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The District 17 Bridge Buzz focuses on district and national news and provides you with the links to access the details. Catch the next Buzz in March.
Contact Cindy Shoemaker, editor, cndyshoemaker@yahoo.com
with feedback and content suggestions.
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Elizabeth Hamilton
grtscot@gmail.com
415-994-3527
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"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning."
This quote is attributed to Albert Einstein. Most of you know that he is widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential scientists best known for developing the Theory of Relativity. He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics. The quote is sound advice - don’t you think?
As we transition from 2024 to 2025 in D17, we can look back at a year that included five profitable regionals, four successful I/N Regionals, many well-run sectionals and an amazing NABC in Las Vegas. The five regionals we ran in 2023 made modest profits too. This helps us keep supporting important D17 events and programs. What have we learned? The first thing is that we have incredible people helping to run our tournaments, units and clubs. They are constantly looking to fine tune their events and programs to meet the needs of players at all levels. Evaluating playing sites, hotels and keeping to a budget is no mean feat. It is important to try to keep costs affordable for as many players as possible. Albuquerque, Tucson, Denver and Phoenix are doing an outstanding job.
Our last D17 Regional in 2023 and 2024 was in Taos. They were great tournaments, but what we learned from those two years has led us to make a decision that we will not be able to run a Regional in Taos in 2025. The local club who ran this tournament for many years has closed their F2F club and there are almost no local volunteers. In 2023 and 2024 the D17 Board provided the resources to run the tournaments. A completely different business model from the other D17 tournaments. This allowed us to hold the D17 NAP Finals close to the end of the year, so players who qualified had time to plan for the National Final at the spring NABC.
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However, NAP attendance was low in both of those years and we learned that the geographical location was challenging for many players who wanted to participate in the Finals. We learned that the Finals need to be in a larger geographical location that is easier to reach. Running the regional remotely presented many operational challenges too. Yes, we learned and we are adjusting plans accordingly. Stay tuned for the location of the 2025 D17 NAP Finals.
Living for today is exciting and we know we are going to have four fantastic Regionals in 2025. Albuquerque, Tucson, Denver and Phoenix. Please consider joining us. The latest tournament information is posted on the D17 website. Make your plan soon for your tournament playing schedule in 2025 and remember there are many opportunities to volunteer and play.
It is our hope for tomorrow that our tournaments, club games and grass roots events like GNTs (Grand National Teams) and NAPs (North American Pairs) will grow. They can with your help. Let’s keep the hope alive that bridge will continue to evolve and future generations will have an opportunity to experience this amazing game.
The fall 2024 Las Vegas NABC was a fantastic experience. The final table count was 10,301. The highest of the three NABCs in 2024! The number of newer players at NABCs has declined considerably in the last few years. We ran a promotion and we attracted 260 I/N players and that resulted in 215.5 tables. A big improvement. What else can we do to get more participation from this group of players?
The ACBL tournament staff was incredible. The volunteers were outstanding. What more can we ask for? The last part of the quote above says that it is important to never stop questioning. We know we need to implement new ideas. Some will work and some may not. We will never know if we do not experiment. Keep giving us your feedback.
On behalf of the D17 Board, we wish you a happy and healthy 2025!
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LAND OF ENCHANTMENT REGIONAL
ALBUQUERQUE
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Ben Franz
Tournament Chair
benfranz99@gmail.com
Plan to attend the Land of Enchantment Regional, Monday, January 20 through Sunday, January 26 at its new location, Crowne Plaza Albuquerque, 1901 University Blvd. Northeast, Albuquerque.
This seven-day regional offers a variety of pair and team games for players of all levels.
Click here to view the tournament flyer and all tournament events.
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RESERVE YOUR ROOMS TODAY
Book before January 6, 2025 to receive room rates from $129/night. To make your reservation, call 844-356-6178. Ask for the Unit 374 ACBL group rate or click here to book online. Parking is free.
FIND A PARTNER OR A TEAM
Stop by the on-site partnership desk or click here to make your pre-tournament partnership requests.
Educational lectures will be held between sessions Tuesday through Saturday. On-site snack bar and bargain coffee daily. Great hospitality gifts as well!
This is a cashless tournament. Credit cards, checks and ACBL scrip only. No smoke, no fragrance and no bad behavior. Zero tolerance will be strictly enforced.
See you in Albuquerque!
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Jack Shoemaker
Tournament Chair
shoejack20@gmail.com
Great weather, a consistent playing schedule and signature hospitality make the Tucson Winter Regional THE place to play!
The regional will be held Tuesday, February 25 through Saturday, March 1 at the Tanque Verde Lutheran Church, 8625 E. Tanque Verde Road in Tucson. Ample free parking daily.
RESERVE YOUR ROOMS TODAY
Players will receive discounted rates at two Marriott properties nearby.
Click here to view the tournament schedule, hotel details and booking deadlines.
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With start times of 9:30 am and 2:30 pm, this tournament schedule includes Bracketed Round Robin teams, Gold Rush pairs and open pairs. Side pair games and 299er pair games are offered for play mornings and/or afternoons.
A/X/Y Swiss and Bracketed Gold teams (0-3000) will begin 9 am on Saturday.
Lunch may be purchased onsite Tuesday through Friday. Saturday lunch will be included in the team entry fee.
Free coffee, hot tea and premium candy will be provided daily.
