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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>
Liza Billington brings an interesting story from playing bridge in Santa
Cruz, CA, this past month.
She reported that the club turns on a feature in the Bridgemates that
lets you *record the opening lead* for every contract. The opening leads
appear in the game results for each hand. For an example see the game
results from one of their games at this link
<https://my.acbl.org/club-results/details/1243431>.
I'm going to try it at a game this week, and see what you all think. I
think it'll be fun. Choosing an effective opening lead is one of the
most important factors in improving your game results. Let me know if
you have an opinion!
Zachary is taking a family vacation next week June 8, so Lisa and I will
be covering the games and workshops on the schedule.
Special games coming in June
*North American Pairs Qualifying games*: We'll be holding games for one
week each in June, July, and August. This month the games will be Monday
through Friday, the 11:00 AM Open Pairs, June 16-20. NAP games pay big
points as well as qualify players to the NAP District Final. Card fees $13.
*The Longest Day Benefit for Alzheimer's*: Saturday, June 21, our novice
game and Open Pairs games will be part of the annual "Longest Day"
benefit held in June every year. Games pay big masterpoint awards, and
the extra card fee goes to benefit Alzheimer's Association.
*Club Championship games*: All games the week of June 23-28 will be Club
Championship games. These come with no extra card fee, but pay lots of
extra points, almost equivalent to a Unit Game, with overalls awarded.
Classes This Week
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: Thursday evening's class in Competitive
Bidding can have a dramatic effect on your game results. We'll introduce
negative doubles (also called responder's doubles), and talk about how
things change when the auction becomes competitive.
This week's classes:
* Wednesday, June 4, 3:00 PM /Introduction to Defense/ "Opening Leads
against Trump Contracts"
* Thursday, June 5, 7:00 PM /Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding/
"The Competitive Auction"
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 ...
The big Bridge Week regional in Long Beach starts on Monday, June 30. At
this time we're planning to close the bridge club on Thursday and
Friday, July 3 and 4. We may also close on Saturday July 5. (I'm not
sure if the Unit Game will be held on July 6.)
/Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ will start up again on Wednesday
evening, July 2. The course is open for registration now, through PCC
Extension. You or your friends can register online at this link
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>.
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>
It's looking to be a great summer at the Pasadena Bridge Club.
Partnerships and teams are starting for form up for the annual "Bridge
Week" regional in Long Beach starting on June 30.
Meanwhile we have some great games at the club, a new course starting up
on Wednesday afternoon, and the summer session of /Bridge Basics 1 -
Introduction/ is open for registration.
Introduction to Defense tomorrow!
Good defense wins games. In this course, you'll develop insights into
how suits are distributed around the four hands, and how to hold
declarer to the minimum number of tricks they're entitled to.
Review all of the "bridge maxims" for defender play and, more
importantly, learn when you must not follow them!
* Six Wednesday afternoons, 3:00-5:00 PM, starting May 28
* $120 includes textbook by Eddie Kantar
* Full lesson plan here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/intro-to-defense>
* Click here to save your seat
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment> (pay at
the club)
Enrollment open for Bridge Introduction
There seems to be a lot of interest for this summer's Bridge Basics 1
course. The next session will be starting in about five weeks, on
Wednesday evenings starting July 2.
This class is run by PCC Extension (Pasadena City College), so the
enrollment is managed by PCC.
Pass this one on to your friends! There's plenty of room, but I try to
keep the class to 28 students.
The class meets for six Wednesday evenings, starting in about five
weeks, on July 2. To register with PCC online follow this link
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>.
Gold Points this week
The ACBL is gifting the local clubs with a dusting of gold masterpoints
for the second half of this week.
Our Open Pairs games Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, will have 25% of
their masterpoint awards converted into Gold points. The amount will be
normal club game amount. (It's possible even the novice games will get a
sprinkling of gold too. We'll see!)
No extra card fee for this event!
Classes This Week
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.
This week's classes:
* Wednesday, May 28, 3:00 PM /Introduction to Defense/ "Leads against
Notrump Contracts"
* Thursday, May 29, 7:00 PM /Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding/
"The Takeout Double"
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 ...
We don't yet have a plan for club opening during the Bridge Week
regional, but I'm hoping as many of you as possible will go play in Long
Beach. Let me know your plans!
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>
It's time for some new classes to start up! The next three weeks will
see the start of three great courses for your consideration.
We just completed a great session of /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ on
Thursday evenings. We'll follow it up with /Competitive Bidding/,
/Popular Conventions/, and /Play of the Deal/ every six weeks in succession.
Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding
/Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding/ will be held on Thursday
evenings starting May 15.
This is the second of the Bridge Basics course series. If you're already
playing games at the club, /this is the course/ (along with Defense)
that will probably have the most impact on how well you do in the results.
If you're new to bridge, this is the course that starts to show how
fascinating the game can be, with strategy and close decisions on every
side. You'll add vocabulary to your bidding language, and tools to get
to the best score.
* Six Thursday evenings, 7:00-9:00 PM, starting May 15
* $120 includes textbook
* Full lesson plan here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/competitive-bidding>
* Click here to save your seat
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment> (pay at
the club)
Improving your judgment - Opening the Bidding
This course title is one of the "stealth" offerings of the curriculum.
It's easy to think that there's nothing new to discuss about making the
opening bid, but there are many surprising subtleties and judgment that
experts use to modify their choices when opening the bidding.
You'll learn guidelines and recommendations in this course that you
won't hear anywhere else. And of course, being an Audrey Grant course,
it includes great declarer and defense exercises.
This course does not come with a textbook! (There was one, but it has
since gone out of print.) The value in the course is still there. I've
decided to continue offering it at a slight discount.
* Six Wednesday evenings, 7:00-9:00 PM, starting May 21
* $110 for the course
* Full lesson plan here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/iyj_opening>
* Click here to save your seat
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment> (pay at
the club)
Introduction to Defense
This course (along with competitive bidding) may have more beneficial
effects on your game results than any other. You will learn how to
visualize the layout of cards in a suit when you can't see your
partner's hand. Learn to work with your partner to take as many tricks
as you can on defense.
The textbook for the course is the delightful "Introduction to Defense"
by Edwin Kantar, recently revised and updated by Barbara Seagram. All of
Eddie's trademark humor and clear straightforward lessons are in full
effect.
This is the next in our Wednesday afternoon series! Perfect for bridge
students who'd rather not be out at night.
* Six Wednesday afternoons, 3:00-5:00 PM, starting May 28
* $120 includes textbook
* Full lesson plan here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/intro-to-defense>
* Click here to save your seat
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment> (pay at
the club)
Novice/intermediate program
The Pasadena Bridge Club has what I believe is the best weekly program
for new players in the country. We have informal "supervised play"
sessions, workshops for more in depth practice, and bridge games
specifically for newer players
See the full novice/intermediate weekly schedule here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/schedule#novice>.
Coming up ...
Our next session of /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ will be on
Wednesday evenings, starting July 2.
As usual it will be followed insequence by the next few Bridge Basics
courses. Let your friends know!
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>
*If you've never been an ACBL member*, and you're playing in games at
the club, it's free and easy to become a member and get your own player
number. Much like joining the USGA as a golfer, and having them track
your handicap, the ACBL will keep track of your progress in bridge as
you climb the ranks. (They also have a great monthly magazine and lots
of activities!)
To get your free guest membership, visit our web site
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>, find the menu
and select Resources, then look for the "ACBL Guest Membership" link. Or
never mind all that, and just click on this link
<http://my.acbl.org/membership/join?guest=X&club=277210&teacher=8202249>
to get your free ACBL Guest Membership.
Of course you can just buy a full membership, but I recommend this path.
It comes with a massive discount ($29 instead of $59) on your first year
of full membership!
When you get your new player number, drop me a note so I can add it to
the database at the club!
Stardust week
This one snuck up on me and I didn't get it on the calendar! But after
asking, I learn that everyone wants gold points, no matter what.
So all open games this week (M-F 11:00, Sat 1:00) will be Stardust
games, paying regular club masterpoints, but converted to 25% gold when
the game is uploaded to ACBL.
Card fees for the Stardust games will be $13.
Thursday afternoon novice 0-100
Effective immediately the Thursday 3:00 PM Novice Pairs is open to all
players with fewer than 100 masterpoints. We'd love to have a few more
folks come to play!
The Thursday afternoon game is typically 12 hands, and should always be
complete by 5:00 PM. It's a great place to start experiencing real
duplicate bridge with other students and novice players. Come earn your
first (or twenty-first, or 99th) masterpoint!
Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding
/Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding/ will be starting on Thursday
evenings on May 15.
This is the second of the Bridge Basics course series. If you're already
playing games at the club, /this is the course/ that will probably have
the most impact on how well you do in the results.
If you're new to bridge, this is the course that starts to show how
fascinating the game can be, with strategy and close decisions on every
side. You'll add vocabulary to your bidding language, and tools to get
to the best score.
* Six Thursday evenings, 7:00-9:00 PM, starting May 15
* $120 includes textbook
* Full lesson plan here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/competitive-bidding>
* Click here to save your seat
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment> (pay at
the club)
Classes This Week
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, practice two over one
game force auctions. It's a treat to get to practice only hands
involving 2/1GF or the one notrump forcing bid!
This week's classes:
* Wednesday, May 7, 3:00 PM /Bridge Basics 4 - Play of the Deal/
"Handling the Opponents"
* Wednesday, May 7, 7:00 PM /Two Over One Game Force/ "Practice Hands"
* Wednesday, May 8, 7:00 PM /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ "Practice
Hands"
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 ...
For those of you in our eastern realms, nearer Ontario, or willing to
travel, *Tom Lill has a game on Saturday, May 10,* starting at 10:00.
He's having a full day of bridge, with two sessions! He had a
cancellation and is looking for a player to fill out the last table. If
you'd like to play, drop me a note and I'll forward it along.
Later in May we have more "Go local!" glitter points:
Monday through Wednesday, May 19-21 all regular open club games will
award 25% silver points.
Thursday through Saturday, May 29-31 all regular open club games will
award 25% gold points.
No extra charge! Just a little "glitter" from the ACBL for the local clubs.
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zachary
Two things I neglected from the newsletter:
First, if you're interested in attending Jan's workshop on Montreal
Relay, would you please let her know? She has printed material and needs
to have enough on hand. wickershamjanet(a)gmail.com
Also, there is a memorial for Dan Lubesnik on Monday, May 5, at 1:00 PM,
at Holy Cross Cemetery, 5835 Slauson, Culver City.
Best regards,
Mojo
--
build message
Morris "Mojo" Jones
mojo(a)PasadenaBridgeClub.com
https://PasadenaBridgeClub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Pasadena Bridge Club <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
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>
Dan Lubesnik has been a fixture at the bridge tables in Arcadia for as
long as I've been here. I'll always remember him for his gentlemanly
manner and the ubiquitous sport coat he wore to the bridge club.
Dan passed away last Sunday the 20th. The Unit Game that day was named
in his honor.
Thomspon Jin and Dan Lubesnik
Thompson Jin and Dan Lubesnik following their qualifying finish in the
District 23 North American Pairs finals in October.
Learn Montreal Relay
This *Wednesday, April 30, at 9:30 AM* before the Open Pairs game, Jan
Wickersham will conduct a seminar on a unique and interesting bidding
system variation known as the *Montreal Relay*.
It's a fascinating variation. If you and your partner enjoy tinkering
with bidding systems, this one is worth your time. I won't try to talk
about the system, come hear Jan talk about it Wednesday morning!
(I'll be at the club right at 9:30 to open the doors.)
Stunning results from April charity game
Last April 16 we hosted the ACBL Charity Game #2. The game comes with
big national and district masterpoint awards. The top twenty nationally,
and top five in each district, get big masterpoint awards.
Surprise! Our club appears to have been the only one reporting from
District 23. Our district consists of Los Angeles County only. We're
surrounded by District 22 which covers the remainder of Southern California.
As a result, our club's top five finishers were also the top five
finishers in the district! The full results are at this link
<https://club-results.s3.amazonaws.com/production/SpecialGameResults/AWC/202…>
(scroll down to District 23).
Congratulations to *John Barrow* and *Karen Arase* who claimed first
place and a cool 10 masterpoints. :)
Upcoming Glitter Games in May
The ACBL is converting local club game awards into 25% silver and 25%
gold later this month.
Bridge Classes This Week
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.
This week's classes:
* Wednesday, April 30, 9:30 AM /Jan Wickersham FREE seminar/,
"Montreal Relay"
* Wednesday, April 30, 3:00 PM /Bridge Basics 4 - Play of the Deal/
"Entries"
* Wednesday, April 30, 7:00 PM Two Over One Game Force "The Choice
Between Game and Slam"
* Wednesday, May 1, 7:00 PM /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ "Practice
Hands"
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 ...
Later in May the ACBL is going to be offering more "Go local!" glitter
points:
Monday through Wednesday, May 19-21 all regular open club games will
award 25% silver points.
Thursday through Saturday, May 29-31 all regular open club games will
award 25% gold points.
No extra charge! Just a little "glitter" from the ACBL for the local clubs.
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 love a good Arnold Palmer. I made it a point to have an iced tea and
lemonade dispenser in the club when we opened.
Well the tea machine didn't work very well, and Park's Coffee replaced
it with another machine, but ultimately they've taken all of those
products off their catalog.
For quite a while, the lemonade has been so weak it wasn't really
drinkable. Park's sent a tech out to adjust the machine, and *it's
pretty good now*. I have one more refill of lemonade to serve. Help
yourself! I'll be looking for another tea/lemonade solution sometime!
ACBL Wide Charity Game #2
This game raises money for ACBL charities, and it features big
masterpoint awards and a delightful analysis booklet with all of the
hands from the game reviewed and analyzed.
The game will be Wednesday, April 16 (a week away). Card fee will be $13.
Special feature for the *Friday Social/Supervised play session* at 3:00,
I'll have the hands from the charity game available to play, along with
the expert analysis!
Sale on 5-game tickets
Let's have a spring sale! Starting April 15, until April 30, 5-game
tickets will be on sale for $55 (instead of $60). Punches are good for
any regular Open Pairs game, or the Tuesday and Saturday 299er Pairs.
Bridge Classes This Week
*Two Over One Game Force* starts this week on Wednesday evening! Come
level-up your bidding to the most popular system played in our club and
tournaments everywhere. Sign up here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>.
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 at 3:00 PM we'll be practicing
all of the big popular conventions: Stayman, Jacoby Transfer Bids,
strong 2-Club openers, and a little slam bidding. It's great getting to
practice them all in a concentrated setting.
This week's classes:
* Wednesday, April 9, 3:00 PM /Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions/
"Practice Hands"
* Wednesday, April 9, 7:00 PM /Two Over One Game Force/ "Introduction"
* Wednesday, April 10, 7:00 PM /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ "One
Notrump Openings and Responses"
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 ...
We're going to have a full week of Club Championship games at the Open
Pairs sessions Monday through Saturday, April 21-26. I'm planning to
hold a week of Club Championships every two months during the last week
of the month.
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 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
