Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Learn and play bridge!
Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
I had a great time in Las Vegas playing in the North American Bridge
Championships. I had two great days of bridge, and didn't come home with
any big finishes. It was great hearing about the impact the Pasadena
Bridge Club has had from friends near and far.
Audrey Grant was dining next to us at one of the restaurants. She told
me how excited she was about what we're doing, and I was able to
introduce her to several of our folks who were also dining nearby.
Group with Audrey Grant
Lisa Walker, Audrey Grant, Karmen Armoudjian, Mojo and Jane
I might have a new slogan for the bridge club, "The little club that
thinks it's a big club." 🙂
December has several special events to tell you about.
Kantar on Declarer Play
On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, Dec, 11, 12, 18, and 19, I'll be
offering individual classes that each focus on a different aspect of
declarer play.
The source material comes from a treasure trove of lessons and hands by
the inimitable Eddie Kantar. Each class is $25 to attend, or you can
sign up for all four for $85. There is no textbook.
Here are the topics for each session, each starting at 7:00 PM:
* *Entries* Wed Dec. 11
* *Loser on Loser Plays* Thu Dec. 12
* *The Avoidance Play* Wed Dec. 18
* *Ducking Plays at Suit Contracts* Thu Dec. 19
Drop me an email to sign up, and I'll add you to the courses on RSVP Bridge.
Dec. 15 Holiday Party
The unit is putting on a great holiday party on Sunday Dec. 15. The meal
is a tri-tip barbeque from Stonefire Grill.
For bridge we're going to have two sections: Open Pairs like our weekday
11:00 AM games, and 299er Pairs limited to players with fewer than 300
masterpoints, like our Saturday morning games.
Reservations must be made by Thursday, December 5, so drop me a note if
you are coming. You can pay in advance using cash or a credit card at
the Pasadena Bridge Club.
New Year's Eve Party
Last year we had a great time playing a team game on December 31 in the
afternoon. We're going to do it again this year, with plenty of wine and
cheese, and an early start time that will let you get home or to your
own NYE celebration plans. (Probably 12:00 noon.)
I'll have more about that next week.
New Courses in January
January 8 and 9 we'll start with new courses in the Bridge Basics
series, including the *first offering* of Audrey Grant's brand new
/Bridge Basics 4 - Play of the Deal/.
Wednesdays will feature /Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding/, and
Thursdays /Bridge Basics 4 - Play of the Deal/.
Drop in on the Upcoming Courses
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_courses> page for all of the
information.
The next /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ will be on *Thursday evenings
starting April 3*, offered through Pasadena City College Extension, as
usual!
Our own "Black Friday" sale!
For December we're selling "5-game" punch cards for $55, a savings of $1
each over the regular $12 game fee. You can buy up to three if you like.
(That's three total, not three at a time!)
I'll print as many as we need. Come January they'll be $60 again, which
isn't a discount, but it's certainly convenient.
More next week!
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Learn and play bridge!
Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
We have two great courses starting next week on Wednesday and Thursday
evenings! Invite your friends to discover our game on Wednesday
evenings, and join us on Thursdays to learn (or fine tune) the most
common bidding conventions.
We also have great games and workshops for new players, and some special
events coming later this month.
Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions
A convention is a bid that has special meaning to a partnership to help
you reach the best contract on a hand. While there are literally
thousands of bridge conventions, there are three or four that you'll
find the most frequently used and valuable to know.
In this course we'll learn about Stayman, Jacoby Transfer Bids, strong
opening bids, and some tools for bidding slams.
* Six Thursday evenings, starting Oct. 24, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
* Full course description
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/popular-conventions>
* $120 includes textbook by Audrey Grant
* Click here to enroll
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction
This is the launch pad course for your bridge experience! Even if you've
taken the course before, seeing it again always reveals new details that
you missed the first time.
In the first class you'll learn the mechanics of the game and much of
the vocabulary, such as /tricks, notrump, trump, declarer, dummy,
opening lead, contract/. For the rest of the class, we'll learn
techniques for winning extra tricks, and much of the language of
bidding. The last two classes will be practice in using your new skills!
* Six Wednesday evenings, starting Oct. 23, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
* Full course description
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/bridge-basics-introduction>
* $100 includes textbook by Audrey Grant
* Click here to enroll
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>
Office Hours!
