I pass.

Oops. That’s an option at the card table, not at the writing table.

You’ll forgive me for forgetting where I am. I’m writing on a break from the excitement of the Santa Clara Regional, another gathering of the bridge tribes from near and far.

A number of club members have earned coffee mugs for their section and flight tops at the Regional, including Robert Ritz, Pat Hannah, Jeanne Becht, Don Nemiro, Loreta Flynn, Victor Rivkin, Jim Tseng, Ron Parker, Steven Wong, Lisa Fishman, Judy Fisher, Bonnie Beardsley, Tina Pearson, Jyme Schmieder, Stan Batiste, Kathy Maxfield, Laura Walters, Lorraine Rodich (yay!), Bill and Joyce Keckler, Maureen Ellenberg, Georgianna Spinazze, T.C. Yang, Fang Wu, Trina Bowman, Bev Rennie, N. Hatfield, Barbara Harkleroad, Song Wang, Henri Fahri, Kit Humphrey, Charlotte and Charles Sharples. Some repeat winners I only have room to mention once.

Andrea Malone and her partner led the field on opening night. When we discussed her success, she quipped that she brings in out-of-town pros. But we know bridge is a partnership game. I expect to read Andrea’s name in the national mini-McKinney list next year.

Time for a commercial break. What’s that I hear? The ringing of the chow bell, heralding a free spaghetti dinner at the San Jose Bridge club on October 7. The dinner precedes the return of Rita and Jeanne’s Thursday night team game. Let’s make sure the club stays open on Thursday nights. Sign up at the club for dinner included with the regular price of the game.

Back to the Santa Clara Regional. In the premier two-day pairs event, Ed Barlow and Peter Friedland finished in fourth place, Don Nemiro and Fran Dickinson in fifth.

Easy bridge? Is that an oxymoron, like working vacation? Not if we’re talking about Easybridge!™, which we are. Easybridge!™ is a series of playing lessons, with the emphasis on play, designed to introduce complete beginners to the fun and challenges of the game we love to hate. Lynn Yokel is pioneering this effort at the San Jose club on Sunday nights from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. If you know someone curious about learning the game in a painless manner, send him or her down right away. Can’t beat the price. The first six sessions (which started on September 26) are free. Contact Lynn at (408)374-4669 or lyokel@sprynet.com.

And still more from the Regional. Having success in the varied team games and knockouts at the Regional were: Richard Reitman, Melody and Chin Chao (I told you to get used to their names), Neal Webb, Ray Yuenger, Robert Ritz, Mike Roney, Sathya Bettadapura, Steve Conway

Thanks for the encouraging words on my debut column. (You two know who you are.)

Please excuse any oversights. It’s time to rush off and play some more. I welcome corrections, comments, and news (particularly off-the-record) at (408)379-7717 and rayyuenger@earthlink.net.