« September 2007 | Main | November 2007 »
Whether you're 10 or 100. Whether you've got 'em or not.... If you're a bridge player, then the future of kids in bridge affects you.
Here are some updates on what is going on in the bridge world with kids. I might add - anything you can do to help helps us all!
A "trump coup" is a phrase used for a special type of manuever. One purposefully ruffs with trumps when not clearly necessary to take tricks, for the purpose of properly timing a finessing situation in trumps when otherwise it would not be there.
But, a "coup" also refers to a "clever act" that one can perform.
In this week's lesson, John Koch alerts us to a "coup" in trump. Judge what to do on this hand, and you can defeat an expert declarer!
Read below to see if you can pull of your coup - or if the right play flies from the coop instead.
The first place where I regularly learned to play bridge, meet folks in the bridge community and talk endlessly about the game was the Twin City Bridge Center. (It was called "The Bridge Center" back then in the Stone Age.)
Whether you've been playing since almost the beginning of time, like myself - or whether you are just learning how to tell the clubs from the diamonds (the former are black; the latter red) - the TCBC is still a marvelous spot in which to learn and enjoy our game.
This schedule from the TCBC was just sent to me. Note that the TCBC will have a free game this Thursday night - and many Grand National Team qualifiers in the month of December.
Enjoy!
Thursday, Nov. 1 FREE open stratified pairs
Thursday, Nov. 8 Open stratified pairs club championship
Thursday, Nov. 15 Silver Point open stratified pairs
Monday, Nov. 26 ACBL wide charity pairs with hand analysis sheets
Thursday, Nov. 29 Grand National Teams qualifier (1/2 red points)
Thursday, Dec. 6 Grand National Teams qualifier (1/2 red points)
Thursday, Dec. 13 Grand National Teams qualifier (1/2 red points)
Thursday, Dec. 27 Grand National Teams qualifier (1/2 red points)
Monday, Dec. 31 Grand National Teams qualifier (1/2 red points)and New Year's Eve party
Check our Web site for a complete calendar of events
Need a room at Mystic Lake for the November Minnesota Sectional? Then be sure to make your reservation by October 26th! Last day to get the excellent bridge rates.
Don't miss this fun tournament and, if you need a room, don't miss out on the best prices!
Is there any game more fascinating than bridge? If so, I do not know about it.
Today, John Koch presents us with a hand that combines honesty of spot cards with weighing all the evidence. Sometimes, just like Honest Abe, cards are what they appear to be.
For John's weekly wisdom, please see below - along with a bit of commentary from your blogmaster!
November heralds the beginning of the holiday season. But - don't think that bridge activities must be on the wane!
Unit 178 is happy to announce the Minnesota State Sectional in Prior Lake at the Mystic Lake Casino. A flyer below is uploaded, along with a link to ACBL for more details.
In addition to the great bridge competition, you can learn how to improve your own game!
Kerry Holloway, 1/2 of the Kerry-Larry combo that just won the Flight A NAP, heads up the education program for Mystic Lake. Here are the great opportunities for those who wish to attend:
Friday - 2:00 PM
Kerry Holloway:
How you can help your partner be more successful! Perhaps more important than how well you bid, declare or defend... how you administer TLC for your partner.
Friday - 7:00 PM
Should you add new conventions to your arsenal? What do you gain; what do you give up? Support doubles, Kokish, Garbage Stayman, Gambling 3NT and others....
Saturday - 1:00 PM
Steve Gaynor
Forcing NT and handouts. Learn follow up bids to the 1NT forcing by responder, plus customary treatments. If you do not use this treatment, you can gain insight to defend against it - for both bidding and play.
Saturday - 5:00 PM (or immediately following the 1:30 Pair Game)
Review and Commentary. Hand records from the afternoon pair game. Panel comprised of peers and experts to answer your questions. Hors de ouvres: cheese, veggies, chicken drummies and punch provided with this session!
Yes, I know the phrase is supposed to be "harvest gold." But, the tournament in Oakdale this last weekend was a sectional. So, competitors harvested black and silver in this 103 tourney!
As always, an excellent tournament. A vast array of sweet treats were available every session, with a fine meal in-between sessions during the Swiss Team.
Your Roaving Reporter played on Sunday for the Swiss. Here are some shots of our hard working caddies, along with their grandpop (the very hard working President of 103, Gus Doty!).
Our caddies sometimes even play bridge!
Oh. You want a pic of the Swiss winners? Here you go!
Lots more photos - just keep on scrolling below!
(Note; if you click on any individual photograph, it will get BIGGER....)
Some folks are looking for partners at the upcoming Lake Geneva Regional....
If you wish to add your needs for Lake Geneva in the comment section below - feel free!
I will say that in addition to being a very nice tourney, Lake Geneva has to be one of the most beautiful spots on the ACBL calendar!
It begins tomorrow! Hope you can attend.
If you are looking for a partner, please enter the pertinent information below in the comment section.
