There’s a new event in the world of contract bridge: the Irish Bridge Masters is a pair tourney with some unusual features; but it would be better said “special” features. It will be held at Galway, the fine town in Connacht, western province of Ireland; to whom it may concern: the first prize will be 5000 €, and the prize found is guaranteed on 10.000.
The sponsor is PokeStars (UK & Ireland Poker Tour, UKIPT), and the event is sanctioned by the Contract Bridge Association of Ireland (CBAI). The bridge tourney will be played in the core of the PokerStars Galway Festival, which will be held there from 27th July to 12th August; therefore the Irish Bridge Masters’ winners will have the ease to earn even more than 5000 playing poker – or to lose it.
The main event, however, is the Galway Festival Horse Races, held from 29th July to 4th August:
…Sing on: somewhere at some new moon,
We’ll learn that sleeping is not death,
Hearing the whole earth change its tune…
From “At Galway Races”, by William Butler Yeats (1865-1939). The Poet had the summer house a ten of km from Galway; the official site reports the entire verse.
The Galway Festival had established in 1764, 160 years before the Contract Bridge; but in 1743 it had already been published the Edmund Hoyle’s “Short Treatise…”, a corner stone of Whist and not only Whist. For example: “When you have a Probability of winning the Game, always risk a Trick or two, becaufe the Share of the Stake, which your Adverfary has by a new Deal will amount to more than the Point or two which you risk by that Deal”. Still a good advice. [Page 13-14. Kessinger Publishing’s Rare Reprints: printed on demand scanning or photographing the original pages. Capitalisation, and “f” for “s” are in the original text].
Bridge, Poker, Horses races, the Crowd, and all what could be expected from such a typical, ancient British event; and the ladies: Thursday 1st August there will be the Ladies Day, with the Best Dressed and the Best Hat Competitions. To participate (from the official site):
“…There is no formal entry procedure to the competitions. Judges simply wander through the crowds and invite chosen finalists to the Anthony Ryan marquee, adjacent to the Champagne Tent”.
No formal entry procedure… simply, it’s written, as in the best custom of the British style.
And also there will be the Family Day, on Sunday 4th, and the Mad Hatters Competition, and a free bridge players party on the Saturday night, and also there will be… there will be anything which can make feast and joy in the hearth of the Irish Summer.
(Pictures are courtesy of Galway Festival site)
Here are some accomodations suggested by Tom Hanlon: click here >>
Open the event’s playbill: click here >>
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Paolo Enrico Garrisi