The American Bridge

Teachers’ Association

Quarterly
Magazine
Spring 2015
Issue 213
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 ABTA Quarterly Magazine

Regional Directors Continued

The American Bridge Teachers’ Association Quarterly Magazine (ISSN 0891-6462) is
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 From the Editor
How do we teach bridge?
You are now reading the second of the new format ABTA Quarterlies. I have to admit there
were “teething troubles” with the first issue, and with this one as well, but I am confident that
the changes will be worth it. I received many complimentary emails about the first issue, for
which I thank you. I am running corrections this issue for the dates of the Chicago confer-
ence (August 4-7, 2015) and the ABTA web site. (How embarrassing to get those wrong.)
A bigger question which has been brought to my attention regards the mission of this pub-
lication. Recently an ABTA member made a suggestion about a possible series of articles for
the new Quarterly. How do we teach bridge? There are many publications that address the
topic of how to play bridge. While we, as teachers, can never have too many play problems
or bidding puzzles to incorporate into our lessons, and while it is good to be acquainted with
the current bidding theory as a guide to what material we should be teaching, as teachers, we
encounter problems that players do not.
How should I handle an odd number of students?
How should I handle a difficult student?
How should I use Power Point presentations, or other computer aided presentations, if at all?
How much should students play, and how much should I lecture?
What does it mean to call a class (or a student) Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced?
What are good resources and references for a Beginning class? Intermediate? Advanced?
What is teaching at the table? How much should I use it?
How can I teach online?
How do I keep young people interested if I am lucky enough to have one or two young
students in a class with retirees?
Chuck Hodel and I discussed the idea of a series, and I am pleased to announce that this is-
sue contains the first article in that series, written by none other than Chuck himself. It is the
article entitled Cards on the Table. Each issue of the Quarterly will have at least one article for
newer teachers by one of our expert teachers addressing the art of teaching.
As I have written before, the Quarterly is for the members of the ABTA, by the members of
the ABTA. Please continue to submit your recommendations and your contributions. Each
of you has something valuable to say about teaching bridge. Please, take the time to write it
down and send it to me for publication.
6 7
Christopher Rivera, Editor
riverabridge@gmail.com
Table of Contents
The American Bridge Teachers’ Association Motto is:
To help those who teach bridge to do it better— more effectively—
more knowledgeably—more professionally.
Articles:
A Conversation about Fast Arrival 10
New High School Bridge Camp in Missouri 19
Chicago Conference Information and Registration 22
Bridge: Why Teach? How to Teach? Who Benefits 28
Regular Features:
ABTA Officers and Regional Directors 4
From the Editor 6
President’s Report 8
Book Review— Beginning Bridge: Using 2 over 1 9
Teaching Tools 17
Submission Info— ABTA Quarterly 18
For New Teachers 26
ABTA Online Activities 29
Advertisers:
Baron Barclay Bridge Supply—Teaching Materials 2
Baron Barclay Bridge Supply— Audrey Grant 3
Beginning Bridge Using 2 over 1 21
Barbara Seagram Cheat Sheets 25
Masterpoint Press— The Bridge Site 31
Masterpoint Press— Declarer Play 32
Upcoming ABTA Conferences
Plan to be there!
CORRECTION: Chicago IL: August 4-7, 2015
Washington, DC: July 20-23, 2016
Toronto, ON: July 19-22, 2017
 President’s Report by Chuck Hodel
“Even if you are on the right track,
you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
– Will Rogers
By now you have seen and read the new Quarterly! I think it is great and thank Christo-
pher Rivera for his creativity and enthusiasm. I look forward to working with him for the
remainder of my term. By the way I am now officially a “short timer.” My term as President
of ABTA ends at the conclusion of the Summer convention. I know it will be successful and
I hope it is highly attended! Our convention this year is August 4-7. Master teacher inter-
views are usually held the Monday evening before the convention, August 3, this year. The
title of Master Teacher is one that is coveted by bridge teachers because it is conferred by
one’s peers. I can think of no other recognition that means so much as to be recognized by
those in the same profession. On page 20, you will find information on deadlines on the ap-
plication process and whom to contact for Master Teacher and Teacher of The Year consid-
eration. As implied by the quotation above, GET MOVING!
If you haven’t checked our ABTA website lately you are in for a treat when you do. It is very
attractive. Linda Lee and her team have done a great job. It has a “member only” tab for
which you will have to register to access, but it is worth the effort.
Back to the summer convention, Program Chair Linda Green has lined up a wonderful
array of speakers that will both enlighten and entertain us. I listed many of them in my
recent “President’s Blast.” I hope everyone is receiving and reading it. I recently contacted
one of our Chicago hosts, Marilyn Richard. She and co-host Ginny Schuett have lined up
an interesting optional Wednesday evening tour. Our Las Vegas tour to the Mob Museum
was a highlight. The tours besides visiting a local point of interest provide each of us with
an opportunity to get to know other teachers that we may only see in a convention setting. I
always cherish these opportunities.
8 I have been sending President email Blasts between Quarterlies in an effort to stay in touch,
to inform members of our doings, and to give members the opportunity to contact me with
concerns. I encourage you to email me with any concerns you may have. My email address
is cchodel@sbcglobal.net. I will try to answer all that I receive within a few days of receipt.
Correction to Recent President’s Blast
I, as ABTA President, recently sent a President’s Blast (February 9) that stated that ABTA
member Barbara Seagram had arranged for a special ABTA rate at the Travelodge in Chica-
go. The statement was an error and I am responsible for it. Barbara had talked to the motel
and informed me of the rate, but I neglected to make the final arrangements. Members are
invited to call the motel and make reservations there at a rate that is somewhat lower than
the Hilton, but the rate will not be a “special ABTA rate.” I apologize to all the members and
specifically to Barbara Seagram for the embarrassment this may have caused her.
Book Review by Dee Berry
“Beginning Bridge Using 2 Over 1”
by Jim Ricker c.2014
An ABTA member, Jim Ricker has self published this beginning bridge student text as well
as an accompanying Instructor’s Guide. Each volume is close to 200 pages and is 11in. by 14
in., with large print.
Ricker’s first three lessons have one set of hands per lesson; after that he recommends setting
up a newcomer game with predesigned hands (with about 60% relevance to the immediate
topic and the remainder relating to previous topics). He provides handouts with an outline
or synopsis of each lesson topic. These are included in PDF format allowing one to email the
files each week to the class (intended to help retain students who miss a class).
The author strongly recommends running the newcomer game/class as a barometer game
and going over each hand (two at a time) after every two boards. He emphasizes letting the
students make mistakes.
The book gives detailed suggestions on advertising (with the help of the ACBL’s contribu-
tions) and class setup.
His lessons are based on strong no trumps without five-card majors. Some teachers may
disagree with some of his teaching points (this reviewer, for example, strongly disagrees
with the auction (with the opponents silent) 1♦ – 1♠ / 1NT – 2♥ , promising at least 10 HCP,
as well as this auction guaranteeing five of the major: 1♣ – 1♦ (overcall) – 1♥ (or 1♠)...
