Some questions I've been asked more than once, so thought it would be good to post the answers here. If you have additional questions, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

1. Where can I learn more about playiing on LoveBridge?

• There is information on the LoveBridge website, including a tutorial on YouTube.
• Last year I did a lengthy email about LoveBridge procedures. It's reprinted in this year's Pre-Bulletin on pages 24-29.

2. What exactly are the rules if I play in more than one event?

• You must state your priority for which event you will play in at the World Championship if you qualify in more than one.
• If you qualify in your first priority event, you are not eligible to compete in additional events.
• If. you are entered in 3 events and qualify in your second priority event, you are eligible for your first priority event, but not for your third priority event.
• If you qualify in more than one event, you may only play in the highest priority event in the World Championship. For example, if you fall into my demographic (old woman), have entered all 4 events, stated that your priorities for the the World Championships are: 1. Open, Seniors, 2. Senior, 3. Mixed, 4. Women's, and win the Open USA1 or USA2 bracket, you are not eligible to play in any subsequent event. Your team can replace you with no restrictions. If you don't qualify in the Open USBC, but do qualify in the Mixed, you may play in the Seniors, but not the Women's. Should you qualify in both the Mixed and the Seniors, you may only play in the Mixed at the World Championship.

3. How do I get information about the teams entered, the daily schedule, kibitzing, Conditions of Contest & Conditions of Play (shortened versions of the Conditions of Contest), and Results. All of these are one click away on the 2025 USBCs main page.

There will be delayed kibitzing for all of the 2025 USBCs

You can watch the Open, Mixed, & Senior USBCs on the LoveBridge website. Live Vugraph is delayed for 30 minutes or until all tables have completed play on a board, whichever is later. See below for the time schedule and some hints for watching on LoveBridge.

Live video commentary of Finals

In addition to your opportunity to watch the 2025 USBC play on LoveBridge Vugraph, Rob Barrington will be hosting full day video commentary coverage of the second day of the USA1 and USA2 Finals of each event on the USBF YouTube channel and post game highlights the day after each stage other than the Finals.

Video commentary will be at 11:30 AM and 5:00 PM EDT, on the following dates:

• May 1, Open USA1 Final, and USA2 Quarterfinal.
• May 5, Open USA2 Final.
• May 14, Mixed USA1 Final, and USA2 Semifinal.
• May 16, Mixed USA2 Final
• May 22, Senior USA1 Final and USA2 Quarterfinal
• May 25, Senior USA2 Final

Highlights after each stage of each event

Teams of experts, including some of the players in the USBCs, will join Rob for round ups of each stage of play, including reports on who won and who lost and which were surprises, discussions of the most interesting hands, and some interviews, after each stage of play finishes. These BridgeCasts will be posted on the USBF YouTube channel the morning after each segment ends:

• 4/26 - Open Round of 16;
• 4/28 - Open USA1 Quarterfinal & USA2 Stage 1;
• 5/1 - Open USA1 Semifinal & day 1 of Final & USA2 Stage 2 & day 1 of Quarterfinal;
• 5/5 - Open USA2 Semifinal & day 1 of Final.
• 5/9 - Mixed Round of 16:
• 5/11 - Mixed USA1 Quarterfinal and USA2 Stage 1;
• 5/12 - Mixed USA1 Semifinal at the half & USA2 Stage2;
• 5/19 - Senior Round Robin;
• 5/21 - Senior USA1 Semifinal & USA2 Stage 1.
• 5/22 - Day 1 of Senior USA1 Final and USA2 Semifinal
• 5/25 - Day 1 of Senior USA2 Final

Kibitzing Schedule (EDT) 

For all KO days of the 2025 USBCs, kibitzing times will be :

Segment 1: 11:30 am EDT
Segment 2:  1:45 pm EDT
BREAK
Segment 3: 5:00 pm EDT
Segment 4: 7:15 pm EDT

For Round Robin days, each kibitzing segment will start 30 minutes after play starts.

Play Schedules  (CDT):

Main play schedule.
Mixed USBC USA2 Round Robin Schedule.
Senior USBC USA2 Round Robin Schedule.

