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.
December 17, 2016
It was a full house as forty-nine youth bridge players participated in our December pizza party, including 3 college students who were home for the holidays.
Players played casual bridge and noshed on pizza, chips and fruit before the official tournament play. Twenty-eight players (7 tables) competed in the more experienced tournament and another twelve players (3 tables) participated in the less experienced tournament while the remaining players continued to learn and have casual play. Many players who had previously played in the less experienced section challenged themselves by moving up to the more experienced section.
One youth who was at his 1st SiVY Pizza Party came in 6th. He is learning bridge at Terman Middle School at the bridge club started this fall by 8th grader Michael Xu.
Frank Smoot, always entertaining, was guest emcee for this. He encouraged players to hold the dates for upcoming youth events, including both pizza parties and YNABC in Toronto this summer. Frank also threw in what he described as a "shameless plug" for the upcoming intermediate class he will be teaching (link). He welcomes youth players to attend.
At the conclusion of play, while everyone enjoyed cake, Frank Smoot read the names of the tournament winners who chose prizes and posed for photographs.
Although not tournament winners, these two girls are winners non-the-less so posed for a picture.
In addition to the usual pizza, snacks and prizes, everyone received a holiday goody bag, with candy and bridge tattoos (temporary!).
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!).