The Slam Toolkit
with Peter J. Boyd-Bowman
This class is for advanced beginner and intermediate players.
Wednesdays, starting May 6 for four weeks.
Limited to 12 students.
Ready to bid like a Pro? Discover
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how to identify a hand worth exploring slam,
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when you need to bid controls, and
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what to do when you have not found a fit.
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Bridge Basics 2: Competitive Bidding
with Tom May
Have you ever passed after the opponents opened the bidding—and then watched them settle comfortably into their best contract? Competitive bidding gives you the tools to get into the auction and make life harder for the other side.
Bridge Basics 2: Competitive Bidding begins Wednesday, February 25, in an 8-week series taught by Tom May, known for his clear explanations and patient teaching style.
What You’ll Learn
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Preemptive opening bids
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Overcalls (suit and notrump)
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Takeout doubles and how to respond
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How competitive auctions change responder’s bids, including cuebidding and the Law of Total Tricks
Course Format
Four topics taught over two weeks each: one instructional session followed by a practice session for reinforcement.
Details
Dates & Time: Wednesdays, Feb 25–Apr 15, 9:30 a.m.–12:00 noon
Location: Fellowship Presbyterian Church, 2005 New Garden Rd, Greensboro
Instructor: Tom May, dtommay92@gmail.com, 336-210-2892
Cost
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Complete course (8 sessions): $200
Includes companion book or two free plays at a Triad Bridge Club game -
Any 2-session topic: $50
Registration
Judy Hellen
📧 Judy@learnbridgegso.com
📱 336-558-3613 (call or text)
Bridge Basics 1: An Introduction
Bridge Basics 1: An Introduction is designed for those who are new to bridge and those who want to re-enter the game (remember college). This course provides an overview of modern bidding, play of the hand and defense techniques. We are excited to welcome a new bridge instructor, Kathy Coop.
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Four sessions are scheduled for Tuesday afternoons starting September 16.
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Sep. 16: The Basics of Bridge, a trick-taking game
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Sep. 23: Notrump Openings and Responses
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Sep. 30: Major Suit Openings and Responses
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Oct. 7: Minor Suit Openings and Responses
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Location: Fellowship Presbyterian Church, 2005 New Garden Rd., Greensboro
Time: 2:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Cost: $100 for all four sessions or $30 for individual sessions. An accompanying book is highly recommended and may be purchased at a discount at the first session.
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To register or for more information, contact Judy Hellen at Judy@LearnBridgeGSO.com or 336-558-3613.
Introduction to Declarer Play
with Cecelia Ray
Once the bidding is over and the opening lead hits the table, the real game of bridge begins. Declarer play is where hands are won—or lost—and where players can make the biggest leap in skill in the shortest amount of time.
Introduction to Declarer Play starts on Friday, February 27 for seven sessions led by the popular and supportive Cecelia Ray. It is designed for players who know the basics of bridge but want to feel more confident and in control when they become declarer.
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You’ll learn how to:
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Make a simple plan before playing to the first trick
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Count winners and losers
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Use common techniques such as promotion, establishing long suits and finesses.
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Eliminate losers by ruffing or discarding them.
Most importantly, you’ll learn how to think about the hand, not just follow rules. Declarer play isn’t about memorizing formulas—it’s about seeing possibilities and making smart, logical decisions.
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Dates & Time: Fridays, Feb 27–Apr 10, 9:30 a.m.–12:00 noon
Location: Fellowship Presbyterian Church, 2005 New Garden Rd, Greensboro
Instructor: Cecelia Ray, ACBL Life Master
Cost: $150 for complete course
Registration:
Cecelia Ray
📧 CeceliaRay@gmail.com
📱 336-601-5058 (call or text)
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No matter what level or style of bridge you enjoy, declarer play is the great equalizer. Strong declarer play wins tricks even when the bidding isn’t perfect—and makes the game more satisfying and fun.
Play of a Notrump Contract
Improving your declarer play is one of the best ways to improve your results at the bridge table. Learning to identify your source(s) of tricks and how to establish winners are essential skills in notrump and suit contracts. Whether you are a developing player or a seasoned play who struggles with notrump play, this class is for you. Each class will be packed with practice hands. Enroll now to reserve a spot in this very fun course.​
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Aug. 4: The Thought Process
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Aug. 11: Splits and Counting
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Aug. 18: More Suit Establishment
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Aug. 25: Entries - Unblocking and overtaking
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Dates: Mondays, August 4, 11, 18 and 25
Time: 9:30 am - 11:45 am
Location: Fellowship Presbyterian Church, 2005 New Garden Rd, Greensboro
Instructor: Judy Hellen, Judy@LearnBridgeGSO.com or 336-558-3613
Cost: $100 for all four sessions or $30 for any single session
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To register or for more information, please contact the instructor
UNIT 169 NAMES DIXIE CULVER AND RICH PEFFER
GOODWILL AMBASSADORS FOR 2023/2024
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Unit 169 has elected Dixie Culver and Rich Peffer to be our 2023/2024 Goodwill Ambassadors. Dixie and Rich will represent our Unit at the District 7 celebration in Greenville, South Carolina in June.
