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>
When I first started attending tournaments, I was always fascinated by
the planning and organization of the games, despite never really knowing
who would show up to play. Would it be not enough, or would it be too many?
I share this "director's dilemma" with Brenda Egeland from D.C. Like me,
she was also fascinated by directing and organizing bridge games as a
very new player. She told me she earned her club director certification
when she had about 50 masterpoints.
Brenda is also a talented software engineer. She addressed that
perpetual anxiety by building RSVPBridge. I saw its value as a planning
tool early on, and many other major clubs (Honors Bridge in Manhattan
among others) have adopted it as well.
The real value in having reservations for a game is that /I know you are
coming/. If you're a couple of minutes late, I can still establish a
movement and start the game, while keeping your seat available.
If someone has an unintentional or forgotten reservation, it's not
really a disaster. We might end up with a half table that wasn't
expected, but that's not so bad.
Sadly, last week I had a pair arrive about five minutes late who was not
in the reservation list. With everyone present, the game had started
right at 11:00, and the players were well into their first boards. The
new pair thought they had a reservation, but for some unknown reason it
didn't make it into RSVPBridge for the game.
A more experienced director might have found a way to add a table to the
movement, but it wasn't something that was part of my repertoire.
Because of the reservation system, I haven't had to deal with that
situation! (Studying up for next time!)
The reservation system relies on email to remind players that they are
(or are not) on the list for a game. The reminders are not sent
automatically; I try to remember to send one the night before or at
least several hours before a game.
Email is notoriously unreliable. Often such generated emails are routed
to junk or spam folders instead of the inbox, and many people just don't
use email (I completely understand!).
So I ask a couple of things: Watch out for those emails if you can. When
the reminder email for each game arrives from RSVPBridge, look for "You
are (or are not) signed up to play" in the email. If it's wrong, let me
know!
Secondly, if you're making a last minute reservation, or want to play on
the spur of the moment, please try to make it to the bridge club at
least 10 minutes before game time, or call (626) 247-4457 and leave a
message. We can get you into the game and change the movement if we know
you're coming!
Club championships all week
Each quarter the ACBL invites clubs to hold "Club Championships" for
each of the club's weekly games. There's no extra sanction fee and no
extra card fee.
The point awards are significant! In addition, each game will have
"overall" winners -- not just N/S and E/W winners.
(This might be the week when you choose to play E/W instead of N/S if
you can! If you're wondering why, ask me sometime.)
Classes this coming week
Individual classes are available to join for $25. No need to sign up for
a full course!
*Mojo's pick*: /Improving Your Judgement - Doubles/ on Wednesday
evening. Add some precision to your bids after partner doubles.
* Wednesday, 7:00 PM, /Improving Your Judgment - Doubles/, "Doubler's
rebid and the subsequent auction"
* Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding/ "The
takeout double"
In December, I'm going to hold four individual classes from the Eddie
Kantar lesson series. I've picked four excellent topics on declarer
play. More about that in a couple weeks.
Coming up ...
I was mistaken when I listed October 7-12 as a STaC silver point week,
but we will get to have two weeks of double point games during October
-- the Jane Johnson Club Appreciation games. I'll add them to the
schedule soon.
*Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction* will begin again on Wednesday evenings
starting October 23. Enrollment is open now at PCC Extension
<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>
Zachary has been wanting to try something for weeks now -- have a short
team match at "Office Hours." He reports team match last week, and may
try it again! We have plans to offer a regular team game at the club,
but limited bandwidth just now.
I have two weeks of awkward course scheduling during the second two
weeks of December. I'm in possession of some dynamite standalone lessons
from Eddie Kantar on every bridge subject you can think of. I'm
considering holding single-session classes that anyone can drop in for.
Then we'll start up courses again in January. Let me know what you think!
Saturdays full of bridge
Zachary had a splendid idea for the 299ers who can't get enough bridge ...
If you come to play in the Saturday morning workshop-and-game, grab some
lunch then play in the 1:00 game for half price! It will be a great way
to spend a cloudy chilly Saturday this fall and winter. :)
Tuesday evening novice pairs
Tuesday evening is our time for new players to come play in a real
bridge game with other novice bridge players. Lisa Walker is your host
for 14-or-so bridge hands every Tuesday evening at 7:00. The game is
always over by 9:15, and it's a very friendly bunch.
Lots of new players are winning their first masterpoints in the Tuesday
evening game!
Classes this coming week
Individual classes are available to join for $25. No need to sign up for
a full course!
