Welcome Duplicate Bridge Players!

This is the official site of the Balboa Unit #515 of the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL). The Balboa Unit includes the Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Irvine, and Newport Beach areas of Orange County, California. If you live in one of these cities, you will become a member of the unit when you join the ACBL. You can change your unit membership if you live in a neighboring area.

Unit Games

Unit games are held the first Sunday of the month at Halecrest Tennis & Swim Clubhouse. Refreshments are served before the game. See Games and Results for the date of the next unit game.

299ers play for $2.99 at unit games beginning May 2, 2010.

Grand National Teams

Grand National Teams take place in three stages.

First, teams must qualify at the unit level. Jim & Judy Elbogen will hold a qualifying game at Halecrest on Wednesday, March 3. Game time is 12:15 pm.

Second, teams must qualify at the district level. District finals will be held at the Dana Harbor Bridge Club. It is not necessary to play with the same team but all team members must qualify. Flights A and C play Saturday and Sunday, April 10-11; the Championship Flight and Flight B play Saturday and Sunday, April 17-18. Play begins at 10:00 am. A light lunch will be served between sessions. Players should expect to play two sessions Saturday and two Sunday. Card fees are $12.

Finally, the top three finishers in each of the four flights—Championship, A, B, and C—may advance to the nationals.

Championship: Open
Flight A: 0-5000
Flight B: 0-2000
Flight C: NLM with 0-500

Players must be residents of District 22 as of September, 2009, or must have received an exception from the district in writing prior to the final. Players must have paid their ACBL dues to play. No player on the team may exceed the master point limit as of the September, 2009 reporting cycle for the flight the team has entered.

For more information, contact Ted Doria 714-434-7470.

Bidding Lessons

Judy Elbogen will give talks on competitive bidding on Wednesday mornings at 10:45 am beginning January 6.

Mentoring Program 2010

The purpose of the mentoring program is to increase newer players comfort level playing duplicate bridge and to assist in social interaction between players of all levels. The program will help increase our number of members – the more players, the more master points awarded at each game and that makes it more fun for all. Mentees will fill out a short questionnaire regarding their experience to facilitate a match with an appropriate mentor.

A mentee will play six games in our unit (515) with their mentor. The mentee is responsible for paying the unit card fees for the mentor each time they play. The unit will reimburse the card fees for three of the six days in the year. The year ends December 31, 2010. A mentee must be a member of Unit 515 and have fewer than 200 Master Points. Mentors need to have more than 300 Master Points.

Mentees can participate in this program for two years. As soon as mentees/mentors are matched their games can begin.

If you would like to participate in the 2010 program as a mentor or mentee, please contact Laura Brooks (714-963-2164) or talk to her in person at unit games. Forms will be available at the games throughout the unit.

Winners Game

If you win Flight A, B, or C (in either direction) in one of Patricia Bailey's games in Balboa or Anaheim, you become eligible for special prizes in the Winners Game in Anaheim on the next 3rd Sunday of the month. Eligibilty runs from game to game. Eligible winners who then win again in the Winners Game get a month's worth of free plays! Ask Patricia for details.