Step into summer! Step into bridge!
Join us for Lessons or Supervised Play this summer!
at WannaPlayBridge!
Student Wins National Scholarships
Former Student Wins the King of Bridge Title
Also Wins Baron Barclay Open Pairs Event at the Youth NABC
Reese Koppel participated in the 2018 Youth NABC (North American Bridge Championships) in Atlanta this summer. He won the Baron Barclay Open Pairs event which comes with a $1000 scholarship. Reese attended the YBEO Youth Camp in Carlinville, IL in 2015 and then attended the Wanna Play Bridge High School Camp that same summer. You’ll find his picture from that on this website as well! Read all about it here.
Reese also won the ACBL King of Bridge title this year which also comes with a scholarship. So proud of him! Read all about it here.
Good job Reese!
Interference After an Opening 1NT
What Do You Do When your Opponent Opens 1NT?
What Do You Do When Your Opponent Interferes After Your Side’s 1NT Opening?
Classes are at Holy Spirit Catholic Church
1800 SW State Route 150
Lee’s Summit, MO
Wednesdays, 1 to 3 p.m.
Cost $17 per class
These are advanced beginning courses concentrating on the bidding after an opening 1NT bid, but some defensive and declarer play instruction and practice is included.
Textbook will be available for sale, not included in the course cost.
YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER! Just call (816-237-0519) or e-mail to sign up. Do so at least 2 weeks in advance and let me know if you want the book for $6. If you sign up later than that 2 weeks, I cannot guarantee I’ll have the book.
Sept. 12: How to interfere after opponent’s opening 1NT response. We’ll start off by using the DONT (Disturbing Opponents NoTrump) convention.
Sept. 26: Now we’ll introduce some possible bids by responder after opponent interferes after partner’s opening bid. That means more practice of the DONT convention with these new techniques to overcome that interference. A Handout on how to start overcoming that interference will be provided as part of the course fee.
Oct. 31: I hope you’ve practiced what you learned in September, because now that I’m back from my cruise, we’ll review it all again and get some more practice in!
Declarer Play – Advanced Beginner
The bidding will be using what we’ve learned over the last few weeks, Jacoby 2NT, splinters, interference over an opening 1NT, etc. But then the hands that involve this bidding will have some interesting declarer play techniques as well! Be prepared for anything!
Classes are at Holy Spirit Catholic Church
1800 SW State Route 150
Lee’s Summit, MO
Wednesdays, 1 to 3 p.m.
Cost $17 per class
These are advanced beginning courses with some advanced bidding concepts but then declarer play instruction will also involve some more advanced techniques.
Hand records for the hands we bid and play will be available with analysis. Some textbooks to help in this endeavor will be available as well.
YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER! Just call (816-237-0519) or e-mail to sign up. Classes always cancel by the day before if not enough are signed up!
Nov. 14: Managing entries
Nov. 28: Is there a dangerous opponent?
Dec. 12: Dummy reversal
Defender Play
Defender Play – Can you put what you learned from the bidding to work for your side? Pay attention to signals during the play!
Classes are at Holy Spirit Catholic Church
1800 SW State Route 150
Lee’s Summit, MO
Wednesdays, 1 to 3 p.m.
Cost $17 per class
These are advanced beginning courses concentrating on how to defend, especially paying close attention to what you’ve learned from the bidding!
YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER! Just call (816-237-0519) or e-mail to sign up. Class will cancel by the Sunday night before the class without enough students pre-registered.
Feb. 13: Opening leads and what to do next
Feb. 27: Counting points and trying to understand what is in partner’s hand.
Beginning Bridge Class: Wanna Play Bridge the 2/1 (Two Over One) Way
Classes are at Holy Spirit Catholic Church
1800 SW State Route 150
Lee’s Summit, MO
Wednesdays, 1 to 3 p.m.
Cost $100 for the series of 7 classes. ($17 per class if paid individually for just the classes you attend.)
This is a beginning course covering non-competitive bidding with some playing and defending instruction. 2019 Beginning Bridge Classes
Textbook will be available for sale for $17, not included in the course cost.
YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER! Just call (816-237-0519) or e-mail to sign up.
April 10: The Basics – trick taking and the mechanics Chapters 1-5
April 24: Opening 1 NT and a start on responding. Chapters 6-7
May 8: Opening 1NT, more on responding. Chapters 8-9
May 22: Opening and Responding to 1 of a Major. Chapter 10
June 12: Forcing bids in response to 1 of a Major. Chapter 11
June 26: Opening 1 of a Minor and Responding. Chapter 12
July 10: Responding to 1 of a Major without support. Chapter 13
Cruise with Me!
