Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
News from North Fair Oaks
Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
I think we all got a little bit of a surprise when the ACBL announced
that the Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday /regular club games/ would be colored
in *silver masterpoints*. (Sunday as well, but we didn't have a Sunday
game.)
This is not a Sectional Tournament at Clubs, just regular club games.
The size of the awards will be "the usual" for club games, but they'll
show up as silver when they're recorded at the ACBL.
We had a lovely time hosting Robert Todd on Sunday. The club looked
great and Robert was in good form. Those who were able to attend came
away with some new understandings.
Robert Todd at the Pasadena Bridge Club
Robert Todd at the Pasadena Bridge Club
This is also the first week of our newest /Bridge Basics I -
Introduction/ course, offered by PCC Extension. The course has at least
20 new students enrolled. If you have a friend planning to join, be sure
to get them enrolled
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>
as soon as you can!
Bridge Classes This Week
This week features our final *free Wednesday morning seminar with Lulu
Minter* for a while. Lulu wants to do it again on a different day in a
few months. Thank you Lulu!
If you see a topic for a class that interests you, you can always drop
in for a single class for $25 without committing to an entire course.
*Mojo's pick for this week*: Wednesday evening "Second hand play" on
defense. Get some insights on how best to play as the second player on a
trick.
This week's classes:
* Wednesday, April 2, 10:00 AM /Lulu Minter FREE seminar/, "Opening
and responding, plus open forum"
* Wednesday, April 2, 3:00 PM /Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions/
"Practice Hands"
* Wednesday, April 2, 7:00 PM /Introduction to Defense/ "Second Hand Play"
* Wednesday, April 3, 7:00 PM /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/
"Introduction"
Every Saturday morning at 9:30, we have a free workshop using a hand
from Eddie Kantar's /Thinking Bridge/ series. Every entertaining hand
teaches players how to think about problems in bidding, play, and defense.
Coming up ...
*Two Over One Game Force* course starts next Wednesday, April 9.
Level-up your bidding to what's almost "standard" in clubs and
tournaments these days. Bring your favorite partner!
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 have a new course session — a *daylight *session on Wednesdays from
3:00-5:00 PM. Play of the Deal
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/play-of-the-deal> and
Introduction to Defense
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/intro-to-defense> will be the
next courses offered during the new session. This fall we'll be offering
our first course, Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/bridge-basics-introduction>,
during the Wednesday afternoon session.
There's still time to join us this Sunday, March 30, for the full day
seminar with noted author and teacher *Robert Todd*. See the flier here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/sites/default/files/fliers/2025-03-30-robert…>
for his dynamite topics, and reserve your seat here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>.
Here are the new courses we'll be starting in April:
Bridge Basics 4 - Play of the Deal
Bridge Basics 4 debuted last year with a dynamite presentation of the
techniques and planning skills needed to win as many tricks as you can
as declarer. Plan your play using declarer's ABCs, learn to manage
entries, and watch out for the opponents.
* Six Wednesday afternoons 3-5 PM
* First class April 16
* Course fee $120 includes text book by Audrey Grant
* Full details and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/play-of-the-deal>
* Reserve your seat here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Two Over One Game Force
Once you're comfortable with Standard American 5-card Major bidding,
it's time to take your bidding to the next level. Two Over One Game
Force (2/1GF) is the most popular system played by experienced players
in clubs and tournaments everywhere.
With one small tweak to Standard American bidding, you'll improve your
ability find good slam contracts, and the right game contracts. You'll
learn the idioms and common "phrases" of 2/1GF. This course also
features some of the best /play of the hand/ lessons you'll see!
* Six Wednesday evenings 7-9 PM
* First class April 9
* Course fee $130 includes text book by Audrey Grant and Eric Rodwell
* Full details and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/two_over_one_game_force>
* Reserve your seat here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction
This is the course to introduce your non-bridge-playing friends to our
favorite game. In the first class you'll learn the mechanics and
vocabulary of bridge - /everything you need to actually start playing/.
The subsequent classes will add skills for analyzing deals and making
contracts, and introduce the language of Standard American bidding to
communicate with your partner.
* Six Thursday evenings 7-9 PM
* First class April 3
* Course fee $100 total includes text book
* Full details and lesson plan
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/bridge-basics-introduction>
This course is offered by Pasadena City College Extension, and meets at
the Pasadena Bridge Club. To register for the class online, visit PCC
Extension at this link
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>.
Student/Novice games and practice sessions
I challenge any club to offer a program of games and practice sessions
for new players as comprehensive as ours!
Workshops and practice sessions (open to all):
* Mondays "Workshop with Zachary" 3-5 PM $10 /reservations available/
* Tuesday and Friday "Social/Supervised Play" 3-5 PM /free (donations
accepted)/
Student and Novice/Intermediate games (reservations available for all):
* Tuesday evenings 7:00 PM *0-300 Pairs* $12
* Thursday afternoons 3:00 PM *0-20 Newcomer Pairs* $10
* Saturday mornings 9:30 AM *0-300 Workshop + Game* $12
Our next Bridge Basics 1 offering will be on Wednesday evenings starting
July 2. Watch for the offering in the PCC Extension Summer catalog.
