Minnesota Bridge

An Invitation to Participate!

Apologies in advance if you receive multiple invitations as you may be represented on more than one distribution list.

The Minneapolis Grand Slam Club (MGSC)  is in its ninth decade of continuous play.  The premier event of the annual cycle is an extended team event.   Once a double elimination knockout in recent years the event has become a RRKO like this year’s premier online team events sponsored by the Online Contract Bridge League (OCBL) and the ALT.

The Grand National Teams are the ACBL’s premier live grass roots team events.  They are configured in four flights.  This year’s pandemic has completely thrown the competition a loop.  Club play would have started in September and culminated in District Finals next Spring with a trip to the Summer NABC for the flight winners.

Many players enjoy team events including Swiss Teams and KOs.  To promote team play MGSC is offering a series of Tuesday night, 24-bd matches scored on a 20pt VP scale beginning November 10.   The more teams that sign up the more brackets we can offer and the more ‘even’ the competition will be.  The top four teams after the round robin phase will compete in longer KO matches.

The sessions will be every Tuesday at 6:30pm online at BBO.  A $100 fee will cover the entire Round Robin phase.  If there are only 5 teams in your bracket, thus a 4 session RR, you will receive a refund.

The conditions of contest:  MGSC 2020-2021 RRKO CoC  Any U103 or U178 member or anyone who has played in the  MGSC Virtual Club Friday night game.

You can sign up at: Team Signup, with as many as six players.  Contact Dave Neiman if one of your team members doesn’t show on our rosterlist.  Your registration is not complete unless you send $100 to MGSC c/o Barry Purrington  829 Overlook Place, Eagan, MN 55123 before November 10.  Your team will be disqualified if the club has not received a check before November 17 (grace period).

Any team can choose to play up in higher bracket if doing so does not collapse the initial bracket assignation.  You may choose to make your initial registration conditional if we have only one bracket and you do not wish to play against the strongest teams.

The event coordinator is Steve Gaynor  mailto:stev1249@comcast.net.  We can facilitate team formation if you are a pair looking for compatible teammates.

Those of who are not MGSC members are particularly welcome to form teams.  It's a big plus to play a series of 24 board imp events against players you know or have some familiarity with rather than 12-bd  IMP speedballs on BBO.  You will see how other matches scored on the same boards, and have a chance to play "real" imp matches without time pressure.  And there will be a nice masterpoint award if you are one of the four teams to reach the KO phase.

We are hoping for a big turnout.  If we get enough teams for three brackets you will surely be playing against teams very similar in experience to your own.

Mike Cassel, MGSC Bulletin editor and former D14 GNT Coordinator

The Year of Living Differently

Dear District Presidents, District GNT Coordinators and District 14 competitors,

This year in so many ways, bridge and life are different.  Our thanks to the many people who contribute to our special events, and to our many competitors who are excited to compete against their peers at a national level.

We thank you all for your contributions to our game, and we thank Brian Weikle for his detailed information about GNT in these special times.  Thank you for reading what Brian has shared with us, and we hope that many of you will be able to compete in GNT.

Dear District Presidents and District GNT Coordinators,

The 2021 Grand National Teams qualifying season began September 1. Given this year's unique circumstances, we are providing this summary of important details.

Club Qualifying

Club qualifying is optional. All players who qualified at the club level during the 2019-20 season are automatically qualified for Unit and District play in 2021. Districts may choose to permit club qualifying games to qualify additional players, although we expect that most Districts will not. Such games must be team games and submitted to ACBL Live for Clubs in an ACBLscore file.

District Finals

Districts which completed their GNT Finals in 2020 may choose to send those winners to the National Final in 2021. Districts whose Finals were not completed in 2020 must hold District Finals in 2021 to qualify teams for the National Finals.

Player Eligibility

Player eligibility status is "frozen" from the 2019-20 cycle. In other words, players are eligible for the same flight they were eligible for in 2019, no matter how many masterpoints they have won in the meantime. Similarly, players are eligible to play in the District in which they lived in August 2019. Players who have moved to a new District will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Action Required (by Oct 1, 2020 please)

Determine whether your District will be permitting club qualifying games. Notify ACBL (specialevents@acbl.org) and the clubs in your District.

Determine whether your District will hold District Finals in 2021, or whether the 2020 winners will represent your District at the National Finals. Notify ACBL (tournaments@acbl.org) and any affected players.

If you are holding District Finals in 2021, send the dates and sites to tournaments@acbl.org. Note that, as in past years, District Finals may be held online. If Finals are played face-to-face, they must be held after March 1, 2021.

Send your District's Conditions of Contest to specialevents@acbl.org.

2021 GNT National Finals

The GNT Finals will be played, in person, at the Summer NABC in Providence, RI.

