As an Intermediate/Newcomer (I/N) myself, I wanted to make the district’s I/N population aware of what is an undiscovered colored masterpoints-generating jewel for the district’s I/N members; the North American Events (NAE) program. Fun fact: I/N’s (less than 750 masterpoints) represent 68% of the district’s membership.

As I was just beginning my foray into bridge (AARP highly recommended it to provide mental stimulation as one ages), I was first introduced to the NAE in 2017. The 2017 North American Pairs (NAP) had already occurred; however, my partner and I were made aware of an upcoming opportunity to potentially qualify for the national Grand National Teams (GNT) event in Toronto.

My partner and I were so new to the game that we didn’t even know another pair to potentially team up with. In stepped the district’s NAE coordinator, Hal Montgomery, with another pair who was also looking for a team. We came in first in Flight C at the district level and ended up attending the Toronto NABC! I was hooked. In addition to the thrill of the competition at the district level, the bonus of attending an NABC on behalf of the district was intoxicating for me. I have not looked back.

Since then, I have had the good fortune of attending a total of seven NAE NABC finals with my eighth, this summer in Chicago on the horizon. Cities have included Toronto, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Memphis, Las Vegas, Reno, and Providence.

As noted, for those aspiring I/N’s seeking opportunities to win colored masterpoints (specifically Gold and Red) the district level and national level of NAE provides an excellent opportunity to do so.

At the district level NAE, I have earned 61 Gold and 34 Red masterpoints, while at the national level I have earned an additional 25 Gold and 55 Red masterpoints. Saving you from the math, that’s a total of 86 Gold and 89 Red masterpoints just from the NAE!

In closing, I encourage all of you I/N’s out there to step out of your comfort zone, if need be, and at least try an NAE game at the district level. Club qualifying games for NAP are going on right now (June-August) so don’t miss out on the chance to mine for some Gold (and Red) masterpoints!

For those interested in learning more about the NAE, I know that Hal Montgomery would love to hear from you at dewitt@imaginata.com.

More about Grand National Teams

More about North American Pairs