Picture an ACBL-wide regional that enables players to compete against each other and earn gold points from the comfort of their local club. That’s the inspiration for ACBL’s experimental Regional Event at the Club House (REACH).
In February, ACBL will run an ACBL-wide REACH in conjunction with the International Fund Game. The International Fund Game is on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 3. ACBL will then sponsor another five REACH sessions Feb. 5–9 (one session a day). Players register for REACH online in advance. This event costs $30. The REACH fee is in addition to the normal card fees charged by participating clubs. Registered REACH players may play at any game that a participating club has registered for REACH.
REACH looks like a regional side game. Everyone plays the same boards and their results are cross-matchpointed. Each player’s result is adjusted using a field strength measure. Competitors receive a fair comparison of their at-the-table performance with that of hundreds of other pairs. The average of a player’s two best scores determines how that player ranks overall. A player could play twice or six times, at the same club or different clubs, and with the same partner or several different ones.
Normal club awards (black points or red/black for the International Fund Game) go to winners in each club. Overall winners of the REACH receive gold points. This REACH should be both competitive and instructive – and most of the extra fee will go towards supporting our international bridge organizations.
Clubs are encouraged to pre-register via The Common Game. There is no additional cost to the club for participating in REACH. Clubs receive and duplicate the deals for the event, upload game files immediately after the event and, for security purposes, agree to embargo results per the REACH instructions. Clubs who participated in the pilot REACH event last fall saw upwards of a 10 percent increase in attendance during REACH games.
This REACH will include open, limited and invitational games. In effect, any game that starts in the right time range, duplicates boards and plays at least 18 boards at four or more tables can join.
For more information, visit acbl.org/reach.
