August 10, 2020

The Bridge Center is Closed Until Safe to Reopen - But this is a great time to play and learn online!

ACBL has partnered with Bridgebase online BBO to offer games which support our club and the duplicate bridge community. https://www.bridgebase.com. Whether your goal is to learn, to practice casually, to play competitively, or to accumulate masterpoints, there is an online option to keep you participating until we can be together again. Many excellent tutorials are available to familiarize you with BBO. Click here.

If you need help with BBO or with connecting to our virtual club games, contact: Frank Grossman at (949) 366-5499 fbgrossman@cox.net or Janie Matlaf at (949) 233-2140 jmatlaf@gmail.com

GAME RESULTS: You can learn everything about every board in the Game Results tab. Click on Common Game, the game you're interested in, the board, the person, and you can watch a full replay of that board at that person's table. See the lead, the offense, and the defense step by step. The diagram of the hand will appear, and by clicking NEXT, you can watch the play trick by trick.

CALENDAR: Keep an eye on our calendar tab for the latest online schedule.

If you are not receiving club emails, contact Janie Matlaf (949) 233-2140 to be sure we have your most current email address.

Many businesses are reopening, others will not survive. We would much prefer to be in the former category rather than the latter. Until we can make 'virtual' a thing of the past, and be together in person again, we urge you to join us and support our club games as often as you can. Keep Frank's phone number handy (949) 366-5499 in case you run into technical problems getting into a game, lose your connection, or can volunteer to fill-in should someone lose their connection. On days that Marshall directs, he can be reached at (949) 713-9119.

Need silver? Want to pick up extra points?
July 27 through August 2, compete for SILVER points. These games are not like STaC games, where clubs may opt in or opt out. All club games next week must be "ACBL Silver Linings Games" and must pay an extra $5 per table to ACBL. Entry fees for Monday through Friday next week will be $8 to help defray part of the extra expense.SCHEDULE By category:
Open Game: 12:25 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
Open Unit Game: 12:10 pm Sunday. (Sunday 7/26 is not a silver game, 8/2 is a silver game)
0-299 Game: 12:10 pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday
0-750 Unit Game: 11:50 am Sunday Game. (Sunday 7/26 is not a silver game, 8/2 is a silver game)
0-1500 Game: 6:30 pm Monday

SCHEDULE By day:
Monday: 12:10 pm 0-299 Game, 12:25 pm Open Game, 6:30 pm 0-1500 Game
Tuesday: 12:25 pm Open Game
Wednesday: 12:10 pm 0-299 Game, 12:25 pm Open Game
Thursday: NO games
Friday: 12:10 pm 0-299 Game, 12:25 pm Open Game
Saturday: NO games
Sunday: 11:50 am Unit Game 0-750; 12:10 pm Unit Game Open. (Sunday 7/26 is not a silver game, 8/2 is a silver game)

Special congratulations are in order for Mary Bryant and Sylvia Srigley, who came in FIRST OVERALL in Tuesday's Open Game - with a score of 61.11%. Do you think they were the least bit intimidated playing against opponents all of whom have significantly more masterpoints? Doesn't look like it! And to think, that game almost didn't happen. Shortly before takeoff with all our seatbelts fastened, we got grounded. The game disappeared from our screens. Frank managed to get the game reinstated, albeit in a weird movement where we circled around twice playing the same opponents on the first trip around and then again on a second. In spite of the glitch, Mary and Sylvia kept their cool and struck it rich.

Overall top scorers for the week in the Open Game were Mark Itabashi and Brian Gilbert with their 70.78%, followed by Marshall Pearlman and George Brody at 66.07%

There were two spectacular games in the 299'er section this week. Tricia Jennings and Patty Lenard breezed through on Wednesday with a score of 68.06%. Then Friday, Leonard Re and Jean Kimbrell dominated for a week leading finish of 68.25%.

Thank you to Steve Rakower for volunteering to be a mentor to Roger Freeman. They have connected a few times in preparation for a real game, and held their own in the Wednesday Open club game. If others are still interested in mentoring, speak up and reply to this message.

A few reminders from Marshall Pearlman:

Be considerate of others and please watch your time.

· Please announce your general style and defensive carding when you join a table e.g. say 2/1 UDCA

· Be sure to PRE-ALERT.If you are not sure, ALERT anyway.

· If asked about a bid, give an explanation, rather than a convention’s name. e.g.response to 2C opener say “an Ace or 2 Kings” instead of “Controls." Be helpful not deceptive.

· If you need the Director, click on the blue box with 3 white bars, then “Call Director."

· Players playing in the same house, please go to separate rooms.

· It’s best to keep the chat down especially about non-game issues.Concentrate on playing your best game.

· If you have to leave the table for a moment, type “BRB” (= be right back)

· Enjoy!

Sunday Unit Games:
The Costa Mesa Bridge Club hosts a weekly Unit Game on behalf of all local Units. Usually the 0-750 game starts at 11:50 am, and the Open Game starts at 12:10 pm.