NYC: Fancy a rubber?

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Last week, Felicity and I and two of her friends had the first meeting of the Big Beat Bridge Club. We played several hands (not really a full-on 18-hand seats-switching game-game) of contract bridge, soundtracked by the Chemical Brothers, the Beatles, the Avalanches, Belle & Sebastian, the Outhere Brothers and more. It was mad fucked-up fun and we want to do it again. The problem is that the dashing Ashley (not an ILXer, that I know of anyway) was due back in San Francisco this week.

In other words, we need a fourth.

Does anyone in the NYC area know how to/have any interest in learning bridge? (Liking big beat is a plus, though not a prerequisite.) We will be happy to teach you our rather limited technique (I hope Felicity doesn't mind my saying that); the idea is that we will have fun, eat snacks, listen to big beat (which as you may have guessed means one big beat record and then whatever else we feel like hearing, and even that's up for grabs), gab and, I reiterate, have fun. Do you like card games? Is a weekly-or-thereabouts gathering of interest to you? Let us know!

― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 07:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Really!

― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 07:17 (twenty-three years ago)

lemme tell ya buddy, this is a far cry from what i wanted/expected from that thread title.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 07:24 (twenty-three years ago)

tough tiddlywinks, bucko.

― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 08:25 (twenty-three years ago)

I don't know how to play bridge, but I like card games and would love to learn. Oh, and I live in Manhattan.

So is the position still open? Nabisco can vouch for the fact that I'm not a psychopath, or anything (I am possibly even good company, on my better days).

― nory (nory), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 12:34 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd love to learn but you'd have to move to Cleveland.

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 13:26 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought you'd never ask!

Seriously. I am very fond of bridge. Let's join forces.

― Paul Eater (eater), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 13:59 (twenty-three years ago)

If anyone is interested in a weekly poker game, drop a line. Myself and several friends play once a week for between $10 and $20. Basically we sit on a porch in the lower east side, get drunk, listen to music (mainly classic rock/country) and play poker (lots of 7-stud and hold em).

― Yancey (ystrickler), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 14:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Er, and if any Londoners fancy a game of Go Johnny Go Go Go Go, you'll find us at Mentality Towers.

― Asssche in da Hole (starry), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 14:58 (twenty-three years ago)

You have a game based on Chuck Berry?

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 16:37 (twenty-three years ago)

Hi Paul and nory, yes, by all means!

Yancey, I love Texas Hold 'Em. Count me in.

― felicity (felicity), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 19:14 (twenty-three years ago)

nory, here is a good bridge primer from Josh Parsons, the philosopher whose "Flags of the World Given Letter Grades" I also adore.

Ok, we can email around and find a good night.

― felicity (felicity), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 19:20 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll send you an email the next time we play.

― Yancey (ystrickler), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 19:28 (twenty-three years ago)

three years pass...

Well do you? I'm hosting. In Brooklyn. Paul Eater, Matos and a 4th to be named later to thread.

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 27 April 2006 00:22 (nineteen years ago)

If you can wait three weeks until finals are over (Hi Felicity!) and will teach me how to play, than I'm in!

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Thursday, 27 April 2006 00:55 (nineteen years ago)

I would like to learn to play bridge, but I'm not very reliable, schedule-wise.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 27 April 2006 06:20 (nineteen years ago)

I will be in NY in June! I'd like to play bridge.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 27 April 2006 06:25 (nineteen years ago)

June sounds good.

Everyone memorize your bidding conventions and practice counting to thirteen and we'll arrange it.

Aaron, good luck on exams til then! We miss you in the fantasy bb league!

Gabb, you must practice reliability or no one will invite you to bridge :( sorry but true

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 27 April 2006 13:07 (nineteen years ago)

So strange to see "felicity" and "2006" in the same post!

I have a skillful fourth who is conveniently already in Brooklyn -- just name a date. Maybe we can have a game soon and then a novice session in June? I just finished reading Morehead On Bidding and I am raring.

― Paul Eater (eater), Thursday, 27 April 2006 14:27 (nineteen years ago)

when are you guys doing this? Because, I will come. As long as it is not in May.

― Allyzay Rofflesbot (allyzay), Thursday, 27 April 2006 14:32 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, Ally, if you get into bridge* I can hook you up with some of the world's most fun people ever, down near where you're at.

*does bridge have a nickname, like The Glorious Game or The Champagne of Games or The Delectable Science or ?, and if not why not?

― Paul Eater (eater), Thursday, 27 April 2006 14:56 (nineteen years ago)

I think the nickname for bridge is "The Relationship-Crusher".

― Dan ("WHY DID YOU BID THAT?????? DIVORCE!") Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 27 April 2006 15:00 (nineteen years ago)

Too true, Dan. The first bridge murder took place in 1929, when a woman killed her husband over his bidding and play of a hand.