9
The student book also covers competitive bidding and again the author’s preferences may
not be to everyone’s taste.
Individual books are available for $25 plus shipping. A 25-pack is available for $20 per book,
and includes shipping. Instructors can receive the Instructor’s Guide for free by providing
ABTA, ACBL, or other teaching credentials. Diamond Books Publishing.
www.DiamondBooksPublishing.com (865) 805-0420.
 A Conversation about Fast Arrival
Michael Polowan Joel Wooldridge Michael Polowan and Joel Wooldridge
The concept of Fast Arrival is one that is taught to beginners at an early stage in their bridge
education. Jump to game with a minimum game-force to tell partner that there is no inter-
est in slam. The problem, of course, is that it is difficult to tell what combination of hands is
suitable for slam without a more detailed auction. In New York City, where I teach and play,
Fast Arrival is modestly controversial. To discuss the merits of Fast Arrival, I interviewed
Joel Wooldridge and Michael Polowan. Joel and Michael both live in NYC, but play world
wide. They have each won numerous national titles, teach students in the NYC area, give
considerable thought to bidding theory, and differ in their assessment of Fast Arrival.
ME: Is Fast Arrival a good method to teach?
JOEL: I think fast arrival is good for beginners, because a lot of beginners, when they pick
up an 18-count opposite an opening bid, especially when they play a lot at the club, where
club players are pretty bad bidders, they’ll see the club players jumping to Blackwood with
these hands and they think that’s how you’re supposed to make your slam try. You just bid
Blackwood and if you have the right number of aces, you bid a slam. So, telling [partner]
that you have a bad hand, might stop some of that. Because they don’t know how to bid con-
structively below game...without using Blackwood.
ME: Using Blackwood is not bidding constructively below game.
JOEL: I understand, but even if you leave them a little room...
MICHAEL: They’re not going to make good use of it.
10 JOEL: Exactly. You might as well blow that room into the wind.
MICHAEL: If you’re worried about a lot of auctions indiscriminately going 1S, 2H, 3H,
4NT because responder has a 17- or 18-count, then, to say, I’m warning you not to do that
has a lot more utility. I’m not sure that teaching them to do that rather than teaching them
to jump to Blackwood less is the better approach.
There are some auctions where everyone plays a version of fast arrival. Pass, 1S, 2C Dru-
ry – 3S is some sort of slam try and 4S is the end of the auction. If you’re playing two way
by Christopher Rivera
Stayman: 1NT, 2D, 2H – 4H is the end of the auction. Over these sorts of conventions,
everyone plays a version of fast arrival.
When partner is a very narrowly limited hand, so that you can have absolute assurance
that slam is impossible, most people play some version of fast arrival. There aren’t that
many auctions where you’re in a game force at the two level, and you can know that slam
is absolutely impossible other than for auctions following a convention of some sort or
another.
In general in a forcing auction, if you’re going to use up a lot of space, you want to show
a very specific type of hand, because if you just say you have a minimum hand, when
partner has substantial extra values, he has no idea whether you have a suitable or unsuit-
able minimum hand, and no longer any way to find out. If you have a hand, and this isn’t
all that good of a hand, we can make it better, if you have a hand like Kx, AKxxx, AJxxx,
x (and) partner opens 1S, you bid 2H, partner bids 4H, slam can be anywhere from very
good, to the five level offering no play. If partner has something like AQJxx, Qxx, Kx, xxx
– and that’s a 12-count, slam is basically on 3-2 trump and spades no worse than 4-1. If
partner has QJxxx, xxx, Kx, KQx, which is a 13-count, the five level has literally no play,
off two black aces and a trump trick, and you haven’t even made four yet. You’ve eaten up
all of the room for investigation in your own auction, and I don’t think you’ve served any
useful purpose.
ME: What do you like the jump to show, rather than a bad minimum?
MICHAEL: A good holding in your first bid suit, good trump holding, and no controls
on the side. [commonly referred to as a Picture Bid] If you have something like AQJxx,
KQxx, xx, xx – a nice 12-count, now opposite our – something like, Kx, Axxxxx, Axxx, x,
which is an 11-count, you have a completely cold slam. Again, assuming spades aren’t 5-1
or worse.
I (also) know that Joel likes playing fast arrival as a jump to 5 of a minor, and that’s a sort
of different territory. That is in the overall context in which he’s playing is a far more rea-
sonable treatment, because the auction has progressed further by then.
ME: What is the important difference between major suit and minor suit auctions?
11
MICHAEL: In major suit auctions, we’re coming from the 2-level where you haven’t really
defined your hand at all yet, where, in minor suit auctions we’re coming from a somewhat
higher level where you’ve better defined your hand. I don’t think Joel plays this as fast
arrival, but to play 1S, 2C, 2NT shows meaningful extra values and 3NT shows a weak
no-trump [essentially, a balanced minimum opener] is virtually completely unplayable,
because now when opener has an unbalanced minimum, he has no way of finding out
whether 3NT is an even reasonable contract. When opener has a 5-4-3-1 minimum hand,
 A Conversation about Fast Arrival
3NT could easily be the last making contract, and it could also be the only contract with
virtually no play. I don’t think Joel is advocating fast arrival in those auctions.
JOEL: Just to clarify, I do play fast arrival in the majors and in the minors. For no-trump, I
do not. I’m not familiar with whether fast arrival would be a good idea there, in no-trump.
My instinct is, not a good idea. Also, as how I play my major suit fast arrival, you were say-
ing that there were some redeeming minimums where a major suit jump to game would be
a bad idea because you don’t get to say that you have a quality minimum. My version of fast
arrival is that if I make this bid, I have an unsuitable hand unless you have an amazing hand
opposite that. I’ve opened with a bunch of junk, and it’s pretty ugly. So, if I have anything
that looks remotely suitable for slam, I wouldn’t make the jump. It’s really just a warning flag
that, you know, I have something pretty awful.
ME: A hand that most people wouldn’t open?
JOEL: It’s an opening bid, as in, it totals the requisite number of high card points, I’m a fairly
aggressive opener, so I tend to overlook the fact that it is not quality, but it is quantity that
I have, so, it’s a hand that is maybe not so great but I see 12 points. QJ, QJ, QJxxx, QJxx –
something like that, or, reverse the minors, actually, make that even worse, so that would be
pretty awful for a 12-count and debatable whether that should really be opened, maybe in
some minds not even debatable. [Michael laughs]
ME: Do you open that, Michael?
MICHAEL: [waving his hands] Unclear. Close. I wouldn’t object to someone opening it. If I
were vulnerable I probably wouldn’t open it, if I were not vulnerable, I probably would.
ME: (to Joel) Would you open that in all seats?
JOEL: Well, I can tell you the system I play with Johnny [John Hurd, Joel’s regular partner]
we open pretty much balanced 11-counts unless we’re vulnerable, then we can choose. This
is a 12-count, I would consider this probably a better pass than an opening bid even in that
system. It’s pretty awful as far as 12-counts go, but, maybe, maybe, probably not.
MICHAEL: I gather that my hand with QJxxx, xxx, Kx, KQx Would be a candidate? Or
would that not be a candidate? Would that hand be too good for a jump to 4H? That’s a
12 13-count, but it’s awful trump and pretty quacky.
JOEL: It feels more like an 11-count.
MICHAEL: Yeah.
ME: These really awful hands don’t come up all that often. You’re catering fast arrival to
hands that you open one out of…how many? How often do you have these hands to open?
with Joel Wooldridge and Michael Polowan
