Length of Games

Club games vary in length from 10 to 28 boards, check the schedule for details. According to ACBL regulations, club games with fewer than 18 boards played award slightly lower masterpoint awards.

Types of ACBL Special Events

We participate in a wide variety of ACBL special events. Check the Schedule for complete details of upcoming special games. Here are brief descriptions of some types of special events you may see on our schedule from time to time.

 

Club Championships

Each ACBL club is allotted one Club Championship rated session each quarter for each game it operates weekly. Club Championship events award overall masterpoints at 65% sectional rating for up to six places in each flight or strat.

Charity Club Championships

Each ACBL club may run as many Charity Club Championship sessions as it desires; but none are allowed during February or September. Charity Club Championship events award overall masterpoints at 100% sectional rating for up to six places in each flight or strat. The club must contribute a charitable donation of at least $1 per person for each of the events. The first session must benefit the ACBL Charity Foundation; but the second session can benefit any legitmate charity the sponsors choose. Additional sessions may alternate similarly between the ACBL Charity Foundation and Local Charities.

Upgraded Club Championships

Each time a club signs up ten new ACBL members they earn an additional Club Championship event, called and Upgraded Club Championship. Upgraded Club Championships award full sectional rating for up to six overall finishers in each flight or strat.

Club Appreciation Games

Each October ACBL clubs are permitted to run one session of Club Appreciation Game for each game it operates weekly. Club Appreciation Games have full sectional rating for up to six overall winners in each flight or strat.

Club Appreciation Team Games

Every ACBL club is allotted one team game to be held in the month of October that awards sectionally rated masterpoints called a Club Appreciation Team Game. This special game awards 5% of the masterpoints (up to 0.25 to any person) in Gold pigmented points.

Junior Fund Games

Each February ACBL clubs are permitted to run as many session of Junior Fund Games as it normally operated club games. Junior Fund Games have full sectional rating for up to six overall winners in each flight or strat. Each club participating must contribute a charitable donation per player to the ACBL Junior Fund, a foundation promoting bridge to players up to 26 years old. Clubs may also offer as many Junior fund games games as they wish in any other month except April and September.

International Fund Games

Each September ACBL clubs are permitted to run as many session of International Fund Games as it normally operated club games. International Fund Games have full sectional rating for up to six overall winners in each flight or strat. Each club participating must contribute a charitable donation per player to the ACBL International Fund. Clubs may also offer as many International fund games games as they wish in any other month except February and April.

ACBL Membership Game

Each ACBL club is permitted to run one session annually called an ACBL Membership Games. ACBL Membership games have full sectional rating for up to six overall winners in each flight or strat. Anyone is welcome to participate in the game, however, to be eligible for masterpoint awards you and your partner must be active ACBL members before the game begins. You can renew your membership prior to the game if it has lapsed, or buy a new membership at a reduced rate if you've never before been a member of the ACBL.

North American Pairs Club Qualifier

A North American Pairs (NAP) Club Qualifier is the first round of a grass-roots event that leads to several pairs from each district winning a chance to represent their distict in several flights of a National final at the sprint NABC. At the club level, 50% of the field in each strat or flight wins a qualification to continue to the next level of competition (at either the unit or district final, depending on the COC in your district) and awards Masterpoints at sectional rating, 50% red. Clubs are allotted two NAP qualifying games per sanctioned session during the months of June, July, and August.

Sectional Tournament at Clubs (STaC)

A STaC is a special type of sectional tournament, where players meet and play at their local clubs instead of a single playing site. All masterpoint awards are pigmented silver and at full sectional rating, but overall results are not immediately available as someone has to first compile the results of all the various clubs that played on the same day and time.

Unit-Wide Championships

Each year ACBL units may operate one session of unit-wide championship for each 200 active members it has. Each game must have at least three concurrent playing sites across the unit. Like Sectional Tournaments at Clubs, masterpoint awards for each section are awarded at each site, but overall awards are computed across all playing sites once the results have been combined. The masterpoint awards are at unit championship rating which is 85% of sectional rating, and the points are black.

District-Wide Charity Games

Twice a year our district, District 4, operates district-wide charity events. These offer sectional rating, usually hand records with complete analyses written by expert players, and benefit a charity specified by the district. When these are scheduled during a session we normally run a game of sufficient length, we will participate. There are overall masterpoint awards at each playing site, and additionally overall masterpoint awards for top district finishers. Usually, the district also offers free entries to a regional event of your choice to the overall winners.

ACBL-Wide Charity Games

Each year the ACBL operates several ACBL-wide pairs game with: concurrent play all across North America; complete hand analyses by expert players; and mention in the monthly Bulletin for top finishers in each district as well as overall. When these are scheduled during a session we normally run a game of sufficient length, we will participate. There are overall masterpoint awards at each playing site, and mention in the monthly Bulletin for top finishers in each district as well as overall.