Dixie and Rich were nominated by members at large in our Unit and were elected by the Unit Board in December 2022. A ”Goodwill Ambassador” is one of the highest honors bestowed by our Unit 169, District 7 and the ACBL. This honor represents members who love the game of bridge and exhibit excellent manners at the table, respectful of fellow players and have contributed to the growth and enjoyment of the game. Both Dixie and Rich have shown themselves to be excellent examples of these values.
Dixie has been a member of Unit 169 for over 10 years. She has served on our Board of Directors for the last 5 years. Currently Dixie is the Secretary/Treasurer of Unit 169. She manages all of our financial accounts and is responsible for budgeting and planning our activities for the year. She has given her time freely supporting our tournaments and helping with our Unit games. If you need something done Dixie is always the first person raising her hand to help. Dixie is creative and has brought new ideas and practices into Unit 169. She is thoughtful and a great friend of the game.
Rich Peffer has been a member of Unit 169 for 12 years and has served on the Board for the last 4 years. Rich is a bridge teacher and a Director and runs several games in the area. He engaged the Unit’s members to support our very successful “Learn Bridge is a Day” Program in August 2022, which attracted over 120 new players. He applied for and received grants from the ACBL and District 7 to help fund this project. He hired Patty Tucker a renowned bridge teacher to run this event. Currently, Rich is the point person for growing our membership. He gives his time freely to mentor new players and is working very hard to find new directors and teachers for Unit 169. Rich is our Unit’s Game Director two Saturdays a month. Durning the pandemic, Rich was responsible for keeping our members safe when they attended Unit games and tournaments.
Both Dixie and Rich are great examples of people in Unit 169 who help make our bridge experience in the Triad fun. Their efforts are duly recognized by our Membership and the Board. Congratulations, Dixie and Rich for being Unit 169, 2023/2024, Goodwill Ambassadors.
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DISTRICT 7 NAMES CINDY WRIGHT TO THE
AILEEN OSOFSKY NATIONAL GOODWILL COMMITTEE
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Cindy was selected by the District 7 Board of Directors as an Eileen Osofsky National Goodwill Ambassador. Cindy will be recognized with a pin at a national celebration in June in Greenville, SC. Cindy had served as the Unit’s Goodwill Ambassador in 2018. It is hard to list all of Cindy’s contributions to the game of bridge. Cindy has been a member of our Unit for over 28 years, served on the board for over 10 years. Cindy currently directs several games each week in Winston Salem and has been the long-term Tournament Chair for the late summer Winston Salem Sectional. Cindy was the Tournament Chair for our first NLM Regional held in High Point in 2019. That tournament was one of the first NLM regionals and was one of the best attended in the country and a big financial success. Cindy agreed to Chair our second NLM tournament last February. Cindy has served as Unit Director in the past. Her efforts to get people out to play bridge are noteworthy. Cindy has grown our Winton Salem membership. She helped jumpstart the Unit’s offering of “Learn Bridge in a Day” program with Rich Peffer. We are so happy that the District 7 recognized what Unit 169 has know for a long time. Cindy is the glowing example of a Goodwill Ambassador. Cindy congratulations!
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Bridge at Rufty (Salisbury) Results
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Evergreen Bridge Club (Salisbury) Results
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Grand Slammers (Winston-Salem) Results
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Greensboro Country Club (Greensboro) Results
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Happy Hearts Bridge Club (Winston-Salem) Results
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High Point Bridge Club (High Point) Results
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Queen of Hearts Bridge Club (Greensboro) Results
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South Fork Bridge Club (Winston-Salem) Results
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Triad Bridge Club (Greensboro) Results
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Zoo City Bridge Club (Asheboro) Results
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BB2: Competitive Bidding with Cecelia Ray
December 11 & 18, January 8 & 15
Enroll early to learn competitive bidding techniques. When the opponents open the bidding, your side doesn’t need to be delegated to the sidelines!! What are the possibilities? You may want to enter the auction trying to win the contract or interfere with the opponents from finding their best contract or make a bid helping your partner select the best suit to lead.
What FUN!
In Bridge Basics 2 you will learn the bidding guidelines for both partners when making overcalls, a takeout doubles and a preemptive bids. We will also discuss how competitive bidding affects the opening side.
Dates: Wednesdays December 11 & 18, January 8 & 15
Time: 9:45am to noon
Location: Fellowship Presbyterian Church, 2005 New Garden Road, Greensboro
Instructor: Cecelia Ray, ACBL Life Master
Cost: $100
To register contact: ceceliaray@gmail.com or text/call 336-601-5058
Additional: An accompanying book is recommended and can be purchased from the instructor at a discount.