JOEL: Yeah. Not that often. Michael prefers a picture bid for these bids, so he’s saying he
has a descriptive forward going hand. I’m saying I have a descriptive, not-forward going
hand. He wants his values all in his suits, and nothing outside, this is what I have. I want
my values, just totally awful for slam. I feel like my bid might come up more often, maybe.
I’m not completely sure about that, but I know that I’ve at least used it a few times. I don’t
know how often his bid comes up since I don’t really play it, but, it works well when you’re
using modifiers like serious and non-serious no-trump. [Serious and non-serious are
common slam-try conventions.]
ME: What do you play?
JOEL: Either one of those is fine. I like non-serious no-trump because then you don’t have
to cue-bid without a slam going hand.
ME: You also prefer non-serious?
MICHAEL: Yes.
JOEL: It just gives the opponents less information if you’re actually not headed toward
slam.
ME: Give me a fast arrival auction.
JOEL: Ok, a fast arrival auction. It has to be a two over one auction, or something akin
to that, where you’re in a game force, and you’re always going to get to game and there’s
enough room to jump to game instead of just continuing with a simple raise. Maybe 1H,
2C, 2D, 2H, so at this point we’ve established hearts and a game forcing auction where 2C
is two over one, and I could, maybe, bid 4H, and that would say, ok, I’m done, I’ve heard
enough from you partner. My hand is pretty bad for this auction. That’s how I would play
it. Or, instead, I could make some other descriptive bid saying that I don’t have God’s
worst opening bid, and so, that’s kind of what I do.
MICHAEL: For me, 4H would be good hearts and good diamonds and no spade control.
Typically, in that auction, I tend to bid out my shape. I don’t know whether you limit that
to 5-4-2-2 or whether you could be 5-4-3-1 in some fashion.
JOEL: I would probably be 5-4-2-2, but depending on how really awful my hand was,
it’s possible it could be something other than that. Maybe a stiff Q and three small clubs. 13
That’s pretty bad. I might decide to treat that as 5-4-2-2.
MICHAEL: This is an auction where partner is completely unlimited. Partner can have a
nice looking 18- or 19-count opposite which even the right complete piece of garbage is
going to make a slam and the wrong one could still be in some danger at the five level. I
would bid my fragment, or bid 2NT if I’m 5-4-2-2, and let partner evaluate.
 A Conversation about Fast Arrival
JOEL: I’m pretty much reserving (fast arrival) for big warning flag kinds of hands. I’ve no
controls. I have a lot of soft values. I don’t think I have a fitting hand, that kind of thing,
so, if partner has the aces and kings, 18 to 19 point hand, that can make a slam opposite a
bunch of junk, then they can make another move, but I’ve raised the flag. I let them know
that this is not going to be a good hand for slam. This is a hand that I would reject, twice,
after they tried for slam.
MICHAEL: I realize that you probably open some things that I don’t, so, you may hold
more of them than I do.
JOEL: I have opened some hands where my partner’s complained about my opening bid.
MICHAEL: If you get rid of some of my objection about partner with a big hand not know-
ing whether to safely say the five level again, over the jump to game, by restricting it that
narrowly, and I think any jump in a forcing auction should be restricted very very narrow-
ly, there, on frequency, at least, from my own anecdotal experience, the frequency seems
almost at the vanishing point. I open almost no balanced 11-counts, so some of the weeds
that Joel may be talking about are hands that I don’t open. If you’re restricting the jump
very very narrowly and not just saying this is like a weak no trump, then I don’t find it that
problematic. My main point is that a jump in a forcing auction needs to be very narrowly
defined so that partner can have pretty good assurance whether it’s safe to go on, and won’t
be passing in fear of going on and miss easy slams.
ME: Your jumps are narrowly defined.
MICHAEL: You don’t have AKQxx of your first suit, because partner won’t know what a
suitable holding is.
JOEL: I haven’t formally defined what my jump means, but from experience I can tell you
that it’s something along the lines of a dead minimum opening and a hand without three
useful cards for slam. Useful cards being like AKQ of trumps, or side A, fitting honor in one
of partner’s suits. If I have fewer than three useful cards, I still have an opening bid, but it’s
hard to find the useful values for slam.
MICHAEL: That’s a reasonable definition. That would certainly have fit my example of
QJxxx, xxx, Kx, KQx and would not fit AQJxx, Qxx, Kx, xxx. Even with the latter with the
hand, and this is going to be tough to deal with in any construct, if partner has spade short-
14 ness and a really big hand. Give partner the AKQ of trump and a stiff spade, if one of those
minor suit Ks were the K of spades, that hand might be considerably worse for slam than
this hand, and partner isn’t going to be able to judge that. He wouldn’t likely be able to judge
that with this hand, because with this hand, if partner bids 3H, and you make a serious slam
try, he’s still going to sign off. Given that I’m playing serious and non-serious slam tries, that
if partner makes a serious slam try, I get to show a hand that signs off twice by just rejecting
over the serious slam try, so I’m not sure how much I’m gaining by jumping to game one
round earlier. I can bid three and effectively sign off twice because we have both serious
by Christopher Rivera
slam tries and last train available.
JOEL: My range of hands for the simple raise would include the picture hands, so if I had
a picture hand and then partner made a slam try, I might cue bid above game, possibly,
which is not ideal, but says I probably do have a hand like that, with primary cards in
my two suits. It would commit us to the five level, but that’s probably what I’d do. So, if it
went 1S, 2H, 3H, and partner bid 4C serious slam try and I had this 5-3-3-2 with all the
cards in my suits, three working cards and the A of spades, something like that, I might
very well bid 4S, just give him a chance, saying I do have a surprisingly good hand, I just
don’t have controls in the minors.
MICHAEL: What would you do if partner made a non-serious slam try?
JOEL: I would sign off. Probably.
MICHAEL: That picture bid could easily produce a slam opposite a non-serious slam try.
I gave an 11-count that produced a slam opposite that picture bid.
JOEL: There’s no convenient way to bid it. I’d have to go past 4H. Not perfect. Sometimes
partner is allowed to look at their Kx, Axxxxx, Axxx, x and realize that this is a pretty
good hand and make a serious slam try.
ME: Do you gain from having fast arrival?
JOEL: What I’m gaining is that when I make a simple raise partner knows I don’t have
a disaster. If partner has some hand...opposite a control in one suit...just as long as they
know they’re not getting the worst junk ever, they can drive to slam. That’s what I’m gain-
ing, partner doesn’t have to worry as much, but I’m losing some constructive value for
slam. I don’t have a perfect descriptor.
MICHAEL: I tend to think, if partner makes a serious slam try and you just sign off
immediately, you’re showing a pretty crappy hand. Which is why, with Kx, Axxxxx, Axxx,
x, especially with my suit being diamonds, I wouldn’t want to make a serious slam try, be-
cause partner is going to get to the five level way to often on inappropriate hands. Partner
doesn’t even have a last train bid available there.
JOEL: I wouldn’t make a serious slam try in diamonds. I would bid clubs. I feel like
biding diamonds denies a club control. Aside from that, it would certainly go, 1S, 2H, 15
3H, 3S, 3NT non-serious, 4C, 4D last train, or possibly 4S at that point. There would be
enough room.
MICHAEL: In that auction that would be good if you could do that. I can’t bid 3S in that
auction because I would play 3S as natural. After 1S, 2H, 3H, I don’t play 3S as a cue bid I
play 3S shows a spade fit.
 A Conversation about Fast Arrival Teaching Tools

