Minnesota Bridge

Twin City Bridge Center - Go Fund Me Fundraiser

 

Barb Zipoy would like you to support Community Gem Needs Polishing by making a donation and spreading the word.

 

The Bridge Center has been a fixture in Minneapolis since 1960. There have been very few updates or improvements since it opened.  

The bridge center is in desperate need of an update & some cheerful renovation. The outside of the building is an eyesore and with some minor repairs and a fresh coat of paint it would be much more welcoming not only for bridge players but also for the community as a whole.

The structure is damp, windows are broken, the parking lot needs resurfacing, walls need paint, carpet is old & stained, ceilings leak, bathrooms need updating, chairs are torn, broken & don’t match, windows & doors are rotting, the office is in disarray, appliances are ancient & storage areas are messy & cramped.
 
With rising taxes, the cost of utilities, basic upkeep and efforts to keep the cost of playing bridge and using the center low for seniors, new retirees and students there is not enough money for upgrades.

Teri Blu and her husband own and run the Bridge Center and are there every day. Their daughter also fills in when she can.  It is a place not only for those who play bridge but also for anyone who wants a place to meet, talk or get away.  The bridge center offers a unique and valued service for bridge players and the city as a whole. 
 
 A Bridge Center, may not seem like a worthy cause, however, it an important place & worthy of a makeover.

  Volunteers spend countless hours working with people who come to the center & also taking care of the building.  The Center & those who use it are an important part of the community.  

The Bridge Center is the only place of its kind in Minneapolis.  It would be a shame if the 300 plus people who use it weekly would not have a place to go.

The refrigerator is always stocked & coffee is on.  If you need a place to go, all are welcome. There is always someone there with a smile and a kind work. 

Teri works tirelessly.  She goes to garage sales in search of items for the Center, coffee cups, pencils, furniture, etc. Teri takes time to make sure everyone has a bridge partner.  She is a fabulous bridge player but plays with beginners if they need a partner. 

All the faithful volunteers run tournaments, potlucks, daily games, birthday parties, gives lessons etc.  They call or send cards if you are sick. Various groups of worshippers use the Center on Sunday mornings for their services and Teri has even played the piano for them. She never says no to anyone.

The bridge community would love to recruit younger people and recent retirees to play bridge.  The bridge center would attract more players if it were more up to date.

For the senior and about to retire community the Bridge Center is a wonderful place to spend time.  It provides socialization, interaction, and caring. 

It is open 7 days a week.  Many lifelong friendships have been made.  There are games and events throughout the year to raise money for Alzheimer’s and many other charitable organizations.

Thanks in advance for contributing! 

Here is the link to the TCBC Go Fund Me Fundraiser 

 

The Bridge Center of St. Paul Celebrates The Longest Day

 

BIG thanks to Larry Huiras and all the others who made The Longest Day in St. Paul a HUGE success!

 

 

The Bridge Center of St. Paul celebrated the Longest Day on June 21st.  Funds were raised by our players to support the efforts of the Alzheimer's Association.  These monies will help to support research and raise awareness of the challenges that face those with Alzheimers and their caregivers.

Our Bridge Center hosted 3 games on the Longest Day!  Food and a pot luck were available between each session.  Gary Mulcahy generously donated and prepared yummy hamburgers for all between the morning and afternoon sessions. Dee Dee Lorentzen grilled great hot dogs for folks between afternoon and evening sessions.

 

Huge thanks to all our volunteers and to the many players who attended and contributed!  Overall, the three games had 47 tables of players - and raised $3,307.00 for the Alzheimer's Association!

 

 

A great day for celebrating and enjoying our great game - and doing great good, too!  Thank you!

 

 

Remembering Jack Rhatigan

 

Jack Rhatigan's daughter Shannon, was uncertain about how to celebrate Jack's life. Then - she came up with a concept that  was just perfect. 

Shannon is going to have a memorial celebration at the Twin City Bridge Center at 6020 Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis on Saturday, June 15th.  Bridge players, friends, relatives; all are invited and welcome.

Shannon's invitation is below. Jack was one of our star players for decades - and - a star human being.

I hope that many of us can join Shannon and her family at the TCBC to share stories, tell tales, celebrate our friend Jack - and say goodbye.

 

Please join the family of Jack Rhatigan in celebrating his life and mourning his passing at Jack's favorite home-away-from-home, the Twin City Bridge Center. 

This will be a simple open-house style event, with no formal program. Please come share your stories and sympathies with Jack's family and friends.

