Pasadena Bridge Club Logo

News from North Fair Oaks

Mojo
ABTA Master Teacher

649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com

As of this writing our club sits at #30 in North America among face-to-face bridge clubs. I couldn't be more proud!

Our novice/intermediate games continue to grow. Seven-table games are pretty common on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. The Thursday afternoon game is frequently drawing 5-6 tables.


The Pasadena Unit Game this past Sunday was dedicated to the memory of Rosario "Charo" Holdo, who passed away last week. Charo was a beloved presence at the club, and I miss her tremendously.

Special Classes: Opening the bidding

We have a course in the catalog that we haven't taught for a while, Improving Your Judgement: Opening the Bidding. I'm extracting the first two classes from this course for a special two-night event.

For experienced players, opening the bidding is not as simple as counting to 13 points. The best opening strategy changes with your seating position relative to the dealer. There are times when you should open with fewer, and times when you shouldn't open with 13!

On two Thursday evenings, May 14 and 21, we'll get into the details with some guidelines that adds important nuance to opening the bidding. We'll  focus on the one-level opening bids. The first night will cover opening in first and second seat, and the second we'll examine opening in third and fourth seat.

If you're playing in duplicate games at the club, I highly recommend this course! There are no other prerequisites. It will change your opening bid decisions for the better.

  • Thursdays, May 14-21, 7:00 PM
  • Attend both classes for $40, or $25 individually
  • Register here!

Upcoming Course Schedule Set

Here are the upcoming courses starting the week of Memorial Day.

  • Wednesday afternoons: Introduction to Defense, May 27
  • Wednesday evenings: Two Over One Game Force, May 27
  • Thursday evenings: Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding May 28

I'll have a new class email later this week with more details for the "class" email list as well.

Here's where you can find out about all of our courses.

Classes This Week

Our classes are best in the context of a full course, but they also stand alone very nicely. If you can't take a full course, you can always drop in for a single class on any topic for $25.

This week's classes are particularly perfect for drop-ins. Each of the topics is having a "Practice Hands" session. If you've been through the course, it's a great opportunity for some focused practice on the course topic!

Here are this week's individual classes:

  • Wednesday 3:00 PM Bridge Basics 4 - Play of the Deal "Practice Hands'
  • Wednesday 7:00 PM Improving Your Judgement - Doubles "Practice Hands"
  • Thursday 7:00 PM Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction "Practice Hands"

The Saturday morning 9:30 workshop is on as usual, with another great hand from Eddie Kantar's Thinking Bridge series. (Attend the workshop for free, even if you don't play in that morning's game!)

Coming up ...

We've set dates for the next Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction session. It'll be on Wednesday evenings starting July 15.

Also our friend of the club and up-and-coming bridge player Tyler Slamkowski (best bridge name ever) teaches music at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita. His three guitar orchestras (around 50 students each!) will be performing on Monday and Tuesday, May 18 and 19,  featuring many interesting music genres. Drop Tyler (tyler.slamkowski@tutamail.com) or myself a note and we'll set you up.

Best regards
Mojo, Jane, Zachary, Lisa, Susan