Join us for casual bridge Monday through Thursday from 3:00 - 5:00.
Plenty of nice partners available.
We'll have an experienced bridge player on hand to help you with sticky
problems. Try playing the same hands as we play in the 11:00 Open game
and compare your results to theirs!
Office Hours are available for a $5 donation, and a great way for newer
players to develop their bridge muscles!
Novice/Intermediate Games
Every *Tuesday evening* from 7:00-9:15 we have a real bridge game that's
specifically for newer players. No sharks in the game! Lisa Walker hosts
a room of friendly newer bridge players ready to welcome you to the
table. If you're looking for a partner, we almost always have one
available for you.
Come earn your first masterpoints in this game!
*Saturday mornings* are dedicated to our novice/intermediate players. We
start the morning at 9:30 with a fascinating bridge hand from Eddie
Kantar's "Thinking Bridge" series. Every hand teaches /how to think/
about a bridge hand, from the perspectives of bidding, declarer play,
and defense.
The workshop is followed at 10:00 by a 14-15 board bridge game, finished
by 12:15.
Coming up at the bridge club
We have another week of Club Appreciation games with lots of extra
masterpoints awarded, October 21-26.
Wednesday October 30 is a very special game, the ACBL-wide *Instant
Matchpoint game*. At the end of the game, players get a printed booklet
with expert analysis of all the hands. Matchpoint awards are
pre-determined on the spot. And the winning pair in each direction can
earn a *full Gold masterpoint*! (Card fee for this very special game
will be $15.)
Mojo, Jane and Zachary
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Learn and play bridge!
Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
I have three great opportunities to learn and improve your bridge game.
It all starts this week!
I'm really excited about the return of the Saturday morning workshop.
Read on for more ...
And don't forget our Monday through Thursday "Office Hours" sessions
from 3:00 - 5:00 PM. Drop in whenever you like and play some casual
bridge with other bridge players at your level.
Introduction to Defense
This course introduces the essentials of good defense, helping you work
with your partner to win as many tricks as you can. Good defense
requires imagination, logic, communication, and puzzle solving skills.
Two-thirds of your bridge play will be on defense!
The textbook is by Eddie Kantar, updated by Barbara Seagram in 2019. The
style is delightful, sometimes whimsical, easy to read and understand
* Six Wednesday evenings, 7:00-9:00 PM, starting July 31.
* $120 includes textbook
* Full description and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/intro-to-defense>
* Click here to reserve your seat
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction
This is the starting point for folks who've never played bridge, and a
great way to get back into the game if you've been away from it for a while.
The first class teaches all of the mechanics of the game (you can't miss
this one if you've never played!). The following classes introduce ways
to win more tricks and find better contracts.
As of this email, we only have a handful of seats left for this session.
* Six Thursday evenings, 7:00-9:00 PM, starting August 1.
* $85 + $15 for textbook
* Full description and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/bridge-basics-introduction>
* Click here to reserve your seat
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>
through PCC Extension
Saturday morning workshop and game
The Saturday workshop is back with a new starting time and a great new
series of lessons.
We'll meet at 9:30 for the workshop, and follow at 10:00 with a 14-15
board bridge game that /awards masterpoints/. The game will be finished
by 12:15, leaving your Saturday afternoon free. If you need more, play
in the Open Pairs game at 1:00!
Our workshop will focus on hands from Eddie Kantar's excellent "Thinking
Bridge" series. We'll start by bidding and playing a hand. Each hand
will have interesting bidding, declarer play, and defense problems to solve.
Every hand is a great example of /how to think/ about a bridge hand, and
not just blindly follow the guidelines you've learned.
Next Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction ...
The next offering of Bridge Basics 1 will be held on Wednesday evenings
starting October 31. The course is already available for registration
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>
in the PCC Extension catalog. For all your friends curious about bridge,
let them know!
Come learn and play bridge!
Mojo
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Learn and play bridge!
Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
We're starting up three great new bridge courses this week. After this
session, we're going to close up the class room until August. I'll be
attending the American Bridge Teachers Association meeting in Toronto in
July.
Grab seats in these now to get the full benefit!
Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding
The first course, Bridge Basics 1, introduces players to the
"constructive auction," in which you and your partner are only dealing
with the questions of HOW HIGH and WHERE, in an effort to find a good
contract.
