About Lone Star Bridge Club

Where We Meet

We Are A Friendly Duplicate Bridge Club

Lone Star Bridge Club meets in the Fellowship Hall at St. Paul United Methodist Church 1100 Semands Dr. in Conroe, Texas.

CLICK FOR MAP TO ST. PAUL

We Are A Friendly Duplicate Bridge Club

Lone Star Bridge Club uses a dealing machine for game hands, provides hand records at end of game, posts scores to Unit web site, and provides Bridgemate score pads for players' convenience. Our games begin every Monday at noon, and every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. All games are sanctioned and stratified. Game fee: $5.00

LINK TO UNIT WEBSITE AND SCORES

Special Games and Lessons

Awards, Missions and Activities

BRIDGE FOR BEGINNERS/INTERMEDIATES CLASSES CONTINUE THROUGH MAY

The classes are every Tuesday for 6 weeks, from 10AM to NOON. Cost is $5 per lesson, or all six for $25, if paid at the first lesson. Class will consist of a one hour lesson, followed by one hour of supervised play. The instructor is Sapphire Life Master, Linda Sutton. She is a Certified ACBL Director and ACBL Certified Best Practices Teacher. Linda is also a Lone Star Bridge Club's Club Manager.

This Class is also great as a bridge refresher. Proof of COVID vaccination is required and masks are optional. For questions and to enroll, please call Linda at 936-443-3600 or by email at lindasutton212@gmail.com

Flyers with complete information and syllabus are now available where entries are sold. If you have friends, neighbors, or relatives who may be interested in lessons, please let them know. We are also asking those of you who live in a subdivision to please take an extra flyer to post in your clubhouse or office.

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DLM Jeff Kroll taught a free lesson at LSBC on May 2nd covering part 2 of the new ACBL Convention Card. See the class video below. The next lesson on June 6 begins at 11 am and ends in time for you to play in the bridge game at noon. Jeff plans to conduct another lesson on the new ACBL convention card.

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ASK THE DIAMOND LIFE MASTER
Diamond Life Master Jeff Kroll welcomes questions about bridge hands. You may send them to him at texas.blue.hen@gmail.com or place them in a box at the games. After receiving several questions, Jeff will schedule a free lesson to cover the topics requested. The lessons will be announced through our club’s emails. Usually, Jeff's lessons are conducted on the first Monday of each month at The Club beginning at 11:00, prior to the 12:00 game. Variations to the schedule will be announced in the Club's weekly newsletter.

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Previous ACBL Bridge Bulletin Notes

https://acblunit174.org/Kroll_ACBL_Bulletin_Review.html

This link is not a newsletter from Jeff. It's the ACBL Bridge Bulletin Notes from April 2016 to the present that Jeff wrote, and Sam Khayatt edited. These notes have been captured over many years and posted to the ACBL Unit Website.

The earlier notes are more lengthy as we wrote up everything that most bridge players would find helpful. These earlier Bulletins are available on the ACBL website. The later notes were shorter as we wrote up only the highlights.

Also, the earlier notes required that the reader have the Bridge Bulletin in hand to follow what was written. The later notes are written so they could be understood without the Bridge Bulletin.

Awards, Missions and Activities

Members of Lone Star Bridge Club participate year-round in charitable support to organizations such as Children's Protective Services, Operation Christmas Child, Montgomery County Food Bank, and others.

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Lone Star Bridge Club June, 2022 Events

