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>
It was a great time Wednesday evening! We had seven tables of curious
folks wanting to learn how to play bridge! It's always only some small
percentage who seriously take up the game as a hobby, but this is how it
starts.
Having the PA system made the class go more smoothly than I expected.
It's much easier to get the attention of the room and move things along.
If you're interested in auditing or assisting, I'm accepting three
volunteers for each class. You'll be there to fill a seat at a table and
participate as a student. We may not have a seat for all three
volunteers, but it's important to have you!
Turning around the bridge club
Which way is north? Geographical north is toward the antennas and
observatories on Mt. Wilson. Bridge north is arbitrary, and
traditionally the "head of the room."
At tournaments you'll find N/S oriented in the direction aligned with a
long row of tables. Generally if you're standing at table 1 North,
you're facing table 2, and 3 is the next distant, and so on.
When I first opened the club, I thought north would be in the direction
of the director's desk and the entry way. Then we hosted a North
American Pairs final, and ACBL tournament director Lynn Yokel walked
into the room to lay out the tables and instinctively laid out the room
with north toward the bulletin board and timing clock. It made sense to
me, and I kept it that way ever since -- over the objections of
geographical purists who feel that bridge club north should at least
approximate geographical north (especially when it's so obvious out the
window!).
We heard enough to decide that we would turn bridge north toward the
entry way and director's desk.
I've tried it for a few games, and it's /fine/, except ...
I underestimated how many little habits have to change with changing
north in a bridge club! The Bridgemates go to the other side of the
table. The Kleenex boxes move to the other corner. My class boards
switch sides. Players accustomed to walking in and sitting south have to
switch their familiar seat. Table 1 moves to the opposite side of the room.
Turning a bridge club north to a different direction becomes a little
like steering a giant cruise ship. We'll get there, but it will take a
while to change all our habits!
Next courses
The web site has been updated for the next round of courses. Here are
the next ones on the calendar:
* *Two Over One Game Force*, Saturday mornings, Feb. 17
* *Bridge Basics 2 - Competitive Bidding*, Wednesday evenings, Feb. 21
* *Improving Your Judgment - Opening the Bidding*, Thursday evenings,
Feb. 22
Our next /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ will start on Saturday, April
6, for six Saturday mornings. (Bridge Basics 1 is always followed by
BB2, BB3, in succession.)
Classes this week
Individual classes are available to join for $25. No need to sign up for
a full course.
My next several Saturday afternoon workshops will focus on opening
leads, starting with basic card combinations. It should be a great series!
Here are the topics this week:
* Wednesday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ "1NT Openings
and Responses"
* Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Introduction to Declarer Play/ "Winning tricks
with spot cards, and finesses"
* Saturday, 9:30 AM, /Introduction to Defense/, "Third hand play"
* Saturday, 1:00 PM, /Workshop and game/, "Opening lead basics: card
combinations"
*New on the YouTube channel*: Bridge Mini Lesson 18, leading from a
sequence against notrump: https://youtu.be/WD0e9wI8kB4
Coming up ...
Our club has many players who enjoy celebrating Chinese New Year, and
they're putting together a celebration for the Wednesday game on
February 7. We'll make it a Club Championship so it will be worth extra
masterpoints as well!
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zachary
Tonight I'm expecting about 7 tables of students for Bridge Basics 1.
I'm looking for one or two people who'd be willing to fill in a table of
3 when it's necessary.
It's a fun opportunity to get to hear how Bridge Basics 1 is taught, and
to offer your own enthusiasm for bridge. You won't be teaching -- just
participating as a student. And if there aren't seats available, you'll
be on standby.
Let me know if you're interested! I'll be asking the same for all six
Wednesdays of this class.
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>
Our new window light box sign facing the parking lot is in place, and
the sign maker just installed power for it. It should be visible easily
at night! During the day it may show up when it's not too bright.
I also have a portable PA system that I installed today. I'm going to be
trying it out for the Bridge Basics 1 course starting Wednesday evening.