That said, the objective of the game is not to make contracts, it's to
get the best score!
In a competitive auction, you're not only trying to find our side's best
contract, but interfere with the opponents bidding conversation as well!
For players of any level, this course will improve your results at the
bridge table.
* Six Saturday morning, 9:30-11:30 AM, starting May 18.
* $115 includes textbook by Audrey Grant
* Full description and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/competitive-bidding>
* Click here to reserve your seat
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Two Over One Game Force
This is the course that will improve your results at the duplicate game.
By making a small adjustment to Standard methods, it becomes easier to
find the right game contract, good slam hands, and a way to stay out of
bad slams.
If you've ventured into the Open Pairs games at the bridge club, you
already know that most pairs at the club are playing this system. The
same is true at tournaments.
Besides learning 2/1GF, this course has some of the best declarer play
problems to work out of any course. It works on so many levels!
* Six Thursday evenings, 7:00-9:00 PM, starting May 16.
* $125 includes textbook by Audrey Grant
* Full description and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/two_over_one_game_force>
* Click here to reserve your seat
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Introduction to Declarer Play
Let's have a course with no bidding, and just focus on making your
contracts. Learn to plan your play better and execute the plan.
The first three weeks of the course focus on notrump play, and the
second three trump suit contracts.
The textbook is classic and easily readable by Eddie Kantar, updated
recently by Barbara Seagram.
* Six Wednesday evenings, 7:00-9:00 PM, starting May 15.
* $115 includes textbook by Eddie Kantar
* Full description and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/intro-to-declarer-play>
* Click here to reserve your seat
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Next Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction ...
The next offering of Bridge Basics 1 will be held on Thursday evenings
starting August 1. When it becomes available for registration on the PCC
Extension calendar I'll let you know!
Don't forget our *Office Hours* sessions! The bridge club is open for
casual bridge play with an experienced player on hand to help out.
Monday through Wednesday, 3:00-5:00 PM.
Come learn and play bridge!
Mojo
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Learn and play bridge!
Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
This spring features more great bridge courses at the beautiful Pasadena
Bridge Club.
Special! Robert Todd Day
Robert is one of my mentors, and one of the most engaging and
understandable teachers of the game. Rather than teaching endless
conventions, he concentrates on how to think, evaluate, and strategize
at the bridge table.
Recommended for novice and highly skilled players alike!
* April 14, 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
* $85 for the full day
* Morning session: *Modern Preempts*
* Afternoon session: *Defensive Tools*
* Reserve your seat here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions
This is the third course in Audrey Grant's Bridge Basics series, and
introduces the most popular and useful bidding conventions for playing
bridge at any level: Stayman, Jacoby Transfer Bids, strong hand
openings, and slam bidding.
* Six Wednesday evenings, 7:00-9:00 PM, starting April 3.
* $115 includes textbook by Audrey Grant
* Full description and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/popular-conventions>
* Click here to reserve your seat
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Improving Your Judgment - Doubles
The takeout double is arguably the most powerful and useful call in
bridge. Let's take some time to dig into takeout doubles in detail,
including responding to (advancing) your partner's double, and doubler's
next actions.
We'll look at edge cases where you can use a double (or perhaps
shouldn't!). And as with all of our classes, it comes with great hands
to practice declaring and defending.
* Six Thursday evenings, 7:00-9:00 PM, starting April 4.
* $115 includes textbook by Audrey Grant
* Full description and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/iyj_doubles>
* Click here to reserve your seat
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction
Take it for your first time, or revisit again! There's no better class
for learning or reviewing the fundamentals of bridge.
We start with the play of the hand. After working out how tricks can be
won by declarer, we study hands to discover HOW HIGH and WHERE a hand
should be played, and learn the language of Standard American bidding to
reach the best contract.
Only a handful of seats remain! Sign up with PCC Extension soon to save
yours.
* Six Saturday mornings, 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM, starting April 6.
* Full description and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/bridge-basics-introduction>
* Register here with PCC Extension
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>
Games for players of all levels
If you're just getting started, drop in for Office Hours to meet friends
and play casual bridge, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 3:00 - 5:00 PM.
Join our weekly Social Bridge session on Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM,
and test your skill against hands played in the huge open game on
Wednesdays. Experienced players on hand to answer questions and help
with bidding and play problems.