*Mojo's pick*: /Improving Your Judgement - Doubles/ on Wednesday
evening. Add some precision to your bids after partner doubles.
* Wednesday, 7:00 PM, /Improving Your Judgment - Doubles/, "Advancing
(responding to) partner's double"
* Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding/ "Simple
overcalls and advances"
Coming up ...
We'll have a week of Club Championship games next week, culminating with
the special Over/Under game on September 29. These are games that pay
bunches of extra masterpoints with no extra sanction fee. (We get to do
that a few times a year!)
The next silver point week will be October 7-12, and October is Club
Appreciation Month with lots of nifty events.
*Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction* will begin again on Wednesday evenings
starting October 23. Enrollment is open now at PCC Extension
<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>
The final day of August was a wonderful day at the bridge club. In the
morning we had a 5-table 299er game, preceded by an interesting workshop
hand from Eddie Kantar's "Thinking Bridge" series.
In the afternoon we held our final NAP Qualifier game with nine tables.
Zachary and I got to play to fill the last table, which is always a
treat for me. In the ACBL records, we had a 14-table day.
Besides all that, we had a group of students from Bridge Basics 1
practice hands from the fifth session of the class. Michael Blottin and
Jane Winer have been hosting student groups on the weekends to practice
hands and go over material from the various lessons.
Early on, Michael and Jane recognized that sometimes the best way to
learn this game is to /teach it to someone else/. That's a valuable
lesson in itself! They've been inviting players from the classes to join
them on Saturday and Sunday mornings for practice.
Wednesday afternoon bridge party!
Following through with that thought — Jane and Michael have been with us
at the bridge club for one year. They wanted to celebrate, and that's as
good an excuse as any!
During the *Wednesday 3:00-5:00 PM "Office Hours"* they're inviting us
all to join them for wine and cheese at the bridge club. Sherna Foucher
joined the group at about the same time, and together they're all
pitching in to make it a fun party.
Whether you're a rookie just discovering the game, or an old-timer who's
been enjoying it for decades, this is a great opportunity meet and greet
the new folks (or other new folks).
Maybe instead of just playing bridge we'll break out some of the board
games from the classroom!
Over/Under game Sept. 29
At the club there is a sign-up sheet for newer players to join the
Over/Under game on September 29. Players who are non-Life Masters under
500 masterpoints are invited to sign up.
On the Sunday of the event (Sept. 29), we'll assign partnerships with an
experienced player for a bridge game.
For many new players this is a great opportunity to experience
tournament duplicate bridge with a friendly experienced partner. You
might even find yourself discovering a new partnership, and lose any
fear of playing in the big open duplicate games.
/There is no lower limit/ to the experience of the new players invited!
Anyone who can bid and play a bridge hand is invited to join in.
Classes this coming week
Individual classes are available to join for $25. No need to sign up for
a full course!
The defense course is especially good for drop-ins! Send me a note and
let me know you're coming.
* Wednesday, 7:00 PM, /Introduction to Defense/, "Second hand play"
* Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ "Practice hands"
Upcoming courses
Our bridge curriculum features eight different courses for players of
all levels! We currently offer courses on Wednesday and Thursday
evenings, from 7:00-9:00 PM, rotating through the catalog of courses as
best possible.
The next courses will be:
* /Improving Your Judgment - Doubles
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/iyj_doubles>/, starting Sept. 11
* /Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/competitive-bidding>/,
starting Sept. 12
Each course runs for six meetings. The $120 course fee includes an
excellent textbook. You can save your seat in either course at this
link: https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment
Coming up ...
The next Pasadena Unit Game will be held on Sept. 15, and continuing on
the first and third Sundays through this year.
We'll have a week of Club Championship games on the third week of
September. These are games that pay bunches of extra masterpoints with
no extra sanction fee. (We get to do that a few times a year!)
The next silver point week will be October 7-12, and October is Club
Appreciation Month with lots of nifty events.
*Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction* will begin again on Wednesday evenings
starting October 23. Enrollment is open now at PCC Extension
<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>
We do have a "lost and found" area, though it's not really marked! If
you look next to the coat rack on a spare side table, you'll see a
collection of sunglasses, water bottles, a watch, and convention cards
that need to make their way back home.
At some future date, we'll refresh the area by discarding the lost
items, so give it a look next time you visit!
NAP qualifiers last chance
This week our Open Pairs games will all be NAP Qualifiers. The
masterpoint awards are huge, and paid as 50% black and 50% red points.
