About our Pizza Parties
Young bridge players enjoy challenging competition and good food at the monthly Silicon Valley Youth (SiVY) Bridge party.
Aspiring bridge players ages 10-25 are welcome – as long as they know just a little bit about bridge and want to learn more.
Upon arrival the kids play casually and enjoy snacks. After pizza is served many players enter a mini-tournament while others keep playing for fun. Brand new players are taught the basics of the game, learning as they play.
The pairs in the mini-tournament practice skills in bidding as well as play. Prizes are awarded to the winners.
Volunteers are available to help the kids who play for fun.
Near the end of each party, dessert is served, while tournament winners are announced and prizes are awarded
The SiVY monthly events are held to provide kids from our after school classes a chance to meet aspiring players from other schools and organizations. They are also a great way for kids who have learned from adult family to play bridge with other young people.
November 13, 2016
Forty-five youth bridge players participated in our November pizza party. Players played casual bridge and noshed on pizza, chips and fruit before the official tournament play. Twenty players (5 tables) competed in the more experienced tournament and another twelve players participated in the less experienced tournament while the remaining players continued to learn and have casual play.
There were many siblings who participated this month, including Cornelius & Claire, Jonathon & Sarah, Nicholas & Sarah, Jonathan & Matthew, Kayden & Brandon, Harris & Ezra, Quan & Tiep, Lucas & Kai, Gregory & Edwin and Ryan & Willow (their brother Ezra was unable to make it this month, but Willow’s friend Lucie joined for the first time).
In addition, we had four players who drove to Mountain View from San Francisco – Lucas, Kai, Pico and Nico. They all learned how to play bridge at The Chinese American School that they attend which is run by the Center for Bridge Education.
Gabriel, a seventh grader at Crittenden Middle School, enjoyed an animated game (and 4.5 slices of pizza) along with his partner Tiep, a seventh grader from Jordan Middle School. Gabriel said, “We did kind of decent. The best part was accidentally winning hands that were doubled.”
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Aviv, a tenth grader at Kehillah High School has been playing casually on the newly formed high school bridge team. This was his first tournament, and he said “I learned how to play better and I think I did pretty well. I would definitely come back.”
Thanks to the 9 adults who volunteered to help mentor the students, serve food, and serve as our photographers. Post tournament, all of the players (and volunteers) enjoyed cake and the winners of the tournaments picked out prizes and got their photos taken.
The bridge games at our parties are American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) sanctioned awarding masterpoints (MP) to high scorers. ACBL membership is not required for our games but is strongly suggested. You can join online or at the Bridge Center on the night of an event. Adult membership is $29 for the first year and junior membership only $15 per year. Both include a monthly print magazine and registration of masterpoints (start earning towards becoming a Life Master!).