If you need a partner or a team, contact
Doug Cain, cainds2@comcast.net or post to www.playsouthernazbridge.com and click partnerships.
Free lectures will be held between sessions Tuesday through Friday.
This is a cashless tournament. Credit/debit cards only. No smoke, no fragrance and no bad behavior. Zero tolerance will be strictly enforced.
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DENVER ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONAL | | |
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The Denver Rocky Mountain Regional will return to the Renaissance Hotel by Marriott, 3801 Quebec Street, Denver. Make plans to attend May 20-26, 2025. Click here to view the tournament flyer.
The Renaissance Hotel is close to restaurants, shopping and convenient transportation. Room reservations are open. Click here by April 28, 2025 to reserve your stay at the per room rate of $135.
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Click here to view the D17 tournament calendar. | |
The recently completed D17 Wish Bone STaC had 1,751 players earning 3,204.26 Masterpoints (25% each gold, silver, red and black) awarded to 1,449 out of 4,236 participants. Click here for the top 50 Masterpoint winners. | |
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Mark your calendar for the 2025 D17 STaCs:
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Julie Clark
GNT Coordinator
jclark9811@comcast.net
Do you want to represent D17 at the National Finals? Need colored points? Your opportunity is here!
Here’s how you qualify. Play in your local club GNT game and place in the top 50 percent of your flight. This allows you to participate in the D17 GNT Finals. Local club qualifying games are going on now – the deadline is February 28. Some clubs may hold online qualifying games. Ask your local club owner when they will hold qualifying games.
The Championship Flight Finals will be held online April 5 and 6. Finals for Flights A, B and C will occur May 24 and 25 at the Denver Rocky Mountain Regional. You must qualify at the club level (in person or online) to compete in the D17 Finals.
The winners at the District level in each flight will be invited to participate in the National Finals in Philadelphia. The event begins Wednesday, July 23 and ends Sunday, July 27. Flights B and C may send two teams if their respective flights have eight or more teams in the D17 Finals.
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D17 provides a stipend to each first-place team in Flights A, B and C based on the income D17 receives from the grass roots and qualification games. One-fourth of that stipend will be paid to the second place teams in Flights B and C (provided eight or more teams participated at the District level).
No player in each flight can have more than the Masterpoints listed below:
- Flight C: NLMs with < 750 MPs
- Flight B: 0 – 3000 MPs
- Flight A: 0 – 6000 MPs
- Championship Flight: Unlimited MPs
If you need pigmented points, this is your opportunity! Silver points are awarded at club level qualifying games. At the District Finals, overall winners are awarded gold points, and red points are awarded for each match won.
Click here to see if you have qualified!
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NABC TOURNAMENT CHAIR OPPORTUNITY
LAS VEGAS SUMMER 2027
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We are ready to interview candidates for the 2027 summer NABC Tournament Chair position. | |
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If you are interested, please do the following:
- Contact your District Representative on the D17 Board for more details.
- Prepare a short bio that includes relative experience in event management and bridge event/tournament management.
I look forward to hearing from you!
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Sharon Smith
Education Chair
Sharon@SteamboatBridge.com
Attention D17 students and teachers. What a fabulous turnout for Intermediate and Newcomer players at the LVNABC! Chris Hahn and Toby McEvoy were fabulous I/N Coordinators! Robert Todd's board review was well received at the December 5 party. Thank you to all I/N players that participated!
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Steamboat Bridge is hosting GNT qualifiers online in January and February. Join us January 4 and February 1 for 3 pm Saturday games. Practice your Swiss Team skills and help fill the games!
Jump Start Bridge hosted a booth at the Colorado Gifted Conference. 136 teachers across Colorado signed up to teach bridge in the classroom this school year. The program is well received nationwide!
Jump Start Bridge will host a booth at the Arizona Gifted Conference in February. Teaching students bridge is the first step. We hope long term to host youth games at sectionals and regionals. We also hope that the students and their teachers take the game home to their families and friends and we eventually see these players at clubs!
D17 licenses Patty Tucker’s Bridge in a Day curriculum and the follow up classes. Does your club need a program to attract new players? Reach out to me!
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ACBL members receive masterpoints for winning and placing in club games and tournaments as they strive to advance through the ranks. There are 16 ranks, from Junior Master (5 masterpoints) to Grand Life Master (10,000 masterpoints plus a victory in an eligible North American Bridge Championship). Learn rank qualifications. | |
NEWLY MINTED LIFE MASTERS | |
Jill Barker, Unit 363, Fort Collins, CO | |  |
Damian Birnstihl, Unit 351, Gilbert, AZ. Also a Silver Life Master | | |
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John Farbarik, Unit 356, Tucson, AZ
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David Loring, Unit 360, Colorado Springs, CO | | |
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Not pictured: Thomas Comi, Unit 356, Oro Valley, AZ; Sally Gosnell, Unit 374, Rio Rancho, NM; Lee Nykaza, Unit 354, Scottsdale, AZ, also a Bronze Life Master; Stephan Pollard, Unit 422, Laramie, WY, also a Bronze Life Master; Jim Saracino, Unit 361, Englewood, CO, also a Bronze Life Master; Mark Solow, Unit 354, Phoenix, AZ; Kathy Taigen, Unit 361, Englewood, CO and David White, Unit 356, Tucson, AZ, also a Bronze Life Master.
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