Susan Culham

August 18th, 2009  ~  Mike Yuen  ~  4 Comments 

Susan and Maurice de La Salle have lived in Edmonton together for seventeen years. They moved to their new house after one of their bridge friends got careless with a cigarettes at a late night party.

Graduated from University of Alberta with BA-majoring in English. Later became a registered

nurse. After raising her family, had her own weight loss business. Following the sale of the business, Susan directed at the Edmonton Bridge Club for nine years. Last year at her retirement party, the membership gave her a return ticket to Boston, for the Fall North American Bridge Championships.

Susan took up bridge after her family grown, she is a bridge late bloomer. We all know how difficult it is to become a recognized player when you are not exposed to our beloved game in an early age like high school/university. Susan achieved that status. How did she do that? Through determination and superb work ethics.

The strongest part of Susan’s bridge is her “head game”. When you have Susan on your team you can be assured that she will play every board with the same passion and love. She cares about her partners and teammates which is as valuable as making a contract on a squeeze or finding a killing defence.

She plays mostly with her favourite partners, her sweetheart Maurice and her best friend Kismet Fung. I suspect the password to her mail box is “Maurice”.

Susan has numerous wins and high finishes in the Canadian Women’s Team Championships (CWTC). Represented Canada in the 1st World Mind Sports Game in Beijing last year. As her long time friend, I am quite confident that we will see Susan representing our country in many events to come.

Amount her many achievements, she was Player of the Year 2008 Edmonton Bridge Club (very proud of this) This award was given for volunteering, demeanour, and sportsmanship.

            Maurice and Susan

Her hobbies outside bridge are travel – famous for the “Fox Tour”, named after her father. Reminded me the time we went to the Art Zone in Beijing, no sooner had we got out of the taxi, walked a hundred meters, taken a few photos with her camera, Susan announced to us that she has seen everything and was ready to move on to another attraction. She and Maurice have travelled to Spain, China, Vietnam & Cambodia in the past few years.

She works out daily, loves to read, enjoys long walks with Maurice. She is a very good cook, often have large house parties. Enjoy gardening, their yard won an award from the City of Edmonton this summer.

Susan is also a very good housekeeper, an early raiser. Whenever I stay with them, I have to lock my bedroom door as she had been known to vacuum my room while I slept!

A family oriented person, she has been spending part of each week for the past one and a half years caring for her ailing father in Calgary-driving weekly from Edmonton to Calgary. That truly shows the character and devotion to things she loves in her life.

Susan plans to combine her love of travel and bridge, to see more of the world in the coming years.

Excellent auction

August 14th, 2009  ~  Mike Yuen  ~  1 Comment 

The other day Pamela Nisbet and Karen Cumpstone held the following hands, had a nice auction.

Pamela				Karen
♠	A10862			♠	QJ75
♥	3			♥	9654
♦	QJ6			♦	K43
♣	A1098			♣	KQ

*Two diamond was four card limit raise in spade.

Karen was listening to the auction, deduced that her minor suit cards were working and that Pamela must have short hearts. So she bid the spade game at her next turn.  

This was the complete deal.

Dealer: North Vul: None		North
		♠	K4
		♥	J1087
		♦	A92
		♣	J654
Pamela				Karen
♠	A10862			♠	QJ75
♥	3			♥	9654
♦	QJ6			♦	K43
♣	A1098			♣	KQ
		South
		♠	93
		♥	AKQ2
		♦	10875
		♣	732

There was nothing to the play, Pamela lost the spade king, a heart and the diamond ace. Making 10 tricks and plus 420.

Barbara Clinton

August 13th, 2009  ~  Mike Yuen  ~  No Comments 

Barbara was born and raised in the USA. Se lived most of her adult life in Canada. (Moved here in the 80’s for a job). Settled in Toronto area ever since.

Barbara grew up in a family that played many card games including bridge. Family functions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas always had a bridge game going. Her earliest memories of “playing” was when her mother in a game would ask Barbara to “play for me, I have to go stir the gravy.”  While still in her early teens, her father decided she and her older sister should learn to play for real. The serious bridge lessons did not go well, it was too much like studying.

Her athletic father, taught her and her sister to play many sports, baseball, basketball, football and hockey to name a few, along with the neighbourhood boys. She also took formal lessons for swimming, golf and tennis.  To this day she still enjoys watching most sports.  (Vince and her once withdrew from a two session event at a sectional after a 72% game because they wanted to watch the hockey playoffs). A true Canadian, eh!  