 

Sincerely,

Brian Weikle

Manager, Bridge Operations

ACBL Field Operations

CC: ACBL Board of Directors

CBO Club Special Tournament this Saturday!

Don't forget about the CBO Club Special Tournament this Tuesday, September 1, which will award masterpoints and special prizes.

 

 

First through third place finishers will receive an Amazon gift card. Additionally, ACBL will draw the name of one random CBO tournament participant to receive a gift card.

You do need to be an ACBL member (only $5 for ages 25 and younger), have a BBO account (free) and be registered as a CBO member to participate in a CBO Tournament. Please note that it can take up to 24 hours to gain access to the CBO Club on BBO.

If you've never played in a CBO tournament before, simply log into BBO and click Competitive / Tournaments / All Tournaments or Free Tournaments / Collegiate. The CBO tournament should be first on the list.

 

If you have any bridge playing college friends, encourage them to join the CBO. Membership is open to any college undergrad or grad student age 35 and under. If you don't have a student bridge org/club at your school, consider starting one. We can help! www.acbl.org/college

 

Discounts for Juniors playing in online tournaments!

2020 Online Schedule

Juniors playing in ACBL Sanctioned regionally rated online tournaments are eligible to have a portion of their entry fees rebated so that your final cost is only $5 per session.

Just email online.tournament@acbl.org and let them know when you played. Discounts will be applied for tournaments after 7/1/2020.

CBO Club Special Tournament this Saturday

Calling all CBO Club Special Tournament Players!

Don't forget about the CBO Club Special Tournament this Saturday, August 15, which will award masterpoints and special prizes.

Have Fun - Win Prizes - Play Today!

Don't forget about the CBO Club Special Tournament this Saturday, August 15, which will award masterpoints and special prizes.   First through third place finishers will receive an Amazon gift card. Additionally, ACBL will draw the name of one random CBO tournament participant to receive a gift card.

You do need to be an ACBL member (only $5 for ages 25 and younger), have a BBO account (free) and be registered as a CBO member to participate in a CBO Tournament. Please note that it can take up to 24 hours to gain access to the CBO Club on BBO.   If you've never played in a CBO tournament before, simply log into BBO and click Competitive / Tournaments / All Tournaments or Free Tournaments / Collegiate. The CBO tournament should be first on the list.   If you have any bridge playing college friends, encourage them to join the CBO. Membership is open to any college undergrad or grad student age 35 and under. If you don’t have a student bridge org/club at your school, consider starting one. We can help! www.acbl.org/college

Discounts for Juniors playing in online tournaments!   2020 Online Event Schedule   Junior members playing in ACBL-sanctioned regionally rated online tournaments are now eligible to have a portion of their entry fees rebated so that their final cost is only $5 per session.   Just email online.tournament@acbl.org with your information and let them know when you played. Rebates are for tournaments held after 7/1/2020.

 

Play Bridge! Jackson Has the Details!

 

 

One of our talented young players from Carleton College is now a talented director, too!

 

If you are missing bridge games at the Twin City Bridge Center, Jackson has just the solution for you!  Please read below, then sign up for virtual fun games at Bridge Base Online!

 

If you need help in the process, Jackson will be there for you!  Enjoy!!

 

 

Hi Folks,

 

Exciting news! The ACBL and Bridge Base Online (BBO) have partnered to allow live ACBL bridge play - for black masterpoints - with members from your club in the era of coronavirus. Starting tomorrow, Monday, April 6, I, Jackson Wahl, will be running five games a week on behalf of the Twin City Bridge Center until it reopens. 

 

How do I play on BBO?

 

The video linked here is a good primer on how to use BBO. If you'd like to play in masterpoint tournaments, you'll have to add your ACBL number, and if you don't already have an account, you'll have to let me know your username so I can add you to the list of players eligible to play in TCBC events. Pay close attention to the multiplayer functionality - on BBO, you have to alert your own bids, and your partner will not see that you alerted them. If you'd like to ask about opponents' bidding, either click on their bids or private message them. If there are other controversies, click the "Director!" button and I can come to your table.

 

When are the games?

 

For now, I'll be running five games:

 

Monday, 6:00 PM

Tuesday, 11:00 AM

Thursday, 11:00 AM

Friday, 3:30 PM

Sunday, 6:00 PM

 

All of the games are open to all. If there is enough interest, I will add more games and/or add restricted games.

 

How do I join a game?

 

Log in to BBO within two hours of the start time. Go to "Competitive" and then to "ACBL Virtual Clubs". Our game should show up. If it does not, then contact me and tell me your username, and I will add you to the list of people who can play.

 

What is the cost, how do I pay, and where is my money going?

