Better Bridge in Barry County
By
Gerald Stein
Now that school has started, and our students are
back in the classrooms, isn’t it time for Barry County bridge players to think
about taking bridge classes this fall? Today’s column will list some of the
bridge classes that will be offered either locally or nearby. Next week we will
visit some local places for bridge players to play bridge. For now, let’s see
what class offerings are available for beginners, advanced beginners,
intermediates, or anyone who just wants to brush up or learn some new bridge tricks
in the fascinating world of bridge.
For starters, a beginning bridge class for truly the
beginner in bridge will be offered at our own Fehsenfeld Center, Kellogg
Community College, Hastings campus, beginning on Wednesdays in October and
November: October 3 to November 28 from 10-12 noon. Entitled Bidding in the 21st Century, this
class centers on the basics of bridge playing: counting, bidding, playing, and
generally learning the necessary parts of bridge. In nine weeks, players will
learn to bid using the latest bidding practices as taught and encouraged by the
American Contract Bridge League. A minimum of eight students must register for
the class through KCC’s Institute for Learning in Retirement. Go to the KCC
website www.kellogg.edu/lifelong/ilr/pdf/Newsletter.pdf
and register online or call their office number: 269-965-4134 Ext. 2.
If the daytime hours do not fit your schedule for
this class, the same class Bidding in
the 21st Century will be offered in Battle Creek at the Kellogg
Community College Technology Center on Hill Brady Road on Wednesday nights
beginning October 3 from 6-8 PM for nine weeks. This class is perfect for
beginners in bridge but also serves as a refresher class for those who want to
see what new ideas in bridge bidding have developed since they first learned to
play. Again go to the KCC website www.kellogg.edu/lifelong/ilr/pdf/Newsletter.pdf
and register online or call their office number: 269-965-4134 Ext. 2. The text
is included in the tuition cost for both classes. A bonus chapter in the
beginning class is the final chapter, and all students will know and be able to
use the Stayman Convention by the end of the nine weeks.
A third class, geared more for the advanced
beginner, the intermediate player, and anyone who wants to improve the defense
part of their bridge game, will be offered on Monday mornings, beginning
October 1-November 26 from 10-12 noon. This class entitled Defense in the 21st Century
will also be offered through the Institute for Learning in Retirement program
through Kellogg Community College at their Technology Center on Hill Brady
Road. The text is included in this class as well, and the class runs for nine
weeks just like the beginning classes. This class will delve into opening leads
against no trump contracts and trump contracts, developing defensive tricks,
making a defensive plan, and a bonus chapter on learning a popular and useful
convention: the negative double. Again go to the KCC website www.kellogg.edu/lifelong/ilr/pdf/Newsletter.pdf
and register online or call their office number: 269-965-4134 Ext. 2.
A fourth class that will be offered in Kalamazoo at
the Kalamazoo Bridge Center is the Play
of the Hand in the 21st Century. This class follows the Bidding in the 21st Century
class and is the second class in the ACBL series. For more information on this
class, which begins on Thursday, September 20, 2012, call 612-508-1360. This
class also runs for nine weeks and includes the text. Learn how to make a plan,
take all the tricks you need, and impress the in-laws with your play of the
hand.
Finally, an exciting offering for those social
bridge players who want to know a bit more about duplicate bridge playing and
where to go for more instruction, here is a bit of news from Alan and Brenda
Bau, Directors at the Kalamazoo Bridge Center in Kalamazoo, just off of US 131.
A New Beginner Bridge Game Starts Friday,
Sept. 28th at the Kalamazoo Bridge Center, 648 Maple Hill Drive in
Kalamazoo: From Alan and Brenda Bau, Directors.
Call (269) 372-9299 or visit
http://www.kzoobridge.com/
“We will be starting a new bridge game targeted toward
helping social bridge players who want to learn about duplicate bridge and new
duplicate bridge players get off on the right foot. The first session will be
on Friday night, September 28, 2012 starting at 6:30 PM. This is a FREE SESSION
and plan to come at 6:00 PM for pizza and salad.
Many times social bridge players and new duplicate bridge
players are somewhat overwhelmed in the beginning. This new game is intended to
relieve any stress and will be a great learning experience. There will be a
brief pre-game lecture that will focus on the basics of bidding, defense,
declarer play, etiquette and a host of other related topics. Each session will
consist of twelve hands. To enhance the learning experience most of the hands
will relate to the material covered in the lecture.
We ask that you pre-register for the first session as it
will help us plan the food requirements for the evening. If you would like to
sign up for this free bridge game that includes dinner, please contact us at
your earliest convenience. We hope to have a really good turnout, so we suggest
making your reservations early.”
Next week, in this column, we will look at the places in
Barry County, Calhoun County, Kalamazoo County and Kent County where bridge
games are available and ready for bridge players. For now, consider the bridge classes
in our area or in nearby communities. Begin the school year with a desire to
learn some new ideas about your favorite game. Sign up for classes or take a
drive with some friends to the free pizza and salad night offered by the
Kalamazoo Bridge Center. You will be opening a wonderful window in your bridge
learning. Have fun in Bridge Class!
Gerald Stein
September 9, 2012
Number of words: 1000
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