KIBITZER

The high-low game has been postponed until May 9. It will continue on the second Friday of the month after that. The director will pair players with lower master point totals with a player with higher master points.

We received $12,700 as a final payment from the flood insurance company for Katrina on February 11. We had until Feb. 15 to file suit concerning the payment. We had a $7,200 receivable, so we will show a $5,500 profit in February.

Thanks very much for the volunteers for the coming year: vice president (Jackie Madden), treasurer (Jim Thornton), secretary (Keenan Romig), membership (Elaine Prager), 2010 national tournament chair (John Fedederico), building and maintenance (Tim Calamari and Bob Wooderson), club managers (Jean Talbot and Sally Toups), cruise liaison and tournament coordinator (Dick Brammell), conduct and ethics (John Federico), decorations (Ann Plauche, Eileen Bagnetto and Betty Moynan), directors (Diane Chesson), director’s and office supplies (Ed Baldinger), District 10 delegate (John Federico), I/N coordinator, EZ bridge coordinator , April 299er sectional and October 299er regional (Suzanne Cliffe), gardener and audit (Ann Barone), hall of fame (Lil Range), kitchen and janitorial supplies (Ellie Brammell), Kibitzer (Grace Davis), memorial game (Elaine Prager, Ed Baldinger, and Betty Moynan), monthly reporting (Linda Stockton), nominating committee (Jackie Madden), cookies (Ellie Brammell), special games (Sally Toups), sympathy/get well cards (Nancy Gates), website coordinator (Peggy Allen), May tournament (Juanita Heidingsfelder and Ellie Brammell, chairs, and Anne Plauche, partnership), July tournament (Diane Chesson and Lil Range), November tournament (Eileen Bagnetto and Mary LeBlanc), storage locker (Jim Thornton). Without this army of dedicated volunteers the club could not function. Thanks very much to all of them.

-Sid LeBlanc

BILOXI REGIONAL MASTERPOINT WINNERS

299’ER MASTERPOINT WINNERS

37.37- James Reese

16-26 Tadeusz Wiewiorowski

16.26- Mathilde Wiewiorowski

15.64- Karen Lea

12.14- Tom Dunn

7,03- Rhonda McMullen

7.03- Ed McMullen

4.79- Allan Ronquillo

4.79- Karen Ronquillo

4.48- Linda Johnson

4.36- Fred Kolb

4.36- Marty Swift

4.33- Beverly Dupre

4.32- Jane Patterson

4.32- John Patterson

4.21- Louise Saik

3.23- Betty Townsend

3.23- Carolyn York

2.75- Paul Tucker

2.75- Janeen Tucker

2.39- John Nichols

2.39- Rita Nichols

2.36- Debbie Rothschild

1.71- Billie Sturrock

1.71- Patricia Wilcox

1.58- Stanley Goldberg

1.58- Victor Law

1.42- Joanne Chancey

1.42- Gwen Maniscalco

1.35- Doris Lavigne

.75- Cathy Rantz

.75- Janet Patterson

.75- Bonnie Nelson

.75- John Lowenstein

.36- Margaret Lipps

.36- Helen Whalen

300 PLUS MASTERPOINT WINNERS

146.20- John Onstott

52.69- Bernie Weiss

45.84- Ronald Berenger

44.70- Anne Plauche

44.47- John Federico

37.37- Peggy Allen

32.16- Louis Fiorella

26.75-James Bush

21.26- Joan Van Geffen

21.26- Jean Talbot

20.01- August Bagert

19.47- Robert Wooderson

19.47- Sid LeBlanc

17.26- Sheena Dooley

16.96- Beverly Karl

16.96- Elaine Prager

16.12- Jane de Montluzin

16.12- Doug de Montluzin

14.73- Ramond Gandolfi

14.73- David Wolf

13.82- Marise Hambrick

12.57- Linda Fox

12.56- Paul Deal

12.14- Michael Arthur

12.14- Elizabeth Arthur

12.14- John Dirriwachter

11.80- Elizabeth Robertson

11.20- Ana Urrutia

11.20- Lynne Hand

10.88- Christi Nelson

10.54- Jerry Currie

10.04- Dee Moses

10.04- Di Lapeyre

10.04- Juanita Heidingsfelder

10.04- Lynn Giordano

8.64- Bob Bower

8.64- Ellie Miller

8.10- Celeste Bowden

8.10- Ellen Pittman

6.39- Linda Stockton

6.39- Colleen Walker

6.38- Leslie Kolb

6.17- James Hailey, Jr.

