Minnesota Bridge

Pizza - Strategy - Bridge - Qualify!

 

GNT Swiss Team Qualifier - March 1st - TOMORROW!

 

Steve Gaynor is holding a GNT Swiss Team Qualifying game at the TCBC this Sunday. This is YOUR opportunity to chomp on yummy pizza, gain tips on team game strategies, compete with your favorite teammates and ULTIMATELY perhaps even win a subsidized trip to the Summer NABC GNT event in Montreal! 

Steve has the details below - just DO IT!

 

GRAND NATIONAL SWISS TEAM QUALIFYING 

MARCH 1, 2020

 TWIN CITY BRIDGE CENTER

6020 NICOLLET

MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55419 - 612-861-4487

 

12:00   PIZZA LUNCH IS SERVED 

12:30  TALK ON TEAM GAME STRATEGY 

1:00      GAME TIME

Get Qualified!

 

We know that Grand National Team 2020 competition for District 14 will be arriving in April.  Yet - to compete, you need to qualify!

Larry Henson, our GNT coordinator has kindly sent us a number of locations where you can compete and get your GNT qualification.

GNT is a super event!  YOU might win a trip to Montreal in July!  But you gotta get qualified first!  Here's where and when you can go to do it!

St. Paul Bridge Club - 

3/9 at 10 am

3/15 at 5:30 pm

4/12 at 5:30 pm

 

Maple Grove Community Center

2/27 at 12 noon

3/26 at 12 noon

 

Edina Senior Center

2/26 at 11;45 am

3/25 at 11:45 am

 

Twin City Bridge Club

3/1 Pizza and lesson at noon; game at 1:00 pm

 

Grand Slam Club

4/10 at 7:00 pm

 

Hennepin BAM Club (Edina Senior Center)

4/15 at 6:30 pm

District 14 Grand National Teams Finals - April 18-19

 

Grand National Team Finals is always an exciting event for District 14. Not only are you able to compete against your peers in Flights Open, A, B or C. You also have the opportunity to win a subsidized trip to the Summer NABC.  This year, the site is Montreal, one of Canada's most lovely cities.

In addition, our Minnesota competitors don't have to travel too far; the event will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 18-19 at the Edina Senior Center. (Please be sure to look at the flyer below; the schedule varies depending upon the flight in which you play.)

Additionally, if you are competing in GNT, you can play on Friday in the Spring IMP Sectional, again with details in our flyer.

Whether you are one of Minnesota's top competitors, fairly new to bridge OR somewhere inbetween - GNT is THE event for YOU!  Organize your team and then look forward to fun and perhaps a trip to Montreal this summer!  The details are below the line!

Qualify for District 14 GNT 2020 - Eat Pizza! - Take Two!

 

GNT Swiss Team Qualifying Alert!

A funny (ho ho ho) thing happened on the way to the GNT Swiss Qualifier this past weekend.

SNOW!  LOTS and LOTS of it!

So as many of you are aware, there was no event and NO PIZZA last Sunday :(

The very good news, however, is that Steve has rescheduled for Sunday March 1st! (Yay Yay Yay)

Reminder details below!

 

Steve Gaynor is holding a GNT Swiss Team Qualifying game at the TCBC this Sunday. This is YOUR opportunity to chomp on yummy pizza, gain tips on team game strategies, compete with your favorite teammates and ULTIMATELY perhaps even win a subsidized trip to the Summer NABC GNT event in Montreal! 

Steve has the details below - just DO IT!

 

GRAND NATIONAL SWISS TEAM QUALIFYING 

MARCH 1, 2020

 TWIN CITY BRIDGE CENTER

6020 NICOLLET

MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55419 - 612-861-4487

 

12:00   PIZZA LUNCH IS SERVED 

12:30  TALK ON TEAM GAME STRATEGY 

1:00      GAME TIME

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Superflight = open to all 

Flight A = 0-6000 

Flight B = 0-2500 

Flight C = Non-life masters to 500 

Flight C will play separately if at least 3 teams enter.  Your flight eligibility is based on your Masterpoint holding as reported on your September, 2019 ACBL Bridge Bulletin.  Masterpoint awards are ½ Red and ½ Black. 