 

We are charging $4.50 per person. Both ACBL and BBO will take a small fee, and the rest will go to supporting the Twin City Bridge Club.

 

To pay, you will need to purchase BB$. They are purchasable at the rate of $1 to BB$1 by clicking on the BB$ button at the top of BBO.

 

How will I see results?

 

Instant results will show up after all boards have been played on BBO. More detailed results can be found on ACBL Live for Clubs around three hours after the game is over.

 

Who is allowed to play?

 

By default, only people who have recently played at TCBC may play in the events. However, if you are a Minneapolis-area player, or you've played occasionally at the club, you are welcome to play - simply contact me. However, the game is generally restricted to club regulars.

 

What if I have questions?

 

The best way to contact me is by email (simply reply to this email), but you can text or call me at 612-280-1274. Calling is likely the slowest way to get in touch, however.

 

I know we've all been missing bridge a lot! Hopefully this is a way to get back into the swing of things. Make sure to tell your bridge-playing friends, too! I hope to see you all in the coming days and weeks!

 

Best,

 

Jackson Wahl

Motion Passed by ACBL Board of Directors this Morning

Shared with all in District 14 from our District Director Sharon Anderson:

 

Motion: The 2020 NAP Finals will be held at the Montreal Summer 2020 NABC. The 2020 GNT Finals will be held at the Tampa Fall 2020 NABC. The details of the Finals, including the scheduling of those events, will be established by management at a later date.

 

The deadline for the completion of District GNT Finals will be October 1, 2020.

Coronavirus and The Health of Our Players

Sadly, an announcement from Tom and Linda Grigoliet about the Rochester Spring Sectional scheduled for April.

As you can read below, unfortunately the tournament will have to be moved to another date, to be determined.

Big thanks to Tom and Linda and all the others who have worked so hard on the sectional plans. 

We look forward to better times ahead, when it will once again be safe to play our favorite game, at clubs and tournaments.

 

At this time of both federal and state public health emergencies we need to focus on the health and safety of our members and volunteers.  Therefore, we are cancelling the Rochester Spring Sectional scheduled for April 3, 4, & 5, 2020. While we realize this decision may cause an inconvenience for some, this social isolation effort is designed to protect the health of our members and volunteers, many of whom are in the high-risk population if exposed to the coronavirus. After this health crisis has passed and we have some certainty, we will let you know when the tournament will be held. A very sincere “Thank You” to all those who have worked so hard on this tournament to date. Stay safe! We look forward to seeing you in the future at the bridge table.  Tom and Linda Grigoleit Tournament Chairs

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!

Save The Date!

Save The Date for Unit 103 Awards Luncheon and Bridge Game!

 

May 2nd at The Bridge Center of St. Paul

A Unit Game will Follow

Enjoy all the fun - and a chance to honor players at all levels!

More information will be posted when available!

 

Gopher Regional - May 18-24

 

So our weather has been way below zero, with strong winds and dangerously cold wind chill.

 

 

Take heart!  In a mere 93 days, leaves will be on the trees, birds will be chirping, no snow or ice shall be seen - and - the Gopher Regional 2020 will be starting!

As always, a great schedule is planned, chock full of knockout and swiss team events, stratified and Gold rush pairs, and side games. Hospitality will be plentiful in our Bloomington venue, the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Enjoy free parking, with the hotel only a hop skip and a jump from Mall of America.

Plus, please remember that you can "name a game" for a special someone.  Cost is $100 for a 2 session event. Contact Patti Stuhlman - pattistuhlman123@gmail.com - for more details.

Start warming up for May and the regional - make your plans and we'll see you at the Gopher!

The flyer with ALL the details is 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 – Mrturk@comcast.net. 

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?

From Here to (Almost) Eternity!

 

Yet again, major thanks from all of us to Steve Gaynor for providing us with this excellent calendar.  Upcoming tournaments, special events - from now to the great beyond!

Hope you can attend and enjoy many of the multitude of fine bridge offerings!

 

CALENDAR OF BRIDGE EVENTS FOR TWIN CITY AREA PLAYERS

from Steven Gaynor - (e-mail: mrturk@comcast.net)

(B): 763-494-3475    (C): 612-708-7563    (F): 763-431-0778

PLEASE USE THIS WHEN PLANNING YOUR BRIDGE EVENTS IN ORDER TO AVOID SCHEDULING CONFLICTS – THANKS!

NOVEMBER 10, 2019

If an event is not listed, it has not been sanctioned with the ACBL as of the date above.  These events and dates are subject to being changed by the local regulating authorities.

This calendar is made up from information on the ACBL website.  I do not have authority to schedule events, but I am willing to assist anyone trying to plan a bridge activity in finding the best dates to maximize potential attendance.  Please contact me anytime for more information or if you have additions or corrections to this calendar.   