JOEL: The main advantage to saying that’s a fit is that it reemphasizes the third round con- Playing Detective at the Bridge Table “Who Has the Queen?”
trol in that suit. If you have something like Kxx facing Axxxx, you might assume having the
A and K that you don’t have a loser until partner shows a fit. This bridge play problem was sent to us by Barbara Seagram. Feel free to use it with your
students, either individually or in groups, to help them understand the importance of pic-
MICHAEL: Then ace empty fifth is now a poor holding. AQxxx is a likely secondary source turing the hands during play. Give your students time to sit with the puzzle before revealing
of tricks. I’ve also played that after 1S, 2C, 2H, 3H, that 3S shows a six-four. the answer. This puzzle illustrates the importance of thinking at the table, rather than fol-
lowing rules.
ME: Should Fast Arrival be taught? Should it be taught to some but not all? Should it be
taught and un-taught?
South Deals ♠A42 South is in 6NT. After the ♦K is led, declar-
None Vul ♥AKQ er, with only one diamonds stopper, is feel-
MICHAEL: It depends on the kind of student. If you have someone who is really aspiring
♦765 ing somewhat nervous. She counts her sure
to learn the game, even if something bad would temporarily improve their results, I’d rather
♣AJ42 winners and finds three spades, three hearts,
not teach someone something that they’re going to have to unlearn. I would rather teach
them what I think the right way to play is, originally, and even if there are some growing N one diamond and two clubs. She needs three
pains, let them have the growing pains. If you’re dealing with students who are looking to W E more winners to make twelve tricks. She rec-
reach only a relatively low level of skill and just enjoy the game as a recreation and who S ognizes instantly that everything depends on
have very little ambition to understand at any great depth, then they’re probably not going locating the ♣ Q and getting three extra tricks
♠KQJ
to get to the point where they’re going to have to unlearn it, so it doesn’t really matter. [to in the club suit.
♥J42
Joel] How do you feel about that? ♦AJ
Short of peeking at the opponents’ hands,
♣ K 10 7 5 3
JOEL: That sounds right. I definitely do not prefer un-teaching stuff. There are some stu- what are her options? Does she simply finesse,
dents I have who are a little bit unteachable – I’ll say “set in their ways.” In general, what playing and guessing all the while? Does she
West North East South
I try to teach them are good methods so that they don’t have to unlearn. The band-aid recite the nursery rhyme, “eight ever, nine
1N
approach is not really what I like. never” in the hope that the ♣ Q will drop?
3♦ 6N All pass
Nursery rhymes work for children, but not
6NT by South
MICHAEL: Fast arrival was basically developed in the 1980s early on in the development of always at the bridge table! Alternatively, since
opening lead is the ♦K
two-over-one, and the original notion was that it’s good to show a minimum hand opposite
a game force to let partner know what your range of slam is. The stuff I’ve seen in the liter-
ature from 25 or 30 years ago, doesn’t really discriminate between garbage minimums and West preempted 3D, he probably has a shortage in clubs. Should declarer, therefore, expect
slam worthy minimums. All the minimums just jump off to game. East to have ♣ Qxx?

