Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2007 8:04 PM
Subject: 2008 Bridge Classes
Date: 12-20-07
To: All prospective Bridge students
From: Dave Glandorf (281-488-6318)
Subject: 2008 Bridge Classes
Note 1: It is highly recommended that you print this, read it CAREFULLY, and retain it for future reference.
Note 2: If you are receiving this with a "houston.rr.com" email address, please give me you new email address.
Note 3: If you know of anyone who may have first contacted me regarding Bridge classes sometime in 2007, please check with them to see if they got this email. I lost my database in August and had to go to a backup from March, so I may have lost some contact information.
Note 4: I you know of other people who might be interested in the classes, please forward this email to them, or better yet, give me their email addresses and I will add them to my distribution list.
PLANNED SCHEDULE FOR 2008
Courses are scheduled on a trimester basis with each course meeting once a week with some weeks skipped because of conflicts. Entry level courses (Bridge 101, 101P, 102, 102P, 103 and 103P) are offered on Monday evenings, Wednesday afternoons and Thursday afternoons, staggered throughout the year. A new Bridge player should plan to spend a year learning the basics of this game. When a new Bridge 101 course is started in a particular time slot, Bridge 102 and 103 will be offered in the same time slot in the following two trimesters, respectively. Courses for intermediate/advanced players Bridge 201, 202 and 203 are offered on Monday afternoons. Special practice sessions (Bridge 104P and 105P) for students who have completed Bridge 101, 102 and 103, or who have some basic experience are offered on Friday afternoons.
A minimum of six paying students is required to support a course. If fewer than six paying students register for a course, the course will be canceled. See the "REGISTRATION" section for advance registration information. In order to allow for late registrations, a course will not be canceled for lack of interest until the day before the class is to start.
First Trimester (January - April)
Mondays 2:30 - 5:00 - Bridge 201 (Conventions I)
Mondays 6:30 - 9:00 - Bridge 102 (Play of the Hand) & Bridge 102P (Practice Play)
Wednesdays 2:30 - 5:00 - Bridge 101 (Bidding) & Bridge 101P (Practice Bidding)
Thursdays 2:00 - 4:30 - Bridge 103 (Defense) & Bridge 103P (Practice Defense)
Fridays 2:30 - 5:00 - Bridge 104P (More Practice I) & Bridge 105P (More Practice II)
Second Trimester (May - August)
Mondays 2:30 - 5:00 - Bridge 202 (Conventions II)
Mondays 6:30 - 9:00 - Bridge 103 (Defense) & Bridge 103P (Practice Defense)
Wednesdays 2:30 - 5:00 - Bridge 102 (Play of the Hand) & Bridge 102P (Practice Play)
Thursdays 2:00 - 4:30 - Bridge 101 (Bidding) & Bridge 101P (Practice Bidding)
Fridays 2:30 - 5:00 - Bridge 104P (More Practice I) & Bridge 105P (More Practice II)
Third Trimester (September - December)
Mondays 2:30 - 5:00 - Bridge 203 (Conventions III)
Mondays 6:30 - 9:00 - Bridge 101 (Bidding) & Bridge 101P (Practice Bidding)
Wednesdays 2:30 - 5:00 - Bridge 103 (Defense) & Bridge 103P (Practice Defense)
Thursdays 2:00 - 4:30 - Bridge 102 (Play of the Hand) & Bridge 102P (Practice Play)
Fridays 2:30 - 5:00 - Bridge 104P (More Practice I) & Bridge 105P (More Practice II)
OVERVIEW OF COURSES
Bridge 101, 102 and 103
These are 9-week courses designed for students who have never played or have a little experience but would like to go back to square one and get the basics. Beginning students (those who have never played or played a little a long time ago) should take these courses in numerical sequence. For students with some experience, these courses can be taken in any sequence, although it may be helpful to take them in sequence, since the 102 and 103 courses build somewhat on the previous course. The class time for these courses is approximately equally divided between
1) lecture and class exercises
2) play of four deals designed to utilize the ideas presented in the lecture and exercises
with a short break approximately in the middle of the session.
