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We hope that this Halloween is fun and not too scary!
And the rest of the weekend, here's to lots of treats and sweets for you - and frights for your opponents - at the Minnesota State Sectional!
It starts tomorrow morning; be there, my pretty ones!
Steve Gaynor is a whiz at alerting us to all the upcoming bridge events in Minnesota and of interest to us.
Below you can find something for everyone in Minnesota's bridge world!
Thanks, Steve!
The Bridge Center of St. Paul is teaching duplicate bridge to its new members on Mondays at 2PM - while it does good works. All fees for current beginning bridge lessons have been donated to the Second Harvest Heartland. This organization is the Upper Midwest's largest for hunger relief.
Special donors have matched the donation from the Bridge Center, dollar for dollar. Thus, it is a significant gift. Marsha Shotley, Second Harvest Chief Philanthropy Officer, expressed gratitude for the donation. She advised that 3,000 Thanksgiving meals will be provided for needy people due to this generous gift!
Other donations are welcome; they, too will be doubled. Donations can be made online, by mail or by phone.
Please remember; every gift makes a difference to a hungry person.
Slam hands are almost always exciting. While some are laydown, others depend upon features such as:
And so forth and so on.
Judge right and a pile of IMPS can be yours. A misstep? You may lose the match on one hand!
Richard Lawson has an excellent slam hand write up from this past week's Minneapolis Grand Slam Club Knockout Event.
The 2013 Minnesota State Sectional is going to be here sooner than you think!
Held at America's Best Value Inn in Shakopee over the first three days of November, the tournament promises to be excellent. With free coffee every morning, free parking and a mini lesson on Friday - not to mention games for everyone each day - you need to race out and sign up!
At the bridge table, we constantly weigh the risk of an action versus its reward. The same choice that may help partner judge what to do may also assist the opposition to go right. Ergo, we must always analyze: what do I have to gain? What do I have to lose?
This week, John Koch highlights how some choices are weighted heavily in one direction - and choosing poorly can have disastrous consequences.
What is better than enjoying a big bite out of a crisp, autumn apple? Having the opportunity to get two bites!
In today's column, Steve Gaynor explains how we can all have a chance at two bites of the masterpoint apple.
Delicious!
Distributional hands often provide excitement at the bridge table - and a wild ride for the participants.
For one particularly thrilling hand - expert Steve Gaynor has the details!
Very descriptive bids can make life easier for partner - and for the opponents!
Michaels - a bid that usually shows at least 5/5 in the majors - is such a convention. It can aid partner in knowing how high to bid and evaluating values. Yet, it also can help the other side, either in defending or declaring.
This week, John Koch demonstrates how to take advantage. Whether such bids are to your advantage or not - we leave that up to you to judge!
Sometimes, you need one more chance for victory.
Gene Brandl shares a hand from the NABC in Atlanta for just such a tale!
Think that tournaments are for experts only? Then think again!
On Friday, October 18th and Saturday, October 19th, the Woodbury Bridge Club is sponsoring the Woodbury Fall 199er tournament. Two sessions each day, starting at 10AM and 3PM, with a lunch break in between. Only players with under 199 masterpoints are eligible.
The tournament will be hosted at the Holiday Inn by Highway 94 and Radio Drive. Come with your favorite partner, or - if you don't have one - efforts will be made to find someone for you.
Enjoy the fall colors and compete against your peers! More details in the tournament flyer below.
Some hands, at first blush, seem impossible to make. Yet with careful play, executed in the proper order, "impossible" can turn into success.
One of the most intriguing techniques available to declarers is the stepping stone.
This week, John Koch shows us exactly how to to reap its rewards - step by step.