Discover the challenges of duplicate bridge with our weekly Novice Pairs
game on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM.
Join us on Saturdays at 1:00 for the weekly "Workshop and Game" at 1:00
PM for a 30-minute bridge topic followed by a duplicate game for
novice/intermediate players.
/Play fearlessly/ and join our newly-expanded schedule of Open Pairs
games, Monday through Thursday at 11:00 AM — three hours of competitive
bridge with some of the best players in Southern California.
Come learn and play bridge!
Mojo
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Learn and play bridge!
Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
At the Pasadena Bridge Club we offer eight different six-week bridge
courses, each covering a different topic and level. You can take them in
order, or bounce around to pick the topics you want. Most of them stand
alone, with no dependencies on other courses.
Since we offer bridge classes three times a week, I try to stagger the
courses being offered so you always have a variety of levels and topics
to choose from. /See the full catalog here.
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_courses>/
This month has a splendid selection of topics. Here are the upcoming
courses, offered live and in-person only at the beautiful Pasadena
Bridge Club.
Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding
The first course, Bridge Basics 1, introduces players to the
"constructive auction," in which you and your partner are only dealing
with the questions of HOW HIGH and WHERE, in an effort to find a good
contract.
That said, the objective of the game is not to make contracts, it's to
get the best score!
In a competitive auction, you're not only trying to find our side's best
contract, but interfere with the opponents bidding conversation as well!
For players of any level, this course will improve your results at the
bridge table.
* Six Wednesday evenings, 7:00-9:00 PM, starting February 21.
* $115 includes textbook by Audrey Grant
* Full description and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/competitive-bidding>
* Click here to reserve your seat
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Improving Your Judgment - Opening the Bidding
Everyone knows the rules for opening the bidding, right? Bridge "rules"
are made to be broken.
Experienced players are better at taking into account the distribution
of their suits, the location and grouping of high cards, and their
position in the auction (has partner already passed? for instance) when
deciding whether or not to open the bidding and what to open.
This course explores those variations with guidelines to help improve
your own judgment when opening the bidding, along with great hands for
playing and defending.
* Six Thursday evenings, 7:00-9:00 PM, starting February 22.
* $115 includes textbook by Audrey Grant
* Full description and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/iyj_opening>
* Click here to reserve your seat
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Two Over One Game Force
Now that you have a handle on Standard American bidding, you may have
discovered some situations where you couldn't really be sure of HOW HIGH
and WHERE you should be playing!
By making a small tweak to Standard, you can improve your ability to
find the correct game contract, and find more makeable slams.
2/1GF is the system of choice for a vast majority of tournament players.
It comes with its own idioms and patterns to be aware of. Along with the
bidding topics, this course has some of the best declarer play problem
solving hands you'll see in any of the courses!
* Six Saturday mornings, 9:30-11:30 AM, starting February 17.
* $125 includes award-winning book by Audrey Grant and Eric Rodwell
* Full description and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/two_over_one_game_force>
* Click here to reserve your seat
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Next Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction ...
The next offering of Bridge Basics 1 is open for registration with PCC
Extension. It will be offered on Saturday mornings at 9:30 starting April 6.
Here's the link to register with PCC
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>.
Don't forget our *Office Hours* sessions! The bridge club is open for
casual bridge play with an experienced player on hand to help out.
Monday through Wednesday, 3:00-5:00 PM.
Come learn and play bridge!
Mojo
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
New courses starting!
Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Level-up your bridge game!
At the beautiful Pasadena Bridge Club, we have three new courses
starting soon! All courses run for six consecutive sessions, and include
a first-rate textbook.
Introduction to Defense
The defenders have a difficult job! You have to win as many tricks as
possible, keeping declarer to as few tricks as possible, without being
able to see each other's hand.
This course is based on Eddie Kantar's classic /Introduction to
Defense/, the second edition.
* Meeting Saturday mornings, 9:30-11:30, starting January 6
* Click here for full description and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/intro-to-defense>
* Enroll in the course today
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
* $115 includes the text
Introduction to Declarer Play
Bidding language evolves and changes over the years, but the principles
of declarer play remain the same. Learn how to make more of your contracts.
This course is based on Eddie Kantar's classic /Introduction to Declarer
Play/, second edition. The first three classes talk about notrump
contracts, and the second three trump suit contracts.