Beth Palmer Women's USBC Kibitzing will be on RealBridge

To watch, just log on to the kibitz page, which will take you to the kibitzing lobby. Click on the table you want to watch. For more information, go to this RealBridge page. We will not be organizing official commentary for the Beth Palmer Women's USBC, but you are welcome to join a table and provide voice commentary. If there is a TV icon at a table, that means someone is providing voice commentary and you can listen to them by clicking on the icon and then on their name. The Schedule for the Beth Palmer Women's USBC is here. Kibitzing will start 30 minutes after each segment starts.

More information about LoveBridge kibitzing

Set up your screen as you like it:

Single Table This is what you will see if you click on the blue arrow on the scores page to see the play at a specific  table. It gives you the largest view of one table, with buttons to get to other information.
Match View will show the two tables of a match side by side on your screen;
Split View will give you 4 panes of your window and you can put whatever you want in each of them, so you can watch 2 side-by-side matches at once, or one match and the scores of others, or whatever you think is interesting.

Click on Buttons to get interesting information:

• The image of the sticker with the number of the board (upper right) takes you to the results of the board;
• the arrow in the bottom right corner takes you to the scoresheet
• the DDS shows the double dummy analyses, beside that there is a button for the other table of the same match,
• at the top left corner you can see the bidding with alerts and the explanations (mouse over), the tricks already played, and the double dummy analysis for the available number of tricks with the par score.
• NEW THIS YEAR: Written commentary will show in a large area on the left of the screen in Single Table view and at the top of the screen in Match View. If you are interesting in providing written commentary, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she will get you authorized.

Navigation icons:
While surfing here and there in the vugraph, or amongst the archive sessions, there are icons to help you. You can always go back to the main page with the “house” or to the standings with the “scores”. If you cannot see the icons, move your mouse, or touch your screen and they pop up immediately. There is also a built-in back button because the back button of your browser will always take you to the starting page. If this is not what you wanted, push next in your browser and you can continue where you were.

Replay:
After the event you can find every board from every table easily. While replaying the hands, the only surprise can be the way “next board” button works. If you have arrived from a scoresheet, it navigates through the scoresheet. If you have arrived from a screen where the results were shown for a given board then the same buttons move you through the list. Push every button and enjoy!

How to find System Information

If you want to look at a pair's System Summary Form or ACBL Convention card, just go to the Teams Entered page and click on either player's name.

We have returned to our pre-pandemic hospitality, with the hospitality suite (room 2321) open most of the day for you to hang out, watch Vugraph, get a snack, or whatever. In addition, we will be providing breakfast and lunch each day of play. Marie France Benoit will be our lead hostess, with help from Jacob Morgan, Marge Morgan, Shanika Cunningham, Hal George, and Nancy Booth. If you're at the tournament and can volunteer to help with hospitality (mainly picking up last-minute tihngs at Costco and other local stores) please let Jan or Marie France know.

Breakfast: From 8:30-10:30 am. There will be the usual breakfast food, cereal, bagels, toast, salmon, fruit, juice, coffee and tea. For those of you who prefer Keurig coffee, that will also be available in the hospitality suite. So long as the suite doesn't become too crowded, you are welcome to eat there. No masking requirement.

Lunch: On the first four days of the Open and Mixed USBCs we will be serving a buffet lunch in the hotel restaurant. There should be enough room for you to eat in the restaurant, but you are also welcome to take food from there to an outside table or to your hotel room. Lunch will be served from 1:45-3:45.

After the first 4 days of each event and for all of the Seniors, lunch will be available in the hospitality suite from 1:45-3:45. There will be a main dish (sandwiches, chicken, main dish salads, pizza) as well as tuna salad, green salad, cheese, fruit, berries, cookies or other desserts.

There is a water dispenser in the room, and we have refillable water bottles for you in room 1321 (we'll put a label with your name on yours). Soft drinks will be available in refrigerators. As with breakfast, you are welcome to eat in the hospitality suite unless it is too crowded.

Let us know what you want: If you have specific needs, please let our hosts know and they will do their very best to provide food that meets your needs.

Playing Rooms & Player's Break Room

We have a water dispenser in the Player's Break Room (1321), as well as soft drinks, nespresso, some packaged snacks, and some fruit. We ask that you recognize that we are working in that room, and others are still playing in the rooms next door and across the hall, so please try to keep voices low.

