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649 N Fair Oaks Ave
#201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com
We live and die by the elevator in our lobby.
When it goes out of service, I'm always amazed
at how many of our players who have a difficult
time getting around manage to make their way up
the stairs.
Granted, they're good stairs, with excellent
hand rail spacing for climbing and descending
safely, but it's not ideal to have to use them
every day!
I'm told that we're dependent on a parts
shipment that should arrive Wednesday or
Thursday, and hopefully we'll elevating again
soon.
Change in course schedule
Alas, the textbook for Improving Your
Judgment - Opening the Bidding has gone
out of print, and new copies are no longer
available. (I still have about four on the
shelf.)
I'm replacing IYJ - Opening in the schedule
with another great class, Improving Your
Judgment - Doubles. This is a fantastic
class for new players who need more practice and
refinement for takeout doubles in all kinds of
situations.
IYJ - Opening is still a really great class,
with or without the textbook. It adds detail to
the opening bid decision that you won't find in
any other course, as well as having great hands
for bidding and playing.
Afternoons for novice players
Zachary and I are not only making plans to
revive the 3:00-5:00 PM time period at the club,
we're planning to expand it.
On Mondays, we want to offer a more intensive
session we're calling the "Bridge Workshop with
Zachary." It's an ideal session to take
advantage of Zachary's unique style and insight
to improve your partnership communication and
card play.
Tuesday and Friday will be a resumption ofÂ
casual bridge targeted specifically to our
student players. We want to provide a
comfortable place for absolute n00bs to develop
their bridge chops. The goal is not to make the
best bid or the best play, but to
discover the rhythms of the game and have fun
playing it. We have Jon Fuhrman, Susan Kane,
Melanie Moran, and others lined up to host.
Wednesday is going to be a formal class
session, from our regular course catalog. I plan
to offer Popular Conventions (Bridge Basics 3),
Play of the Deal (Bridge Basics 4), and
Introduction to Defense as the first three
courses offered on Wednesday afternoons. I think
it will be a popular time for folks who don't
want to be out at night.
Thursday we're going to add an official
duplicate bridge game specifically for new
players with fewer than 20 masterpoints. It will
be a short game of about 12 boards.
The Monday and Thursday events will have
reservations and pre-payments available on RSVP
Bridge. Partnerships are encouraged, but
friendly partners always available for those
"looking."
There are a lot of students of the game who
would rather not attend evening classes. I gave
up Saturday morning classes to offer the popular
"workshop and game" on Saturday mornings. I'm
considering offering a course series, perhaps on
Wednesday afternoons.
I dare say that this, along with the Saturday
morning workshop and game, will be a more
extensive program specifically for newer players
than I know of at any other bridge club.
We're still finalizing the starting schedule
and fees for each of the offerings. In the next
few days I will publish a starting schedule. We
won't be able to start every session on March 3,
but I'll let you know.
Bridge Classes This Week
Each week I'll post the topics for the
Wednesday and Thursday classes. Anyone is
welcome to join a single class for $25 without
purchasing an entire course.
This week's offerings are both "practice hand"
sessions. They're a great opportunity to drop in
and practice the class topic.
This week's classes:
- Wednesday, February 19, 7:00 PM Bridge
Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding "Practice
Hands"
- Thursday, February 20, 7:00 PM Bridge
Basics 4 - Play of the Deal "Practice
Hands"
The next Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction
class starts Thursday, April 3. It's open for registration
at this link. If you get the PCC Extension
catalog in your mailbox, you'll find our class
listed!
I'll send a separate email with information
about our new classes starting next week,
"Introduction to Defense" and "Improving Your
Judgment - Doubles."
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 ...
March Wednesday morning bridge talks
with Lulu Minter!
Lulu will be offering a series of free
Wednesday morning chalk talks at 10:00 AM before
the Wednesday Open Pairs game at 11:00. He has a
series of five seminars. I'll be sending an
email with all the information about his talks
and upcoming classes in the next day or two.
Our next Sectional Tournament at Clubs
will be the 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
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