JOEL: I’m not sure they had serious and non-serious. Perhaps there is something declarer can do to make guessing unnecessary. When faced
with the possibility of a finesse, try to postpone that action until you have more information
MICHAEL: They did not. about the deal. After all, finesses work only 50% of the time...unless you live right.

JOEL: That was probably an influence.
16 MICHAEL: I’m sure that was an influence. I’m not sure whether most players at the club
have serious and non-serious available. Even without serious and non-serious, I’m not sure
using up that much space with even non-slam worthy minimums is a particularly good
idea, but on a more serious [playing] level, almost everyone has some version of serious and
non-serious, and everyone has some version of last train. Fast arrival doesn’t seem particu-
larly useful. o
You should plan to play the problem suit, clubs, last, and extract as much information as
possible along the way.
17
Declarer should not win the first trick. There is absolutely no hope of scoring thirteen tricks
on this hand (if you don’t believe me, count again). Therefore, South should duck the ♦ K
and West continues with the ♦ Q, East shows out and South wins the second trick.
Counting is arduous at any level. When counting out a hand, it is much easier to focus on
one opponent, generally the one who has the known long suit. When East shows out of
diamonds at trick two, declarer knows West started with seven diamonds. Declarer can
 Teaching Tools A New HS Bridge Camp in Missouri

focus all of her attention on West from now on. by Kathy Rolfe

Declarer continues by playing three rounds of spades, a non-problem suit, noting that West Kathy Rolfe is an ABTA Master Teacher, Silver Life
shows out on the second round. Next, she plays three rounds of hearts. West shows out on the Master, Club Director, and Mother of Two Sons, both of
the third round. Now, tally up the known cards to date: West started with seven diamonds, whom are now bridge players.
one spade and two hearts. Therefore, he is marked with three clubs. Since declarer and dum- Kathy can be reached via her website:
my have a total of nine clubs, you know that clubs are breaking 3-1. South can play the club www.WannaPlayBridge.com
suit by playing the ♣K first, in case East has a singleton ♣Q, and when the ♣ Q does not fall,
finesse West for the ♣Q. That ensures twelve tricks and the contract.

Here is the whole deal. A new bridge camp is starting this summer in St. Joseph, Missouri, just half an hour north
South Deals ♠A42 of Kansas City. The goal is to have 36 high school students register for the camp. Mary Lat-
None Vul ♥AKQ tan-Shaw wrote about the Youth Bridge Camp in Carlinville, IL in last year’s spring issue.
♦765 The new St. Joseph camp will complement the Carlinville camp by providing bridge instruc-
♣AJ42 tion to students of high school age.

♠ 10 N ♠987653 The camp will be for rising 10th through 12th graders. This overlaps the Carlinville camp
♥ 10 8 ♥97653 by just one year, as that camp is for rising 6th through 10th graders. The students who have
W E
♦ K Q 10 9 8 4 2 ♦3 been aging out of the Carlinville camp have been asking for that camp to extend its age limit,
S but that has not been practical. Phyllis Siegel, beginning bridge teacher for the Carlinville
♣Q86 ♣9
Camp for going on five years now, and I, intermediate teacher for going on four years now,
♠KQJ have decided to team up to offer a camp for the older high school students. Phyllis and I fig-
♥J42 ure that returning students going into their last year at Carlinville will continue to go there,
♦AJ but that rising 10th graders coming for the first time will choose the camp that best fits their
♣ K 10 7 5 3 schedule, or maybe they’ll go to both!

West North East South At least for this inaugural year, the high school camp will follow the youth camp, beginning
1N the week after the Youth Camp ends. Phyllis and I will take a weekend break from teaching
3♦ 6N All pass at the youth camp, and drive across Missouri to open the High School camp at Missouri
6NT by South Western State University from July 5 to July 11.
opening lead is the ♦K
Students will arrive late in the afternoon of July 5 and begin their college week. Students
will be staying in a student residence hall and eating at the student cafeteria. Classes will be
Submit Your Article, Info or Ad held in Student Union meeting rooms across from the residence hall. We hope to be able to
divide the group into three different experience levels – beginners, intermediates, and ad-
vanced. During the week outside of the class room and the sanctioned duplicate bridge ses-
sions, activities will include a guided college tour, a docent led tour of the Walter Cronkite
18 ATTENTION COLUMNISTS, ADVERTISERS, and CONTRIBUTORS! Museum, a trivia night, and a talent show. Students are encouraged to bring items for use 19
If you would like to submit an article for the Quarterly, advertise with us, or make any during free time, such as footballs, volleyballs, board games, or whatever interests them.
contribution to the next issue, contact me, Christopher Rivera, at riverabridge@gmail.com
As Mary Lattan-Shaw wrote in her article last spring, getting a youth camp operational is
Deadlines for future submissions are: quite a project. It took a few months just to find a college campus that had a week to fit us in
for our camp. Then we had to make that week fit our schedules, for we both had other com-
SUMMER Issue: May 1, 2015 WINTER Issue: November 1, 2015 mitments this coming summer. Next, we had to decide how this should be administered.
FALL Issue: August 1, 2015 SPRING Issue: February 1, 2016 Did we want to set up a new non-profit corporation or run it under the wing of my limited

 HS Bridge Camp by Kathy Rolfe
liability corporation (LLC)? If we set it up under my company, then the required $1 million
liability insurance would already be covered under my policy, but then what about trying
to get donations to help fund the camp? For donations we would do better with a non-prof-
it. The solution seemed to be a blend of both. We will be running it under the auspices of
Rolfe Bridge Services LLC, but we are accepting donations to the Rolfe Bridge Education
Fund c/o The Truman Heartland Community Foundation (THCF). These donations are
tax deductible. I am already funding some college scholarships through an education fund
with THCF, so we split that fund into two separate funds: the Rolfe Bridge Education
Fund, which will need to raise funds annually (unless we find a generous donor), and the
Eugene J. Rolfe Memorial Education Fund, which will continue to fund engineering schol-
arships, trying to use only the income from the principal in that fund.