Mid-October 2006 was the birthdate for the Minnesota Bridge Blog. Having a blog means:
Plus - whatever else we choose to do with our blog. We are only limited by our imaginations!
Your input, ideas, photos, stories, questions, and the like are much appreciated. Happy birthday to all of us, and may our Bridge Blog flourish!
Part of bridge's fascination is its complexity. So many questions to ask on every hand.
Do we have a 100% play to execute?
Is declarer doing something straightforward - or is he employing a swindle?
Should we go with the odds - or is the evidence on this hand that the anti-percentage play is the winner?
As always, John Koch guides us as we consider such questions. Please see below.
For many of us, earning enough points to become a Life Master is the thrill of a lifetime. Others go even further; they earn 1,000 points - or 5,000 points ... or go over 10,000! A few even manage to earn many points, along with a national championship - and then the title of "Grand Life Master" is bestowed upon them.
Now we narrow the field even further.
Only a tiny percentage of bridge players ever even compete in the Bermuda Bowl. Of those? Obviously, no more than 12 players (6 on each team) make it to the finals.
Two home town boys did just that.
Congratulations to Howie Weinstein and Steve Garner. Originally from Golden Valley and Richfield, both have lived in other states for many years. Nevertheless, we still claim them as our own, and are tremendously proud of their incredible bridge achievement.
Along with team captain George Jacobs, Ralph Katz, Michael Rosenberg and Zia, they grabbed the Bermuda Bowl silver medal. Though Norway bettered them in their final days of play, George's wife Stacy well expressed the moment: "But for their last opponents, every team in the world would have traded places with them."
A super performance by six most talented players; bravo!
When we had our prehistoric "Minnesota Bridge News", Steve Gaynor would provide me with a schedule of all the upcoming tournaments.
Now that we have our Minnesota Bridge Blog - this has not changed!
Thanks to Steve for compiling this. If you'd like to see all the places you can go to enjoy bridge in Minnesota and much of District 14, then see the schedule below.
Nothing is bigger in bridge than the Bermuda Bowl.
Nothing.
So - it is really something that two home town guys, Steve Garner and Howie Weinstein, are in the finals of the most prestigious of the elite events. With more than half of the event to go, the guys are down slightly to the powerful Norweigan team. We, however, know that Steve, Howie, George Jacobs, Ralph Katz, Zia and Michael Rosenberg will prevail in the end!
Tune into Bridge Base Online tonight and tomorrow night if you wish to watch the exciting action!
Good luck, USA I!
Has anyone represented District 14 more times in the NAP than Kerry Holloway? If so, I am not aware of it.
Kerry has had a bunch of fine partners. Nevertheless - so have some other players! No one seems to capture one of the two top slots more often than this fellow.
Here is Kerry's remarkable record in North American Pairs, both flights A and B. Of course, we wish Kerry and Larry the best in Detroit come spring!
| 1997 | Dallas | Peg Waller | B |
| 1998 | Reno | Harry Ross | A |
| 1999 | Vancouver | Joe Grue | B |
| 2000 | Cincinnati | Joe Grue | A |
| 2001 | Kansas City | Kurt Schaeffer | B |
| 2003 | Philadelphia | Kurt Schaeffer | A |
| 2008 | Detroit | Larry Oakey | A |
Anything that promotes bridge to the next generation is good for all of us!
Kudos to these Omaha bridge players who are doing just that.
Paul Meeschaert melds his love of chess and bridge into one excellent article!
Please see below.
It's Wednesday. So, naturally we have another amazing hand from John Koch.
John tells me that this hand came from one of John's victorious matches when his team won the National Senior Knockouts.
With teammates playing this well - no wonder they won!
Please see this superb card reading and technique below.
All the results are now in for the North American Pairs District 14 final qualifying rounds in Omaha. Here are those who will be representing us next spring at the Detroit Nationals.
In particular, we salute these Minnesotans who will carry the mantle of our District to Detroit:
Flight A
1. Kerry Holloway - Larry Oakey
2. Carole Miner - Cindy Balderson
Flight B
1. Maurice Hunke - Diana Hunke
2. Dennis Cerkvenik - William Voedisch
3. Patti Stuhlman - Mark Krusemeyer
Flight C
2. David Gronbeck - Matthew Huntington
Given that Minnesotans had to travel many miles to make it to the finals, I think that a round of applause is due to all! A great showing for the Land of Lakes. Here's to continued success come next spring, too!
This past weekend was the NAP District 14 Finals. In Flight A, 12 pairs battled away for four sessions to determine who would represent our district next spring in Detroit.
The conclusion is no longer in doubt. Kerry Holloway and Larry Oakey scored the highest game when the music stopped. Carole Miner and Cindy Balderson captured the second spot.
Omaha pair Marilyn Hemenway and Mike Albert seized the third position, with Bob Balderson and Kurt Schaeffer close behind.
As soon as I have more details - and information about the other strata, I shall share it with you.
In the meantime, congrats to our victorious pairs! Go get 'em in Detroit!