Barbara actually started playing duplicate one summer after high school with a boyfriend who was an avid player. (She soon learned her mother was a better partner).  She still remembers when she was a novice playing at a club game with her mother. After she made a terrible mistake, her mother would say “don’t worry about it honey, I might have done the same thing”.  This is the nurturing attitude she first learned, so is always shocked to see people yell at their partner at the table.

At university, all her friends played Pinochle and it was a good way for her to make a few bucks.

Safely armed with a very practical degree in English, Art and Psychology, it was time to get a job. She took the first job that offered her the most money, which was Michigan Bell. She stayed there one year. Then went to work for a company with 150 offices in North America and she was their first and only female sales representative at the time. Needless to say she could not skip very many meetings.  

Barbara excelled in sales, won many awards. Even though it was financially rewarding, it was also a very stressful environment. Few years ago she was happy to leave the rat race.

Now she does consulting and helps Vince with his business. Vince Oddy Books is the largest bridge supply house in Canada. She does really mentally challenging things like unpack boxes, put price stickers on books and takes care of their accounting books (UGH). She and Vince have has been to-gather for 20 years and married for nine.

She works out 1&1/2 hour every day (not because she likes it, but to fight the gravitational effects of aging as well as her fondness for fine wine and gourmet food). She likes to cook and entertain. she is blessed by wonderful friends (still in touch with friends from university), a wonderful husband who loves her, great family (her mom still plays a few days a week at the club game, sadly her dad passed away a few years ago). She enjoys reading books (her greatest pleasure, a love of the English language) enjoy art and decorating. Loves to travel and has have been to many countries around the world. Her favourite hobby used to be shopping, now is just window shopping.

One year Vince and Nader won their units NAOP for a free trip to Buffalo.  The next year he played with her for a “free” trip to Reno, they led from start to finish. In those days you had to qualify and then win a very tough district playoff. In general she does not play much women’s  bridge. She and Vince have several top ten finishes in open events.

Barbara has a long time partnership with Joan for over 20 years, they have numerous wins and high finishes in The Canada Women’s Team Championships over the year. She has also represented Canada In a number of international competitions. Beijing 1995, Montreal 2002, Monte Carlo 2003 and Estoril 2005. She and our team are looking forward to challenging for The Venice Cup in Sao Paulo.

Alarm Clock Defence

August 12th, 2009  ~  Mike Yuen  ~  No Comments 

Playing in a team game Kismet Fung (west) and Susan Culham (east) defended this hand rather well.

Dealer: South Vul: East-West		North
		♠	AQJ86
		♥	Q5
		♦	K92
		♣	1063
Kiz				Susan
♠	743			♠	95
♥	J1098			♥	643
♦	A10			♦	J8653
♣	AJ52			♣	K97
		South
		♠	K102
		♥	AK72
		♦	Q74
		♣	Q84

* one no trump was 11 to 14. ** 2♦was game forcing stayman.

Three no trump was a good contract as the four spade game had no play.

Kiz led the heart jack, queen, six and two. Declarer played the diamond two from dummy, eight queen. Tick-tock tick-tock, time stood still as the alarm bells went off in kiz’s head. A moment later she raised with the diamond ace. 

Their partnership play reverse smith, so the eight was a discouraging card for the defence’s first led suit-heart. Kiz accurately switched to the club two, three, king and four.

Now the spot light was on Susan, should she return partner’s first led suit-heart or should she return a club. The clue was in Kiz’s play of the club two-their agreement-in the middle of the hand, they lead low from interest. So if Kiz had led a higher club, that would mean she wanted a heart return or a switch.

Susan worked it out and returned the club nine, declarer had no chance with this fine defence and went down one. Pushed the board.

At the other table, North-South bid to four spades and went down one.

This was an interesting hand for declarer play also. Declarer could have won the heart lead in her hand with the king and advance a low diamond. Would Kiz know to take her diamond ace in time? I think she would.

Kismet Fung

August 10th, 2009  ~  Mike Yuen  ~  3 Comments 

Another member of the Canada MPP Women’s Team. My sister Kiz, devoted mother with two kids in university. Has many friends in Edmonton and of course in great demand at the Nationals. Not known for guiding the lily, she will always give you the “goods”. She works tirelessly to improve her bridge, going to all three North American Championship each year. Having burned all her holidays in doing so. When not, that a little thing called work interferes, where she is the legal counsel for the City of Edmonton.