We have one counselor from the youth camp joining us for the high school camp, and we
are working on recruiting some new counselors and one new teacher for the camp. This
is going pretty smoothly, but the final roster of counselors will, of course, depend on how
many students of each gender sign up. Thanks to the ground work that Mary and Chris
have done with their youth camp, many of their forms and documentation just required
simple modification to be used in our high school camp.

Even with the tuition for this camp being set at $350 per student, much of the cost will have
to be covered by donations. To cover costs, we have begun requesting donations from local
bridge units and from the ACBL Education Foundation. What we need now is publicity:
we need bridge players from all over the country to promote our camp and send us stu-
dents or donations. The flyer and student application packet can be found at
WannaPlayBridge.com. o

Chicago: Apply for Master Teacher

The ABTA Master Teacher designation is the highest recognition we have in the North American
bridge teaching community. ABTA Master Teachers are our very best professionals, and we are
confident in recommending our Master Teachers for bridge teaching jobs at any level and in any
setting.
Applicants for the Master Teacher certification must meet the following criteria:
• At least 3 years of continuous ABTA membership.
• At least 100 hours of professional (for remuneration) bridge teaching experience.
• Attendance at a full ABTA Convention and Seminar.
20 • Successful completion of an interview with the Membership Credentials Committee.
(Please note: The committee is often asked to make exceptions for candidates who are unable to
meet one or more of the above requirements. In order to be fair to all, no exceptions can be made
so please don’t ask.)

Applications must be received 30 days prior to the start of the annual convention.

If you have more questions about the Master Teacher Program, please contact Dee Berry, Chair of
the Membership Credential Committee, directly. Email Dee at: deeandduane.berry@comcast.net.
Contact her by regular mail at: Dee Berry, 7211 Harrow Place, Arlington, WA 98223

American Bridge Teachers’ Association
Annual Convention
CHICAGO
August 4th - 7th, 2015
At the Hilton Chicago
720 S Michigan Ave.
Chicago is a great city on Great Lake!
22
Attend the Convention!
Meet and share ideas with fellow teachers
from all over the US, Canada and even the
world. Attending the Convention is the per-
fect way to rejuvenate and get ideas for up-
coming lessons.
Linda Green is busy booking speakers for the
Convention, and Ginny Schuett and Marilyn
Richards are planning a couple of exciting
expeditions for members by night, including
a boat ride along the spectacular Chicago
waterfront.
Become a Master Teacher
in Chicago!
This is a prestigious status to have on your
business card or resume. You must apply be-
fore the event. For more information, please
visit www.abtahome.com Interviews take
place on Monday evening, August 3, under
the Chairmanship of Dee Berry. Please see
page 20 for details.
Barbara Seagram
has kindly researched
an alternative hotel.
Essex Inn at 800 South Michigan Ave.
A block south of the host hotel, and a step up 23
from the Travel Lodge.
Please make your travel arrangements soon!
 Chicago ABTA Convention Registration
________ Register me for the Convention, held at the Chicago Hilton, 720 S. Michigan Ave.
Tuesday afternoon Aug. 4, 2015 to Friday morning Aug. 7, 2015.
Cost: US $225 or $282 CAD
Barbara Seagram Cheat Sheets.
Memory Aids for Students.
DO NOT MAIL AFTER JULY 25 POSTMARK
Call (816-237-0519) or email (abtaemail@gmail.com) to register and pay in person
after this date
Cost includes: Continental Breakfast from 8 to 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday mornings.Don’t miss the Thursday night Banquet as this is when our very popular
pro-panel will be joining us!

Tues. AUG 4: 12:45 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Check-in

1:30 – 5:00 p.m.: Convention
Wed. AUG 5: 8:30-9:30 a.m. : Annual Membership Meeting
9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Convention
Thurs. AUG 6: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.: Convention
6:30 p.m. Cash Bar Opens for Banquet Attendees
7:00 -10:00 p.m.: Awards Banquet (Buffet Dinner) & Pro Panel,
Fri., AUG 7: 9 – 10:30 a.m.: Convention

_________ I am unable to attend the Thursday evening banquet.

(deduct $25 US/$31Canadian from the above conference fee)
_________ Please register my guest(s) for the Thursday evening banquet:
$125 US ($157 CAD) per guest (list guests beyond 2 on the back)
Guest name: _____________________________________
Guest name: _____________________________________

Additional options and costs:

__________ 1st & 2nd Time Attendees Brunch, Tuesday Aug. 4, 2015
11:30 – 1:00 at the Brasserie by LM at 800 South Michigan Ave.
Cost: $26 ($33 CAD) Officers and Directors are invited to join this group as well.

__________ WED. NIGHT OUT: 4:45 -9:30 p.m. Architectural River Tour, dinner & Cabfare on your Intermediate: All the standard bidding $10.00 Retail; $6.00 to teachers.
own. 4 person shared cab should be $2.5 to $5 per person each direction. Taking the L is also
an option. Guests are welcome as well at the same price. Advanced: Conventions $12.00 Retail; $7.00 to teachers.
(Must receive your reservation by July 21)

GUEST NAME:_____________________________
Defense: Standard Signaling Methods: $12.00 Retail; $7.00 to teachers.