The $1 extra card fee goes to help pay some travel reimbursement for the
pairs qualifying from District 23 to compete at the spring nationals
next March in Memphis.
There are three strata, non-Life Masters under 500 points, players under
2500 points, and the Open championship strat. Your qualification for a
strat is determined by your masterpoint holding on May 6, 2024, when
masterpoints were compiled from events through April 30. If you went
over 500 or over 2500 since then, you're still eligible for the lower
level. Check the back of your June /ACBL Bulletin/ to be sure.
For all the details about the North American Pairs in District 23,
including game reservations for the district final on October 27, visit
the NAP information page here: https://nap.bridgemojo.com/
Are you curious if you've already qualified? Look for your name on the
District 23 qualifier list here
<https://web2.acbl.org/documentLibrary/play/NAP_Qualifiers/NAP_D23.htm>.
(Note that the list is sorted by unit number.)
Open for Labor Day weekend!
Come hang out for our games on Saturday, the Unit Game on Sunday, Sept.
1, and the club game on Monday, Sept. 2, Labor Day!
Upcoming courses
Our bridge curriculum features eight different courses for players of
all levels! We currently offer courses on Wednesday and Thursday
evenings, from 7:00-9:00 PM, rotating through the catalog of courses as
best possible.
The next courses will be:
* /Improving Your Judgment - Doubles
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/iyj_doubles>/, starting Sept. 11
* /Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/competitive-bidding>/,
starting Sept. 12
Each course runs for six meetings. The $120 course fee includes an
excellent textbook. You can save your seat in either course at this
link: https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment
Classes this coming week
Individual classes are available to join for $25. No need to sign up for
a full course!
The defense course is especially good for drop-ins! Send me a note and
let me know you're coming.
* Wednesday, 7:00 PM, /Introduction to Defense/, "Signaling against
suit contracts"
* Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ "Practice hands"
Coming up ...
The Pasadena San Gabriel Unit (ACBL 559) will be hosting three games in
September. The club will host unit games on Sept. 1 and 15.
We also have our fan favorite "Over/Under" game scheduled for Sunday,
Sept. 29. Newer players will be assigned to ppartner for the day, and
get a taste of a true club tournament game with an experienced partner.
More about that soon!
The next silver point week will be October 7-12.
/Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ will begin again on Wednesday evenings
starting October 23. Enrollment is open now at PCC Extension
<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>
These are our last couple of days to get the 5-game discount card.
Thursday is August 15, and the final day to buy some future games for
$10. We'll sell you as many as four cards for $50 each, and a lot of
people have been buying as many as they can. That's commitment!
Games at the club are now $12. Next Monday we have a week of silver
point games with the Western Conference Sectional Tournament at Clubs,
and following that will be the last chance to get your qualifier for the
North American Pairs tournament. Those games will be $13 to cover the
extra sanction fee from the ACBL.
For the special games, you can still use your punch cards, but we'll ask
you to kick in a buck.
Our coffee service, Parks Coffee, is discontinuing the sale of lemonade
and iced tea, and will stop supporting the dispensers like the one I
have in the club. Admittedly the dispenser has been a bit unreliable!
I still love my Arnold Palmers, and would like to serve iced tea and
lemonade. I'll be looking for some alternatives. We have enough supply
to last another month or two.
Classes this coming week
Individual classes are available to join for $25. No need to sign up for
a full course!
The defense course is especially good for drop-ins! Send me a note and
let me know you're coming.
* Wednesday, 7:00 PM, /Introduction to Defense/, "Third-hand play to
the first trick"
* Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ "Major Suit
Opening Bids and Responses"
Coming up ...
*Silver point games, August 19-24*. The Western Conference is hosting
this Sectional Tournament at Clubs. Clubs throughout California and
Nevada are eligible to participate, so the overall awards are
potentially pretty big!
*North American Pairs Qualifiers, August 26-31*. As well as paying huge
masterpoint awards (half red, half black), if you earn at least 50% in
these games you qualify to compete in the NAP District Final on October
27. And that could lead to competing in the NAP finals in Memphis next
March!
These NAP Qualifiers are your last chance for the 2024-25 NAP. August 31
is the last day for club qualifiers. For lots more information about the
North American Pairs, drop in here: https://nap.bridgemojo.com/
Finally, our next courses will be I/mproving Your Judgment - Doubles/
starting Sept. 11, and /Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding/ starting
Sept. 12. All the information is available here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_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>
We have a great new group of students in /Bridge Basics 1 -
Introduction/ on Thursday evenings. Michael Blottin and Jane Winer will
be hosting practice sessions for them (and anyone else interested) on
Saturday mornings at 9:30 at the club in our classroom.