If trekking to Minneapolis is a challenge for you, please consider visiting Jack's wife Marilyn in the coming months at Oak Meadows Assisted Living in Oakdale, Minnesota. The extra company will be appreciated as she adjusts to living alone after 59-3/4 years of marriage. You can arrange a date by calling Marilyn directly, or by contacting her daughter Shannon via Facebook.

Feel free to pass along this invitation as appropriate. We hope to see you either at the TCBC Open House or at Oak Meadows soon!

 

        Shannon Rhatigan

It CAN Be Done!

 

More than a few in the bridge community are not positive about the future of our game. "Only old people play now."  "Younger people aren't interested in bridge anymore." "Too late to fix what is wrong."  And so forth and so on.

Yet in Minnesota, we have a positive attitude!  A number of us think just the opposite. We know that bridge is the greatest mind game ever. We know that people of any age can learn and enjoy it. We know that many of us have played since we were teenagers - and decades later, still love bridge and are continually intrigued and amazed and fascinated by the game.

 

 

So here are stories about the people who have been promoting our game, sharing the discovery of bridge and its competitors to students - and making an enormous difference in the future of bridge!

 

 

AND ... the story of the many students who already have fallen in love with bridge, are learning and succeeding and proving that new generations of bridge stars are on their way!

 

Fundraiser Extraordinaire Professor Eric Hendrickson

 

Some bridge playing professors at the University of Minnesota wanted to grow our game. They brainstormed about what to do to encourage students at the U to get involved.  It was not an easy process to get rolling. But they did not give up. And eventually, with the efforts of Honors Dean Matthew Bribitzer-Stull and Professor Eric Hendrickson, bridge actually became a course study at the University!  Now, over 150 students at U of MN have received instruction in how to play our game, thanks to Matt and Eric's faith in its future, along with other professors Paul Gutterman, Leon Hsu, Nita Kevans, Glen Meeden and Harry Sapienza.

 

Honors Dean Matthew Bribitzer-Stull (right) and husband & bridge pard Jason Bribitzer-Stull

Along the way, students at Carleton College, about an hour south of the Twin Cities, also had students who started playing. Math Professor Mark Krusemeyer worked with the students and their bridge club. And then two years ago, the students asked your webmaster if she would be their official coach. I gladly accepted - and became so very proud of both the interest in bridge and the talent of students at this fine liberal arts school.

 

 

Eric had yet another superb idea. Although two teams of students, one from each of our schools, had won trips to the Collegiate Bowl in 2018 - and a team from U of MN and a pair from Carleton won trips to the events upcoming this summer in Las Vegas - Eric wanted to help more of our students participate. So Eric worked tirelessly to drum up interest and support - culminating in a fundraiser at the 81 year old Minneapolis Grand Slam Club last night. 

What a superlative success!  We had a great show of students from U of MN PLUS the Carleton students managed to finagle travel north from Northfield, too. Loads of our "regulars" were there; a big, fun Friday night duplicate with players of all ages!

 

MGSC President David Neiman - appreciating the evening as we appreciate him!

Additional truly fabulous news is that Eric has managed to get over $6,500 in donations for our students - so far! Big thanks to all who donated - and a special "thanks" to Mitch Dunitz for a quite handsome donation - even though Mitch is quite the distance from the upper Midwest.

 

Yet - there is much more. Not only was last night a great game for all and a huge help for getting our students to Las Vegas - we had additional celebrations.  Sharon Anderson served up a delicious spread of Chinese delicacies for us - and then - we celebrated her hubby, Roger, for entering that select group of Platinum Life Masters by going over 10,000 masterpoints. Extra cherry on top is that Roger himself was a Carleton grad!

 

Linda and Barry

 

The Rock!

And no - I am not done. We in our bridge community don't just share our love of this amazing game and the endless fascination and challenge it delivers. We share friendships, social gatherings - and now and then - even love!  So it is with two of our long time players; Linda Gruesner and Barry Purrington, now engaged to be married!

 

 

Our 14.5 table turnout was superlative - and two of our players who give so much to our game had a superlative game. Congrats to Kerry Holloway and Cezanne Martin, winning overall with almost a 65% game. Mr. and Mrs. "Platinum" Andersons scooped up 2nd place - while many of our students showed their stuff, too!

 

 

Lots more photos to share below the line. Yet before I go, just a few more thoughts. What sometimes seems near impossible to achieve isn't. People who are willing to donate time, sweat and energy - rally the troops - and then find bright students who want to challenge themselves with a game that challenges for a lifetime - can make the difference. The people at the MGSC club Friday night - and all those who have been contributing for years now, demonstrate that it is so.

My deepest thanks to you all. And - may you, our next generation of competitors who may win NABC titles, travel around the world competing - or - simply enjoy fine camaraderie and mental challenge for decades - stay "in the game" for a long time to come. Your webmaster has 40+ years of bridge competition and friendships under her belt now ... and I am looking forward to loads more.

Hope you do, too - and enjoy our shots of Minnesota bridge!

Share the Bridge Love!

 

 

 

Rochester has a fine and strong bridge club, with excellent players AND a socially active community!

 

Wednesday, Valentine's Day, their club had an Open Pairs event, with players wearing red to celebrate the sweet holiday and healthy hearts!

 

 

 

 

Thursday, a 0-499er game was held. Those players celebrated the holiday, too!

 

Our thanks to Sue Greenberg, for letting us know that the Rochester players never miss an opportunity to have fun while competing at our favorite game!

 

June is Busting Out in January!

 

Amongst our players in Rochester, we have a very talented artist - in all mediums.  During December, she had distributed handmade earrings to all the women in our club! 

So, we decided to have a "June Darring Appreciation Days" for June on January 21 and January 24!

 

In addition to being a talented artist, she makes convention card covers which she offers to  bridge players. June keeps the money to cover costs of production but donates the rest to our club treasury.  You may have seen her table at our Rochester Sectional.   

 

As an I/N player, we have discovered a gem!!!!  Her heart is huge, she loves bridge, and it's our excellent good fortune to have this individual become an active part of RDBC. 

 

The picture shows June, in red, seated in the middle of the of the "ladies" on January 21, Monday afternoon - 16 tables ( 10 open, 6, 0-300). 

 

What a delight she is!

 

              Sue Greenberg, RDBC Manager

Minneapolis Grand Slam Knockouts - Old Codgers VS College Up & Comers!

 

For roughly 40 years, your webmaster has been competing in the Minneapolis Grand Slam Knockouts. The KO event is held outside of regular September-May Friday night sessions. It is a super fun way to get in some extra competition against many of the top players in our area.  Above you see one of them; my team's captain, Kerry Holloway.

This year, we are very excited to have a team of students in the MGSC KO - five players from Carleton College and one from University of MN. While it is tough to face players who have played for decades when you yourself have only been playing a year or so - or less - the college competitors are tough and smart.  They appreciate that one of the most successful ways to improve your game is to play against good and experienced players.  And thus - that is exactly what they are doing.

 

Captain Thomas Scruggs, before the battle begins

 

Four members of my team (Captain Kerry, Mike Flader, Chuck Cummins and myself) headed down to Carleton last week. There, we played four of their six teammates:  Captain Thomas Scruggs, Jackson Wahl, Allie Clark and Owen Barnett.

 

Chuck Cummins and Mike Flader, finishing up their convention card and waiting for game time!

 

The teams sat the same direction each half, with Kerry and I competing against Thomas and Jackson, as Allie and Owen took on Mike and Chuck.

 

Allie Clark and Owen Barnett - reviewing notes and weighing their team's lineup

 

At our table, I was quite impressed with Thomas and Jackson. As the coach of their college team, I already knew that they had learned a lot with all their practice and study. Still, throughout our first half, they performed far better than one might expect from players without years of experience. Indeed; at the half our match was fairly close.

 

Kerry and Jackson, in the heat of battle

 

The second half went better for the Holloway team. Some of it I would chalk up to experience - and note that Owen is so new to the game I had not yet met him. Still, some of the reason our team won the match was that always present factor for every player:  luck.

For example, Hand #25.

BOO to YOU from Rochester!

 

What a day in Rochester! 

We had seventeen tables for our Instant Matchpoint Game!

AND... we had our annual costume competition!

 

 

Alice Ernster and June Lamb-Kmiecik as the Bridge Fairy and Queen of Card

 

  Marie Nelson as our resident witch

 

Our favorite Mountain Man, John Ryder

 

Genny Rice with her sticky web

 

Additional treats were people from Northfield, LaCrosse and other communities in southern Minnesota.  All, of course, were welcomed by the Rochester Players.

Dick Estry and Al Larson topped the field with a hefty 62.73% game!

Come to our club and join us for a great session!

 

Sue Greenberg, Club Manager

 

Non Functioning Links to Clubs

Many of you have contacted me to let me know that the links at MN Bridge for clubs are not functioning.  Thank you for letting me know.

I will search for solutions and get this repaired as soon as I am able.  BUT - I just arrived at the Nebraska Regional and may not be able to get this accomplished immediately!

In the meantime, if you go to this link at ACBL, you can search for your club and get results and other club information there.

Thank you for your forbearance; we hope for all links to be up and running as soon as possible!

 

Rochester Duplicate and IBM

 

For years, IBM has been a major employer in Rochester.  Many employees would gather over lunch and enjoy a bridge game!  As IBM employees retired, they became active members of Rochester Duplicate Bridge Club. 

Many play multiple times a week, and there is an evening game to accommodate bridge players still working.

Recently, a photo was taken of IBM alumni and spouses to send to the alumni publications/social media.  The photo shows only a fraction of those that play on a regular basis - but what a great sampling of engineers, programmers, technical writers, coders, administrative assistants, sales people, manufacturing, and more!

We are very lucky to have these individuals adding to the vitality of our club and state bridge scene!

Sue Greenberg, Club Manager

Minneapolis Grand Slam Club - the 81st (!!!) Year!

 

With eighty years of fine bridge and camaraderie, the Minneapolis Grand Slam Club must be one of the ACBL's longest running and most excellent places to play bridge in North America.  September 7th will herald the Club's 81st year of existence.

David Neiman has been providing a wonderful job as president of the MGSC.  Above, we see David celebrating another year of great bridge at one of the MGSC's year end parties.

David's "welcome letter" for the 2018-2019 season is below.   If you're a long time MGSC competitor, welcome back.  If you haven't played at the MGSC, then please do consider checking it out.  You will be glad you did! 

As President of the MGSC, I am pleased to invite you to the 2018-2019 season of the MGSC Bridge Club.  Affectionately called (by us) the “best bridge game in town” (and hopefully the friendliest!), the MGSC meets most Fridays during the school year at the Edina Senior Center. Games begin at 7:15pm and will feature a variety of pair and team games.  Players of all skill levels are welcome and a partner is guaranteed for all single-session pair games. Member card fees remain at $6 per session ($5 for full-time students) while non-members pay $7 for regular games and slightly more for special games. (The Club absorbs extra fees for members.) 

Oh, and coffee and treats are free at every game! 

The full schedule is available at our website: http://grandslammn.org.  Click on the Calendar link on the left side for the schedule. (Note:  2018-19 schedule will be posted soon.) 

MGSC membership remains at $20/person and, while not a requirement to play, is about the best bridge deal you’re going to find in the upper Midwest. For your membership you get to play FREE at 4 “Club Nights”, a heavy discount to the End-of-Year Bridge BacchanaliaParty, and a subscription to our weekly newsletter, which is filled with club results and instructive & insightful articles. The newsletter is the best way to keep up-to-date on club news and results if you happen to miss one of the weekly games. The Board approved a $10 membership and $5 card fee for full-time students. 

Please join us for our first game of the season on Friday, September 7.

                          David Neiman, President MGSC

Fun AND Games

 

 

Is bridge fun AND games?  You can bet that it is!

The Wednesday night game at the Bridge Center of St. Paul celebrated Peter Solberg's 75th birthday.

Let him eat cake - and - let everyone have fun IN addition to their bridge game!

Happy 75th, Peter!

 

Rochester Bridge Club Supports ARC

 

The Rochester Duplicate Bridge Club has local charity games in December.  This year, they are supporting ARC and Bear Creek Services.  both provide assistance to individuals with disabilities.

On July 30th at the ARC golf fundraiser, two teams competed (one achieving 4th place!) - and the 9th tee was anchored by a bridge playing table!  Decks of cards were also handed out with information displayed on the packaging.

 

 

Many thanks to Arne, Bar and Ann for their organization of these events and worthy causes!

 

Sue Greenberg

Club Manager

Last Chance GNT Qualifier!

WE WERE SNOWED OUT ON APRIL 15  - SO HERE IS YOUR

 

LAST CHANCE GNT QUALIFIER

MAY 2, 2018 at the TCBC

TAKE A STEP TOWARD WINNING $2000!

 

We will explain how four teams, including one Non-Life Master team, can each win $2000 and play in the National Finals in Atlanta, Georgia this summer.

Super flight = At least one team member over 6000 lifetime points

Flight A = no team member with more than 6000 lifetime points

Flight B = no team member with more than 2500 lifetime points

Flight C = Non-Life Masters no team member with more than 500 lifetime points

Superflight, A and B flights will play as a group.  Overalls are stratified.  Strata for all four flights are determined based on your MP holding that showed on your September 2017 ACBL Bulletin.

Flight C will play separately if there are 4 teams in that group and at least 4 other teams total.

 LESSON AT 6:45 PM

GAME STARTS AT 7:15 PM

 

COME WITH A FULL TEAM OF 4 OR JUST WITH YOUR PARTNER—

TEAMMATES GUARANTEED. 

$32 ENTRY FEE PER TEAM

 

THE GAME IS A SECTIONALLY RATED GRAND NATIONAL TEAM QUALIFIER.

MASTERPOINT AWARDS ARE ½ RED AND ½ BLACK.

TWIN CITY BRIDGE CENTER

6020 NICOLLET AVE

MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55419

612-861-4487

White Out = Out for the Swiss

 

With visibility close to nil and winds that are sideways, Steve Gaynor has wisely decided to cancel the pizza and Swiss team scheduled for tomorrow, the 15th.

When the weather becomes more rational - it shall be rescheduled!

More Pizza - More Bridge!

Unit 178 is having another Swiss team game on Sunday, April 15 at the TC Bridge Center.

Entry fees for all current college students will be lowered to $2 per person!

Pizza shall be served at 12:30 - with a short talk at 1PM.

Game time is 1:30!

Enjoy fine competition and toughen up for the Big Event in Atlanta! Looking forward to seeing you Sunday!

 

Steve Gaynor

      

St. Paddy's Day in St. Paul!

 

Not to be outdone, The Bridge Center of St. Paul had a fine St. Patrick's Day celebration, too!

Congratulations to winners John Allen and Joe Browan!

St. Paddy's Day in Rochester!

 

Folks at the Rochester Duplicate Bridge Club know how to have fun!

The "bling sisters" - Alice Ernster and June Lamb Kmiecik in all their green finery!

Hope everyone in Minnesota is having a great St. Patrick's Day!

 

 

Bring on the Bots!

Bob Bonine and David Newhall take on the BBO pair!

  

 

The Bridge Center of St. Paul has some new members:  the bot friends!  Bridge Base Online (BBO) has opened new frontiers, allowing players to participate at regional tournaments and now NABC's from home!

 

And, when we hear about bots eliminating sit-outs, especially for smaller games with 4 and 5 board rounds, we inquired about them. Apparently it is easy to set up and players are (for the most part!) welcoming our new friends. After a short learning curve, I'm betting we'll forget when we didn't have them.

 

To have the bots, we need only a little set up and two computers. In our case, i-Pads are what we are using. The bots sit at a table where there is no N/S pair. E/W pairs arrive, play their boards, enter the scores into the Bridgemates and - voila!  No sit outs!

 

The bots do get scores, but they are marked as ineligible. Today, the bots came in last!

 

 

 

 

Kim Hayward, Club Manager

Bridge Center of St Paul

651-490-5430 w

       651-271-3500 c

Sunday Swiss at the Twin City Bridge Center

 

As advertised, Sunday, February 18th, was the first of three GNT Swiss team events that features a yummy pizza lunch and a half hour lecture for our newer players. Following this was a 4 round Grand National Team qualifier. Organizer and lecturer Steve Gaynor had a delish pizza and salad spread.

 

 

 

As a bonus, Eric Hendrickson and his daughter, Annabelle, provided baked goods and the opportunity to hire a local expert, all to aid the cause of battling leukemia and lymphoma. Our thanks to Eric and Annabelle for their efforts, to our experts who donated their services and to others who contributed by selecting their favorite expert for an upcoming game!

 

 

After players enjoyed lunch and discussed convention cards, many were entertained and enlightened by Steve's lecture.  Then - the games began!

As your webmaster was delighted to play with her long time partner, Kerry Holloway, and up & coming junior players Morgan Johnstone and Sean McNally, we (alas) have no playing shots to show.

 

 

That being said, seeing more of our new generation competing in the Swiss, and sons playing with dads was yet another treat!

Congratulations to one of the Twin Cities most winning teams: Eric Hendrickson - Paul Gutterman - Richard Lawson - Andy Caranicas for grabbing 1st place. And congratulations to almost all our teams earning their GNT "Q" - and aiming at the District GNT Finals later this year!

More photos are below. And - more Sunday GNT's are upcoming! March 4th and April 15th are on the calendar.  If you like pizza, team bridge, a great crowd of players and FUN - be sure to attend both!