Easter Pairs

Simultaneous pairs with heats held in clubs from Monday 23rd March to Thursday 26th March.  There will be different hands each day.  You can play more than once on different days but not twice the same day.

The results and a commentary on the hands will be available on the ECATS web site.  https://www.ecatsbridge.com/sims/results.asp?eventid=003847

The club can charge its own fee but will be asked to remit £2 from the entry fee for each player to the SBU.

Check to see if your club is running a heat

Information for Clubs and Directors:

We encourage all clubs to play heats face to face but you can also hold them on RealBridge or BBO*

The minimum number of tables in play at a heat should be 3.  The minimum number of competition boards to be played by each participant is 18. (This means that if you have a half table, the length of the session must be longer than 18 boards, so that even those that sit out will have played 18).

Apart from this, there are no special requirements for participation. For example there is no restriction on the choice of movement: you can run a Howell or a Mitchell movement, two-winner or one-winner. Please use whatever is most suited to your club. Just note that the overall results will be expressed as a single winner so your players may find it less confusing if you play a one-winner movement (i.e. a Howell or a switched Mitchell)

Integrity of Hands

It is particularly important with simultaneous pairs events being held at different times that clubs ensure that security is observed - for example if your club is playing during the morning or afternoon, your players must be aware that they cannot go to a different club later in the day and play the hands again!

It is also important that clubs do not upload their results to their own sites, where the hands and frequencies will be visible, until the hands and frequencies appear on the main ECatsBridge site – usually 10.00 pm.  BridgeWebs, has an option to allow you to upload the results but delay the publication of hands and frequencies.  *Heats on BBO can only be played after 6.00 pm.

All players must be members of the SBU and either members of the club where they play or guests allowable under the rules of the club.  This is an SBU event and if BBO is used the following rules must be followed:  Kibbitzing is not allowed, all players must be members of the SBU including subs, and robots are not allowed.  (NB BBOtoXLM allows the removal of a pair and the results recalculated.  This allows the use of subs or robots to avoid a pair having to sit-out but does not count that score in calculating the result.)

Details on how to upload the results will be sent with the hands.  To take part and to get the hands contact Anna Gudge This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)  - she will be happy to answer any queries.