* Meeting Thursday evenings, 7:00-9:00, starting January 11
* Click here for full description and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/intro-to-declarer-play>
* Enroll in the course today
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
* $115 includes the text
Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction
The starting point for family and friends who don't yet know how much
they will love this game! We'll start from scratch, and introduce the
mechanics of the game. From there, discover the basics of winning tricks
as declarer, and the fundamentals of Standard American bidding.
The text is the award winning book by Audrey Grant.
This course is offered through Pasadena City College Extension, and held
at the Pasadena Bridge Club. *Click the link below to register through
PCC Extension*.
/This course may well sell out/, so be sure to register with PCC
Extension as soon as possible to guarantee your seat!
* Meeting Wednesday evenings, 7:00-9:00, starting January 10
* Click here for full description and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/bridge-basics-introduction>
* Enroll in the course today
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>
* $79 paid to PCC + $15 material fee (for the book)
Come play bridge!
We have great bridge games for novice and intermediate players!
Join us every Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM for a quick 2-hour game of 12
hands.
On Saturday afternoons at 1:00PM, the game includes a single-topic
workshop of about 45 minutes on a bidding, defense, or play topic. The
workshop is followed by a 12-board bridge game, to finish by 4:00 PM.
Reserve your game seat here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/game_reservation>! Great
partners available.
Don't forget our social/supervised games on Thursday evenings and
Saturday mornings, plus casual bridge "Office Hours" on Monday, Tuesday,
and Wednesday, from 3:00-5:00 PM.
Best regards,
Mojo
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Special event!
Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Declarer Play Workshop
/This Friday/, December 22, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM.
This is special one-day class that will introduce techniques that
experts use to visualize and discover more tricks, and make more of your
contracts.
The class features Audrey's unique multi-level instructional style,
making it suitable for players with lots of experience, and those who
have only been playing a short while.
The class is *only $25* including a booklet by Audrey Grant.
Class meets at the beautiful Pasadena Bridge Club, with free beverages
and snacks, and lots of great options for lunch right at the site after
the workshop (if you like!).
Our visiting instructor is Denise Hoffman, Program Director for Audrey
Grant Teacher Training.
Click here for more information
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/declarer-workshop-2023> and to reserve
your seat for this Friday's workshop, or call the Pasadena Bridge Club
at (626) 247-4457.
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Learn and Play Bridge!
Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
No classes meeting this week, but we will have games on Tuesday evening
and Wednesday morning. Jane and I will be trekking to Scottsdale to
visit my sister and enjoy an extended weekend.
But there are new courses coming up! January is a great time to take up
a new skill, and it's hard to beat bridge as a choice.
/Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ is shaping up to be heavily attended
this January. If you have friends or family who are interested, it's a
good idea to secure their seats as soon as you can.
The Pasadena Bridge Club currently has three class sessions weekly, and
a full series of /eight bridge courses/ to cover all aspects of the
game, no matter your current level of play. You can expect each course
to be offered two or three times a year — but don't wait for the next
one to take a course you're interested in! /See the full catalog here.
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_courses>/
Here are the new courses starting up soon:
Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction
The registration page for /Bridge - Introduction/ just went live on the
PCC Extension web site. Now is the time to enroll!
* Wednesday Evenings, six sessions, 7:00-9:00 PM
* First class *January 10*
* Visit here for the course outline
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/bridge-basics-introduction>
* $79 plus $15 "materials fee" for the text book
* Enroll through PCC Extension at this link
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>
Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions
Learn to play Stayman, Jacoby Transfer Bids, strong opening hands, and
slam bidding!
* Thursday evenings, six sessions, 7:00-9:00 PM
* First class *November 30*
* Full course outline
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/popular-conventions>
* $115 includes text book
* Click here to enroll
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment> through
the bridge club
Introduction to Defense
I'm building a new curriculum based on the 2nd Edition of acclaimed text
book /Introduction to Defense/ by Eddie Kantar.
* Saturday mornings six sessions, 9:30-11:30 AM
* First class January 6
* Full course outline
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/bridge-basics-introduction>
* $115 includes text book
* Click here to enroll
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment> through
the bridge club
STaC Results
We had several great games during STaC week, with some big overall
winners. The STaC (Sectional Tournament at Clubs) included bridge clubs
all over Southern California, and results from similar games are
combined to create overall awards.
