The annual Portland, Oregon regional is held each year across the Columbia River in neighboring Vancouver, Washington.  But we still call it the Portland tournament, lest a bunch of bridge players show up in British Columbia wondering where the game is.  If you’re coming in from out of town, this is a very convenient regional to reach — the playing site is located about a 3 second drive from Interstate 5, and about a 15-minute drive from the Portland International Airport.

Tournament Format

The Oregon Trail Regional is a healthy size, with full KO’s starting each weekday as well as 2-session Open Pairs each day in addition to side games and 299er games.  The morning sessions feature one 3-session KO during the week and one 2-session Compact KO on Friday and Saturday.  No full KO starts on Saturday, so the Sunday Swiss is a large event.  It’s strata-flighted into A/X, B/C/D, and 299er games.  Each of the main KO’s drew 3-4 brackets, while the morning Compact was a single, handicapped bracket.  Here’s a good-looking team of winners from one of the early KO’s:

Lodging

The tournament is held at the Vancouver Hilton, a very nice hotel with gorgeous views of the Columbia River and Mt. Hood.  The bridge rate here is reasonable, but not cheap.  Several other hotels are within easy walking distance if you want to try to find a cheaper room.  Check out the Red Lion, the Econo Lodge, and the Comfort Inn & Suites.

Dining

I can’t think of a single tournament in the ACBL that has better food options than this one.  The host hotel is at the edge of a park, which is surrounded by offices and restaurants.  Because of all the offices around, there are dozens of places you can get a quick, cheap lunch, and the happy hours in this neighborhood can’t be beat.  For dinner, my favorites are Thai Orchid (Thai food), Jerusalem Cafe (Mediterranean food), and Who Song & Larry’s (Mexican food).  Each has great food, great service, and low prices.

Hospitality & Entertainment

District 20 is all about showing players a good time.  This tournament has great speakers every day, with lectures geared toward players at all levels.  Caddies hand out candy and other goodies each day, and on Friday night, there’s a dance party with a professional DJ and free beer.

All in all, this is one of my favorite tournaments of the year, and not just because it’s my home tournament.  The directors and tournament administrators always do a spectacular job in D20, and it’s always a good time.   If you have any questions about more to see and do in the Portland area, just search “Portland” on my main page (Jianantonic.com) for lots of my favorite things in the area.  I hope to see you here next year!