Order Now!
LIMITED TO 57 PARTICPANTS Cost: $32 US ($41 CAD)
PLEASE PRINT:
TOTAL $____________
Name ____________________________________________________________
Contact Barbara at bseagram@uniserve.com or at 416-487-8321
Telephone _________________________ email ___________________________
www.barbaraseagram.com
Send your registration and check to: ABTA, P.O. Box 232, Greenwood, MO 64034-0232
Or go online at abtahome.com to register and pay via Paypal in U.S. dollars
 this for the same reason. The class remem-
bers the bidding better if they have actually
for New Teachers put the bids down. It saves reviews and helps
both the declaring pair and the defending
pair to map out their strategies. Sometimes it
is helpful to leave the final contract bid card
face up on the table next to the declarer, as is
the custom in some countries, to help every-
one remember the final contract.

Cards on the Table By Chuck Hodel

My usual lesson format is to lecture no more
than 15-20 minutes. I then show example
hands with cards on the table, and the class
I always use the “cards on the table” method that I first learned from our great member plays practice hands for about an hour.
and renowned teacher Audrey Grant. I suppose others used this method before her, but Before each hand is played, I review the
I learned of its benefits from her. From the first lesson on, whether beginner or inter- bidding to set the desired contract instead
mediate, I have cards on the table with the students manipulating them. This makes the of the comfortable contract they may have
students more involved and uses the tactile, the audio and the visual senses to reinforce reached by timid bidding. We discuss the
the lesson. As an example of this method, when I discuss the three shapes of no trump proper opening lead, and I’ll even direct
hands, I have them put a 4333, a 4432 and a 5332 shape face up on the table. We know the opening lead if the table hasn’t found
that some students are visual learners; therefore seeing the three shapes helps to ingrain the optimum one on their own. After each
them in their minds. Some will say that this detail takes time, but I find that it saves time hand is played, it will be discussed, so that
because there is less need to review if they have seen and heard about the three shapes. the fine points are not missed. At times I
use another Grant tactic and have them play
When it becomes time to show an actual hand, I will call out the cards I want placed be- only a certain number of tricks as the key
fore North, for instance. When calling cards, I always repeat the cards in each suit before point of defense or declarer play may occur
going on to the next suit. Each student will hold a suit and place the cards on the table early. My classes usually are planned around
face up in columns (Audrey also wants them neat). I may give them a hand such as: four practice hands. I always have a handout
to distribute after class. I do not want them
♠AQ92 ♥K1065 ♦KQ8 ♣Q4 reading something instead of listening to the
The students then see the points and the points being made that day. I also distribute
shape! At some point, I will change the hand a paper with all four practice hands and my
by replacing the ♦Q with the ♦A and replac- short analysis of each. This is easily produced
ing the ♣Q with a spot card to show them using Deal Master Pro.
that the hand contains the same number
of points, and I will make the point that it One great aspect of the “cards on the
is not necessary to have an honor card in table” method of teaching is that it allows
every suit to open one no trump. I will use you to give a lesson anywhere without the
the same method of cards on the table with need for whiteboards, flipcharts, pens or
suit hands and change the hand slightly erasers. All you need is a deck of cards, a
to increase or decrease the point value. Of surface upon which to place them and of
26 course, one can take the same base hand course, STUDENTS. o
27
and vary it from a regular opening hand to a
preemptive hand or to a monster hand.

I introduce the students to bidding boxes no

later than the second lesson if they are be-
“Its not enough to win the tricks that belong to you.
ginners, and I use them during the first les- Try also for some that belong to the opponents.”
son if they are intermediate or expert. I do
—Alfred Sheinwold
 Bridge: Why Teach?,
How to Teach?, Who Benefits?
by Barbara Rees
Barbara has been directing and teaching Bridge
for about 23 years in many North American
locations and around the world since teaching
and directing on cruise ships for the past 14
years. Her passion is teaching especially when it
gives her an opportunity to introduce this great
game to ‘absolute beginners’.  She is a long time
member of the ABTA. Barbara lives 6 months in
Eastern Canada and 6 months in Mesa, AZ.
I have been teaching Bridge for more than twenty-three years. I know what works. Teach-
ing adults requires a different approach from teaching children, as I learned in a two-year
college course on “Adult Education.” My ultimate goal is to introduce this wonderful
game to as many folks as possible. I charge a fraction of what most teachers charge, as I
want everyone to be able to afford Bridge. Even seniors on a restricted income can afford
a lesson of Bridge. I encourage everyone to take each set of lessons twice...the re-take is at
half price. All Bridge lessons can be overwhelming, so much terminology, so much new
material, so very much to absorb and retain.
The future of the ACBL depends on new recruits. The ACBL has 170,000 members, while
25 million Americans play Bridge. A Baby Boomer will turn 55 every seven seconds for
the next 20 years. That constitutes a lot of potential Bridge players. Our job as teachers
is to bring them into the fold. Those interested in becoming Bridge Teachers should take
the ACBL Teacher Accreditation Program (TAP) Course. It teaches you how to teach.
The ABTA offers resources for its members such as an annual Conference, a monthly
on-line “chat” between members, a quarterly magazine, book reviews and information
on the latest teaching tools. Our Motto: We strive to: Help those who teach bridge to do it
better, more effectively, more knowledgeably, more professionally.”
What is Bridge? Bridge is; science, math, logic, reason, trust, communication, patience
and skill. Warren Buffet is quoted as saying, “Playing Bridge is like running a business. It’s
about hunting, chasing, nuance, deception, reward, danger, cooperation and, on a good
day, victory.” The analytical thinking of Bridge is unique to the human brain. Computers
can beat the world’s best chess players, but not the best Bridge players. Where Bridge is
28 infinitely analytical, poker is more psychological. Fashion mogul Isaac Mizrahi described
a Bridge tournament as “the most fantastic use of three hours of your life.” As bridge
teachers and players, don’t we owe it to everyone we meet to introduce them to the best
use of their time....entertainment that they can afford? Trust me, they will thank you for
it.
Getting started: Advertise your availability. Take advantage of ACBL’s Co-Op Advertis-
ing Program and your Unit’s Education Liason. Make contact with former students. Put
up posters. Develop a web site. Have business cards. Know what players want and need.
by Barbara Rees
If you Direct at a Club, teach at the club so that students will be comfortable with their
surroundings. Use guide cards, bidding boxes, and boards in your lessons so that their first
game isn’t so foreign and intimidating.
Teaching: Have a location that is quiet, well lighted and conveniently located. Make
students comfortable and their learning experience fun. They feel vulnerable...take the
pressure off. Put them at ease right away by telling them that Bridge isn’t an exact science
and assure them that even the best players make mistakes. Tell them that bridge offers
a lifetime of learning, challenge and enjoyment. As Albert Einstein said: “A person who
never made a mistake never tried anything new.” Be prepared, encouraging, kind and
patient. Stress partnership communication and tolerance. Have students using as many of
the senses as they can, such as hearing, touching, seeing and speaking. Tell them; “Don’t
consider everything you learn here as hard and fast rules, but as guidelines; many times,
logic, judgement and common sense should prevail.” I use a hands-on approach to learn-
ing. Each lesson is two hours, with one hour of instruction and one hour of playing hands
that reinforce the lesson. Resist telling students everything you know. Talk bridge. The
lesson isn’t about you. Keep students focused. Don’t let anyone take over your class. Your
approach must address the multi levels of “expertise” in the class or you will lose some and
overwhelm others. You must capture and maintain your students’ interest in learning. A
class can be any size as long as you maintain control. I’ve had as many as 70 in a class.
The benefits of keeping Bridge alive are endless. It scopes from the individual and all that
it offers them, such as social interaction and brain stimulation, to the economic benefit of
organizations like ACBL, hundreds of Bridge Clubs, sale of hotel space for tournaments
world wide, restaurants, car rentals, employment (direct and indirect), and sale of bridge
books and material. Bridge: The Best Game In The World. o
ABTA Online Activities
by Maggie Sparrow
Be sure to stay connected with other teachers through our online activities.
ABTAhome
Check our website regularly at
29
www.abtahome.com
In particular, there is now a section of the web site reserved exclusively for ABTA mem-
bers. Click on the “Members’ Area Login” link on the left side of the home page. When
you log on as a current member, you will have access to premium content, including con-
ference recordings, special members-only offers, and internal ABTA material.
 ABTA Online Activities (continued)
THE BRIDGE SITE
FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
by Maggie Sparrow