Cruising 2018
I will be working as the bridge instructor/director on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth from October 1-15, 2018. This is roundtrip out of London (Southampton), England. See the Canary Islands, Spain, and Portugal on this cruise – La Coruna, Spain; Funchal, Madeira, Portugal; La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain; Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain; Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain; Lazorote, Canary Islands, Spain, and Lisbon, Portugal.
Come join the fun! My favorite memory from Funchal, when I was there on one of my 2015 cruises!
If this sounds like fun, contact Cunard directly or talk to your travel agent. Keep in mind, that I cannot guarantee I will be on the cruise. Cruise lines have been known to cancel entertainment staff in favor of selling my cabin. This however does not usually happen. I am planning on being there!
Cruise with me in 2019!
I will be cruising on Azamara’s Quest as the bridge instructor/director embarking at Cairns, Australia on March 8, and debarking at Singapore on March 22. Priced from $2799, learn more here.
Join me in the summer of 2019 on Cunard’s Queen Victoria. I will be the bridge instructor/director on a roundtrip cruise out of Southampton from Aug. 11 to Aug. 23, 2019, touring the British Isles. Prices start at $2039, learn more here.
Join me again in 2019 back on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth! I will be the bridge instructor/director on a roundtrip cruise out of Southampton from Sept. 6 to Sept. 20. See Iceland and the British Isles.
Prices start at $2679, learn more here.
These cruises are never guaranteed to me as the cruise line can change its mind, but that has only happened once in all the years I’ve been doing this. I would love to see some friends with me on any of these cruises!
Carriage Club Duplicate
Tuesdays starting up again in the fall of 2018, at 5 p.m. at the Carriage Club. If you would like to play contact Kathy. Cost is $8. This is a shorter game; we are usually done by 7:15. Dates for fall 2018:
Sept. 11 & 25
Oct. 30
Nov. 13
Call Kathy at 816-237-0519 or email her to sign up.
This is an invitational club with limited space. You have to be approved to come before coming!
Carriage Club Results:
Supervised Play
Monday Minglers: 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. in my home in the Greenwood, MO area. Short mini-lesson ahead of the game on the first and third Mondays, if at least 8 people have signed up by the day before. Just supervised play on the other Mondays. You must sign up for this ahead of time. Cost is $5. Light snacks provided. I cancel via email notification by noon on Monday with fewer than 3 signed up. Next Monday Mingler: August 20
Call Kathy at 816-237-0519 or
email her to sign up and get directions if you need them.
Wednesday Wanna Play:
Wednesday 1st and 3rd Wednesdays 12:30 to 3 p.m. in my home in the Greenwood, MO area. Next Wednesday Wanna Play: August 15
Cost: $5 per person with light snacks provided.
You must register ahead of time by calling or email. I cancel by late Tuesday evening via email communication with fewer than 3 people signed up.
2018 Scholarship Fundraiser
The 8th Annual Pizza Shoppe Fundraiser was held on Tuesday June 12, 2018. 10% of your purchase price is being donated to scholarship funds held with Truman Heartland Community Foundation. The first fund is the Eugene J. Rolfe Memorial Scholarship Fund, providing $1000 renewable scholarships to Engineering students. The next fund is the Rolfe Bridge Fund. This fund provides financial support to the WannaPlayBridge High School Residential Bridge Camp (when we manage to get enough students) and also provides $500 renewable scholarships to Kathy’s students who have at least 1 masterpoint upon graduating from high school and who continue to add to the masterpoint holding while in college. The Bridge Fund also provides scholarships to students winning at the local Unit 131 Spring Tournament when a student section is offered.You can read about these scholarships on this website or read and apply for them via the Truman Heartland Community Foundation.
Thank you to my supporters this year! We had a great time!
Advanced Beginner Classes for the Summer
ADVANCED BEGINNERS!
Classes are at Holy Spirit Catholic Church
1800 SW State Route 150
Lee’s Summit, MO
Wednesdays, 1 to 3 p.m.
Cost $17 per class
These are advanced beginning courses concentrating on the bidding, but some defensive and declarer play instruction and practice is included.
Textbook will be available for sale, not included in the course cost.
YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER! Just call (816-237-0519) or e-mail to sign up.
July 11: More about supporting partner’s major suit opening. Jacoby 2NT response. Chapter 14 of my book, “Wanna Play Bridge the 2/1 Way?” Available for sale for $17.
Aug. 8: More about supporting partner’s major suit opening. Splinter bid response. This is the last chapter of my book, “Wanna Play Bridge the 2/1 Way?” Available for sale for $17.
Aug. 22: Doubles: Takeout and Negative Doubles. Audrey Grant’s “Improving Your Judgment 2 Doubles” book is available for sale for $10. Handout on Negative doubles is included in the cost of the course.