Wednesday Morning big winners: 2nd in B, 1st in C, 6.94 mps: *Brian
Butler, Bob Zappaterreo*
Thursday Morning: 1st in A, 4.13 mps: *Sherry Hansen, Cathryn
Martin*;1st in B, 2.32 mps: *Bill Martin, Joan Mesias*
Full overall results are found here
<https://tournaments.acbl.org/schedule.php?sanction=2311502#schedule>.
Office Hours casual bridge
Office Hours for casual bridge play are a big hit with new players and
even experienced players who love to get a few hands in.
We're planning to expand to Wednesday afternoons very soon.
For now, office hours are *offered at no charge*, but we have a donation
jar at the desk. I encourage you to help us pay the rent and buy more
coffee, lemonade, sodas and nuts by dropping a few dollars in the jar.
$5 is a great start.
(We love supporting and growing bridge in Pasadena, and we're starting
to look forward to a time when the club can support itself and its
managers, teachers, and directors for the long term. We know it will
happen!)
*"Office Hours" for casual bridge: Monday and Tuesday 3:00-5:00 PM.*
Become a /Better Bridge/ Teacher
Bridge needs teachers, and you could be part of the solution! This is
the bridge curriculum and program that I use at the Pasadena Bridge Club.
Have you ever wondered how you could most effectively improve your
bridge game? This is it: *teach people to play bridge*. You know it's
true, right?
Find the details here <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/better-bridge-tap>
and see the flier here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/sites/default/files/bbtap/BBAccred-pbc-2023-…>.
Coming up ...
*Save the date!* In December, we are hosting a *special bridge seminar*
that could dramatically improve your declarer play. It will be on
Friday, December 22, at 9:00 AM, and presented by Denise Hoffman, the
Program Director for Better Bridge Teacher Accreditation.
Lots more information next week. Happy Thanksgiving!
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zachary
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Learn and Play Bridge!
Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
"We need to give people more opportunities to just play bridge," my
partner Zachary said to me the other day.
"Nothing takes the place of playing cards as much as you can."
And then he made a remarkable offer. "Let's open the bridge club on
Monday and Tuesday afternoons, 3:00-5:00 PM, for anyone and everyone to
come in and play bridge. Nothing formal, just spend some time with the
game. I'll be here."
He didn't need to offer twice!
No card fee for now, just come and play bridge. The more who come the
better, of course. We always want to have a full table if we can!
Jane suggested that it would be a great time to meet potential partners,
or to bring a regular partner to try things and work out agreements.
Let me know if you'd like to come, or if you'd just like to get
reminders of our bridge "office hours."
Great courses starting next
Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding
This is the second course in the Bridge Basics series. We discuss how
the auction changes when both sides get into the bidding.
If you're already playing regularly, this course will definitely level
up your game!
* Starts Thursday, October 12, 7:00-9:00 PM, six weeks
* Full course description here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/competitive-bidding>
* $115 includes textbook
* Sign up for class here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Intro to Declarer Play
For "play of the hand" class, I'm switching to a favorite book,
/Introduction to Declarer Play/ by Edwin Kantar, 2nd Edition, edited by
Barbara Seagram.
The book is a classic, fully updated, and fantastically easy to read.
Like the book, the first three classes will be notrump play, and the
second three suit contract play. I'm looking forward to a great fun course!
* Starts Saturday, October 28, 9:30-11:30 AM, six weeks
* Full course description here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/intro-to-declarer-play>
* $115 includes textbook
* Sign up for class here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Two Over One Game Force
Two Over One Game Force (2/1GF) is the modern bidding system based on
Standard American 5-card Majors with a slight tweak.
The adjustment makes it easier to find slams, or a better game contract,
by giving the partnership more room on the bidding ladder.
While 2/1GF is only slightly different from Standard American, it does
come with its own idioms to become familiar with.
Along with bidding, the course has dynamite hands to play and defend.
Highly recommended for club and tournament players!
* Starts Wednesday, November 8, 7:00-9:00 PM, six weeks
* Full course description here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/two_over_one_game_force>
* $125 includes textbook
* Sign up for class here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Next Bridge Introduction
The next series of /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ will be on Wednesday
evenings, starting January 10. Look for it in the PCC Extension catalog
landing in your mailbox sometime in early December.
Best regards,
Mojo