Be sure to stay connected with other teachers through our online activities.

Are you listed on the teacher page, so that prospective new students may find you?

ABTAdiscuss
Join our email discussion list and send in questions and comments 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 very use-
ful things for you to find in the files.

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/ABTAdiscuss

ABTAchat
Come to our once-a-month chat (usually the fourth Sunday evening) at Bridge Base On-
line. 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 in advance. We get
through a surprising amount in just one hour, so feel free to jump in if you have a press-
ing question. Here are the next few Chat dates and topics:

April 26, 2015

What new technologies are you happy to use with your students, or to suggest to them?
www.abtahome.com has just been relaunched with content that is exclusive to ABTA members!
Or are you content to just use ‘cards on the table’? Can we improve on our teaching tech- There is a ton of new material in a members-only area, including convention presentations, old quarterly issues,
niques by incorporating new technologies or do they just get in the way? monthly IBPA hands and a host of other great stuff. Here’s a taste of what else you can find on the new site:

May 24, 2015
The difficult student…we all get one from time to time. The constant chatterer, the part-
ner who continually makes suggestions, the constant latecomer. What problems have you
had to deal with and what worked for you? Come and share some concerns and possibly
some answers.
If you are NOT receiving regular monthly reminders by email about the Chats, it’s proba-
bly because Maggie Sparrow doesn’t have your correct email address. Send it to her if you
would like to receive reminders.
30
Many of the reminders are bounced back because Maggie’s email is not allowed by the
recipients (mostly AOL users). If you believe this applies to you, putting Maggie’s email in
your address book will often solve the problem.
If you miss a Chat you are particularly interested in,
you can email Maggie for the transcript at:
msparrow@csolve.net
 Stay informed about ABTA events and news, including this year’s ABTA convention in Chicago
 Learn all about the Master Teachers Program and the Teacher of the Year
 Check out the new “Find a Teacher” program - easily find ABTA teachers by name or location
 Feature articles, columns and quizzes by great bridge authors
 Apple Basket Teaching Tips from ABTA teachers
Advice & insights from featured teachers and bridge author
 Curious about teaching on cruises? Need some jokes to get your class started? You’ll find it all here.
 Bridge on the Web: Links to helpful online resources for you and your students.
 Monthly deals - just for teachers - on books and software from Master Point Press and Ebooksbridge
Stay in touch. You can share your feedback on the feedback form located on the “Contact Us” page. If you
would like to make changes to your contact information in the “Find a Teacher” program, please contact Kathy
Rolfe.

M A S T E R P OI NT P R E SS
Plan your next course
on declarer play
Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand:
Teacher’s Manual for Part 1
Jonathan Shute
A presentation-ready Teacher's Manual for the first part of the
ABTA award-winning book, Planning the Play of a Bridge Hand,
by Barbara Seagram and David Bird. Six lesson plans are laid
out with a word-by-word script, periodic reviews, and two review
handouts to give to the class. Teacher preparation is minimal,
and the course is fun and rewarding to teach. The course is aimed
at novices with some experience, up to and including intermediates
who want to solidify their basic declarer play skills and add to their
thinking and technical repertoire — in other words, the vast
majority of bridge players.

Playing a Bridge Hand: Just the basics

(student book and Teacher’s Manual available)
Mary Anne Dufresne
A four-lesson course on declarer play — designed for true
beginners. If your students are ready to get more serious about
their declarer play, this course is the perfect 'how to' guide.
Students will find that it is surprisingly easy to:
• Count winning and losing tricks.
• Master three basic techniques for eliminating losers.
• Manage entries.
• Set priorities. What to do first, second, and so on?
• Plan the play.
The Teacher's Manual will make your job easy. It’s a virtual
script for the four lessons and includes table-top examples
and practice deals for students.

Call your bookstore or bridge supplier or MASTER POINT PRESS

331 Douglas Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M5M 1H2 416.781.0351