Masks will be required in playing rooms only if your screenmate asks you to wear one. You do not have to put on a mask when you summon a director or ask someone to bring you coffee or water or escort you outside to smoke.

BYES

No team earned a bye to a stage beyond the Round of 16 in any event this year. However, with 14 teams entered in the Mixed USBC, the top two teams based on seeding points were given byes to the USA1 Quarterfinal.

SEEDING

For the Open, Mixed, and Senior USBCs, teams have been assigned USBC Seeding Points, ranked based on those, and assigned bracket positions in accordance with the procedures in the USBF General Conditions of Contest. This spreadsheet has tabs for each event's seeding points and bracket positions. 

The Senior USBC will start with a Round Robin, so final Seeding Points won't be known until after the Round Robin. Senior Seeding points before the additional points for Round Robin finish are at the Senior Seeding Points tab on the spreadsheet. After the Round Robin, Senior bracket positions for the USA1 Semifinal will be added at the tab called Senior Bracket Positions.

The Beth Palmer Women's USBC will be a 3 day, 3 team Round Robin, for which teams are not seeded.

Our wonderful Daily Bulletin editor, Suzi Subeck, will be producing an online Daily Bulletin each day for the 2025 USBCs.

Suzi welcomes submissions about interesting hands from participants or spectators, just This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. a complete article or a story she can turn into an article.

The bulletins are listed here; click on the one you want to view or download in PDF format.

Although it looks as if there are links for future bulletins, they will only work after Suzi has uploaded each bulletin to the website, probably sometime in the middle of the night before the Bulletin's date. If you click on a link and are taken to a page saying "Oops! That page can’t be found" that means the bulletin isn't yet available; try again later.

Pre-Bulletin

OPEN BULLETINS

Thurday, April 24th

Friday, April 25th

Saturday, April 26th

Sunday, April 27th

Monday, April 28th

Tuesday, April 29th

Wednesday, April 30th

Thursday, May 1st

Friday, May 2nd

Saturday, May 3rd

Sunday, May 4th

Monday, May 5th

OPEN ROUND UP Tuesday, May 6th

MIXED BULLETINS

Wednesday, May 7th

Thursday, May 8th

Friday, May 9th

Saturday, May 10th

Sunday, May 11th

Monday, May 12th

Tuesday, May 13th

Wednesday, May 14th

Thursday, May 15th

Friday, May 16th

SENIOR BULLETINS (& MIXED ROUNDUP)

Saturday, May 17th

Sunday, May 18th

Monday, May 19th

Tuesday, May 20th

Wednesday, May 21st

Thursday, May 22nd

Friday, May 23rd

Saturday, May 24th

Final Bulletin, Sunday, May 25th

Links to pages with results will be posted here at the start of each stage. Click on the event & stage you are interested in to see the scoresheet. Results will be posted as soon as they are available.

Hand records in PDF format are linked at the bottom of the bracket sheet for each stage. Note that each PDF has two segments of play.

You can also find results and complete bidding and play records on Lovebridge.

OPEN USBC RESULTS

USA2 Quarterfinal
USA1 Final
USA2 Stage 2
USA1 Semifinal
USA2 Stage 1
USA1 Quarterfinal
Round of 16

 JUMP to OPEN SCHEDULE, WOMEN'S SCHEDULE, MIXED SCHEDULE, SENIOR SCHEDULE WITH 9-11 TEAMS

Rules Applicable to all Events

Each pair is required to submit a System Summary Form two weeks before play in their event starts. To create or edit a SSF, first log in to this site, then click on "Create or Edit SSF" under the User Menu, which appears in the left hand column when you log in. You can either create a new form or copy an old one. If you have any problems, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will try to help. The penalty for failure to submit a SSF on time is loss of seating rights in one segment of play for each day the SSF is late.

Each pair is also required to submit an ACBL convention card two weeks before play in their event starts. The penalty for failure to submit a convention card on time is loss of seating rights in one segment of play for each day the convention card is late.We haven't yet been able to set up a way for you to upload your ACBL convention card or a link to a BridgeWinners card online, so please either share your BridgeWinners card with Al, or email him the link to the BridgeWinners page from which you can print it, or email a PDF or JPG version of your convention card to him, and he will upload and link. If you sent Al a convention card or link last year and it's the same for this year, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let him know to copy that card or link to this year. Thanks.