A PDF of the calendar is below the line.

Thanks, Steve Gaynor

 

Rochester Med City Regional - Sept 24-29

 

September's Rochester Med City Regional is less than one week away!  Enjoy fine hospitality, guaranteed hospitality, a fine venue, a great schedule and much more!

In addition to the superb tournament itself, autumn is glorious in Minnesota in late September. When you're not battling away at the table, you can appreciate the excellent opportunities for fine dining and the gorgeous colors outdoors.  If you need a quickie check-up, renowned Mayo Clinic is a few minutes away (ONLY kidding - despite this temple of health care being one of the finest in the world!)

So many reasons to attend, you must make it to Rochester next week!  Whether you are close by or in another state - please attend the Rochester Med City Regional and treat yourself to a fine tournament and fun bridge!

Tournament flyer and all details below.

Happy 4th of July - Happy Almost Forever Schedule of Bridge Events

 

Hope all Minnesotans are enjoying their Fourth of July Holiday!  

And - to make your holiday even more special - an updated Almost Forever Schedule of Events from our superb Maker of Bridge Calendar Events - Steve Gaynor.

The calendar is below. Hope your summer and your bridge is beyond special!

Unit 178 Board Meeting - May 9, 2019 Agenda

For our members who like to keep up to date on Board of Director activity - the agenda for the upcoming Unit 178 Board meeting.

Thanks to all our board members who contribute to bridge in Unit 178!

*AGENDA

 

Unit 178 Board Meeting

Thursday, May 9 - 9:00AM

Twin Cities Bridge Center

 

 

1. Call to order at 9:00 – please be on time
2. Approval of Minutes
3. Financial Report –Vicki
4. Tournament Reports

MN State Sectional 2019-No longer with St Paul– Kerry

5. GNT 2019 – This weekend—Mike Cassel
6. NAP Diane
7. Properties Do Bridgemates need cleaning again? - Lets find someone
8. E-mail messaging – Judy
9. Old Business

Awards Banquet -Judy

          New Member letter update-Judy

          Tom and Cass report on people called

                    Charity game

                    Longest day game Liz and Richard

                   Money will be given to College Students—one time commitment

                   Gift cards to Diane and Vicky

                   Regional-John

                   Scott Sanction

10. New Business

District 14 meeting at Regional

Money for College kids from Grass Roots

                   Anything else?                  

11. Other
12. Next meeting
13. Adjourn 10:45

From Here to (Almost) Eternity!

 

Yet again - our thanks to Steve Gaynor for delivering all the news and events that are fit to print for Minnesotans!  His latest and greatest is below the line.

From Steve:  My latest schedule.  Let me know if you have any corrections.  I encourage anyone who is planning any kind of activity that includes bridge players to check out dates so they can avoid conflicts.

And from yours truly, your webmaster.  For all who celebrate, best wishes for a wonderful and meaningful Passover and Easter this weekend!

From Here To - Almost! - Eternity

 

We hope that all of our Minnesota players have been having a wonderful holiday season!  And, with the advent of our new year - 2019 - soon to be upon us, we are again grateful to Steve Gaynor.  Steve has an upcoming calendar of events in Minnesota and ones that might be attractive to our players, posted below.

If you know of an event that is not listed, please contact Steve and he will add it!

Best wishes to us all for an excellent new year, filled with loads of marvelous bridge adventures!

(Also - please note this comment just received from Mr. Almost Eternity himself, Steve G:

"I missed the sectional on September 5-7 at the Black Bear casino in Carlton, MN. Located right on I-35 just 20 miles south of Duluth."  Thanks for the addition, Steve!)

TWO Smiles!

 

 

TWO reasons to smile today!  

First, this news from Sue Jackson as to how you can help our bridge community:

AmazonSmile has donated over $100 million to charities thanks to customers shopping at smile.amazon.com.

To celebrate, AmazonSmile is donating 5% (ten times the usual amount!!) to Minnesota Bridge Education when you shop at smile.amazon.com/ch/37-1745323 through Nov 2.

AmazoSmile #StartWithaSmile  

 

And.......  another great reason to smile is the Minnesota Autumn Sectional begins tomorrow!  Head to 526 Inwood Avenue N, Oakdale, the Oak Marsh Golf Club and enjoy a great THREE days of sectional competition!

The flyer is on the left; we look forward to seeing you there with a big SMILE!

Latest Schedule - From Here to (Almost!) Eternity

 

 A big shout out and thanks to Steve Gaynor!  Yet again, Steve has supplied us with the latest and greatest news and schedule about bridge in Minnesota and the great beyond.

Check out all the events and grab the bridge passion!  Schedule posted below.

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