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 it's high time I wrote a newsletter. October is a great month for bridge games and classes. More about my status down below. As of the end of September, in checking our table count among face-to-face clubs in North America, the Pasadena Bridge Club is ranked number 51, with 2,242 tables. That count only includes tables in sanctioned masterpoint games, so if you were to add our classes and casual bridge sessions it would be quite a bit more. I think we'll break into the top 50 by the end of the year! We have a great location, a great staff, and a great program for bridge! This week features our regular club games and schedule, but let's take a look at what's coming up the rest of the month: Sectional Tournament at Clubs Oct 6-11 All Open Pairs games next coming week, October 6-11 will be silver point games. Our club will be pooling with the other Los Angeles County bridge clubs for a Sectional Tournament at Clubs (STaC). Stratification for all open STaC games will be Open/2500/750, based on the average point holding of each pair. With many clubs playing sessions, there potential is there for big silver point awards! Card fees for the STaC games will be $13. Lulu Minter Seminars Oct 6, 8, 9 Monday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings next week, October 6, 8, and 9, Lulu Minter will be offering free pre-game talks at 10:00 before the 11:00 Open Pairs games. His topic for all three sessions will be "Bridge Problems, Thinking Outside the Box" The games those days will all be silver point STaC games, so these talks should be a great way to get into focus for the 11:00 Open Pairs! No reservations required, doors will open at 9:45 on all three days. Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction Oct 8 This fall marks our first "daylight" offering of Bridge Basics 1 in quite a while. This is the starting point for those who don't play bridge, and a great way to get familiar with the mechanics and strategy of the game. This is our only course that's offered through Pasadena City College's Extension program. You'll see it listed in every issue of the PCC Extension catalog that lands in mailboxes three or four times a year. There are already 15 students enrolled! Registration should be made through PCC Extension, and best done online at this link <https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&int_class_id=69937&int_category_id=0&int_sub_category_id=0&int_catalog_id=0>. The course is limited to 28 students. Classes This Week This week we'll be meeting our fifth session of Two Over One Game Force and Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding. Those two classes are running a week behind because of having to cancel last week's classes. Make-up sessions will be held the following week. For all of our courses, you're welcome to join a single class for $25. It's a great way to get a good bite of a subject without a six-week commitment. All three classes are great practice hand sessions, making them dynamite for single-session drop-in practice! * Wednesday, 3:00 PM, /Two Over One Game Force/ "Practice Hands" * Wednesday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding/ "Practice Hands" * Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 4 - Play of the Deal/ "Practice Hands" Our next courses will be: * Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions, Wed. Oct 15 7:00 PM * Introduction to Defense, Thu. Oct. 16 7:00 PM You can enroll for those at this link <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>. Coming up ... October is Club Appreciation Month at the ACBL, and all of our games during October 13-25 will be Club Appreciation games. These pay extra masterpoints with overalls, similar to Club Championship games, and come with no extra card fee! On Sunday October 26, the club will be hosting the North American Pairs District Final. It's a full-day two-session event. If you qualified at a club game, make your reservation to play and get information here: https://nap.bridgemojo.com/ On Wednesday, October 29, we'll host a game in the ACBL-wide Instant Matchpoint Pairs, a very special annual event! More about that in a future newsletter. Mojo update Most of you know I had to spend six nights at Kaiser's LA Medical Center last week, admitted and discharged on Wednesdays. The problem was a rare side-effect of the immunotherapy treatment I've been receiving for my lung cancer. The good news is that we appear to have gotten it under control without any other undue risks, but my poor oncologist is going to have to make a revised plan for the cancer treatment. That's still pending. I'm gradually making my way back to more time at the bridge club, knowing I'll have other interruptions coming up with chemo and surgery. We'll just have to take those as they come. Meanwhile, I think you'll agree that the club has been in excellent hands with everyone pitching in to keep the games and classes running smoothly. My gratitude to Zachary, Lisa, Susan Kane, Milo Sketeris, and everyone who has helped sharpen pencils, push in chairs, and pick up trash around the club. Thank you! But special thanks to my beloved wife Jane who has had to do all of the chores at home (literally the "heavy lifting"), bring me some non-hospital treats every day, and has been driving me to and from the bridge club and doctor visits! Best regards, Mojo, Jane, Zachary, Lisa, Susan