Minnesota Bridge

Beware the Newcomer

If you are an experienced player, then most assume you can generally "beat up" newer players with ease.

Well . . . . Sometimes you can - and - sometimes you cannot!

This week, John Koch demonstrates how newcomers can work in mysterious ways!

Unit 178 Board Meeting

Unit 178 President Marv Riedesel has alerted us to a board meeting this coming Saturday, May 1 at the Twin City Bridge Center.  Marv has sent us an agenda for the upcoming meeting, to keep everyone apprised of what is happening with Unit 178!  To see the agenda, please view the file below.

Gopher Countdown: Four Weeks Away

The Gopher Regional is only 4 weeks away!

Friday, May 28 has something for everybody! If you start playing this day, you may play match points in the Lorraine Schweitzer Choice Pairs or play in the morning, afternoon, and evening side games. Remember, gold points and overall awards are available for both events. (In the side game series, overalls and gold are available if you play in two or more sessions of a series, e.g. 2 morning games but not one morning game and one afternoon game).

If you like to play imps, you can start a compact knock out.

Want something different? Try the Board-a-Match pair/team game in the evening. Each board is a “match,” and the final standings are based on how many boards you win.

Check the link on this blog for a flyer, and we will see you at the Gopher!

Unit 178 Fundraiser Update

As many of you know, Unit 178 has purchased Bridgemate scoring machines and plans to purchase a shuffling machine, also.  Fundraising has already been going well; a combination Awards and Fundraising Party is scheduled at the Twin City Bridge Center on May 8th.

Marv Riedesel, president of Unit 178, has many updates and information below about all of the above.  Our thanks to Marv and to everyone who has contributed and helped to this very worthy cause!

Dirty Declaring

Are you a "dirty, filthy spot-watcher" - like Tony Ames?

If you have absolutely no idea to what I am referring - then check out John Koch's column this week!

Gopher Countdown: Five Weeks Away

The Gopher Regional is only 5 weeks away! The premier event on Thursday, May 27 is the Dorothy Kantor Buchanan Choice Pairs, honoring one of the grand ladies of bridge in our area.

We also start the a.m. compact knockouts. This event is a 2 session CKO, with the sessions on two subsequent mornings. That leaves you free to play other events in the afternoon and evening sessions!

For intermediate/novice players, we invite you to a free dinner after the afternoon game!

Check the link on this blog for a flyer, and we will see you at the Gopher!

Gopher 2010 Flyer

Patti Stuhlman, chairman for the Gopher Regional, alerted me to a problem with the link to our flyer at ACBL.  Should you need to check out the schedule, events, or any other details about the tournament, please feel free to refer to the links below. 

Thanks for the info, Patti - and for everything else that you and your volunteers do for us!

Youth and Junior Bridge Ambassadors

Do you happen to know a young bridge player who is a good ambassador for our game?  If so, then please go to Sharon Anderson's blog, and see what our District 14 director has posted about 2010's award for Youth and Junior ACBL Ambassadors!

Go with the Flow

When dummy comes down, crafting a plan for success is always a sensible idea.  What are our winners?  What are our losers?  What danger may lie ahead for us?

Sometimes, however, as the old saying goes, "the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray."  If you begin down a path and then something seems not quite right, do not hesitate to consider a different route to success!

John Koch shows us how it is done.

Technology Fundraiser News

Unit 178 has now received $8,000 in donations!  We are 2/3 of the way to our fundraising goal of $12,000.  Big thanks to all who have contributed!

Our upcoming fundraiser is scheduled for May 8th.  We will have a bake sale,silent auction and our Ace of Clubs/Mini-McKenney Awards game in the evening following.

We look forward to seeing you there and to reaching our financial goals with our technology updates!

Teachers for Life

What happens when you retire from being a teacher?  You go on teaching and teaching and teaching... at least, that is what has happened to Sue Greenberg and Judy Harris of Rochester!

Sue Greenberg and Judy Harris have retired from working in the classroom, but they haven't retired from teaching.

Greenberg and Harris have spent a combined 60-plus years teaching in Rochester public schools and will soon begin teaching a community education class about how to play bridge.

The pair played along with nearly 100 other local people Sunday, the last day of the annual Hiawatha Valley spring sectional tournament in Rochester.

Greenberg said she started playing after she retired, about a decade ago. Harris' parents played the game so she has played it socially for many years.

The problem solving and quick-thinking attracted Harris to the game.

"It's always different, and you're always learning," Harris said. "You're always studying, but you can't possibly master it."

Greenberg said the other members of Rochester's bridge community helped her learn the game. She hopes to allow others that same experience.

"At the beginning, they were really helpful to us," Greenberg said. "Now it's our time to give back."

Our thanks to Sue and Judy for all their efforts to promote our game!  Thanks, also, to Greg Caucutt, an integral part of the Rochester bridge community, and the person who alerted us to this excellent newspaper article.

Hiawatha Spring Valley Sectional Results

This past weekend was so gorgeous, it truly was almost too nice for anyone to be playing bridge.  Yet - you know bridge players!  Neither snow, sleet rain - nor sunshine and perfect temperatures - will keep us away from our favorite pastime!

Here are the folks who sacrificed pleasant temps and sunny days to face the rigors of competition and the glory of winning in Rochester.

