May started and ended with some real highlights. Participation at the Palo Alto Bridge Center(PABC) hit a post pandemic high the first week of May when we participated in the Western Conference’s Royal STaC week. It was great seeing so many people returning to the PABC for face-to-face (F2F) bridge. The month ends with the Sacramento Regional which is in full swing and runs through June 4th.
As you will see below, the coming weeks are also full of special events along with our regularly scheduled online and F2F games at the PABC:
May 29th – June 4th – The Sacramento Regional continues with a great opportunity to play a variety of pair and partner games and win Gold and Red points.
June 16th – The PABC will hold its second Non-Life-Master Local Sectional. This paradoxically (local sectional?) named event is a one-session F2F tournament at the PABC where 100% silver masterpoints are awarded. Feel free to sign-up here or just show up.
June 17th – Anna Ravenscroft is offering a Saturday Sampler for newcomer and intermediate players. The 10:00am class is a standalone class on Two Suited Overcalls (Michaels & Unusual 2NT) with a hands-on lesson including pre-dealt boards. The class is followed by a game directed by Anna and Paul Davis. You’ll also receive a handout with a summary. Classes will review and reinforce basics; many will present new concepts as well. You are welcome to attend as many or as few as you like. We do ask you to register for each class in advance so we can prepare enough pre-made boards and handouts.
June 20th – Our monthly free lecture at 9:30 features Bruce Luttrell discussing the Rules of Competition. After the lecture, we will hold our $4.99 for 499ers F2F game. Come for the lecture, stay for the game.
June 24th – Stay at home and learn via Zoom at 9:30 as the Celebrity Lecture Series continues its amazing run with Michael Berkowitz. Michael will be discussing Slam Bidding with Big Distributional Values. If you have not heard Michael before, I can tell you he is as entertaining as he is insightful. Here is where you register.
June 27th – In preparation for the Firecracker, the Unit is holding a F2F Swiss Team Firecracker-Warmup Game with a Lecture on Swiss Strategy. The game targets Non-Life Masters and will feature a separate Open section. Join us by signing up here.
June, July & August – Grand National Pairs qualifying will be scheduled twice a month by each club owner… check their newsletters for specific dates.
July 5-9th – The Firecracker is going to be bigger than ever! We have dual sanctions so Non-Life Masters will be able to earn Gold in the NLM Regional while all the traditional open games will be played in the Open Sectional and award silver points. More info is available online.
July 10th – Please help make Ed Barlow’s 90th Birthday special. Join us for a celebration at the PABC 10:30am game. Ed, who is a Grand Life Master, has 17,000 masterpoints and 2nd place finishes in the Grand National Teams, Mitchell Board-a-Match, and won the Truscott Senior Swiss Teams! Let’s have a big turn out to the game to show Ed how much we appreciate his huge support of the club through the years, his generosity in giving advice, and his sense of humor. Whether you can make it or not, sign this ecard, add a photo, share favorite memory.
On behalf of the Unit 503 membership, I would like to congratulate all Unit 503 members who achieved a new ACBL Rank in May:
Club Masters: Suzy Papazian, Richard Ross
Regional Masters: Yakov Feldman, Gary Lipe
NABC Masters: Nancy Steinbach
Advanced NABC Masters: David Berkeley, Virginia Dare
Silver Life Master: Judi Gentry
Gold Life Masters: Steve Hubbell
As you can see we have a lot of activity at the PABC in June and July. We will see you at the tables the lectures and/or the parties.
If you have questions, comments or concerns I can be reached at merenbach@yahoo.com.
Remember to be kind to your partner, opponents and the director –
David
P.S. If you know someone who is not a member of Unit 503, but who plays often at the PABC and would enjoy this newsletter please feel free to forward it.