It's also great to see the new students popping in for Office Hours,
Monday through Thursday at 3:00 PM.
One of the hurdles that new players have to overcome is holding and
seeing 13 cards at once, while trying to sort them into suits and rank.
I just made a short video called *Sort a bridge hand
<https://youtu.be/7tolBTlo74Q>* and posted it to the club's YouTube
channel. It shows how I do it, which is probably one of a thousand ways
to sort a hand. You can see it here: https://youtu.be/7tolBTlo74Q
Still time to buy discount cards
Card fees for games at the bridge club are now $12 for regular games,
$13 for special games (STaC, NAP, fund games, etc.).
To ease the transition, we're selling punch cards of five games for $50.
You can buy as many as four if you like (that's commitment!). We'll have
them for sale through August 15.
They've been going quickly! I need to go make some more right after I
finish this newsletter. :)
Saturday intermediate/novice (299er) game
Our first Saturday morning game for the I/N players had a great turnout,
with seven tables. Everyone came for the 9:30 workshop, and it was very
well received.
The lessons will consist of a single hand with interesting bidding,
play, or defense problems. Following at about 10:00 we'll play a
matchpoint duplicate game of 14 boards.
Everything will be done by 12:15, with the rest of your Saturday still
available. (Or have some lunch and play in the Open Pairs game at 1:00,
like Carol and Terri did last week!)
Classes this coming week
Individual classes are available to join for $25. No need to sign up for
a full course!
The defense course is especially good for drop-ins! Send me a note and
let me know you're coming.
* Wednesday, 7:00 PM, /Introduction to Defense/, "Opening Leads
against Trump Contracts"
* Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ "1 Notrump
Opening Bids and Responses"
Coming up ...
*Silver point games, August 19-24*. The Western Conference is hosting
this Sectional Tournament at Clubs. Clubs throughout California and
Nevada are eligible to participate, so the overall awards are
potentially pretty big!
*North American Pairs Qualifiers, August 26-31*. As well as paying huge
masterpoint awards (half red, half black), if you earn at least 50% in
these games you qualify to compete in the NAP District Final on October
27. And that could lead to competing in the NAP finals in Memphis next
March!
These NAP Qualifiers are your last chance for the 2024-25 NAP. August 31
is the last day for club qualifiers. For lots more information about the
North American Pairs, drop in here: https://nap.bridgemojo.com/
Finally, our next courses will be I/mproving Your Judgment - Doubles/
starting Sept. 11, and /Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding/ starting
Sept. 12. All the information is available here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_courses>.
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>
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
While I'm away (or Zachary is away) at any time, we may be reasonably
well connected, but might not be able to respond to requests in a timely
fashion.
If you're accustomed to TXTing or emailing my personal phone number or
email address, it will reach me, but won't reach Zachary. It may not get
attention this week.
So to send game reservations or information, here's what you can do to
be sure we both will see it (and any future staff):
* Email: staff(a)pasadenabridgeclub.com
* Telephone and voice mail: (626) 247-4457
* TXT message: (626) 247-4457
* Web site: Click the "Contact the bridge club" link and write a note
I'll be back soon!
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>
I think the bridge club caught the leading edge of the most recent COVID
wave. Those who received the most recent booster probably managed to
skip this wave.
It's still worth testing regularly. Los Angeles hasn't quite crested the
curve of cases, but hopefully we're past the peak at the bridge club!
Silver Point Week
This week, Monday - Saturday, is a Sectional Tournament at Clubs. This
one is hosted by Districts 22 (Southern California) and District 23 (Los
Angeles County).
Clubs who decide to participate throughout Southern California will be
playing the same hands and combining their results to make overall
awards. These can be quite large because they're based on the total
number of tables in play!
Card fees for all STaC games will be $11, which covers the extra
sanction fee added by ACBL.
Sectional Tournament July 27-28
Our local Pasadena San Gabriel bridge unit (Unit 559) will be taking
over the bridge club at the end of the month, Saturday and Sunday.
They'll be using the main club and the community room down the hall.
The schedule includes two pairs games each day, starting at 10:00 and
3:00, with games for Open Pairs, and games limited to players under 500
masterpoints (499ers).
