Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
News from N Fair Oaks
Mojo
Pasadena
Bridge Club <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
BridgeMojo <https://bridgemojo.com>
Courses <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_courses>
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Card fees for all games $10
No more $15 or $13 games.
I want the Pasadena Bridge Club to exceed expectations for environment,
quality, and value. I don't want anyone to think twice about coming out
for a bridge game.
I want to make it easy for folks to visit and play as often as they
like, and I want my students to discover bridge to be a worthwhile
pastime, challenging mindsport, and a great value.
Special games, charity, and fund raisers might call for an extra dollar
once in a while, but that will be the exception, and not yet.
We still have two *Wednesday Bridge & Pizza* parties in February. We'll
be playing Educational Fund games *awarding masterpoints* *at 63%
sectional rating*! (The extra sanction fee is on me.)
Nothing else will change. Same great hands from The Common Game, Free
snacks, coffee, iced tea, and soft drinks.
Come enjoy a game on me
I've mailed a postcard to all ACBL members with 300 or more masterpoints
in Pasadena and neighboring bridge units good for a free game on any
Wednesday Open game at 11:00 a.m. (If you don't get one within a few
days, drop me a note and I'll take care of it.)
For the novice/intermediate players, read on for more news. (And if
you'd like to play in the Open Pairs on a Wednesday, drop me a note!
Your next game is on me.)
All students in current classes will also receive a coupon for a free
game (any game) at the bridge center. All full courses will include a
textbook and a free game.
Monday novice game moves to Tuesday next week
Monday evening novice games had some sentimental history for me. In 2017
I first created the BridgeMojo game, renting space in a Masonic Hall in
San Marino. That game later moved to the San Marino Center.
But honestly, Mondays aren't always a great night! For one thing, they
often land on a holiday, as will the game on February 20. And on a
personal note, moving the game to Tuesdays will give me two evenings off
-- time to give us a true weekend.
I'm committed to offering a game on a weekday evening that will allow
working bridge players to get into a real game at the bridge club, along
with a true Saturday bridge afternoon for novice/intermediate players.
Free novice game Feb. 21
To kick off the Tuesday evening novice game, the game on February 21 is
free. Come play 14 or 15 boards at 7:00 on February 21. Please drop me a
note (or use RSVP Bridge) to reserve a seat. Partners available!
*The February 13 Monday evening game is on*. Come play if you can! $10
card fee. I'll send a reminder to our players on RSVPBridge shortly.
Thank you all for your support, encouragement, and attention. :)
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zach
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
News from N Fair Oaks
Mojo
Pasadena
Bridge Club <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
BridgeMojo <https://bridgemojo.com>
Courses <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_courses>
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Special games on Wednesdays
It doesn't get any better than the Wednesday morning Open Pairs game at
the Pasadena Bridge Club in February!
Every Wednesday in February I'm bringing in *hot fresh pizza* from Blaze
Pizza. If you didn't know, our bridge club lives just above Blaze. I can
place the order, dash down the stairs and back, and it's still hot and
crisp. I've been enjoying their veggie pizzas and meat pizzas, but I'm
open to suggestion!
To make it even better, it's *Educational Foundation month* at bridge
clubs in February. I'm picking up the extra sanction fee, and all of our
February Wednesday Open Games will pay *double black points* compared to
a regular club game.
*Game time is 11:00 a.m.* We'll take a short pizza break, play 24
boards, and you should be back on the road before the traffic peaks on
I-210.
Our hands are *The Common Game afternoon* boards. It's a great
opportunity to compare your results with clubs all over North America.
If you're planning to play, please *reply to this email* so we know
you're coming. (You can also join the game from RSVPBridge.com
<https://rsvpbridge.com/> if you're already enrolled there.)
If you haven't noticed, the club is situated in a pretty special
location. Arriving or departing, coming from the north or east, you can
always get to the club without going through the 210/134 interchange.
Even from Glendale or the valley, you can exit to Fair Oaks before
hitting the big Pasadena merge.
Thursday class and novice game
I already have at least three tables of new bridge players signed up to
start Bridge Basics 1 - An Introduction on Thursday morning, Feb. 23, at
9:00 a.m.
Interest in the Thursday 12:00 noon novice pairs is running high as well!
If you have friends who've been looking for a weekday bridge class, let
them know soon! Try the first class free with no obligation.
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zach
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
News from N Fair Oaks
Mojo
Pasadena
Bridge Club <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
BridgeMojo <https://bridgemojo.com>
Courses <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_courses>
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
New courses coming up
The next round of great courses for advancing players will be starting
later in February:
*Competitive Bidding* Wed 7-9 PM starting Feb 23 (6 classes)
*Doubles *Sat 9:30-1:30 AM starting Feb 25 (6 classes)
*Defense *Thu 7-9 PM starting Mar 9 (8 classes)
You can reserve your spot in any of these classes by replying to this
email, or use the contact form here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>.