Entry fee is $8.00 per player.  THIS INCLUDES LUNCH!  Full-time students under 26 pay ½ price. 

Call Steve for partnerships and teammates – 612-708-7563 – [email protected] 

Please report your team’s pizza topping preference.  We will accommodate all requests. 

Show your support for Swiss team games and the GNT event.  This is your first step toward earning a generous ($2000/team) subsidy to play in the GNT national finals this July at the Summer North American Bridge Championships in Montreal, Canada!!!! 

Somebody has to win!  Why not you?

District 14 Grand National Teams Finals - April 18-19

 

SAVE THE DATE! - PLAN FOR THE DATE!

GNT District Finals, April 18 & 19, 2020. 

(Flight C is 1 day only on April 18.)

The Grand National Team (GNT) Finals will be held at the Edina Senior Center at 5280 Grandview Square in Edina MN on April 18 and 19. 

Qualification is required; be sure to get qualified at the club level by playing in a GNT qualifying game. 

Check with your local club for times and dates for the qualifiers.  Two qualifiers coming up include one at the Twin City Bridge Center on 2/9/20 with pizza at noon, lesson at 12:30pm and game time at 1:00pm. The other qualifier is at the Bridge Center of St. Paul on 2/18/20 at 10:00 am.

1st place winners in each flight receive $2000 District 14 subsidy to attend the NABC event in July 2020 in Montreal, QC.  For flights B & C, a 2nd place team may attend the NABC if there are at least 8 teams in their flight.

Click on GNT Flyer or open attached informational flyer for more information on the GNT and combined IMP Sectional.

Larry Henson - District 14 GNT Coordinator - [email protected]

Las Vegas NABC Starts Wednesday!

 

The Summer NABC starts tomorrow; Wednesday July 17th. First major event on the agenda is GNT.

We wish all four flights of District 14 GNT winners the best as they try to best all other Districts!

Looking forward to seeing loads of Minnesotans in Las Vegas - doing well and having loads of fun, too!

 

GNT Open Flight

Bob Balderson Jr - Cynthia Balderson -  Carole Miner - Paul Meerschaert 

 

GNT Flight A

Erick Hendrickson - Andy Caranicas - Richard Lawson - Paul Gutterman

 

GNT Flight B

Justin Graver - Matthew Campbell - Jamie Radcliff - Jeff Buckwalter

 

GNT Flight C

Connie Nelson - James Schnepf - Susan Knauss - Roger Knauss

GNT 2019 District 14 Finals - Report from Mike Cassel

Mike Cassel has kindly prepared a report about the District 14 GNT competition in Des Moines this past weekend, along with results and some photos.

Our thanks to Mike for all his efforts - and - to our District 14 finalists!  We know you will represent us well in Las Vegas this summer!

Mike's report is below.

ACBL Live Results here!

District 14 GNT - 2018-2019 - Updates!

 

Interested in competing against your District 14 peers the first weekend in May for GNT?  Excited to hear about new opportunities for teams in Flights B and C?

Then please read this message from District 14 GNT coordinator Mike Cassel.

 

Tony Ames and I are willing to help pairs in any flight find teammates to compete in Des Moines!

 

Alert

 

The D14 GNT District finals in Des Moines are just 2 weekends away.  If we have at least eight teams in Flights B and C we will, for the first time ever, be eligible to send two teams to the National Finals in Las Vegas.

 

To encourage greater participation in Flight B the District 14 Executive Committee is allowing us to offer a 50% rebate of the Saturday entry fee to teams who have no member over 1500 masterpoints (as of August 6, 2018 run).

 

Instead of $120, the Flight B team entry fee for these teams on Saturday will be $60. This fee, based on a 4-person team, $7.50/pp/session, is a great opportunity to compete in the Saturday Swiss Team event.  The top four VP  totals on Saturday will play 28 board KOs in the semifinal and final KO on Sunday.

 

We hope to see you in Des Moines, IA on May 4 and 5 for the Grand National Teams finals.  The D14 BOD will extend an invitation to the NABC finals for the second place teams in Flight B & C at their board meeting in Bloomington in May.  The amount of  travel subsidy, if any, to the second place teams will be decided at that time. As the D14 GNT Coordinator I will be recommending $1,000 per team which will cover airfare to and from the summer NABC in Las Vegas.

