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*|FNAME|*, 
District 25, the governing body for bridge in New England, is rightfully proud of its record in promoting bridge for less experienced players. The tournament that it will be sponsoring in Nashua, NH, from June 11-16 has many events that are specifically designed for non-Life Masters. The schedule for the tournament can be viewed at https://calendar.nebridge.org/media/userdocs/2024/05/08/NASHUASchedule24_May07.pdf. The site of the tournament is the breathtaking Sheraton Nashua hotel. It is conveniently located one mile from the Massachusetts border, just off of Route 3. Details about this and other events can always be found at NEBridge.org. 
The events to which I would like to draw your attention will occur on Friday, June 14. For the first time ever there will be a bracketed pairs game that is open to all players, and high finishers will be rewarded with GOLD POINTS. In bracketed events players compete against only those with similar levels of experience. This represents a tremendous opportunity for non-Life Masters to earn some of the gold points that are required for Life Master. You and your partners should definitely consider playing in this event. Moreover, you should try to encourage others to attend as well. The more people who play the tighter the brackets will be. Everyone—even those with minimal experience—can benefit from increased attendance! On a Saturday evening six years ago an astoundingly successful event was staged at the Sheraton. It was called a "Pro-Am". Every pair in the event had to include at least one non-Life Master. My wife and I were among the 84 people who attended, and we all had a good time. Judge for yourself: 
I proposed that we should try this format again, and we will. The fun will begin at 7:30 on Friday evening at the tournament in Nashua. The rules for this year's event will be slightly different. Anyone who is not a Life Master and has less than 750 masterpoints will be considered an "Am" and can pair up with anyone. In addition, any two non-Life Masters can play together even if one or both of them have more than 750 points. 
The evening will have a Hawaiian flavor. If you spent all day mining for gold in the Bracketed Pairs, you can be excused for looking for a good lei in the evening. Nashua is not exactly famous for bodacious waves or hula dancing, but I have been assured that there will be enough leis for everyone playing in the Pro-Am. There will also be tasty Hawaiian treats, but NO POI! You can, of course, find your own partner. My wife Sue and I are in charge of matching up Pros and Ams. If you need a partner or have questions, I can be reached by replying to this email or at Mike@Wavada.org. Sue's email address is ChaChaSue@AOL.com. Her BBO handle is chachasuew. We also plan to solicit participants all week at a table near the tournament's partnership and information area. We can definitely use some help with that effort. Please notify us if you can lend a hand. Mike Wavada |