6.14- Anne Savoy

6.14- Carmen Hacker

4.87- Jennie Flynn Sauviac

4.46- Suzanne Wooderson

4.48- Mary LeBlanc

4.33- Iype Koshy

4.33- Timothy Calamari

4.21- Rufus Harris

3.03- Robert Dale

3.03- Mary Dale

2.42-Jean Russo

2.36- Carolyn McKeough

2.31- Dewell Pittman

1.92- Charles McHale, Jr.

1.92- David Bybee

1.64- Jean Ainsworth

1.68- Sally Toups

1.68- Kitten Haag

1.15- Phyllis Bennett

1.15- Nancy Gates

.75- Janet Patterson

.75- Robert Berthelot

.75- Stephen Heffner

.62- William Weiss

.62- Roy Boucvalt

.36- Louise Brandon

.36- Beverly Photisuvan

SPECIAL CLUB EVENTS

ACBLCharity Game

March 12^th

7:15 P.M. - $7.00 Fee

Unit Championship Game

March 19th

10:30 A.M. - $6.00 Fee

299’ers TOURNAMENT

April 12^th-April 13th

AREA CLUB EVENTS

Sectional At Sea

March 31^st thru April 11^th

MOBILE REGIONAL TOURNAMENT

March 31^st thru April 6^th

70% Club

Open & Intermediate Games

Donald Daigle & Bernie Weiss – 72.28%

James Bush & Louis Fiorella – 71.30%

KNOW THE DIRECTOR RULINGS

Jennie Flynn Sauviac

Legal and Illegal Changes of Call – A bid placed on or nearly on the table is considered played. What could be simpler? However, when it comes to bidding from a bid box, lots of wrinkles complicate this simple rule.

Let’s start with the mechanics of making a bid from the bid box. You are required to have decided upon your bid before you touch a card in the bid box. To touch a card in the top tier and then bid from the bottom tier, or vice versa, is improper procedure, and directors can treat such actions as passing unauthorized information. Think about it. You reach for a card from the top tier of the bid box and then after a moment’s hesitation, you pull a pass card. Your partner knows that you are close to bidding; you’ve transmitted that unauthorized information, and any action that partner now takes will be suspect.

Now suppose that you have taken a bid out of your bid box and placed on the table, only to discover that the bid lying there is not the bid you intended. The Laws allow you to change your call, provided that partner has not yet called, but penalties may apply. Law 25A says you may change an INADVERTENT call if partner has not subsequently called, provided that you make the change (or attempt the change) without pause FOR THOUGHT. The Law sets up two criteria the Director must apply: Inadvertent and without pause for thought. Inadvertency covers “slip of the thumb” type errors. You thought you pulled 1 Heart, but instead pulled 1 Spade (or 2 Hearts, etc.). The Director will usually try to ascertain what you intended to call, and if he is convinced that your call was inadvertent allow you to change your call without penalty. Please note that whether your LHO has bid or not does not change your rights here nor does LHO have a say in whether you may change a call.

The second criteria of without pause is thornier. The Director must make a judgment call. If you put your bid on the table, begin thinking about what to have for dinner, and only after a moment or two realize that your bid is wrong, the Director may be persuaded that your wish to change you bid is “without pause for thought”. However, if you make a bid and then discover a hidden card in your hand that would change what you might have bid, your change of call is pause for thought. The Law still allows you to change your call, but penalties will apply.

The penalties are conditioned on the choices of your LHO. She may accept, under Law 25B, your change of call (i.e., make it legal). In such a case, the Director will allow your change of call without penalty and the auction proceeds normally. However, if LHO refuses to accept your change (she is legally allowed to do so), your first call stands as legal, and penalty, your partner must pass at his next turn to call. If you do not wish to keep your legal first call, you may change your call under Law 25B, BUT penalty, your partner will have to pass whenever it is his turn to call. Further in either case, your partner may be subject to lead penalties if he becomes the opening leader. Finally, if you change your call to a pass or a double, the best score that you can receive on the board is Average minus.

In the end, you need to be alert during the auction. Make up your mind about your call before you touch the bid box and double check the call that you have taken from the bid box before you place it on the table. However, if you find that you have made a mistake, call the Director immediately to make sure that everyone’s rights are protected.

IN MEMORIAM

F. Joseph Theriot