 

Attached are the revised contest conditions and flyer. There is a link at http://web2.acbl.org/Tournaments/Ads/2019/05/1905614.pdf to the flyer as well.  D14 GNT conditions of contest 

 

We can help you form teams if you have a partnership and need teammates.  Feel free to email, text, or call with questions.

 

Mike Cassel
D14 GNT Coordinator
[email protected]
651-336-8956

 

District 14 GNT 2019 Finals - May 4-5

 

This is THE opportunity for all District 14 players to win a trip to Las Vegas and compete in the 2019 Grand National Teams!  Four flights are available:  Superflight, A, B and C.  Note that Flight B also has special discounts, too!

NEW opportunities are available this year so two teams from Flights B and C may be able to represent districts this year!

GNT Coordinator Mike Cassel has the details!  Be sure you are qualified for the District finals - then head on down to the Des Moines area to try to be one of the teams that represents us this summer!

 

Per the ACBL BOD decision in Honolulu  GNT Flights B and C will be eligible to send two teams to the National Finals in Las Vegas in July if their field size at the district final is 8 or more teams.

 

The executive committee of District 14 has directed a revision to the GNT Conditions of Contest for Flight B.  Rather than applying a handicap to less experienced teams a decision has been made to encourage greater participation in Flight B by offering a 50% rebate of the Saturday entry fee to teams having no member over 1500 masterpoints (as of April 6, 2019 run).

 

Instead of $120, the Flight B team entry fee for these teams on Saturday will be $60. This fee, based on a 4-person team, $7.50/pp/session, is a great opportunity to compete in the Saturday Swiss Team event.  The top four VP  totals on Saturday will play 28 board KOs in the semifinal and final KO on Sunday.

 

We hope to see you in Des Moines, IA on May 4 and 5 for the Grand National Teams finals.  The D14 BOD will extend an invitation to the NABC finals for the second place teams in Flight B & C at their board meeting in Bloomington in May.  The amount of  travel subsidy, if any, to the second place teams will be decided at that time.

 

Attached are the revised contest conditions and flyer.  Please communicate this change and print flyers so that your players are aware.  The link at acbl.org to D14 GNT conditions of contest will reflect the new CoC imminently.

 

Mike Cassel

D14 GNT Coordinator

 

COD and flyers are below the line

 

Grand National Teams - ALL IN!

 

I'm not sure if District 14 ever achieved this feat - but - for certain, now we have.  Each of our GNT teams made it through the first day Swiss competition to the knock out phase of the event. Three of our teams finished the qualification day very close to the top!

Needless to say, we wish all of our teams the very best, hoping that each one remains ALL IN!  Go Team Balderson, Team Boje, Team Spitze, and Team Frieden!

For details, please check out this link at ACBL Live.

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

Grand National Teams District 14 Finals - 2018

 

 

It's that time of year!  District 14 players have the opportunity to compete against their peers in our District finals. Winning teams in each flight will then compete against their peers in Atlanta - and earn a subsidy, too!

Saturday, the GNT competition begins. Those who qualify after Saturday will continue their quest on Sunday.  (Flight C, however, is a one day competition.)

Friday night offers a Pair/Team event. And Sunday, there is a 2 session Charity Swiss that includes 40% more masterpoints and free lunch! 

The weekend provides a marvelous opportunity for people to aim at earning a trip, to practice for the upcoming Gopher Regional and other District 14 regionals - and - to enjoy fine competition against peer teams!

Looking forward to seeing many District 14 teams the weekend of May 4-6!  A flyer is below!

 

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!

Pizza - Swiss Teams - FUN!

 

Don't forget!  This Sunday, at the Twin City Bridge Center, pizza begins at 12:30PM - along with Swiss teams for players of all levels - and a charitable event, too!

Here are the details. If you are free on Sunday - be sure to get a team and attend!  Don't miss all the FUN!

Sunday Swiss * GNT Teams * Pizza * FUN!

 

For three Sundays, starting February 18th, the Twin City Bridge Center is serving all sorts of goodies that bridge players love! Enjoy a pizza lunch, included with your team entry, GNT qualifying opportunities, black AND red points - and the opportunity to help fine charitable causes, too.