One of the problems with learning to play Bridge is that there is quite a bit of material to be learned before you can really start playing randomly dealt hands and have some confidence in knowing what you are doing. To overcome this problem, I have developed an extensive set of practice exercises for each lesson of these courses. These exercises provide the opportunity to gain experience in the topics covered in each lesson. Students are strongly encouraged to take an hour or two to work through these exercises before the next class session.
The material for these courses is the recently revised ACBL series. The revised student textbooks for Bridge 103 will not be available until late spring or early summer. However, I do have a copy of the revised teacher's manual and will use that to incorporate the new material. There have not been many changes for this course.
Bridge 101P, 102P and 103P
These 4-week practice sessions immediately follow the corresponding 9-week courses and provide an opportunity to gain more experience in the topics covered in the course just completed. The format for these courses is primarily the playing of eight deals designed to utilize the concepts discussed in the corresponding 9-week course. Each table is on their own for these courses, and breaks can be taken when desired. Although scheduled for two and a half hours, some students finish in significantly less time. An analysis booklet which has the hand records for the deals and brief discussions of the deals is provided for each course.
Bridge 104P and 105P
These 4-week practice sessions provide an opportunity to gain more experience in all of the ideas presented in Bridge 101, 102 and 103. The format is the same as for Bridge 101P, 102P and 103P, and similar analysis booklets are provided.
Bridge 201 and 202
These two 13-week independent courses on modern conventions and advanced bidding are for students with at least two years of experience and can be taken in any order, although they may not be offered every year. Because of the volume of material covered in these courses, a new quad 3-week format is being used. Two weeks will be spent on lecture and class exercises followed by one week of practice using the eight deals associated with the topics covered in the previous two weeks of lecture and class exercises. The final week will be spent covering some of the topics in the appendices of the student textbook. A short break will be given at approximately the midpoint of each lesson.
The material for these courses is the two Audrey Grant Conventions books.
Bridge 203
This is a 4-week short course on Notrump interference and countermeasures developed by the instructor. A small pamphlet on the Lebensohl convention is also used. The format is entirely lecture. A short break will be given at approximately the midpoint of each lesson.
PUNCTUALITY
There is a tremendous amount of material to be covered in each class session, so it is important to start each session in a timely manner. To encourage early arrival, I will try to arrive at the site a half hour early to set up the facility for the lesson. This should only take about five to 10 minutes. I will then have about a 15 minute period for a Question and Answer session for anyone who wants to arrive a little extra early. Approximately five minutes before class time, I will begin taking attendance and then start the lesson promptly at the appointed time for the class. Please cooperate by arriving five to 10 minutes early. If you have a question to be answered, it would be helpful if you contacted me via email or phone before the class.
I will also usually have a little time after classes to answer questions if you are not able to arrive extra early.
REGISTRATION
This year I am implementing a simple two-step advance registration program for ALL students for ALL courses.
Step 1 - Notify me by email or phone before end of the advance enrollment period of any course you wish to take. See the TRIMESTER DETAILS section below for the end dates of the advance enrollment periods for the various courses. Include the following information:
First and last name (As you would like it on your name tag.)
Mailing address
Email address (if you have one)
Day phone
Night phone (if different from day phone)
Cell phone (optional)
The numbers of the courses you wish to take (Bridge 101, 102P, etc.)
If appropriate, I will reply to let you know I received the information.
Step 2 - Send me a check or money order in the total amount of all fees (everything except "Optional Materials") for the courses you wish to take. Make sure you mail this in a timely manner so that I receive it by the end of the advance enrollment period. You may skip this step if no fees are due.
