Picture from the Honors Bridge Club in Manhattan

Here's my latest email to the BridgeMojo information list:

Back to bridge classes

It's been an exciting year for Jane and me. As I write this, we're about to head out on our last long scheduled trip: 35 days cruising on the Crystal Symphony from Miami to San Diego, through the canal, and visiting Hawaii along the way. I'll be teaching and directing bridge games on sea days.

Bridge classes are starting up again in January. I'll be offering the Better Bridge series from Audrey Grant, all on Wednesday evenings, 7:00 p.m., at Arcadia High School.

Bridge I — An Introduction

This is the first class from Audrey Grant's acclaimed Better Bridge program.

This is the starting point for a lifetime of fascination with bridge. No experience required.

Newcomers will learn the mechanics of the game through its historical predecessors: whist and auction bridge. This is not a lecture class! You'll be playing cards at the table from the beginning.

Students who have played a little bridge will enjoy this refresher and update on the fundamentals of play and Standard American bidding.

Just prior to Christmas, Jane and I made our first visit on a trek to out-of-town bridge clubs, researching what works and what doesn't. We played an open game on Christmas Eve at the In Tempo Bridge Club in Scottsdale, AZ.

For those of us accustomed to smaller clubs, this one seems enormous! With very comfortable spacing between the tables, this former gymnasium was set up for a full sixty tables. It reminds me of the size of the InBetween club in Sarasota, FL, and I'm sure many of the other large Florida clubs are at least this size. Our game was a lightly-attended holiday game of sixteen tables.

Congratulations!

Club Master

Karmen Armoudjian
Kim Gundlach
Ron Lu

October 2018 at BridgeMojo by the numbers:

The top winners this month were Tor Hylbom and Richard Gero with 1.48, followed closely by Will and Ileana Shaw with 1.28.

This month I ran games for the North American Pairs first Unit Final, and those results were mingled in with the BridgeMojo results. It was interesting seeing those large numbers of additional masterpoints being awarded. I was unable to filter the report down to number of individual players at the Monday Night game. (I'll have the same problem in November!)

Come play at the Pasadena/San Gabriel Unit Game!

November 4, San Marino Bridge Club
1800 Huntington Drive, San Marino
Game time 1:00 p.m.
Lunch 12:30 p.m.

The monthly Pasadena/San Gabriel Unit Game has been one of the best-attended and delightful bridge games in L.A.  The finest players from the district drop in for a great free lunch and a relaxed Sunday afternoon of bridge.

Indeed the field could be a bit intimidating for newer players, even with friendly opponents, but it's a wonderful way to improve your game and make new friends!

The unit is now offering a separate game for players under 500 masterpoints — 499ers. It's the same great food, same great location, and even the same hands as the Open Pairs. The playing field is your peer group in bridge experience, with stratified scoring.

Unit games award not quite as many (black) masterpoints as a sectional tournament, and way more than a regular club game.

September 2018 at BridgeMojo by the numbers:

Hilary Clark and Rosemary Schroeder were the top winners (again!) this month with 1.26. Close behind was Angela Peters with 1.25.

I'll remember September 2018 as the month when 110 folks came to the Laemmle in Pasadena to see a screening of the bridge documentary Double Dummy and meet the filmmaker John McAllister. :) Thank you all!

Celebrating ACBL rank changes!

Junior Master

Ray Boncato

Sectional Master

Tor Hylbom

Ruby Life Master

Morris Jones

August 2018 at BridgeMojo by the numbers:

Inside the club, Hilary Clark and Rosemary Schroeder were the top winners this month with 2.68, excluding their STaC overall award at 3rd in the conference.

In the Western Conference STaC overalls, Dennis Burke and Ray Boncato had a big win to take the 0-750 tournament for Monday evening, earning 3.15 silver points for their win!

Board 2 in the August 13 game raised an interesting bidding question.

The question by email:

Last night on Board #2, South opened 1NT. As North, how do I reach 3-4♣? If 2♣ means Stayman, should I bid 3♣ with only 7HCP?