(We had a quote for a full-featured installed PA system that was just a
little above our willingness to spend!)
Declarer play course
This Thursday is the first meeting of /Introduction to Declarer Play/,
six weeks focused on making your contracts as the declarer!
The course comes with an updated classes Introduction to Declarer Play
by Eddie Kantar. As an added bonus, after each class you'll be able to
practice the class hands from the Pasadena Bridge Club web site!
Part of what makes this course fun is that there's no bidding involved,
just card play!
* Introduction to Defense
* Six Thursday evenings, starting January 11, 7:00-9:00 PM
* $115 includes textbook
* See the full lesson plan here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/intro-to-declarer-play>
* Click here to enroll and join the class
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment>
Correcting partner
Some players feel that it's their right, or even obligation, to point
out their partner's errors at the bridge table. (Some even extend that
to their opponent's errors.)
The zero tolerance policy
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/zero-tolerance> includes as an "example
of behavior which will not be tolerated":
Negative comments concerning opponents' or partner's play or bidding.
Far from improving your bridge results (it actually has the opposite
effect), it's uncomfortable for others at or near your table. Indeed
what may seem to you like a normal "bridge conversation" can seem harsh
and abusive to those who can't help but overhear it.
Before you give in to the urge to make a comment, or even answer a
question, consider how such comments are going to affect your partner's
focus on the next two or three boards. You might be giving up two or
three times more matchpoints than you thought you had. (Not counting a
potential ZT penalty!)
Classes this week
Individual classes are available to join for $25. No need to sign up for
a full course.
Here are the topics this week:
* Wednesday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ "Introduction"
* Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Introduction to Declarer Play/ "Sure tricks,
establishing tricks"
* Saturday, 9:30 PM, /Introduction to Defense/, "Opening leads against
trump contracts"
* Saturday, 1:00 PM, /Workshop and game/, "Balancing and reopening
doubles"
*New on the YouTube channel*: Low-card leads against notrump (but it
starts with a discussion about alerts and explanations when playing on
BBO and Zoom silliness, fast forward about 9 minutes in to get to the
lesson!). https://youtu.be/H3bRrE-dPeQ
In other news ...
This past Sunday's unit game at the club marked the *first anniversary*
of our opening day game on January 7, 2023.
/Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/, starts on Wednesday, and with a limit
of 28 students, I have 26 enrolled with PCC already! Are you interested
in assisting and helping to fill seats at a table? Let me know!
We have lots of offerings each week for the social bridge players, and
not many have been wanting to get up early on Saturday morning, so we're
going to put the *Saturday morning social/supervised play on hiatus* for
the time being.
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>
New Year's Eve was a wonderful party! Of the eight teams we put together
for the game, five had no players over 100 masterpoints!
The second place team included four players who have not yet achieved
Junior Master status. Congratulations to Fred Register, Leslie Klein,
William Snyder, and Yuriko Bonds.
As often happens in a team tournament in the "swiss" format, it's
possible for every team to earn some masterpoints, since a win or a tie
will be awarded. Indeed, in Sunday's event no one went home empty-handed.
Working RSVPBridge
You can make reservations for future games, add yourself to a game with
or without a partner, and even pay card fees ahead of the game using
R-bucks. RSVP Bridge is really cool!
Once you're logged in, there's an important step to take: *Join the
groups* that match games and events you want to hear about! (If you have
trouble logging in, read a little further....)
* Log in to https://www.rsvpbridge.com/
* Click on *"My Clubs"* in the top menu
* You'll see groups that are available to join:
o Select games or courses that you want to hear about
o Click the "Join" button
Once you have joined a group, the events for that group will show up on
your RSVP home page and calendar. From there you can join a game or a class!
If you have a correct email address associated with RSVP, here is how to
*recover your username* and reset your password to your personal preference:
* Visit https://www.rsvpbridge.com/ and click "Login"
* Click *"Forgot username?"* and enter your email address
o You'll get an email with all usernames associated with this
email address. (In the username email there's also a link to
reset your password.)
