Hand Records		George Pledger / Carole Dietz	249-2674 / 395-6360
Saturday	12:45 pm	0-1500 Handicapped	See Monday	Al Becker	252-1426
Saturday	7:00 pm	Open Stratified STaC Week Only	Suspended	Call SJBC	871-1232

All games are held at the San Jose Bridge Center (408-871-1232) at one W. Campbell Ave, Room J-68, inside the Campbell Community Center except those identified as “at Oakwood”. The Oakwood game is held at the Oakwood Garden Apartments, 700 Saratoga Ave, San Jose. All games allow methods and systems permitted by the ACBL General Convention Chart. Those games identified as “MidChart” or “Super Chart” also permit methods authorized by those charts with proper disclosure. Check club postings, visit our web site at http://www.SJBridge.org or call for the exact dates and times of the Special STaC and Special Unit games, and of the 499er Potluck.

Games are often reduced, relaxed, or cancelled during local tournaments.