[News] Big new player class

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 past Thursday evening we started a new session of /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/, our six-week course for non-players to learn bridge. The course is offered by PCC Extension (Pasadena City College) and appears in their catalog. When we opened the club, I negotiated an agreement with PCC to hold Bridge Basics 1 at the Pasadena Bridge Club, where their students would be well served by our comfortable environment. (Previously the classes were held in a history teacher's room at Arcadia High School. It was a spooky place in the dark after hours!) I set a limit of 28 students for the course. When this session was filled a couple of days before the first class, I offered to clear the waiting list, and added five students for a total of 33. One dropped out shortly after, leaving 32. Imagine my surprise when all 32 enrolled students appeared before class time, in their seats, ready to learn at 7:00 PM! I'm looking forward to our second meeting this week on Thursday evening! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This past month our great friend of the club and Grand Life Master Becky Clough lost her long time life and bridge partner Roger. They are holding a Celebration of Life on Sunday, April 26. When you visit the bridge club, you'll find a poster on the bulletin board with more details. If you plan to attend, please honor the request on the poster to RSVP. Bridge Basics 4 - Play of the Deal We have new courses under way for this session of classes. /Improving Your Judgment - Doubles/ has met for one session on Wednesday evenings, and /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ is underway on Thursday evenings. Our third course this session is /Bridge Basics 4 - Play of the Deal/, starting this Wednesday (tomorrow) April 8 at 3:00 PM. Here's the lesson plan <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/course/play-of-the-deal>, and if you'd like to join in, reply to this email and let me know. Next Course Schedule Set We've set dates for our next session of courses, with three favorites starting the week following 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 also have a two-week opportunity on May 14 and 21, Thursday evenings, for a two-session course on Opening the Bidding. These two sessions will add some guidelines and subtlety to your decision to open the bidding that you won't hear anywhere else. I'll have more information as the dates approach. Here's where you can find out <https://pasadenabridgeclub.com/available_courses> 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. Here are this week's individual classes: * Wednesday 3:00 PM /Bridge Basics 4 - Play of the Deal/ "Play of the Deal at Notrump" * Wednesday 7:00 PM /Improving Your Judgement - Doubles /"Responding (Advancing) Takeout Doubles" * Thursday 7:00 PM /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction /"One Notrump Openings and Responses" 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 ... *Let's have some Club Championship games! *April 20-25 all Open Pairs games will be Club Championships, paying lots of extra black masterpoints and featuring "overall" scoring. Best of all — no extra charge! I'm planning to keep the new Bridgemate III scoring terminals. The players have been giving positive feedback.  For me the deciding factor is that they appear to cut down on the number of scoring errors that need to be corrected. We've set dates for the next /Bridge Basics 1 - Introduction/ session. It'll be on Wednesday evenings starting July 15. Best regards Mojo, Jane, Zachary, Lisa, Susan