!! ! EARN EXTRA SILVER POINTS ! ! ! We just learned that starting immediately, the ACBL will be awarding an additional 20% bonus in overall points at all in-person regionals and sectionals! The Houston Early Summer Sectional is being held this weekend at the Arabia Shrine Center, 10510 Harwin Drive, Houston 77036. ***************************************************** The next scheduled tournament is The Awesome August Sectional which will be August 11th thru August 14th, also at the Arabia Shrine Center. AND, after that, The Houston Fall Sectional tournament is being scheduled for late October. ***************************************************** There is also an Intermediate/Newcomer Sectional scheduled for June 23rd thru June 26th and another one will be October 6th thru October 9th, 2022. **************************************************** The Future Life Master Program of Unit 174 has been growing and growing. If you are in the 0-100 masterpoint category, there are special on-line bridge games and lessons just for you! Flyers with all the information for the Apollo (0-20) , Gemini (21-50) , and Discovery (51-100) Playing Groups are available at the club where you purchase your entries. It is easy to sign up on BBO, but you do need to have an ACBL number. (Applications are available at LSBC) ****************************************************We are in the process of planning more bridge lessons to begin this fall. In addition to a Beginning Bridge class, we are considering a class in the 2/1 Bidding System. STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION! If you have friends, relatives, or neighbors who want to LEARN HOW to play bridge, or improve their bridge skills, please tell them to contact Linda Sutton at: lindasutton212@gmail.com. We are in the process of developing a mailing list for when more detailed information is available. **************************************************** SECTIONAL TOURNAMENT AT THE LONE STAR BRIDGE CLUB !!! 3 MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO WIN SILVER POINTS MONDAY, JUNE 13TH AT NOONTUESDAY, JUNE 14TH AT 10:30 AMTHURSDAY, JUNE 16TH AT 10:30 AM We will have an ambassador available to play at these games if needed. More special games this month. North American Pairs Qualifying Games – THREE STRATA – (0-500 Flight C) (501- 2500 Flight B) (Over 2500 – Flight A)Monday, June 6th, Thursday, June 9th, and Monday, June 20th THURSDAY JUNE 23 – THE LONGEST DAY – SPECIAL GAME TO RAISE MONEY FOR RESEARCH TO FIND THE CURE FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE - DONATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTEDMonday, June 27th - CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPTHURSDAY, JUNE 30TH – CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

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For Partnership please contact Sandra Maalouf at 936-597-8756 or smaalouf@icloud.com. Your name will be added to the sub list. Should she be unable to find a partner for you, she will notify you in due time. Also, if you prefer playing a particular bidding system (2/1 or S.A.), let her know and she will try and find a suitable partner for you. For additional information call: Linda Sutton, 936-443-3600 **************************************************

We have started our Ambassador Program. This will make sure you get to play in case your partners cancels at the last minute, or accidentally schedules two bridge dates. The goal is to prevent anyone from having to go home. Ambassadors will play for free and earn one or two additional free plays. Skip Brower will supervise the program and has his list of volunteers. The complete guidelines are available at the club. **************************************************

Jeff Kroll's 2/7/2022 Lesson

Check out this great lesson video from Jeff Kroll.

As most players play team games as opposed to pairs at tournaments, they will have a better chance of doing well if they know the differences in strategies between IMPS and Matchpoints. Some of the key points covered:

Differences in pre-empting strategies
Differences in doubling strategies- When to risk your contract for overtrick{s}
When to bid game, and which game- When to bid a small slam
When to bid a grand slam

Important Information

2021-2022 Lone Star Bridge Club Board of Directors

President Kay Rice
Vice President Deb Alexander
Secretary Vicky Martinez
Treasurer Carol Jenkinson
Club Manager Linda Sutton
Church Liaison Jeane Crumpler
Members at Large: Bill Gemas, Sandra Maalouf, Doug Boswell

Lone Star Bridge Club Policies

THE FOLLOWING POLICIES HAVE BEEN APPROVED AND ADOPTED BY THE LONE STAR BRIDGE CLUB BOARD:

LONE STAR BRIDGE CLUB ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY

LONE STAR BRIDGE CLUB has a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY. The Lone Star Bridge Club endorses and enforces the ACBL Zero Tolerance Policy. The full Zero Tolerance Policy is available on the ACBL website.

The following behaviors are not allowed at our player-friendly club:

· Rudeness, intimidation, badgering, gloating

· Profanity, abusive language

· Violence

· Negative comments regarding opponent’s bidding or play

· Negative comments regarding partner’s bidding or play

· Aggressive or confrontational behavior with any director, opponent or partner.

Violations of Lone Star Bridge Club’s Zero Tolerance Policy are:

1. Upon the first violation the Director has the right and discretion to do any of the below in the following sequence:

· Issue a warning

· Access a ¼ board or 3 IMP penalty to the offender’s pair.

· Take the issue to the Conduct and Ethics Committee for review and further action

· Ask the offender and his/her partner to leave the game

***PHYSICAL VIOLENCE OR THREATS OF PHYSICAL VIOLENCE WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE EVICTION FROM THE PREMISES***

2. Violations will be documented in the Club Manager’s Notebook with accompanying date and description of the nature of the violation. Further violations or patterns of infractions by the same offender will be referred to the Conduct and Ethics Committee for further review and action.

