Article submitted by Debbie Monroe
 

News Flash:  Unit-169 is extremely excited to announce that the first Regional tournament in over 30 years will be coming to Greensboro June 1 - June 6, 2026.  The all-new Central Carolina Regional Tournament will be held at the beautiful Embassy Suites (near the Piedmont-Triad Airport).  It is a terrific location… close to Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point, and just a short drive for those living in Burlington, Reidsville, Asheboro and Salisbury.  For players who would like to stay at the Embassy Suites host hotel, special rates are available at $149 per night; this rate includes a free breakfast and a cocktail for each person staying in the room.

For players unfamiliar with ACBL tournaments, Unit 169 typically runs four Sectional tournaments each year, and while 3-day Sectional tournaments can be a lot of fun, players are limited to earning only silver masterpoints.  Regional tournaments however, run for 6-7 days and draw players from all over North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia.  It is at Regionals where players can earn both gold and red masterpoints.  That means that for players who do not like to drive great distances, the Central Carolina Regional will be their best chance to get those ‘elusive’ gold and red masterpoints.  We worked very hard to earn the privilege of bringing a regional tournament to our area and one of our primary goals was to help members of Unit 169 achieve their next bridge rankings without having to drive too far.  

We also structured the Central Carolina Regional Tournament for all levels of play.  If you are still a novice player, you can play exclusively with other novices while still earning gold and red masterpoints.  If you have already achieved Life Master status, you will be able to play in events called mid-flight pair and team games; meaning that you can play with other players within your skill level while earning both Gold and Red points.  And you are a player with over 3,500 points, there will be many bracketed teams and bracketed open games available… allowing you to compete with people at or near your own skill level.  Therefore, no matter what your point range maybe, you will be playing bridge with players who are at or near your skill level.  Competitive and fun!

The various events at the Central Carolina Regional Tournament will start each day at 10:00 AM and again at 2:30 PM.  In the evening, we will also be offering a variety of team games and pairs events starting 7:30 PM.  These games will also be bracketed, again, allowing you to play with people within your skill range.  We know that there are players who like to play 10:00 and at 2:30 and then go out to have a great meal, so we will provide a lot of information about available restaurants in Greensboro, Winston Salem and High Point.  And while there are a few die-hard players who like to play three times a day, our evening games were also designed to attract ‘working’ players from around the area. Recognizing that the ambiance of evening games is often more relaxed  and to facilitate that atmosphere, we will also be providing an open cash bar for additional player enjoyment.

We are expecting many players from District 6 and District 7 to attend the tournament. Early response to our tournament has been strong so we are expecting a nice crowd.  Please mark your calendar and save the dates from June 1 to June 6, 2026 for the Central Carolina Regional Tournament.  To assist with your planning, we have attached a tournament flyer that outlines the various events and start times.