Up front, direct and calculating with a mix of charm and of course intelligence. Her busy schedule keeps her from doing more pro bono work for the underprivileged. Excessively kind and extremely honest she is an asset to the Edmonton Bridge scene.

            
From a large family, her mother’s table in Calgary holds twenty-six comfortably and they always hit the slopes at Christmas. A vibrant woman, she laughs loud, lives loud, and loves loud.  When not sleeping she has time to work out at the gym, Golf the odd time. Her cat Mira Fung has a Facebook page.

Kiz as chair, played a large part in the hugely successful Bridge Week in Edmonton 2002. It still rank as one of the best tournament in Canadian Bridge Week history, complete with daily bulletin and excellent hospitality. She and her committee raised so much money, they are one of a handful of clubs that own a Duplimate machine.

Playing with Susan Culham, she won the Canadian Women’s Team Championship  in 2002, 2008 and 2009. Kiz thrives on international competition, San Paulo have seen nothing yet!

The winning line

August 9th, 2009  ~  Mike Yuen  ~  No Comments 

This hand came up in a team game.

Barb Clinton and Joan Eaton conducted a nice auction to four hearts. Joan then took the winning line to land the contract.

Dealer: West Vul: None		Barbara
		♠	J2
		♥	9872
		♦	852
		♣	AQ42
West				East
♠	KQ543			♠	986
♥	64			♥	Q53
♦	KJ974			♦	63
♣	3			♣	K10965
		Joan
		♠	A107
		♥	AKJ10
		♦	AQ10
		♣	J87

West led the club three and Joan took time to think about the hand. Seems to her west has high cards in spade and rate to have something in diamond, yet led the club three. Even though east- west lead 4th best by agreement, the club three looked more like a singleton then fourth best.

Joan went up with the club ace and took the winning heart finesse. After two more rounds of trumps, she played spade seven towards the dummy. West won this with the spade queen and then was end-played. Tried her best by leading a diamond. However as you can see with Joan’s careful play, there is now no way to defeat the contract. She lost a spade, diamond and the club. Made ten tricks in four hearts and won 10 imps.

The other declarer, also in four hearts. At the point where west led the club three, she played club two from dummy, tried to finesse for the club king. This lost to the club king and when east returned club nine, suffered a club ruff by west. Later declarer managed to discard a diamond on the long club but the contract went down. Declarer lost a club, club ruff, a diamond and a spade.

Pamela Nisbet

August 6th, 2009  ~  Mike Yuen  ~  1 Comment 

Another member of Canada MPP Women’s Team.  Born in Dunedin – New Zealand – a  psychiatric registered nurse until 1990, when she entered the world of management, in Long Term Care.  She knew she had found her niche.  Pamela is very passionate about the care of the elderly – NO compromises!

Pamela learned bridge at 16.  She was caught playing Euchre when she should have been studying with her friend, whose parents were bridge addicts – as punishment her parents asked them to teach Pamela bridge lessons so that at least she could play a ‘decent game’.  While in nursing training, she played a bit with the ‘matron’ of the hospital, who seemed thrilled to have a student nurse that could play bridge. This in turn earned her time off, conveniently coinciding with bridge nights at the local club.

Upon graduation, Pam worked for ten years in Australia and UK.  All the while taking extra university courses to enhance her career.  Busy, but life was fun.  Oh yes those were the days!

On her return to New Zealand, Pamela started to play at the Otago Bridge Club and with the help of her friends, many were very good players. They taught her ‘Acol’ the newfangled system.  Goren was her original system.  She became a Life Master and won many championships, including the Inter Provincial Championships (GNT).  Toying with symmetric relay and Delphic diamond, all exciting stuff which drove the locals crazy, she eventually settled into a ‘normal’ system although kept the NZ version of multi and Tartans.

Pamela met her husband at bridge, married in haste – had two girls and then launched out on her own as a solo mother soon after.

In 1996 while recovering from extensive surgery, OKbridge became her new home and bridge club.  She met her now fiancé Herve Chatagnier there.  After a bit of back and forth between Canada and New Zealand, Pamela decided this is the man she has waited her whole life for – she moved to Canada with her children – just in time for the Millennium.