* Click *"Need a new password?"* and give it your username (see above)
o You'll get an email with a link for resetting your password to a
new one.
/Sorry, Partner/ Club Kvell
If you haven't yet picked up on the entertaining bridge podcast Sorry,
Partner <https://sorrypartner.com/home>, it's a delightful way to pass
time on a drive or treadmill session, or whatever!
One of the new features of the show is "Club Kvell," in which players
dish about their local bridge club. https://sorrypartner.com/club-kvell
I could make a submission for my favorite club, of course, but then I'd
just be boastful. I bet you could make a great submission for the
feature and let them know about /your /favorite bridge club (whichever
one that might be!).
Classes this week
Individual classes are available to join for $25. No need to sign up for
a full course. Drop me a note and let me know you're coming!
*New course *starting Saturday morning: *Intro to Defense*, 9:30AM -
11:30AM. Spend six Saturday mornings learning how to work with your
partner to defeat more contracts, or at least take as many tricks as you
can! The course will be based on Eddie Kantar's /Introduction to
Defender Play/.
Register for Introduction to Defense at this link
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/contact/course_enrollment> if you'd like
to join the course.
Here are the topics this week:
* Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions/ "Practice
hands"
* Saturday, 9:30 AM /Introduction to Defense/, "The Opening Lead
against Notrump"
* Saturday, 1:00 PM, /Workshop and Game/ "Support Doubles"
In other news ...
I currently have 18 students enrolled in /Bridge Basics 1 -
Introduction/ starting on January 10. I'm only planning to take 28
students total, so be sure to have your friends enroll soon!
Our new window sign is coming tomorrow! I'm shopping for a PA system for
the main room, and a small one for the class room.
I have an almost-new fast *HP LaserJet printer*, black and white, that
needs a new home. Would you like a great B&W printer? $100 takes it away.
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>
This week we'll have just about all of our games and casual bridge
openings. Come play cards with us!
New Year's Eve Wine Cheese Bridge
Let's have a party! I'll open the bridge club at noon, and we'll play
cards starting at 1:00. The format will be teams-of-four, in either
swiss or round-robin format, depending on how many teams we get.
Plan to play until about 4:00 PM. Who knows? We might play board games
after that. :)
The game will have lots of masterpoints, thanks to support from the
Pasadena San Gabriel Unit of the ACBL, who has generously granted one of
their Unit Championship sanctions for the New Year's Eve game!
You can register as a single, as a partnership, or as a team. But note
that teams must meet the *Eight is enough* criteria. "What is that?" you
ask.
Eight is Enough
The idea is to pair more experienced players with less experienced
players to make teams of four. For that purpose, each player is assigned
one, two, or three points:
* A player with 2,000+ or more masteroints is THREE
* A player with 500-2000 masterpoints is TWO
* A player with fewer than 500 is ONE
The total of every team must not exceed eight!
So by all means, put together a team if you like. If not, sign up and
I'll make teams.
So Much Generosity!
Jane, Zachary, and I have been touched by the outpouring of generosity
from our players at the end of our first year. The bridge club has
received several significant gifts.
We're doing pretty well! The growth of the club has been steady, and new
players and curious people continue to take up the game at our club. We
were never in this for income, so we've had the luxury of investing our
own time and money to make it a viable long-term presence. Aside from
paying staff, the club has supported itself pretty well this year.
So we're putting these generous gifts into the club this way:
* We have a 40"x30" lightbox sign coming for the window. It will be
visible at night from the parking lot. (Not so much during the day,
but that's okay!)
* I'm working on adding a PA and mic to the main room, and a smaller
one for the classroom. Our teacher training course this past week
highlighted the positive features of having one.
* I've replaced and updated most of the boards and cards I use for
teaching. They were due!
If you know of other projects that seem worthwhile for the club, tell me
what you think of!
Classes this week
Individual classes are available to join for $25. No need to sign up for
a full course.