Make payment payable to Dave Glandorf and mail to
Dave Glandorf
15530 St. Cloud Dr
Houston TX 77062-3523
I will notify you by email or phone when I receive your payment and hold it until the start of the class. If you wish to cancel your registration before the end of the advance registration period, notify me by phone or email and I will return your payment. If you decide to cancel your registration after the end of the advance enrollment period but before the start of the class, I will return your payment less the cancellation fee(s) for the course(s). (Yes, you may take more than one course at a time, especially if you are repeating a course.) All appropriate advance registration fees will be returned to the sender if a course is canceled due to lack of interest (fewer than six paying students).
Special note to new students in Bridge 101: If you are not sure if you really want to get into this game, go ahead and register (preferably in advance) and come to the first class session. If you then decide not to continue, I will return your full registration fees.
Students who do not register in advance may register at a later date, usually up until the start of the second class session. Registration after the second class session will be considered on an individual basis. New students in Bridge 101 will not normally be permitted to register after the first class session unless they have some previous experience.
Students who do not register in advance will be charged a late registration fee and will incur a materials surcharge (probably in the $5 - $10 range) if I do not have materials in stock. You also may not receive all of your course materials until the second week of class or perhaps even later.
The late registration/cancellation fees are:
Bridge 101, 102, 103, 201, 201 - $10
Bridge 101P, 102P, 103P, 104P, 105P, 203 - $5
TUITION AND MATERIALS FEES
Fees for the various courses are given below. All materials fees (student textbooks, analysis booklets, pamphlets, optional materials) are subject to change for the second and third trimesters. It is my policy to waive tuition charges for a student who wishes to take a major course (Bridge 101, 102, 103, 201, 202) a second time, and to charge only half the current full tuition rate for a student who wishes to take a major course a third or greater time.
Contact me if you would like to audit a major course. Perhaps you are an experienced player who would like to attend a course with a friend or spouse who is just learning the game or you are just interested in observing the presentation process. I will consider waiving the tuition fees in these cases.
Bridge 101, 102
New students
Tuition - $60, Student Textbook - $13
First time repeat students (Add $13 if you do not have the current student textbook)
Tuition - $0
Second or greater repeat students (Add $13 if you do not have the current student textbook)
Tuition - $30
Bridge 103
New students
Tuition - $60, Student Textbook - $10
First time repeat students
Tuition - $0
Second or greater repeat students
Tuition - $30
Bridge 101P, 102P, 103P, 104P, 105P
All students - no tuition, but a $5 per session pay-as-you-come fee
New students
$5 advance registration deposit applied to the first session you attend, analysis booklet - $5
Repeat students (Add $5 if you do not have the analysis booklet)
$5 advance registration deposit applied to the first session you attend
Bridge 201, 202
New students
Tuition - $80, Student Textbook - $10
First time repeat students
Tuition - $0
Second or greater repeat students
Tuition - $40
Bridge 203
All students - Tuition - $25
New students - Add $1 for Lebensohl pamphlet
Optional Materials
Small spiral-bound flip books summarizing course content (for Bridge 101, 102 and 103) and special decks of cards used in all courses are also available at a cost of $5 each. These may be purchased at any time, subject to availability.
LOCATION
All classes will be held at the Clear Lake Bridge Club, 16614 Sea Lark in Clear Lake City (281-480-1911).
Directions going Northwest on El Camino Real from Bay Area Blvd:
Turn left at the first street (approximately across from Mr. Gatti's in the strip shopping center on the right) onto Sea Lark. Proceed one short block and follow the forced right-hand turn - you will still be on Sea Lark. The Bridge Club is in the third building on your left.
Directions going Southeast on El Camino Real from El Dorado Blvd:
Turn right onto Ramada at the Walgreen's Pharmacy. Go one block and turn left onto Sea Lark. The Bridge Club is in the third building on your right.
The building is set back some distance from the street with a parking lot for about 25 vehicles in front of the building. There is a hairdresser business in the left side of the building; the Bridge Club is in the right side of the building. There is a sign slightly to the right of the driveway into the parking lot advertising Detleff Hair Forum on the top and the Clear Lake Bridge Club on the bottom.
INSTRUCTORS
I plan to personally teach all of the classes, except noted below, but unforeseen circumstances may require an occasional substitute.
I will probably be out of town for a couple of weeks or so in April, most likely sometime between April 4 and 25, but I will try to miss no more than two weeks of the Monday classes.
Bob Dowlen and Dave King have also agreed to cover some of the Bridge 104P and 105P sessions for me if I find the expanded schedule for 2008 too demanding.
FIRST TRIMESTER DETAILS
Advance registration opens the date of this email for all courses for this trimester.
Bridge 101, 102, 103, 104P and 201
Advance registration ends January 15.
Bridge 101 (Bidding): Wednesdays 2:30 - 5:00, January 23 - April 2, skipping February 6 and 20.
Bridge 102 (Play of the Hand): Mondays 6:30 - 9:00, January 21 - March 31, skipping February 4 and 18.
Bridge 103 (Defense): Thursdays 2:00 - 4:30, January 24 - April 3, skipping February 7 and 21.
Bridge 104P (More Practice I): Fridays 2:30 - 5:00, January 25 - February 29 (Yes, this is a leap year! ), skipping February 8 and 22.
Bridge 201 (Conventions I): Mondays 2:30 - 5:00, January 21 - March 31, skipping February 4 and 18.
Note that here will be no classes the weeks of February 3 and February 17. Plan to attend the Houston Regional Tournament the week of February 3 if you have previous Bridge experience or have completed at the Bridge 101 course. More info on this tournament will be provided in the classroom.
Bridge 105P
Advance registration ends February 28.
This class immediately follows Bridge 104P, starting on March 7 and ending on March 28.
Bridge 101P, 102P and 103P
Advance registration ends March 28.
These classes immediately follow Bridge 101, 102 and 103, respectively, starting the week of April 6 and ending the week of April 27.
SECOND TRIMESTER DETAILS
Advance registration opens April 1 for all courses for this trimester.
Bridge 101, 102, 103, 104P and 202
Advance registration ends April 26.
Bridge 101 (Bidding): Thursdays 2:00 - 4:30, May 8 - July 3
Bridge 102 (Play of the Hand): Wednesdays 2:30 - 5:00, May 7 - July 2
Bridge 103 (Defense): Mondays 6:30 - 9:00, May 5 - July 7, skipping May 26 (Memorial Day)
Bridge 104P (More Practice I): Fridays 2:30 - 5:00, May 9 - May 30
Bridge 202 (Conventions II): Mondays 2:30 - 5:00, May 5 - August 4, skipping May 26 (Memorial Day)
Bridge 105P
Advance registration ends May 29.
This class immediately follows Bridge 104P, starting on June 6 and ending on June 27.
Bridge 101P, 102P and 103P
Advance registration ends June 28.
These classes immediately follow Bridge 101, 102 and 103, respectively. Bridge 101P and 102P start the week of July 6 and end the week of July 27. Bridge 103P starts July 14 and ends August 4.
THIRD TRIMESTER DETAILS
Advance registration opens August 1 for all courses for this trimester.
Bridge 101, 102, 103, 104P and 203
Advance registration ends August 26.
Bridge 101 (Bidding): Mondays 6:30 - 9:00, September 8 - November 3
Bridge 102 (Play of the Hand): Thursdays 2:00 - 4:30, September 4 - October 31
Bridge 103 (Defense): Wednesdays 2:30 - 5:00, September 3 - October 30
Bridge 104P (More Practice I): Fridays 2:30 - 5:00, September 5- September 26
Bridge 203 (Conventions III): Mondays 2:30 - 5:00, September 8 - September 29
Bridge 105P
Advance registration ends September 25.
This class immediately follows Bridge 104P, starting on October 3 and ending on October 24.
Bridge 101P, 102P and 103P
Advance registration ends October 28.
These classes immediately follow Bridge 101, 102 and 103, respectively. Bridge 101P starts November 10. Bridge 102P and 103P start the week of November 2 with no class being held the week of November 23. All classes end the week of November 30.