Thursday class and novice game
A new series of the Bridge Basics courses will be starting on Thursday
mornings, Feb. 23, with a *free *session of /Bridge Basics 1 - An
Introduction/.
There's a lot of demand for weekday classes and games for those of us
not burdened by 9-5 weekday jobs. There are already several future
players signed up for the class!
In conjunction with the Thursday morning classes, I'll be offering a
*novice bridge gam**e* on Thursdays at Noon. We'll play 14-15 hands, and
should be done by 2:30.
Bridge and pizza Wednesdays
I've been getting great reviews on the quality of the pizza from Blaze
Pizza on Wednesdays! Made just downstairs from the club, it comes
upstairs hot and crispy.
Join us for an *Open Pairs* game with great competition. We'll play from
11:00 a.m. and be finished no later than 2:30 p.m.
International Fund Game Feb. 4
Our upcoming *299er game on Saturday Feb. 4*, 1:00 p.m., will be a
special game with significant extra masterpoint awards.
I will have expert analyses of every hand played by bridge author Frank
Stewart. The game raises funds to support US bridge teams competing in
international competition.
Your card fee will be the same $15. I'll kick in the extra sanction fee
for the game. Come play and help support our US teams!
Web site updates
Drop by pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/> for the
current schedule, and some great pictures from the building of the club
last December.
I've added a resources page <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/resources>
with links to bridge organizations and other clubs.
The staff page <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/staff> finally has a
picture and bio of yours truly. Hopefully more to be added soon! (More
teachers and directors wanted!)
And the game results <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/game_results> page
has links to both ACBL Live for Clubs and The Common Game, offering two
different ways to view your game results.
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zach
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
News from N Fair Oaks
Mojo
Pasadena
Bridge Club <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
BridgeMojo <https://bridgemojo.com>
Courses <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_courses>
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Bridge, Pizza and Extra Points
The *Wednesday Open Pairs* game at 11:00 a.m. will be a Junior Fund
game, awarding many extra masterpoints (it looks like it's more than
double a normal club game). This game helps raise funds to support ACBL
programs for players under 26 years of age.
Besides the extra points, we'll have pizza from Blaze Pizza.
And all for the same $15 card fee.
Drop me a note if you're planning to come play! I'll add you to the
RSVPBridge reservation system.
New /Bridge Basics 1 - An Introduction/ series scheduled
For our friends who won't be getting out in the evenings, but want to
try their hand at our favorite game: We have a new Bridge Basics series
starting on Thursday mornings, February 23, at 9:00 a.m.
Have them come try it for free! If they want to take the full six-week
series, it's only $91, including the textbook from Audrey Grant.
Reservations are available now on the web site. All I need is a name and
email address. https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment
The introductory course will be followed by the full Bridge Basics
series, 1 through 3. We'll also have a novice bridge game on Wednesdays
at 12:00 noon, playing about 14 hands.
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zach
It's Tuesday, and we don't have any reservations for tonight's scheduled
game. We'll continue to offer, of course!
Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. will be our first of many Bridge and Pizza (or
Tamales) games for Open Pairs. If you'd like to come play, please drop
me a note here, or call or TXT message (626) 247-4457. 12 players is
enough for a game!
Every Wednesday at 11:00, bridge with pizza. $15. :)
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>
Learn and Play Bridge!
Mojo
Pasadena
Bridge Club <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
BridgeMojo <https://bridgemojo.com>
Courses <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_courses>
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Monday Evenings are special
The Monday evening game is the one where *new bridge players* come to
learn and practice playing bridge the way we do at clubs and tournaments.
In 2017, I created the *BridgeMojo *game for Monday evenings. I rented a
Masonic hall in San Marino, and set up tables. The game ran for a year,
and continued at the San Marino Center next to the library.
It was a place for new players to get accustomed to *how duplicate
bridge works*. Learn how to keep score; pick up all the little details
involved in formal bridge tournaments. Get started with the right habits.
We played 14 hands on those Monday evening. It was a quick two hours of
bridge. After the game I would have a topic on the laws of bridge, a
play or defense tip, or other things you need to know whether you're
playing in a weekly club game or a national championship.
Let's do that again. It's just us! Come meet an old or new partner and
join us for a real bridge game. This could be the night where someone
earns their first masterpoints.
Drop me a note and let me know if you'd like to play! I'll find you a
partner if you need one. /We only need 12 players for a game!/
This is the game to do it. Play joyfully and fearlessly!
Play bridge fearlessly!