Pamela has worked in much of Canada, while becoming a permanent resident and then Canadian citizen.  Regina, Long Sault, Kanata, Cobourg, Scarborough to name a few and now lives in Ottawa with her daughters, Alexandra and Evelyn (21 and 19 years). They have two cats Sammy and George, Evelyn’s chocolate coloured Newfie/Lab named Darcy.

Herve is a fine bridge player in his own right, having won the Canadian National Team Championship in 2007.  He helped to refine her bidding and defence.  He is her staunchest supporter and critic.  At the moment Herve lives in Quebec City and they are planning their life together under the same roof in Ottawa.

Pamela is very much into music, studied piano to grade 8 and also plays the guitar. She loves to sing and sometimes performs for her residents at work.  We will have to get her to a Karaoke Bar one of these days.

Pamela has one of the longest winning streaks in the history of Canadian Women’s Team Championship, winning in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.  Most with different teammates and partners!  The only other year (2005) she played, her team was second.  She also has extensive international experience, having played in Verona, Wuxi, Shanghai, Beijing and Mexico.  She is looking forward to the Venice Cup in Brazil.

Karen Cumpstone

August 5th, 2009  ~  Mike Yuen  ~  No Comments 

Another member of The Canada MPP Women’s Team, Karen returned to Nanaimo, British Columbia after spending 25 years in New Zealand. During her time away from Canada she learned to play bridge and played for New Zealand in various tournaments and world championships.

Karen is always supportive of her teammates and tries to maintain a positive attitude. She is funny and reliable. Playing with Pamela Nisbet as partner, Karen has won The Canadian Women’s Team Championship in 2008 and 2009. Last year she also won ACBL Unit 429’s 5000-7500 Ace of Clubs Master Point race in a walk.

Susan, Barb, Karen, Pam, Kiz & Joan.

She is an Accountant by training, right now she works for a law firm.  And so you don’t stereotype her as an Accountant, have a listen to some of the songs of her favourite band – Me First and The Gimme Gimmes  – has anyone heard of them? Deep down maybe she is a die-hard Iron Maiden fan?

Moving Day

August 4th, 2009  ~  Mike Yuen  ~  No Comments 

The Summer North American Bridge Championship is finally over! Feels like I have been in Washington DC for months. As soon is I got here, I was attacked by the extremely cold Air Conditioning. Guess what, I lost, and having a bad head cold as the result!

Playing in the Open Swiss Teams with my friends, Susan Culham, Maurice De La Salle, Michael Roche and John Rayner. We qualified for the final day of play in 74th position out of 92 teams. We play well all day and after the 7th match we were in 30th position.

Michael, John, Maurice, Michael and Susan

For the last match we played against Jimmy Cayne’s team. They sent in their starters, Versace, Laura, Jassem and Martens. We know if we were to move up the leader board we will have to play our best.

This hand earned us a big win.

Dealer: East Vul: Both		Roche
		♠	3
		♥	AJ1072
		♦	AQ107
		♣	QJ6
Versace				Laura
♠	10842			♠	KJ65
♥	KQ2			♥	9865
♦	J92			♦	3
♣	A43			♣	9872
		Rayner
		♠	AQ97
		♥	4
		♦	K8654
		♣	K105

The bidding was the thing, Michael and John conducted an excellent auction to the diamond slam.

*Two diamond was artificial game force. Three diamond set the trump suit. The rest were cuebids and four no trump was Roman Key card for diamond, discovered they missed one key card and stopped in six diamonds.

Versace led heart king, John won this with the ace. played a club to knocked out the club ace. Won the diamond return, took the winning spade finesse. Ruffed two spades and soon after claimed 12 tricks for plus 1370 and won our side 12 much needed imps. As their pair at the other table stopped at three no trumps making 10 tricks for 630.

With this win we moved up to 13th position overall, nice going Team!

Canada Master Point Press Women’s Team

July 30th, 2009  ~  Mike Yuen  ~  2 Comments 

I am very happy to announce that an agreement has been reached between Canadian Bridge Federation and Master Point Press (MPP) to sponsor our Canadian Women’s Team to the World Championship in Sao Paulo this year. We will now be known as the Canada Master Point Press Women’s Team.

This arrangement will be beneficial to both parties. Ray and Linda Lee of MPP, the leading publisher of Bridge books in the world, have also generously agreed to sponsor a Canadian Team in future World Championships, be it The Open, Women or Senior Team.

Karen, Pamela, Barbara, Joan, Kiz, Susan and I would like to say a huge big thank you to Ray and Linda for their support.