See below for detailed information and instructions about submitting BW and BBO convention cards.

If you are playing a method that is allowed under paragraph 3 or paragraph 7 of Opening Bids on the Open+ Convention Chart, and there is not now an ACBL approved defense to the method, you must submit a full description of the method and a recommended defense at least 4 weeks before the start of your event. You can access the Open+ Chart and the Defense Database here. We can't link directly to the Open+ Chart, but click on "Open+ Chart" to read it. Our software no longer allows you to create an Advance Submisstion Form online, but you can download the form as a Word document and use it as an outline of the information you should submit. Complete it, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and he will convince the website to see it as an ASF and link it to your SSF. He will also send it to the USBF Systems Committee for review. If the committee has not rejected it within 1 week of submission, it is accepted and you may play the method and must bring the recommended defense to the table with you.

Dates for Each Event (assuming there is no online stage. If your event has an online stage, forms are due 2 weeks before online play starts, and we will change the dates shown here to reflect that.)

Submitting BridgeWinners and BBO Convention Cards

To send a link to your BW convention card:

1. Log into BridgeWinners

2. Go to your Convention card folder (you get there by clicking on the picture of a convention card under your name in the upper right of the home page).

3. Find the convention card you want to submit.

4. Right click on "View/Print."

5. Click on "Copy link" or something similar in the pop up you get.

6. Paste the link you copied (it should be in the form of https://bridgewinners.com/ and the name of your convention card)into an email and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Alternatively, you can share the convention card with Al. Once we have a link to your BW convention card, you won't need to send us updates, so long as you don't change the name of the convention card.

To Submit a BBO convention card:

If you want to submit a BBO convention card, you will have to save a PDF of the card and email that to Al.

When you create the PDF, make sure the entire card is visible - sometimes BBO cards open with only part visible.

If you make change to the card, you will have to resubmit a new PDF.

Click here for more complete instructions.

Entry Requirements

VACCINATION AGAINST COVID 19 IS NOT REQUIRED TO ENTER

For all events, teams must have 4, 5, or 6 members, all of whom are USBF members who have paid dues for 2025 and have signed the new USBF Competitor's Agreement that specifies the IBA instead of the AAA as the forum for arbitration. ALL PLAYERS will need ot sign this; to add a signature using a Mac, open in Preview and select Tools --> Annotate --> Signature; to add a signature using a PC, open in Microsoft Edge and click on "Draw" in the upper left corner; and Covid Waiver (if you signed this in 2023 or 2024 you don't need to sign again).
For the Mixed USBC, each team must have at least 2 male players and 2 female players.
For the Senior USBC, each player must have been born in 1961 or earlier.
For the Women's USBC, each player must be a woman.

Closing Dates and Links to entry form (You must be logged in to the USBF website to enter)

*Late entries are only allowed if they do not change the starting date of the event for any already entered team. Players who enter late must file system information within 4 days and may not use complicated methods for the first stage of the event unless another pair in the event is playing the method and filed system information 2 weeks in advance.

Entry Fees

NOTE: The USBF is now able to accept Zelle payments, for which we do not have to pay a fee. Therefore we will have 2 different charges, one for Zelle, cash, check, or wire, and one for credit cards.

The Event entry fee covers any needed online stages as well as the fixed costs for face to face stages. The Event entry fee is $500 if paid with Zelle, cash, check, or wire, or $520 if paid with a credit card.

Face to face session fees for the Round of 16 (or Round Robin), USA1 Quarterfinal, and USA2 Stage 1 are $450 per day for Zelle, cash, check, or wire, $470 if paid by credit card.

Session fees for stages after the Quarterfinal and USA2 Stage 1 are  $600 or $620 per day.