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zach
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
News from N Fair Oaks
Mojo
Pasadena
Bridge Club <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
BridgeMojo <https://bridgemojo.com>
Courses <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_courses>
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Off to a great start!
On Wednesday evening I held the first class of *Bridge Basics 1 - An
Introduction* for Pasadena City College Extension. I've been teaching
the class for them for about 13 years now.
This class was *sold out with 28 students* — the total capacity of the
room at Arcadia High School! I had to turn away a few wait-listed students.
Along with Bridge Basics 1, we have a great turnout for *Play of the
Hand* on Thursday evenings, and *Improving Your Judgment - Opening the
Bidding* on Saturday morning. (It's not too late to join the fun if
you'd like!)
We've also had new players from our classes coming in to enjoy
social/supervised bridge games at the club. This is a great way for
players to get to practice their bridge and enjoy the great atmosphere
at the club, while having an experienced bridge player on hand to answer
questions.
Of course there's also the beverages and snacks on hand.
Calling Saturday players!
Tomorrow morning starts with the Opening the Bidding course, class 1,
and hosted social bridge at 9:30 a.m.
At 1:00 p.m. we have *Open Pairs* and a *299er game* on the calendar.
We will definitely have the 299er game if we can get 12 players. Else if
we can get 12 total players, we can have a combined open game.
If you'd like to play, drop me a note please! Partners available.
Wednesday Open Pairs
Starting this Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. through February, the pizza is on
me. We'll have Blaze Pizza, vegetarian and not, to enjoy at lunch time
during the game. Maybe we'll switch it up with tamales from Vallarta. :)
If you'd like to play, drop me a note and I'll make a reservation for you!
And evening games
*Monday evening, 299ers*, 7:00 p.m., 14 boards, two hours of bridge!
*Tuesday evening, Open*, 7:00 p.m., 14 boards, a quick two hour bite of
bridge! Be home in time to feed the dog. :)
New Bridge Basics Thursday mornings
Starting *Thursday, February 23 at 10:00 a.m.*, /Bridge Basics 1 - An
Introduction/. Here's a new beginning bridge course for those who prefer
weekdays to evenings or weekends!
Bridge Basics 1 will be followed by the second (Competitive Bidding) and
third (Popular Conventions) courses in the series.
Best regards,
Mojo
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
News from N Fair Oaks
Mojo
Pasadena
Bridge Club <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
BridgeMojo <https://bridgemojo.com>
Courses <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_courses>
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Revamping the schedule
We're going to back off offering so many Open Pairs sessions, and add
new games one at a time, as the demand builds back.
Starting next week, we'll offer Open Pairs games on *Wednesday mornings*
at 11:00 a.m., and a short Bridge Express (14-board) game on *Tuesday
evenings* at 7:00 p.m.
Make a reservation to play on Wednesday any time through February and
I'll be bringing in either pizza from Blaze or tamales from Vallarta.
We'll make it *lunch and bridge*.
Drop me an email, and I'll add you to the "Wednesday Morning" group on
RSVPbridge. Partners available!
No Open Pairs games on Thursday or Friday mornings this week. (Or Monday
or Tuesday.)
We're also going to take the opportunity to offer some *daytime
beginning bridge classes on Thursday mornings* starting in about six
weeks. I'll be posting an offer for /Bridge Basics 1/ on Thursday
mornings, and we'll have a short form (14-board) novice game on Thursday
afternoons.
I'll post more information about the class and game when we nail down a
date.
Huge event this Sunday
We have reservations for 18-1/2 tables of bridge this Sunday for the
North American Pairs District 23 Final!
These players all qualified to compete by doing well in a designated NAP
Qualifier game at a club during June July and August. The top 4 pairs in
each flight (top 3 in A flight) will be invited to compete in the
prestigious North American Pairs championship at the Spring NABC in New
Orleans.
This is also a great opportunity to showcase our wonderful club!
Play of the Hand and Social Bridge
Our classes on Thursday evening and Saturday morning have great
turnouts. There's still room if you'd like to join!
We also have new players coming to spend time at the club and play
bridge with friends, old and new. Social bridge sessions will be
available on Thursday evenings, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m., and Saturday mornings,
9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
For the social bridge games, we'll have mentors on hand to help you when
you're stumped. I have Chicago score pads available for keeping track as
well!
I just completed the first class of a new /Bridge Basics 1 - An
Introduction/ class for PCC Extension. Class was completely full, with
27 of the 28 registered students coming to the first session. Watch for
these folks to start filling in our social and novice games!
Updates to the space
We've added four large (and silent) air purifiers to the playing area,
three in the main room and one in the classroom.
Every table now has an anti-virus Kleenex box. and there's hand
sanitizer in the kitchen and next to the convention cards.