We only have one full class meeting this week, not wanting to start new
things on the holiday break. But it's a good one to drop in! How often
do you get to practice Stayman, transfer bids, strong opening hands, and
slam bidding, all in one session?
And don't forget what's probably the *best bargain at the club*, the
Saturday "Workshop and Game" at 1:00. We'll be looking at another
situation where a double might be your best call.
Here are the topics this week:
* Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions/ "Practice
hands"
* Saturday, 1:00 PM, Workshop and Game "Responsive Doubles"
Coming up ...
/Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ will be starting up on Wednesday
eveings, starting January 10. The introduction class is offered through
PCC Extension, whose catalog lands in mailboxes all over the region a
few times a year!
Here's the link to sign up:
https://pasadena.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.ClassInformation&i…
And /Introduction to Defense/ will be starting on Saturday mornings next
week!
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>
It's the week before Christmas, and bridge is in the house! We will be
open Tuesday - Saturday for our regular games and events next week. Drop
by to play!
Declarer Play Workshop
We still have room for some students in Friday morning's Declare Play
Workshop.
This is a one-time class by visiting instructor Denise Hoffman, Program
Director for Better Bridge Teacher Training.
The cost is a bargain $25 and includes a booklet by Audrey Grant. We'll
start at 9:30 AM on Friday, and it should be a great time.
But if you want to come, please let us know soon! We have to plan to get
the materials and boards ready for the class.
For more information and to register visit here:
https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/declarer-workshop-2023
ACBL Memberships
I have two reasons to bring this up now!
One, the annual membership fee is going up on January 1. For the best
bargain, I did a three-year renewal. Highly recommended.
Second, as a new player, you'll want to have an ACBL player number for
joining in duplicate bridge games, both at the club and online.
*If you've never been an ACBL member*, the good news is that you can get
your lifetime player number and a free "guest membership" for four
months. There's more to the deal: If you join as a guest member, you can
convert to a full member for a significant discount.
Here is the link to join ACBL as a guest member and get your player
number: https://my.acbl.org/membership/join?club=277210&teacher=8202249
<https://my.acbl.org/membership/join?club=277210&teacher=8202249>
Classes this week
Individual classes are available to join for $25. No need to sign up for
a full course.
*Mojo's pick for this week*: Wednesday evening, 2/1GF practice hands.
How often do you get nothing but hands involving either 2/1GF or the
forcing 1NT?
Here are the topics this week:
* Wednesday, 7:00 PM, /Two Over One Game Force/ "Practice Hands"
* Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions/ "Slam
Bidding and Blackwood"
*Saturday Workshop and Game:* We started with takeout doubles last week.
For the next few we'll look at other uses of the double, starting this
week with Negative Doubles
<https://www.advinbridge.com/this-week-in-bridge/353> (or as Audrey and
I call them, "Responder's Double").
*New on the YouTube channel*, "Leading partner's suit"
https://youtu.be/af5OlKQul6E
Coming up ...
"Eight is enough" New Year's Eve team game at 1:00 PM Dec. 31.
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zachary
Thursday evenings we have a social / supervised bridge session. Being a
host/mentor involves answering questions, filling a seat if necessary,
and helping guide the social bridge game. On Thursday evenings and
Saturday mornings, I have boards from the Wednesday game with travelers
so the players can compare their results.
If you're willing to help out, I could use someone this evening! 7-9.
I'll be there teaching a Bridge Basics 3 class.
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
ABTA Master Teacher
649 N Fair Oaks Ave #201
Pasadena CA 91103
(626) 247-4457
pasadenabridgeclub.com <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com>
It was a great week of bridge games and awards for Royal STaC week! For
the full overall results, drop by this link
<https://tournaments.acbl.org/schedule.php?sanction=2312508#schedule>.
That will include the Sunday Unit Holiday Party as well.
Benjamin Bascom and Toban
Special congratulations to Benjamin Bascom and Toban! They played in the
novice/intermediate games at the Atlanta North American Bridge
Championships, earning a 1st place trophy, and a photo and blurb in the
NABC Daily Bulletin. I have a copy of their Daily Bulletin page on the
bulletin board at the club.
Special half-day seminar
*Level-up your declarer play! *We have a unique opportunity on Dec. 22.
Denise Hoffman will be in town to present this special one-day event,
from 9:30 - 12:30 on Friday, Dec. 22. You can attend for just $25, and
that includes a booklet from Audrey Grant.
Audrey's unique design for multi-level instruction makes her programs
suitable for players of all experience levels. The material is easily
accessible and understandable for new players, while providing insight
and fascination for experienced players.
Highly recommended -- don't miss out on this opportunity if you can be
there!
Visit this link for the flier and to register:
https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/declarer-workshop-2023
Classes this week
Individual classes are available to join for $25. No need to sign up for
a full course.
Here are the topics this week:
* Wednesday, 7:00 PM, /Two Over One Game Force/ "Practice hands"
* Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions/ "Strong
Opening Bids"
*Mojo's pick for this week:* Wednesday evening, 2/1GF practice hands!
How often do you get to practice bidding and playing hands that all use
a 2/1 or "forcing 1NT" bid?
The *Saturday Workshop and Game* returns at 1:00 PM this Saturday. Let's
talk *doubles* for a few weeks! Start this week with takeout doubles.
*New on the YouTube channel*, starting a series of mini lessons on
defense, "Choosing which suit to lead" https://youtu.be/NjNMZRoU-V8
The next Saturday morning class will be /Introduction to Defense/
starting January 6.
Mentors wanted
One of the great things about the Pasadena Bridge Club is the many
opportunities for new bridge players and students to drop by and play
unstructured, informal bridge. Our Office Hours and Social/Supervised
bridge sessions give them this opportunity!
I have an *immediate need for a mentor for the Thursday evening social*
bridge session this week, and an ongoing need for Saturday morning
mentors. If you'd like to adopt a session to be your own, you can! We
can always cover absences, and you'd get to know the players.
You don't have to be a world-class bridge player yourself -- in fact
it's probably a lot better if you're closer to their level! You'll be
expected to be friendly and have a light touch on the games. The goal is
to help them develop confidence and play as much as they can.
Nina Huang
Congratulations new Life Master!
In a first for the Pasadena Bridge Club, Nina Huang earned her final
Silver masterpoint to complete the Life Master requirements during the
Wednesday Royal STaC game on December 6. Congratulations!
Coming up ...
Yes, we're having an "eight is enough" team game on Sunday, December 31,
at 1:00 PM, with all the appropriate New Year's Eve party accoutrements!
And the next /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ begins on Wednesday
evening, January 10. Already 13 students enrolled. It's going to be a
big class!
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>
Running behind on the news, but it's all good! Jane and I had a fun time
on Tuesday afternoon visiting Sony Pictures Studios to see them record
three episodes of /Jeopardy!/.
I have a player looking to join the Wednesday or Thursday games who's a
Precision player. If you'd like to offer to play, drop me a note and
I'll hook you up.
Royal STaC This Week//
A STaC, of course, is a Sectional Tournament at Clubs, but most
Sectional tournaments pay only Silver points. The "Royal STaC" is a
creation from the last couple of years in which the final awards are
divided into 25% Black, 25% Red, 25% Silver, and 25% Gold points.
Participating in the STaC this week are four of the 25 ACBL districts,
all on the west coast. Clubs from all four districts will be playing the
same hands, and results from the participating clubs will be combined
into overall results with big awards.
We're having Royal STaC games for "Open Pairs" on Wednesday and
Thursday, and a 0-750 limited game on Saturday afternoon at 1:00.
(In addition, the Pasadena San Gabriel Unit Holiday Party on Sunday will
be a Royal STaC game, the final session of the week. If you don't have a
reservation for the holiday party, get one soon!)
New Year's Eve Bridge is ON
We'll have a special bridge party at 1:00 PM on December 31. If you have
evening plans, there's still time for bridge!
We'll play a team game in the "Eight is Enough" format, where teams will
be composed of a combination of new and experienced players.
We'll also serve some food, wine, and cheese and make a party of it.
More later!
Classes this week
Individual classes are available to join for $25. No need to sign up for
a full course.
Here are the topics this week:
* Wednesday, 7:00 PM, /Two Over One Game Force/ "The Choice Between
Game and Slam"
* Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions/ "Jacoby
Transfer Bids"
* Saturday, 9:30 PM, /Introduction to Declarer Play/, "Ruffing in the
short hand"
The Saturday Workshop and Game is on hiatus this week for the 0-750 STaC
tournament.
The next /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ starts Wednesday evening,
January 10, and the class is filling up quickly! Visit the web site and
get your friends or family signed up soon.
Become a /Better Bridge/ Teacher
Bridge needs teachers, and you could be part of the solution! This is
the bridge curriculum and program that I use at the Pasadena Bridge Club.
Have you ever wondered how you could most effectively improve your
bridge game? This is it: *teach people to play bridge*. You know it's
true, right?
Find the details here <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/better-bridge-tap>
and see the flier here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/sites/default/files/bbtap/BBAccred-pbc-2023-…>.
Coming up ...
More about that special class on Friday morning, December 22, I promise!
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>
Jane and I had a lovely holiday weekend with my sister, and a couple of
days in Las Vegas. Of course now my newsletter is running behind, but
bridge is going strong!
/New/ Office Hours Wednesdays
Office Hours has been a great way for new players to spend some time
playing bridge, so we're going to extend it to Wednesdays as well!
Starting tomorrow from 3:00-5:00 the club will be open for casual
bridge. Zachary, Melanie, or I will be on hand to help with questions
and mechanics.
Office Hours are complementary, but if the value is there for you, we
have a contribution jar on the desk. (We may extend that policy to the
Social Bridge sessions on the schedule already, starting in January.)
New Year's Eve Bridge?
I've always loved hosting a bridge game on New Year's Eve.
I know people make plans for parties and entertainment, but a lot of us
would rather have something of a quiet evening with friends. Board games
are traditional. Why not have a bridge game?
If we have a game, it would be a team game, with teams in the "Eight is
enough" format, teaming experienced pairs with inexperienced pairs, to
have a relaxed evening bridge game.
And of course we'd have wine, cheese, and maybe some tamales from Vallarta.
We could make it early or late afternoon, and maybe a few people could
celebrate dinner or a concert as well.
Let me know what you think!
Classes this week
Individual classes are available to join for $25. No need to sign up for
a full course.
This is the first week for /Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions/. Join
us now for the full course!
Here are the topics this week:
* Wednesday, 7:00 PM, /Two Over One Game Force/ "Opener's and
Responder's Rebids"
* Thursday, 7:00 PM, /Bridge Basics 3 - Popular Conventions/ "The
Stayman Convention"
* Saturday, 9:30 PM, /Introduction to Declarer Play/, "Creating extra
winners, long suit establishment"
The *Saturday Workshop and Game* returns at 1:00 PM this Saturday. I
haven't picked a topic yet for this week, though I have dozens to choose
from. If there's something you'd really like to spend 45 minutes on, let
me know.
Become a /Better Bridge/ Teacher
Bridge needs teachers, and you could be part of the solution! This is
the bridge curriculum and program that I use at the Pasadena Bridge Club.
Have you ever wondered how you could most effectively improve your
bridge game? This is it: *teach people to play bridge*. You know it's
true, right?
Find the details here <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/better-bridge-tap>
and see the flier here
<https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/sites/default/files/bbtap/BBAccred-pbc-2023-…>.
Coming up ...
Last week I teased a special bridge seminar to be held on Friday,
December 22. I'll do a special mailing for that later this week.
Best regards,
Mojo, Jane, Zachary
