Planning to Win 2025
2025-09-23 09:00 - 10:30, 2025-10-07 09:15 - 11:15, 2025-10-21 09:15 - 11:15, 2025-11-04 09:15 - 11:15 (America/Los_Angeles) | Bridge Center, 432A Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA, 94043, United States
Kathy Harper
(650) 207-1816
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A more modern style of teaching bridge designed by Pat Harrington. For players with some bridge experience or new players that have completed the Play & Learn Beginning Bridge class.
For people who have never played bridge and those people who have played for years but want a refresher course or just to learn the basics.
Notes will be emailed for all classes. No make-up classes are offered for missed classes.
Our course instructor is ABTA Master Teacher Kathy Harper. Kathy and our wonderful volunteers give students individual attention which helps our students learn in a fun environment.
Please contact Kathy Harper at (650) 207-1816 email for additional information.

PLAY & LEARN Planning to Win
Dates

Cancelled due to illness
September 23, 2025

Counting Winners and Entries in NT;
Bidding Maximum Opening Hands;
Opening Leads in Notrump
October 7

Counting Losers and Drawing Trump;
Maximum Responding Hands;
October 21

Promotion in Suits and Notrump;
Bidding with Minimum Hands
November 4

Using Length in Suits & Notrump;
November 18

The Finesse
December 9

Dummy Points and Trumping in Dummy;
Blackwood
December 16

Discarding a Quick Loser
January 6, 2026

Watch out for the Opponents!
January 20

Sharpen Your Competitive Edge
2025-09-25 19:15 - 21:30, 2025-10-02 19:15 - 21:30, 2025-10-09 19:15 - 21:30, 2025-10-30 19:15 - 21:30, 2025-11-06 19:15 - 21:30 | Bridge Center, 432A Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA, 94043, United States
Frank Smoot
(408) 306-3901
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You will learn powerful and practical bidding, play and defense concepts. The opponents will often get into your auction (and you into theirs) in this course. You will add tools to overcome the competition and use the bidding to help your play of the hand.

This course is designed for players who understand the basics, but are working on accurately assessing their hand strength to avoid overbidding or underbidding – players who are refining techniques like finesses, setting up long suits and entry management. We will cherish mistakes in class and grow stronger from them.

Using materials from many sources (primarily Richard Pavlicek) you will learn powerful and practical bidding, play and defense concepts, do exercises in class (homework outside of class) and finish the evening by playing hands relating to the topic. Snacks are also provided. You will be amazed at what you will learn, even if you have played for years and years!
The in-class exercises are available in electronic format so students can play the hands at home and receive commentary on their bidding and play (requires Bridge Baron software).
Our course lecturer is the very popular Frank Smoot who has taught bridge to beginners and beyond in Palo Alto for 30+ years. Frank and our wonderful volunteers give students individual attention which helps our students learn in a fun environment.
For more information contact Frank Smoot (408) 306-3901 email.

The 8-Week Course Covers
Bridge Baron Downloads

Weak Two Bids
Strong Two-Club Opening
Bidding Judgment – Uncontested
Bidding Judgment – Contested
Competing and Sacrificing
Combating Weak Openings
Third Hand Defense
Second Hand Defense

Weak Two
Strong 2 Club
Bidding Judgment – Uncontested
Bidding Judgment – Contested
Competing and Sacrificing
Combating Weak Openings
Third Hand
Second Hand

Bridge Baron Support
Purchase: BaronBarclay
Instructions for downloading and playing files with Bridge Baron
Students: For additional support contact Alan Templeton or Frank Smoot

Payment
After registering, below, you may pay by Zelle or check to hold your spot:
Zelle: Transfer $240 to either franklinsalias-bridge@yahoo.com or (408) 306-3901.
Check: Mail a check made out to Frank Smoot in the amount of $240:

Frank Smoot
15 Tagus Ct.
Portola Valley, CA 94028

Supervised Play Monday Evenings
2025-09-29 18:45 - 20:30, 2025-10-13 18:45 - 20:30, 2025-10-27 18:45 - 20:30, 2025-11-10 18:45 - 20:30 | Bridge Center, 432A Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA, 94043, United States
Kathy Harper
(650) 207-1816
Send Email

Beginning Bridge
2025-09-29 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-10-13 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-10-27 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-11-10 19:00 - 20:30 | Bridge Center, 432A Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA, 94043, United States
Kathy Harper
(650) 207-1816
Send Email

Learn Bridge the modern way in this course designed by Pat Harrington! Each class includes both instruction and practice play. Start playing the very first day! Children & teens welcome.
For people who have never played bridge and those people who have played for years but want a refresher course or just to learn the basics.
Notes will be emailed for all classes. No make-up classes are offered for missed classes.
Our course instructor is ABTA Master Teacher Kathy Harper. Kathy and our wonderful volunteers give students individual attention which helps our students learn in a fun environment.
Please contact Kathy Harper for more information.