We want to develop an atmosphere of camaraderie and healthy competition at our Club.

Thank you for your compliance with this Zero Tolerance Policy.

LONE STAR BRIDGE CLUB APPEAL POLICY*

Any member who legitimately believes that a Director has made an incorrect call of an ACBL Rule shall have the right to request an appeal of such a call. The great majority of Director’s Call shall stand.

· An appeal request must be made at the table at the time of the Director Call in question.

· Both the player and his/her partner must agree that an appeal should be made.

· No other Director shall be called to the table to discuss at the time of the Call. The Director making the call may walk away to confer with another Director if he/she requires confirmation of a Rule.

· During the Director Call Process, the players at the table may always ask to see the ACBL Laws of Duplicate Bridge Book to reference the rule in question.

APPEAL PROCESS:

· Immediately after the game, as many of the Board of Directors as are available, shall meet to review the Director’s Call in question.

· The Board may request other Certified Directors, or if unavailable, advanced knowledgeable players to participate in the review.

· A total of at least three or five BOD/Directors/knowledgeable players shall be required so that a majority vote may occur.

· Once the Appeal Committee has reached a decision, no further appeal is available.

· Both the Director that made the call and the offending pair must be present to give the facts of the call.

If the offending pair is not satisfied, they will be advised that they can always send an email with the facts and final ruling to the ACBL for confirmation of accuracy.

The Club Manager will maintain a Notebook which contains Appeal Committee decisions with dates and notations regarding the facts of the appeal and decision, as well as previous examples from ACBL to LSBC, its members and sister clubs giving guidance on specific calls and results.

Any club member who requests appeals on a repeated basis, in such a manner to be deemed frivolous, shall be referred to the Conduct and Ethics Committee.

*Appeals relating to issues other than Director Calls shall be referred to the Conduct and Ethics Committee.

LONE STAR BRIDGE CLUB SLOW PLAY POLICY

· Directors shall make all efforts to encourage players to play within the time limits of each round.

· All four players at the table are responsible for eliminating slow play when it occurs.

· If a table has not picked up its last board before the end of the round has been announced, the Director, at his/her discretion, may give the two pairs at that table the option to take a “Late Play” of that board. This is not a penalty…it is only to ensure that the tempo of the entire game is maintained. The ACBL stresses that the objective should always be to strive for an actual score in preference to no score. Directors shall make every effort NOT to assess a “No Play” as this affects non-offending pairs as well as offending players, but a No Play will be assessed if both pairs do not agree to a Late Play.

· A Director may, at his/her discretion, apply additional penalties in line with ACBL guidelines for those players/pairs that have established a continued pattern of slow play which impacts repeatedly on the flow of the LSBC games.

Enforcing the Slow Play Policy will result in a better functioning Club. Slow players have a negative effect on the over-all tempo of the game, which often results in player frustration at the other effected tables.

Please read these policies carefully as they are in effect immediately. They will also be posted at the club. If you have any questions, please ask a Board member.

About Lone Star Bridge Club

Where We Meet

We Are A Friendly Duplicate Bridge Club

We Are A Friendly Duplicate Bridge Club

We Are A Friendly Duplicate Bridge Club

We Are A Friendly Duplicate Bridge Club

We Are A Friendly Duplicate Bridge Club

Special Games and Lessons

Awards, Missions and Activities

Awards, Missions and Activities

Awards, Missions and Activities

Awards, Missions and Activities

Awards, Missions and Activities

The Power of a Splinter Bid

Jeff Kroll's 6/6/2022 Lesson

Jeff Kroll's 5/2/2022 Lesson

Jeff Kroll's 4/4/2022 Lesson

Jeff Kroll's 3/7/2022 Lesson

Jeff Kroll's 2/7/2022 Lesson

Jeff Kroll's 1/3/2022 Lesson

Jeff Kroll's 12/6/2021 Lesson

Jeff Kroll's 11/1/2021 Lesson

Jeff Kroll's 10/4/21 Lesson

Lone Star Bridge Club Honoree Photo Gallery

Contact Us

Lone Star Bridge Club - Sanction #275321

Drop us a line!

Important Information