ACES, Places, and Faces

GRADUATION PARTY
PRO-AM PAIRS
JULY 1, 2018
On Sunday we’re honoring Renee Laquerriere, our newest Life Master. Each year we have a party at noon to honor the new Life Masters who made it the last year. Renee just made LM at the recent Sacramento Regional.  We may have some awards to give out, with plenty of hot dogs and ice cream, traditional food around Independence Day. Last month we said we’re having a pot luck, but we’re not. Just bring yourself!
The Graduation Party is always followed by a Pro-Am game – we’ve been doing it for over fifty years. Those who aren’t Life Masters yet get to play with Life Masters – we always expect that everyone has a friendly time with their partner for the day. It’s a game for fun, but not really a game for lessons.
  
POKER NIGHT
July 20, 2018
Invite your friends, neighbors and family to come play poker at the bridge club.  If they don't play bridge they might play poker. There will be pre-sale tickets for $20.00 which includes a buy in of 100 in poker chips and pizza with salad.  The tickets will be $25.00 each the night of the event at the door.
The fir2018st place winner will receive a $100 gift card and 2nd, 3rd and 4th place will receive free bridge club games.  RIchard will also have an individual game going for those bridge players who don't play poker.
Come join the fun. Don't forget our drawing for the flat screen TV will be that night.  We still have some tickets left for $10.00 each or 3 for $20.00.

CLUB NEWS
ACBL INSTANT MATCHPOINT
 GAME                (gold point)
July 9, 2018
One of the most exciting contests is ACBL’s Instant Matchpoint Game, held Monday afternoon July 9... Players all over the country compete, playing the same hands. The matchpoints for any score are determined based on the results of dozens of tables played at tournaments a few years ago. You’ll know your score instantly after each hand. There are overall awards in the ACBL and in each district, hand analyses, and best of all; first place in each direction gets one gold point plus some black points.
Carol Kaufman and Richard Meffley were the top master point winners in Madera in June, followed closely behind by Larry and Gay Slates. Larry and Gay lead for2018, followed by Carol Kaufman and Barbara Diebert.
Our top master point winner at the Fresno Bridge Center for May was Bob Durbrow, followed by Lowell Gist, Gerard Laquerriere, and Bob Cross. Maggie Mahaffey still leads for 2018, with Mark Stern less than a point behind. Bob Durbrow, Bob Cross, and Lowell Gist are within striking distance.  Steve Johnson is the top 99er for May, followed by Jonel Mueller and James Bushman.  Steve leads for 2018, followed by Pam Pigg, Jonel Mueller, and Judy Pardun.

PLACES AND FACES
           Fresno Unit players did well at the recent  Sacramento  regional. Mary Lou Pease, Judy Jessick, Renee Laquerriere, and Rhonda Hampton were third in Flight C of the evening Swiss teams and first in Flight B of the morning Swiss teams. Mary Lou and Judy were also second inFlight C of another evening Swiss teams. Anthony Toto, Donald Baze, Mary Lou Pease, and Judy Jessick won the Bracket 3 teams and made Donald a Life Master. Gerard Laquerriere and Richard Meffley were second in the Open pairs and third in the Fast pairs. Anthony Toto was fifth in Flight B of the Fast pairs. Rhonda Hampton and Renee Laquerriere were second in Bracket 3 of the Knockout teams. Wally Wallace was first in Flight B of the side series, third in Flight B of the side game, and fifth in the Open pairs.
            Farid Assemi was second in the Open pairs at the Oakland sectional, and with Richard Meffley, second in the Open pairs at the Palo Alto Firecracker sectional.
            Congratulations to new sectional masters James Bushman and MaryClaire Ewing,
club master Barbara Gaudin, and junior master Juan Sobenes.

MUN’S LESSONS
Mun Takeda will give lessons on various topics the first Tuesday evening of each month starting in August. If you enjoyed her lessons on 2 over 1, you’ll enjoy learning some more.

WINNERS

UNIT CHAMPIONSHIP
1A           Mark Stern - Sally Anne Stern
2A1BC  Irene Whelchel - Ray April
3A2B     Jim Mckoane - Rosalie Jorgensen
3B           Bob Cross - Joseph Tang
1C           Gloria Fitzgerald - Jeff Nevins
2C           Carol Kaufman - Barbara Diebert
 
 
1A           Lowell Gist - Gerard Laquerriere
2A           Dave Haberstich - Mark Stern
3A1B     Anthony Toto - Joseph Tang
2B1C     Sally Anne Stern - Jane Bragg
3B2C     Marilyn J. Kendall - JoAnn Huebner
 