Bridge Center 50th Anniversary Game
2025-09-30 10:00 - 15:00 | Bridge Center, 432A Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA, 94043, United States
Goodies/decorations/honor the many people who have contributed to our Bridge Center. Game at 10:45. Alan Cummings Free Lecture by Debbie Rosenberg at 10:00am before the game. Requires signup.
SIGNUP

Silicon Valley Fall Sectional
2025-10-03 - 2025-10-06 | Bridge Center, 432A Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA, 94043, United States
The Silicon Valley Unit Fall Sectional will be held at our Bridge Center.

Supervised Play Tuesday Mornings
2025-10-07 08:45 - 10:30, 2025-10-21 08:45 - 10:30, 2025-11-04 08:45 - 10:30 | Bridge Center, 432A Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA, 94043, United States

Swiss Team Club Game
2025-10-13 11:30 - 14:30, 2025-11-10 11:30 - 14:30 | Bridge Center, 432A Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA, 94043, United States
Swiss Team games are great fun to play and grant generous master point awards at sectional, regional, and national tournaments! Now you have the chance to play at the club level in our monthly games hosted by John Schwartz and Will Watson.
These games are a wonderful opportunity to polish one’s Swiss Team skills throughout the year and especially prior to sectional, regional, and national tournaments. If you are less experienced or have never played in a Swiss Team game and would like to play Swiss Teams at future tournaments, these Swiss Team club games are a perfect opportunity to gain experience in a more relaxed club game environment. For those less experienced Swiss Team players, here are slides from a Swiss Team strategy lecture from a Swiss Team strategy lecture given in August 2023..
These games will have an Open and a Limited section. They will award 100% black points.
No lunch is provided. Snacks aree available before and during the game.
For planning purposes, we ask that players sign-up to play at: https://www.signup123.com/unit503bridge/Scripts/slogin.pl

The game reservation system is designed for pairs games and not Swiss Teams. So, to sign up your team, sign up you and your partner in both the N/S and E/W boxes.
Having trouble signing up? Email Will Watson watsonbridge@gmail.com

Don’t have a team of four? The Unit will help you find a team. Email Will Watson at watsonbridge@gmail.com.
Have questions? Please contact Will or Marc Cervellino at marc.cervellino@hotmail.com.

Board of Directors Meeting
2025-10-14 16:00 - 17:30 | Bridge Center, 432A Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA, 94043, United States
Usually held on the second Tuesday of every month at 4pm. Meetings are via Zoom. Please see our Event Calendar for possible changes.
Members are welcome to attend. Please contact the board if you would like a subject added to the Agenda.
Please see our Governance page for information about the board, the agenda for this meeting and the agenda and minutes of past meetings.

Celebrity Bridge Seminar with Robert Todd LIVE
2025-10-18 09:30 - 15:00 | Online Webinar, Link to be provided to registrants
Compete when they Open
Defensive Strategies & Tools
Robert Todd will be presenting a LIVE seminar at our Bridge Center. Competitive bidding is key in bridge. When opponents open, you have tools to enter the auction. We’ll explore these and help you sharpen your judgement to compete effectively.
$100 registration fee
Information and registration

Palo Alto Bridge Super Silver Sectional
2025-10-23 - 2025-10-26 | Bridge Center, 432A Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA, 94043, United States
Open, Midflight, Silver Rush (0-750) and 0-99 Pairs games
All Games are Stratified
Bracketed Team Games
Only play teams at your own level
All games award 100% Silver points
76% of players won silver points at the last ten Palo Alto Bridge tournaments
Schedule of events and more

Halloween Game
2025-10-31 10:45 - 14:45 | Bridge Center, 432A Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA, 94043, United States
Wear a Halloween costume – prizes awarded for best costumes! Loads of Halloween themed snacks. The Bridge Center will be decorated in Frightening fashion!
Think your kids and grandkids are the only ones who can wear a costume on Halloween? Guess again! Each year’s Halloween game has a large turnout and is scary fun, with most players wearing costumes. So, dust off that costume, mark your calendar, call your partner, and plan to play in our Halloween game.
0 – 750 masterpoint players – here is an opportunity to attend Will Watson’s free bridge lecture and then play in a special stratified, 0-750 limited section.
Open and 0-750 sections start at 10:45am:

Club Appreciation Game will award greater masterpoints
Will Watson will present a free lecture ‘End Plays’ at 10am
Enjoy the fun.

For planning purposes, we strongly encourage reservations, with or without a partner.
Last year’s Halloween game had a large turnout and was scary fun, with most players wearing a costume (see photo). So, dust off that costume, mark your calendar, call your partner, and plan to play in the Halloween game.

San Mateo - Redwood City Sectional
2025-11-01 - 2025-11-02 | Bridge Center, 432A Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA, 94043, United States
The San Mateo / Redwood City Unit Sectional held at our Bridge Center.

SiVY Fall/Winter Pizza Party Tournament
2025-11-08 15:00 - 18:00 | Bridge Center, 432A Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA, 94043, United States
View SiVY Pizza Party calendar for more information.