Play of the Hand with Rich Peffer
October 23, November 7, 14 and 21
Play of the hand is the most important skill in the game of bridge. In this course you will learn how to plan the play and the basic techniques for developing tricks. Each session presents a topic with multiple hands for the students to play. By the way, understanding play of the hand will improve your bidding and is essential for understanding defense.
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The intended audience: Players new to the game and more experienced players who would like more success as declarer.
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The four sessions are scheduled for Thursday mornings starting October 23.
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Oct. 23: Counting Winners and Entries in Notrump
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Nov. 7: Counting Losers and Drawing Trumps in a Suit Contract
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Nov. 14: Promotion in Suits and Notrump
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Nov. 21: Using Length in Suits and Notrump
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Location: Fellowship Presbyterian Church, 2005 New Garden Rd, Greensboro
Time: 9:30am - noon
Cost: $100 for all four sessions or $30 for individual sessions.
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To register, contact Rich Peffer at rpeffer325@att.net or 336-402-5367.
Introduction to Stayman and Jacoby Transfers
with Andy Symmes
Tuesdays, November 12 and 19
Most players consider a contract in a major suit as the top priority in the bidding conversation. The Stayman and Jacoby transfer conventions give you the tools to look for a fit in a major following a notrump opening bid. This class provides an introduction to the basics of the conventions. Each session will have numerous practice hands. This class is intended for newer players.
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Nov. 12: Stayman Convention
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Nov. 19: Jacoby Transfers
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Location: Fellowship Presbyterian Church, 2005 New Garden Rd., Greensboro
Time: 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Cost: $50 for both sessions or $30 for individual sessions.
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To register, contact Andy Symmes at andysymmes@gmail.com or 336-553-8485.
Play of the Hand with Rich Peffer
October 23, November 7, 14 and 21
Play of the hand is the most important skill in the game of bridge. In this course you will learn how to plan the play and the basic techniques for developing tricks. Each session presents a topic with multiple hands for the students to play. By the way, understanding play of the hand will improve your bidding and is essential for understanding defense.
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The intended audience: Players new to the game and more experienced players who would like more success as declarer.
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The four sessions are scheduled for Thursday mornings starting October 23.
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Oct. 23: Counting Winners and Entries in Notrump
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Nov. 7: Counting Losers and Drawing Trumps in a Suit Contract
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Nov. 14: Promotion in Suits and Notrump
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Nov. 21: Using Length in Suits and Notrump
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Location: Fellowship Presbyterian Church, 2005 New Garden Rd, Greensboro
Time: 9:30am - noon
Cost: $100 for all four sessions or $30 for individual sessions.
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To register, contact Rich Peffer at rpeffer325@att.net or 336-402-5367.
Tuesday Bridge Club
Triad Bridge Club is offering local bridge players a chance to play this great game, but in a more relaxed, less competitive environment. The Tuesday Bridge Club will be held on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Tuesdays of every month at 1:30 pm at our club home, Fellowship Presbyterian Church, 2005 New Garden Rd, Greensboro.
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The Tuesday Bridge Club will NOT be a duplicate format. Instead, it will just be "friends playing cards," having fun, talking and learning about this wonderful game. Our initial games will be shuffle-and-deal, no prepared boards, but that may change later. This should be a REALLY open and fun experience for players of all skill levels.
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Peter Boyd-Bowman, Barbara Pomer, Judy Hellen, and Andy Symmes will be your hosts. The cost is free. However, there are still costs involved for the club (rent, coffee, cards, etc.) so a suggested donation of $5 is appreciated.
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For more information, contact Barbara Pomer at bdpomer@gmail.com at 336-202-1299 or Peter Boyd-Bowman at
(336) 686-3680 / peterboydbowman@yahoo.com.
Bridge Basics 1: An Introduction
January 7, 14, 21 and 28
​Bridge Basics 1: An Introduction returns in January with the energetic and popular Barbara Pomer as the instructor. This course is the place to learn about modern bidding and the basics of play of the hand as well as defense. It is designed for those who are new to bridge, those who want to re-enter the game (remember college) or those who would like a structured review to get your game on track. For more detailed information click here.
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Starting Tuesday morning, January 7
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This class meets four consecutive weeks on Tuesdays, 9:30 am to noon at Fellowship Presbyterian Church, 2005 New Garden Rd, Greensboro. The dates are January 7, 14, 21 and 28. The cost is $100. An accompanying book is recommended and can be purchased at a discount at the first session.
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Barbara Pomer, an ACBL Life Master, is the instructor. To register or for more information contact the instructor at bdpomer@gmail.com or text/call 336-202-1299.
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