Our landlord has roofers visiting the space Thursday morning to help
pinpoint the source of a few roof leaks that popped up during the Monday
night downpour. Maybe they can patch it up enough for the next storm!
As it is, there was no damage to the club that wasn't easy to clean up.
We have spare ceiling tiles, and we're all set to go.
Best regards,
Mojo
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
News from N Fair Oaks
Mojo
Pasadena
Bridge Club <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
BridgeMojo <https://bridgemojo.com>
Courses <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_courses>
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
40 days and 40 nights?
You all know we're in for a lot of rain over the next two days!
Over Monday and Tuesday, I will be at the bridge club and available to
run a sanctioned bridge game if we have at least 12 players, or just a
friendly social game if not.
At the moment we have no players signed up for Monday, 2 for Monday
evening, and none for either game Tuesday.
I honestly don't want any of you to travel if the conditions are unsafe.
So if you think you'd like to come play bridge and watch the rain with
me with our panoramic view, I'm happy to have you. Let me know please!
Things might be look better if there's a break on Wednesday. (Mike and
Amy, I don't recommend driving to Pasadena on Monday or Tuesday!)
As a result, *Upgraded Club Championship Week* will be postponed to a
week with more favorable weather and game attendance.
Great time at the opening
Our grand opening was a great success. It was wonderful having nine
tables: six in Open Pairs, three in 299er pairs. I'll post some pictures
as I get them from friends.
It was also a delight to have all the friends and family who dropped in
to tour the club, grab a bite, and meet the other bridge players. (I had
one dear friend, who I've known since high school, drive from Palm
Desert to see the new club and congratulate me!)
We got to discover all the weak spots in our preparation, and everyone
was very patient with the details. Honestly with a day or two off, I'll
be able to address a few of the minor issues that came up during the
Saturday game.
If you played in the Open Pairs game and scratched, you may have noticed
that your masterpoint award increased. I left out part of the game
configuration on Saturday, and fixed it on Sunday.
If you have friends who haven't heard about the club yet, please pass
along the word!
Speak to you soon,
Mojo
Pasadena Bridge Club Logo <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Learn and Play Bridge!
Mojo
Pasadena
Bridge Club <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
BridgeMojo <https://bridgemojo.com>
Courses <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_courses>
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
Time for some news
It's almost opening day! We have people reserving seats for the Grand
Opening game and the North American Pairs special event.
Students are getting ready for classes. Beginning bridge at PCC
Extension is nearly sold out!
Let me know you're coming!
Reservations are open for *all games and classes* -- drop me a note if
you're planning to play!
I'm using *RSVPBridge* for managing game reservations. You can also use
it to pay card fees in advance if you like (with R-Bucks). When you
first make a game reservation, I'll create an account for you on
RSVPBridge. Each of the weekly events has its own RSVP group, and you'll
have the opportunity to join other game groups.
Check our progress!
Zach and I have been putting the finishing touches on the club. WiFi is
up and speedy. The board prep station has made its first set of boards
from The Common Game.
We will have fabulous refreshments available. Check out the pictures at
the web site!
We'll be serving complimentary coffee, brewed hot tea, iced tea, finger
snacks (Goldfish, Peanut M&Ms, mixed nuts), and soft drinks.
Refreshment station
Check out the latest pics here <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/node/32>.
Upgraded club championships
Our first week of games, Monday-Saturday January 9-14 will all pay
upgraded black masterpoints, courtesy of the ACBL.
It'll be a great week to get started on the new "Ace of Clubs" award for
2023!
Seeking mentors for supervised play
Do you get a kick out of helping out new bridge players? On Thursday
evenings and Saturday mornings I'll be inviting my new bridge students
(and anyone else who likes) to come play bridge with friends in an
unstructured environment.
Your job as a volunteer mentor would be to offer coaching and answer
questions /when requested/. (And to stay out of the way most of the time!)
The only requirement is enthusiasm and friendliness, plus a decent
knowledge of Standard American bidding and Chicago scoring
<https://acbl.org/learn/#scoring>.
For those willing to coach one of our two-hour sessions, I'm offering
free plays at a Pasadena Bridge Club game.
COVID vaccinations required
Club policy will mirror the ACBL tournament policy. Before you come to
play, send me a picture of your vaccination card by email if you can.
RSVPBridge will keep a record, and you'll never have to do it again at
the Pasadena Bridge Club.
(You can also show me the card or a picture or digital record the first
time you check in at the club.)
I will have masks and hand sanitizer available, and require that we all
respect the wishes of any players who requests masking at their table.
As you know, bridge players constitute an extremely vulnerable
population, and we're going to do our best to keep each other healthy!
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zach
