Bridge Star and Green pens

BRIDGE STAR PENS

Now that we do not give out prize vouchers to the previous week or series winners as Hello Club provides an automatic credit, we thought it would be nice to hand out something else in their place.  We now have BRIDGE STAR pens for winners to use the following like session eg following Wednesday night for the previous Wednesday night's win).  Like the vouchers, you get to use the Bridge Star pens the once on the following week and then leave the pen in the club for the next winner to use. Do congratulate the person who is holding a Bridge Star pen.

A big thank you to Barb Wilson for designing and ordering the Bridge Star pens.  We are sorry that the pens look greener than we thought they would and we hope they won't get confused with the,......

GREEN PENS

The green pens that have green ink are for all novice and learner players to use as they wish. They are to advise others at the table to play basic bridge systems that won't confuse the learners. I like to play basic ACOL at a table with green pens in use.  ACOL is the system novices have learnt and it helps them to learn the game is we play their system. 

Learners are confused enough without bids being alerted. The only alertable bid  a learner has been taught is 3C stayman after a 2NT opening bid. So please avoid bidding transfers and other alertable bids when playing at a table with a novice player with a green pen in hand.  Doubles are fine to use  as they are part of the game.  Personally I would be reluctant to penalty double a learner but you can penalty double should you wish to.

Novices tend not to use green pens for long; I think the green pen is an easy way to help novices on the start of their bridge journey to remind other players at the table to please keep the bidding system simple.