All the dates and wonderful details for these Sunday Swiss events are below. 

If you have additional questions, please contact either Steve Gaynor at: [email protected] or Eric Hendrickson at: [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you for these special Sunday events!

Grand National Teams 2017-2018

 

The season for Grand National Competition has begun! Compete locally in clubs to become eligible - then head to Edina, MN the weekend of May 5th & 6th for the District 14 finals. Teams winning in Flights A, B and C will earn a subsidized trip to the 2018 Summer NABC in Atlanta!

District 14 GNT Coordinator Mike Cassel has flyers about the event below. Don't miss this great opportunity to battled against your peers from across ACBL-land next summer!

GNT District 14 GNT Finals

Both a webmaster report and a report from District 14 GNT coordinator, Mike Cassel, are now posted at our District 14 website.

Good luck to all in Toronto this July!

GNT 2017 District 14 Finals

 

The District 14 Finals for Grand National Teams will be here soon! The weekend of May 6-7 in Mason City, Iowa, is when Flight A, B and C and Open teams will convene to determine who will represent our district at the Summer NABC in Toronto.

This is a marvelous opportunity to compete against your peers, have a fun weekend of bridge and, perhaps, win a subsidized trip to Toronto. If the cards align your way, then you can face teams from throughout ACBL-land!

Mike Cassel, our GNT coordinator, has a new flyer with the details. Please see below - then grab your team and head to Mason City!  Good luck, all!

Mike Cassel, our GNT Coordinator, has shared an information sheet about our May District 14 Finals this year in Mason City, IA.

Lots of great information from Mike about the event. A fabulous opportunity to compete against your peers at the Summer NABC in Toronto!

Take a look below at the event.  Hope to see many of you in Mason City - and - winning teams in Toronto!

GNT Chuckles in DC

 

As many of you may know, Bill Voedisch and his GNT Flight B team of Dennis Cerkvenik, Andrew Clements and Jonathan Cohn earned a very respectable 5/8 finish in their event.  Well done, men!

Denny wanted to share a moment from their competition.  This is not some insightful declarer play or devilish defense.  Instead, it is one of the many whacko oddities that we all have experienced at the bridge table.

Thanks, Bill!

By now you know we failed against a solid CA team in the quarter finals.  But along the way we had one if the all time crazy director calls.

Cerks opens 1D and my RHO sitting on the same side of the screen as me bids 2S which he alerts to me as like a good weak 2 bid.  I held :  T, Qxx, ATxxx, ATxx.

I tried 3S at the moment, looking for a spade stopper.  LHO passes, Cerks bids 3NT, RHO passes and after some thought of 4D, I also passed.  (We have favorable vulnerability.)

The skate board slides back to the other side and in little time slides back to us.

The skate board may not have been pushed all the way back to us as both RHO and I failed to notice that LHO (North) had called 4S !!

We pushed it back and of course neither of us added another PASS card but the other side never would have caught that anyway.

Now the other side of the screen is waiting for me to lead against 4S while i'm waiting for RHO to lead at 3NT which he dutifully does.

You can predict what happens next.  RHO puts the 4 of spades on the table, I put down dummy (creating 13 penalty cards) we lift the window ...  and the guys on the other side say something like "What are you bozo's doing?" To which we reply "Playing 3NT!"

They call the director and my side of the screen still doesn't know what's going on.  The director shows up and they explain the contract is 4S but DECLARER made the opening lead while West put down his hand.

The director marches over to our side and asks us both, what's the contract?  We both say 3NT by East.  "You both failed to see North bid 4S?"  Errr .. Huh?  RHO and I just sat there, stunned.

"Well, isn't this side of the screen a treat.  Lead out of turn and 13 penalty cards!"

Now we have two directors.  They declared the board fouled and warned as to pay attention .. get the trolley all the way over etc.

When comparing scores Clements and Cohn had plus 620.  Even though they are short on HCP they have 2 excellent suits, the cards are well placed and 10 tricks are there.

I sheepishly announced the board was fouled at our table.  We tried to explain it as best we could ...

Had I seen 4S out of North at favorable vulnerability i would have called 5D which gets cracked for minus 500 and a 3 imp win for us.

Ahhh ... those bidding screens.

        Bill Voedisch