How many times have you queried the reason for a late start to play on your night of bridge – “what is the Director doing,” somebody asks. Well, 95% of the time the answer to that question is “changing the playing settings on the computer to accommodate latecomers”

Seating instructions in our Bridge book for every session requests that players are seated 5 minutes before the start of play. This allows the Director to set the computer for the number of tables at that time. If another pair then arrives, the Director needs to reset the computer. Sometimes this can occur 2 – 3 times in one session, delaying the start of play as no Director likes to inform players that “no, you cannot play because you are too late” or worse, inflict a percentage penalty against your score for the night

So a plea to all players – please be seated 5 minutes before playing time and make our Directors happy

from your match committee

After two days of battle over in Tauranga the teams to go forward for the InterProvincial competition to be held in Christchurch in November were decided. The players in the hunt for the Open, Senior and Women's Teams all Swissed their way through 9 rounds of 12 boards. Congratulations to Yuzhong Chen with partner Hank Ping (1st overall) and Barry Jones and Jenny Millington (3rd overall) who will represent Waikato Bays in the Open Section. Congratulations to Malcolm Smith and Ian Clayton (2nd overall) who make up one half of the Seniors Team. Their teammates will be Tom Winiata and Tom Henwood. The Women's Team will be Amanda Smith and Judy McLeod and Jenna and Christine Gibbons.