Click here for the tournament flier
<https://web2.acbl.org/Tournaments/Ads/2024/07/2407323.pdf> with all the
information, and this link to join the RSVP Bridge system
<https://www.rsvpbridge.com/join/PasadenaSectional2024> for reservations.
Classes this coming week
If you didn't sign up for a full course, you're still welcome to join
any individual class for $25. Nearly all of our classes stand alone
nicely for a one-time visit.
Here are the topics this week:
* Wednesday, 7:00 PM,//class 6 of 6/Introduction to Declarer Play
/"Ruffing in the short hand"
* Thursday, 7:00 PM,//class 6 of 6 /Two Over One Game Force/ "Practice
Hands"
Mojo's pick for this week: If you're a newish 2/1GF player, I'd pick the
"practice hands" session on Thursday evening. Since hands using 2/1GF
are not all that common, it's great to practice several in concentration.
Coming up ...
Saturday morning early Jane and I are flying to Toronto. We're early for
the nationals -- each summer that's when the American Bridge Teachers
Association holds it's annual convention. It's great to spend time with
other bridge teachers, and I hope to get in a few games at the start of
the NABC as well. We'll be back on the 23rd.
The next /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ is open for enrollment on the
PCC Extension web site
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>.
The class will meet on six Thursday evenings starting August 1.
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>
We had a strange thing happen before this week's Saturday game. Someone
who needed a computer mouse, I suppose, decided to take the one from our
director's desk. Of course they needed the USB dongle that goes with it,
so they took that too.
Luckily when Zach let me know what happened, I was able to rush over
from home with a spare mouse and keyboard, and everything went fine.
We'll have spares on hand from now on.
Changes to card fees starting August 1
One of the goals in building the Pasadena Bridge Club is to make it a
viable endeavour for the long run. In order to do that, it has to be
financially successful for future owners and employees. I expect that at
some point the business will be transferred to a non-profit, but even
then it will have to be able to attract and pay directors and teachers.
I'll also never compromise on the quality of the playing and learning
experience. I built the club to be as close as I could come to a "bridge
palace," comfortable and attractive to non-players who would see the
place and think "I'd like to spend time here and learn to play this game."
We're also charging less than every other major bridge club in LA county
or nearby.
Starting August 1st, all regular duplicate games will have a card fee of
$12. Special games such as STaCs, NAP Qualifiers, most charity games,
will be $13 to cover extra sanction fees.
To help ease the transition, we will be selling five-game punch cards
for $50 each. We'll have them on sale through August 15, and you'll be
able to buy as many as four of them (20 games). (We don't have the cards
yet, but should by the end of the Regional around July 7.)
August changes for the Saturday 299ers
If you've played on a Saturday afternoon the past few weeks, you know
it's been a very complex pair of games to set up and complete. The
popularity of both games means we could potentially reach the capacity
of the club very quickly.
We've also been unable to have the popular pre-game bridge workshop
before the 299er game.
Starting with the August 3 game, the 299er game will begin at 10:00 AM,
with a pre-game 20-minute bridge workshop at 9:30. We'll be able to use
the main room for our workshop and game, and not have to use the small
classroom (unless the game gets huge!).
These workshops will not be what you're used to — no teacher standing at
a white board talking bidding conventions! Instead, I have a collection
of 300 interesting bridge hands with bidding, play, and defense problems
from Eddie Kantar. We'll play the hand, then talk about what could have
happened. It should be great fun!
Next classes
*Introduction to Defense* will help you work with your partner to take
as many tricks as possible on defense.
* Wednesday evenings, starting July 31, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
* Six sessions, $120, includes textbook
* Full course description here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/intro-to-defense>
* Enroll here <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
*Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction* is the starting point for non-players.
Learn the mechanics and basics of the game and start to enjoy playing
bridge.
* Thursday evenings, starting Aug 1, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
* Six sessions, $100 with textbook
* Full course description here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/bridge-basics-introduction>
* Enroll here
<https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…>
through Pasadena City College Extension
Coming up ...
Jane and I will be traveling to Toronto on July 13. I'll be presiding
over the American Bridge Teachers Association convention, and hopefully
getting in a couple of games at the Toronto NABC. We'll be flying home
on July 22.
Paula Olivares will be helping out for the Wednesday game, and Zachary
will be busy working the other weekday and Saturday games.
Hopefully we can settle into some time of healthy players, great
classes, and fun bridge games for the rest of the year!
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zachary