― Paul Eater (eater), Thursday, 27 April 2006 15:02 (nineteen years ago)

I don't actually know how to play bridge though.

― Allyzay Rofflesbot (allyzay), Thursday, 27 April 2006 15:44 (nineteen years ago)

Paul, would Tuesday next week work for you and your friend? Bring your most killing lead.

So Ally wants to learn the Play of the Hand. Why don't you kibbutz one day and then we'll tutor.

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 27 April 2006 15:59 (nineteen years ago)

Phwoar.

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 27 April 2006 16:02 (nineteen years ago)

Tracer, shall we deal you in? As I recall, you did not embarass yourself the last rubber.

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 27 April 2006 16:03 (nineteen years ago)

Are spectators allowed? I think bridge might hurt my brain but I will mix drinks & serve cocktail foodz at table & be general groupie.

Also, GREG WHEN THE HELL ARE YOU COMING TO NYC?? Tell me, so I can plan ahead.

― Laurel (Laurel), Thursday, 27 April 2006 16:10 (nineteen years ago)

Laurel, bridge already has a built-in drinks mixer and foods server; yet another way in which it is the highest achievement of civilization so far.

I'll ask my friend about next week. Personally I'd prefer dual events: one with focused play, another (in June?) with spectation and teaching. I get too little of the former.

― Paul Eater (eater), Thursday, 27 April 2006 16:21 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I'm making myself scarce for any serious play -- I HEARD you and our former hostess discussing particulars and as amusing as it was, it's well over my head and under my feet.

― Laurel (Laurel), Thursday, 27 April 2006 16:28 (nineteen years ago)

I would love to, however I am NOVICE so June might be more my speed. Unless I'm allowed to bring my dominoes again.

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 27 April 2006 17:13 (nineteen years ago)

Is Tuesday on?

― Paul Eater (eater), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 03:33 (nineteen years ago)

Still waiting for Matos. Matos, what's your 10-20?

― felicity (felicity), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 12:59 (nineteen years ago)

DAMN this was fun. Complete 18-hand contract game, lotsa good music, Felicity's kick-ass new place. Bring it on!

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 13:00 (nineteen years ago)

I am also resolving to learn all the conventions so I don't confuse anyone. Which book should I begin with?

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 13:01 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, we must do this again soon.

I don't know who specializes in bidding conventions particularly but I like Ernest Sheinwald as a primer. I think he covers 5-card majors and the other modern bidding conventions.

My mother liked this new (to me) protocol where the partner of the player who plays the card winning the first defensive trick picks up the defensive tricks taken. She also remarked that fewer and fewer people nowadays say "thank you" when dummy lays cards down. The older I get, the more I realize I am mini-she.

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 4 May 2006 03:03 (nineteen years ago)

Modern Bridge Conventions by Root is supposed to be very good; so's his Commonsense Bidding.

― Paul Eater (eater), Thursday, 4 May 2006 03:45 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

Poll: Do we want to host Gravel Puzzleworth for bridge on a Friday afternoon? We could play at Soundfix or my place again.

― felicity (felicity), Thursday, 15 June 2006 19:11 (nineteen years ago)

OH, do it! I'll meet up with him and the rest of you some time later in the evening, I might have some stuff to do on Friday anyway. Felicity, I'll email you my cell no. cos unless he sees this before he leaves for the airport, Greg's coming to Brooklyn and meeting me at home and I'll put him on the bus back up to Wburg or whatever.

― Laurel (Laurel), Thursday, 15 June 2006 19:23 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

We need a 4th in Los Angeles. We are 3 NYC transplants so I suppose this can go here.

Will teach. Indications of interest, please.

― felicity, Wednesday, 6 February 2008 07:05 (seventeen years ago)

This is what it's like.

― felicity, Wednesday, 6 February 2008 07:17 (seventeen years ago)

what night?

― get bent, Wednesday, 6 February 2008 07:21 (seventeen years ago)

Cool. Sundays or Mondays afternoon or night, but not this week.

― felicity, Wednesday, 6 February 2008 07:22 (seventeen years ago)

i will come for all of two weeks?

― remy bean, Wednesday, 6 February 2008 07:23 (seventeen years ago)

You're on, remy bean.

― felicity, Wednesday, 6 February 2008 07:27 (seventeen years ago)

We have a cheat sheet for the novices. (To be honest, we all use it.)

― felicity, Wednesday, 6 February 2008 07:27 (seventeen years ago)

can't do mondays :-(

― get bent, Wednesday, 6 February 2008 07:29 (seventeen years ago)

Downloadable cheat sheet here.

― felicity, Wednesday, 6 February 2008 07:40 (seventeen years ago)

one month passes...

Have any of you ever heard of a finesse?

― felicity, Wednesday, 19 March 2008 17:17 (seventeen years ago)

two years pass...

I have heard of a finesse.

― Gravel Puzzleworth, Saturday, 11 September 2010 15:29 (fifteen years ago)

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