To go directly to the payment page, click below:

The 2025 USBCs will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Schaumburg, IL. Room rate is $144 per night and includes internet; there is no penalty for early departure, as long as you notify the hotel that you are leaving the day before you leave. You can now make reservations on this link for April 22nd to May 17th which should work for you if you are playing in the Open, Women's, and/or Mixed USBC. You will need to use this link for reservations from May 16-27, so should work for those of you playing in the Seniors. If you want a room for all of the events, you'll have to make 2 reservations and let Jan know to have the hotel combine them. If you have any problems making a reservation, or any special needs, or it is after April 21st and you need a reservation, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she'll try to help.

The 2025 USBCs will be held at the Hyatt Regency, Schaumburg, IL, from April 24th through May 26th. Each of the four USBCs will select 2 teams for the 2025 World Championships, the date & location of which has not yet been announced. The player eligibility rules have been modified for next year to a compromise between the rules in 2021 and the rules in 2023 & 2024 (in 2022 there was only an Open USBC). In 2025, players may enter more than one event and if they do so, they must declare which event they will play in if they qualify for more than one (including second choice if they enter 3 events). A player who qualifies for the event they have designated as their preferred World Championship event is not eligible to play in a subsequent USBC. If a player has entered 3 events and qualifies in their second choice event, they are not eligible to play in their third choice event.

In addition, the Board slightly modified the rule regarding when a team that qualified in a USBC is eligible for the World Championship. That rule has been that 4 players from the USBC team must play in the World Championship. For 2025, 4 players from a 5 or 6 person qualified team must playin the World Championship, but a 4 person team needs only 3 continuing players to be eligible for the World Championship.

The Open USBC will start on April 24, 2025 and end on May 5, 2025. Face to face stages will be USA1 Round Robin or Round of 16, Quarterfinal, Semifinal, and Final, and USA2 Stage 1, Stage 2, Quarterfinal, Semifinal, and Final. The losing USA1 Finalist will drop into the USA2 Semifinal and choose their opponent for the Semifinal. All stages will be 2 days long. If more than 16 teams enter, there will be an online stage among some number of the lowest seeded teams to reduce the field to 16 for face to face play. All face to face teams will play for at least 4 days.

The Beth Palmer Women's USBC will start on Wednesday, April 30th if 3 or 4 teams have entered, or on Monday, April 28th if 5-8 teams have entered. If there are 3 or 4 teams, face to face stages will be 2 day USA1 Semifinal (KO or RR); 2 day USA1 Final and USA2 Semifinal (if only 3 teams entered the event this stage won't take place); 2 day USA2 Final. If there are 5-8 teams, the first 2 days will be a Round Robin to qualify 4 teams; the next 6 days will be the same as for 4 teams.

The Mixed USBC will start on Wednesday, May 7th and end on Friday, May 16th. Face to Face stages will be USA1 Round Robin or Round of 16, Quarterfinal, Semifinal, and Final, all 2 days long. USA2 stages will be Stage 1 (2 day Round Robin or KO opposite the USA1 Quarterfinal), Stage 2 (1 day KO opposite first day of USA1 Semifinal), Stage 3 (1 day KO opposite day 2 of the USA1 Semifinal), Quarterfinal (1 day KO opposite day 1 of the USA1 Final), Semifinal (1 day KO opposite day 2 of the USA1 Final), and Final (2 day KO). The losing USA1 Finalist will drop into the USA2 Final. If more than 16 teams enter, there will be an online stage among some number of the lowest seeded teams to reduce the field to 16 for face to face play. All face to face teams will play for at least 4 days.

The Senior USBC will start on Saturday, May 17th and end on Monday, May 26th. Face to Face stages will be USA1 Round Robin or Round of 16, Quarterfinal, Semifinal, and Final, all 2 days long. USA2 stages will be Stage 1 (2 day Round Robin or KO opposite the USA1 Quarterfinal), Stage 2 (1 day KO opposite first day of USA1 Semifinal), Stage 3 (1 day KO opposite day 2 of the USA1 Semifinal), Quarterfinal (1 day KO opposite day 1 of the USA1 Final), Semifinal (1 day KO opposite day 2 of the USA1 Final), and Final (2 day KO). The losing USA1 Finalist will drop into the USA2 Final. If more than 16 teams enter, there will be an online stage among some number of the lowest seeded teams to reduce the field to 16 for face to face play. All face to face teams will play for at least 4 days.

For those of you who think a picture is worth 1000 words, here'a a calendar of the full tournament: