Minnesota Bridge

Wednesday Nights at the Twin City Bridge Center

If you think that summer is only travel and barbecues, swimming and picnics - then think again!  Always lots of bridge to enjoy in Minnesota.  And, in the Twin Cities, Wednesday nights at the TCBC, is a great game for those who enjoy playing in the evening.  Steve Gaynor, director, has all the details!

This week (June 12th)  is a session of the Sectional Tournament at Clubs (STaC).

Prior to the game Peg Mitchell is having a dinner at her home.  Stop by her place at 5PM or later and eat, then come over to the TCBC for the evening game.

I hope to see you all then.  Let me know if you need a partner.  It is best to call me cell phone at 612-708-7563 of call the Bridge Center as there is a limited game and someone live is there all afternoon on Wednesday. Once I leave for work Wednesday morning I will not have access to my e-mails.

The schedule for the rest of summer Wednesday evenings is below.  Be sure to qualify for the NAP; we have five qualifying games left on Wednesday nights.

Also, definitely attend the Grass roots fund games (GRF).  The extra dollar comes back to our district to be used for bridge education and promotion.  We will run that event once a month.  Best of all:  all games all summer long will offer extra masterpoints!

Wed Summer Nights

Twin City Bridge Center - 6020 Nicollet Ave S

June 12 – Sectional Tournament at Clubs (STaC)

June 19 – NAPQ

June 26 – A midsummer's night Club Championship

July 3 –  Grass roots fund game

July 10 – NAPQ

July 17 - part of the Aquatennial sectional

July 24 – Charity game

July 31 - NAPQ

August 7 –  Junior fund game

August 14 – NAPQ

August 21 – Grass Roots fund game

August 28 – NAPQ (last chance)

 

MGSC B-A-M

Many think that Board-A-Match teams is the toughest form of the game. 

B-A-M is a team game where on every board, you have three options for a result:  a win, a loss, or a tie.  If you achieve a very poor result on a hand, yet your opponents' score was worse than yours - you get a tie. 

B-A-M is like matchpoints - except you only have one comparison.  As a result, every trick and getting to exactly the best contract is critical.

The Minneapolis Grand Slam Club is considered by many the place to play if you aim to push your game to the highest levels.  Some of the Twin Cities' best and brightest, now international stars, got their start at the MGSC:  Steve Garner, Howie Weinstein, and Joe Grue are three.  (Speaking of that last fellow, Joe's parents, Tom and Sue Grue, were in town Week #2 and were able to compete at their old stomping grounds.)

The MGSC aims to run their club like "Flight A" regional events.  Doing so and competing against our areas best players can only improve anyone's game.

The last two Friday nights, the MGSC held their annual B-A-M game.  Cindy & Bob Balderson, along with Kerry Holloway and Michael Howland turned in the top score both weeks, thus winning the title for this season.  The MGSC is one of the few places where our players can still compete in this tough event.  Kudos to Balderson-Balderson-Holloway-Howland on their win - and to the MGSC for keeping such a premier event on their calendar!

By the way, although the MGSC does sell memberships, you need not be a member to enjoy their Friday night games at the Richfield Community Center.  If you want to pump up the volume on your bridge game, then try them out!

Big Game

Cecil Frank has had serious health issues over the last half year.  But on Saturday, June 2nd, Cecil demonstrated that heatlh problems have not adversely affected his brain cells.  With partner Sue Jackson, Cecil had a Big Game in the World Wide Pairs.  Their 67.36% club score, when matchpointed across the world field, was 66.32%!

Throughout the game, the card gods were with them.  They won a world-wide top of 4542 on one hand when they doubled and earned 1100.  Overall, Cecil and Sue were 36th in the world field of 5117 players. Jeff Dziuk and Larry Johnson were 368th; Paul Gutterman and Eric Hendrickson were 546th and Ann Ziomeck and Don Priewert were 684th.

In Friday night's World Wide Pairs at the TCBC, Paul Meerschaert and Michael Howland's club score of 62.73% ended up rising to 64.23% world wide.  They placed 111th out of 5082 pairs.  Evan Sachs and Jack Rhatigan were 386th, with Sharon Christensen and Don Priewert placing 423rd and Brian Crossley and Jonathan Cohen finishing 435th.

Well done!