Mojo, Jane and Zachary
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
News from North Fair Oaks
Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Two great events this week! Read on below.
Meanwhile I'd like to remind everyone that while we're playing a game
it's not the time to "correct" partner's or (god forbid) the opponents'
play. It's fine to mark a hand to talk about later with your partner if
you like, but not at the table please!
This is especially true in our novice/intermediate games. Play, enjoy,
banter, compliment, but don't correct or criticize. Bad results are
always worth a good laugh! Save the rest for later. (And you might be
giving the wrong advice!)
*Call out for Bridge Basics teaching assistants!* We're starting a new
session on Thursday, April 3, at 7:00 PM. I'm looking for two or three
people who are willing to come to class and help fill a table when it's
needed.
If you were recently a BB1 student, this is an opportunity to see the
material again, and you're just the person to help put new students at
ease at the table. That's all I'm asking!
Robert Todd Seminar
Getting to spend a day with Robert Todd learning about bridge is a rare
and special treat.
I'm often asked "Is this for beginners or experienced players?" The
answer is "Yes!"
Robert has a knack for taking difficult bridge problems and breaking
them down into understandable components. You can attribute that to his
background as a "recovering mathematician" and professor.
His topics this year are dynamite:
* Morning session: Hand Evaluation and Re-evaluation
* Afternoon session: Compete When They Open
We'll start at 9:00, and finish by 3:30, with a good lunch break, and
all the great lunch options nearby.
Make your reservation here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>. Seminar fee
is $90 for the full day.
ACBL-wide Charity Game
Tuesday our regular 11:00 AM Open Pairs game will be the ACBL-wide
Charity Game. Masterpoint awards are big, and proceeds from the ACBL
sanction fees go to support ACBL Charities.
As a bonus, I have a full analysis booklet for all of the hands. It's in
electronic form as a PDF file. I'll email copies after the game to
everyone who comes to play. (If email is not your thing and you want the
analysis, let me know!)
Bridge Classes This Week
Every week this month will have five great learning opportunities! This
week continues our *free Wednesday morning seminars with Lulu Minter*.
This week's classes:
* Wednesday, March 26, 10:00 AM /Lulu Minter FREE seminar/, "The rule
of 7"
* Wednesday, March 26, 3:00 PM /Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions/
"Slam bidding"
* Wednesday, March 26, 7:00 PM /Introduction to Defense/ "Signals
against Trump Contracts"
* Thursday, March 27, 7:00 PM /Improving Your Judgment - Doubles/
"Practice hands for doubles"
Every Saturday morning at 9:30, we have a free workshop using a hand
from Eddie Kantar's /Thinking Bridge/ series. Every entertaining hand
teaches players how to think about problems in bidding, play, and defense.
The next /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ class starts Thursday, April
3. It's open for registration at this link
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>.
If you get the PCC Extension catalog in your mailbox, you'll find our
class listed!
Coming up ...
Wednesday evenings starting April 9 I'll be offering the *Two Over One
Game Force* course for six weeks. If you're comfortable playing Standard
American, it might be time to level up your bidding.
Along with learning the bidding system, this class includes some of the
best play of the hand problems of any of our courses.
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zachary
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
News from North Fair Oaks
Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
STaC week was a big success last week, and players at the Pasadena
Bridge Club did particularly well.
Our players took first place in the district on the morning games Monday
through Thursday, second place on Friday, and first place on Saturday,
Here were the biggest winners from each day:
* Monday: Fredy and Lulu Minter 8.06 silver
* Tuesday: Cindy Hsiao and Sri Nagesh 9.00 silver
* Wednesday: Kim Ebner and Lynn Edelson 6.94 silver
* Thursday: Rebecca Clough and Jan Wickersham 4.88 silver
* Friday: Paul Nason and Richard Weinberger 9.38 silver
* Saturday: Patricia Luehrs and Stuart Soldate 7.96 silver
The awards for a STaC are so big because all of the games during the
same time period in the district are combined to make a big tables
count. For instance, the Tuesday morning game had a total of 37 tables,
between us, La Fetra, Agile, and the 750 Club. (And we all played the
same hands!)
Robert Todd March 30
Robert Todd is a "recovering" math professor, now professional bridge
player and teacher. Robert is one of my mentors, and one of the most
engaging and entertaining speakers in the game. I'm delighted to host
Robert for a third visit to the Pasadena Bridge Club.
His full-day seminar is on Sunday, March 30. The morning topic is "Hand
Evaluation + Re-Evaluation," with the afternoon topic "Compete When They
Open."
The morning session will start at 9:00 AM, and the afternoon will finish
by 3:30. The cost is $90 for the full day.
Ask around the club and you'll probably find someone who attended one of
his previous seminars. You'll find that he comes highly recommended! His
topics are readily accessible for new players, and full of deep bridge
wisdom for experienced players.
You can register for the seminar at this link
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>. See the
flier at the bridge club or download a copy here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/sites/default/files/fliers/2025-03-30-robert…>.
Bridge Classes This Week
Every week this month will have five great learning opportunities! We
have two courses that just got started last week, and this week begins
our *free Wednesday morning seminars with Lulu Minter*, as well as
Bridge Basics 3 in the afternoon.
This week's classes:
* Wednesday, March 19, 10:00 AM /Lulu Minter FREE seminar/, "Rule of 11"
* Wednesday, March 19, 3:00 PM /Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions/
"Strong Opening Bids"
* Wednesday, March 19, 7:00 PM /Introduction to Defense/ "Signaling
Against Notrump"
* Thursday, March 20, 7:00 PM /Improving Your Judgment - Doubles/
"Balancing and Other Doubles"
Every Saturday morning at 9:30, we have a free workshop using a hand
from Eddie Kantar's /Thinking Bridge/ series. Each hand teaches how to
think about problems in bidding, play, and defense.
The next /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ class starts Thursday, April
3. It's open for registration at this link
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>.
If you get the PCC Extension catalog in your mailbox, you'll find our
class listed!
Coming up ...
Next week on *Tuesday, March 25*, we'll host the ACBL-wide Charity Game.
Lots of extra masterpoints, and the sanction fees go to benefit ACBL
charities. We'll have some special game materials too, in PDF format,
with expert commentary on the hands in play.
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zachary
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
News from North Fair Oaks
Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
I spent this past weekend in Costa Mesa as an exhibitor for a conference
hosted by the California Association for the Gifted.
I was representing Patty Tucker's /Jump Start Bridge/ program that
mentors teachers to introduce bridge as a school enrichment or after
school program. The teachers at "gifted" and math teacher conferences
have been extraordinarily receptive to the idea.
Jump Start Bridge is a worthy charitable organization for supporting
bridge education in schools. They fund all the materials and supplies
for teachers who start a bridge program in their school, even providing
a stipend for the teachers! Visit https://www.jumpstartbridge.org/ to
learn more about it!
We registered over 70 leads from teachers interested in the program, and
signed up 12 teachers with the ACBL who are ready to get started now!
Student/Novice Player Program
This is the week that our new student/novice player program starts!
We are still *looking for (slightly!) experienced players* who are
willing to mentor players and supervise our social/supervised play
sessions. Right now the Friday session doesn't have an "owner." Jon and
Susan are covering the Tuesday session, but we always need backups and
standbys!
It doesn't take a Grand Life Master to be a great host for these events.
The main effort is going to be in helping them play smoothly and
efficiently, and enjoy the game! Once in a while someone will ask for
help on bids or plays, and you only have to tell them what you might do
with the hand, or what options they might choose from.
The full student/novice weekly schedule is available on the web site at
this link <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/schedule#novice>. Zachary's
first workshop had five tables! Our first Thursday 0-20 novice game is
already a "go" with at least two tables of players, and the Wednesday
class has three full tables!
/Are you ready to sign up?/ Drop me a note!
Bridge Classes This Week
Every week this month will have five great learning opportunities! We
have two courses that just got started last week, and this week begins
our *free Wednesday morning seminars with Lulu Minter*, as well as
Bridge Basics 3 in the afternoon.
This week's classes:
* Wednesday, March 5, 10:00 AM /Lulu Minter FREE seminar/, "Counting"
* Wednesday, March 5, 3:00 PM /Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions/
"The Stayman Convention"
* Wednesday, March 5, 7:00 PM /Introduction to Defense/ "Opening Leads
against Trump Contracts"
* Thursday, March 6, 7:00 PM /Improving Your Judgment - Doubles/
"Responding to the Takeout Double"
In addition, every Saturday morning at 9:30, we have a free workshop
using a hand from Eddie Kantar's /Thinking Bridge/ series. Every
entertaining hand teaches players how to think about problems in
bidding, play, and defense.
The next /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ class starts Thursday, April
3. It's open for registration at this link
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>.
If you get the PCC Extension catalog in your mailbox, you'll find our
class listed!
*Save the date* for our next *Robert Todd* seminar: Sunday, March 30,
all day. We're starting to take reservations for the event. This is a
first class bridge seminar. Robert features a bidding topic in the
mornings, and a card play topic in the afternoon. The seminar fee will
be $90.
Coming up ...
Our next *Sectional Tournament at Clubs* will be this coming week of
March 10-16. We'll be offering silver point games every day that week!
Card fees will be $13 to cover extra sanction fees.
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zachary