Congratulations to John Koch and Paolo Ranaldi, who seized the most masterpoints for the weekend, and to Sandra Manglitz and Maria Roswall, who were one teensy masterpoint behind the guys.

Twin City Junior Bridge

Bridge is the greatest game there is - and now, the next generation can learn to enjoy it!

Teri Blu, owner and instructor at the Twin City Bridge Center, is having classes Sundays at 6:30PM for junior bridge players and their parents and grandparents.  After a short lesson, everyone can play!

Last night, 11 kids and 17 adults made up 7 tables of bridge, with all participating.

Teri says that the evening last about two hours.  The classes began last night, April 11th, and five more are scheduled.  Evan Sachs, who has been instrumental in teaching junior players in our local schools (pictured here), came with his grandchild!

Please consider bringing your favorite younger person to learn the joys of the finest mind game there is.  If demand continues for more lessons and games, Teri is happy to schedule them!  Contact the Twin City Bridge Center at 612.861.4487 if you would like further information.

Gopher Countdown: Six Weeks Away

The Gopher Regional is only 6 weeks away!

The first full day of events is Wednesday, May 26. Choice pairs start on this day and will be offered other days as well. For Choice pairs, you and your partner choose to play in two of three sessions: morning, afternoon, or evening. After the evening session, overalls are awarded to the pairs with the highest scores in the two sessions they chose to play.

Please note our starting times for this year: 9:00, 1:30, and 7:00. Check the link on this blog for a flyer, and we will see you at the Gopher!

Unit 178 Annual Awards and Fundraiser

 

16^th Annual Awards Banquet

Saturday, May 8^th, 2010

Twin City Bridge Center

5:00 – 6:25 Dinner & Silent Auction for fund-raiser

6:40 – 7:10 Presentation of Awards

7:15 Open & 299er Game

Please join the Board of Unit 178 in recognizing the winners of the Ace of Clubs and Mini McKenney competitions for 2009.  ALL PLAYERS are invited to share in a dinner, participate in the silent auction, honor the winners in the Awards Ceremony, and play in an open or 299er game.

Players placing in the top 3 in each category of each competition have received a personal invitation to the evening’s events.  They will also receive a free play in the game compliments of Unit 178.

The food will be catered by Sharon Anderson, and Roger Anderson will be the emcee of the Awards Ceremony.

This years Awards ceremony is paired with a silent auction and bake sale to raise money for a shuffling machine and score pads for the games in our unit.  Our goal is to raise $12,000 for this effort.  We currently have cash contributions of $5400.  If you wish to make a cash contribution please contact Marv Riedesel, Sue Jackson, Cindy Balderson, Verda Gould, or Teri Blu.  The Twin City Bridge Center is donating all game proceeds toward the fund raising effort.

We are also encouraging the top players in the unit to "sell themselves" to partner with other players sometime during the year.  Please contact Marv Riedesel if you are willing to auction yourself during the silent auction. 

 

Keeping up with Unit 178

Marv Riedesel is excellent at promptly sending out minutes to Unit 178's board meetings.  This way, we can be well aware of the board's plans and activities.

Here are Unit 178's most recent minutes below.

Wonderland

Sometimes partner puts down dummy, and you think to yourself, "I wonder how I will ever make this contract!  It would take a miracle!"

Well; sometimes miracles do happen!  Deliver a most fortuitous lie of the cards, along with some wizardry in card play - and voila:  an amazing contract bid and made.  This week, John Koch shows us how it can be done.

And - speaking of getting it done - I noted that now John has been providing us with top-notch columns for over three years!  All of us owe John a big "thank you" for his superb instruction and entertainment about the game we all love so much.

Active - Passive

No, this is not a post on your grammar!  Instead, it is a prelude to a great article by Mike Cassel about your defense.

Some hands call for an "active" - attacking, busy kind of defense.  And others demand a "passive" - sit and wait for tricks to come to us.

How do you know which one is best?  Read what Mike has to say!

Gopher Countdown: Seven Weeks Away

The Gopher Regional is only 7 weeks away!  Tuesday, May 25th is the kickoff, starting with our premier event:  the four session Jim Hall Memorial Knock Out Teams.  Players on the winning team in the top bracket of this event will have their names inscribed on a beautiful traveling trophy.

In addition, the evening Side Game Series starts Tuesday evening.  Did you know that you can win gold points in a side game series?  Yes you can!  To be eligible, you must play in at least two of the evening side games and have one section top.  Also, some overall winners can earn gold points.

Check out the link at MN Bridge for the Gopher flyer.  We will see you soon at the Gopher Regional!

 

$4,905

Wow!  $4,905 is the amount of money that generous bridge players have already donated to the Unit 178 technology fundraiser!

We are now one third of the way to our goal of $12,000.  Then, we can purchase a machine that creates hands from hand records and a set of electronic scoring machines.

Would you also like to contribute to this cause that will so enhance bridge in our community?  Then please contact Marv Riedesel, Cindy Balderson, Verda Gould, Teri Blu or Sue Jackson.  You may also mail contributions to Sue at:  1480 Applewood Court, #119, Roseville, MN  55113.

Don't forget!  Our big fundraising party and game is scheduled for Saturday evening, May 8th.