99ER UNIT CHAMPIONSHIP
1              Margot Cegielski - M. Steve Johnson
2              Madeline Lynes - Pamela Pigg
 
NAP
1              Richard Meffley - Farid Assemi
2              Mark Stern - Sally Anne Stern
3              James Sweet - Mary Lou Pease
 
750 MEMBERSHIP CHAMPIONSHIP
1ABC     Marilyn J. Kendall - Jeremy Newel
2AB        Denny Tweed - Cathleen Burden
3AMary Ann Clark - Beverly Little
3B2C     Jo Ann Hollenbeck - Suzanne Sobenes
3C           Marlene Robinson - Barbara Kelley

750 CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
1AB        Larry Miller - Jeremy Newel
2A           Mary Ann Clark - Beverly Little
3A2B1C                Rita Gladding - Jonel Mueller
3B2C     Sandra Beebe - Judy Pardun
3C           Joan De Yager - Marsha Infausto
 
 
 
99ER CHAMPIONSHIP
1              Barbara Gaudin - Juan Sobenes
2              Steve Johnson - Margot Cegielski

99 SPECIAL
Alvin Fred Schellack - June Oeser
Steve Johnson - Margot Cegielski
Steve Johnson - Julia Kendall
Clint Hudson - Barbara Gaudin
 
99
Walt Kelso - Fred Schellack
Juan Sobenes - Scarlett Richman
John Cadwalader - Barbara Diebert
June Oeser - Alan Sakamoto[C]
Alvin Fred Schellack - June Oeser
Barbara Gaudin - Fred Schellack
Ruth Townsend - Joan Clark[B]
John Cadwalader - Carol Fiorentino[B]
Juan Sobenes - Scarlett Richman[C]
June Oeser - Alan Sakamoto[C]
John Cadwalader - Carol Fiorentino[C]
Barbara Gaudin - Julia Kendall[C]

​ NLM SECTIONAL
AUGUST 11-12
Next month is our Sixteenth annual Non-Life Master  Sectional.  We’ll have pair games at 10 am and 2:30 pm on Saturday, and on Sunday at 10 am. We’ll also have Swiss Teams on Sunday afternoon. Newcomers with fewer than ten master points play free on Saturday morning.  If there’s enough interest, we’ll have a 99er game on Saturday morning, too. We’ll also have Lunch and Learn between sessions both days. Players must be non-LMs with less than 500 master points in order to play and try to win silver points.  Come enjoy the tournament!

RENEE LAQUERRIERE NEW LM
Congratulations to Renee Laquerriere who made Life Master at the Sacramento regional, coming in the overalls in several events with partners and teammates Mary Lou Pease, Judy Jessick, and Rhonda Hampton.

Treasurer’s report for July 2018
Nothing much new to report regarding the latest financial reports. The balance sheet and P&L are posted at the center. We are still losing a little money each month from the games but making up some of it with fundraising efforts, like the Bid-a-Pro and Mun Takeda’s 2over1 lessons. And wonderful Mun is offering more lessons coming up.
Our next club fundraiser is POKER NIGHT, Friday July 20. It will be a night of fun. If you don’t know how Texas Hold’em poker is played, this is a chance to learn. “Buy in” means you donate some money and you get a stack of poker chips to be used in the poker games. (If you lose it quickly, you can “re-buy” one more stack with an additional donation.) There will be dealers ready to explain the game and help you place your bets. Of course, if you are an old hand at poker, you can help the novices, too. Prizes will be awarded to the players who win the most chips. A meal is included with the initial buy in, there will be a raffle and who knows, maybe a little dancing. It should be a fun night, with the proceeds going to our bridge center to help make up the recurring deficits.
We raised $2801 on the Longest Day fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association, in conjunction with ACBL. Thank you to all who made additional donations. If you wrote a check, you should receive a thank you note from the Alzheimer’s Association in the next 30 days, which will include tax deduction information. If you don’t get such a notification, let me know. We had a great turn out. Thank you to all who came out and played. There were 37.75 tables on that one day! If we had that kind of turn out every day, the club would thrive on table fees.
And a personal thank you to the directors who put it on. Richard Meffley worked hard to bring in a couple of more people so that the last game was full. Kay Chrisman directed the noon and afternoon fast-pairs games, which included the biggest game of the day while helping man the kitchen. And mostly to Laura Da Costa, who directed the first two games and coordinated the food for the whole day. Next time you see her, thank her for all the great work she did that day. She went above and beyond. They all did.
And for the tee shirt winners. Karen Simpson was the biggest donor, so a shirt is awaiting her at the center. There were eight people who made the same second largest donation. While we could cut up the other two shirts into pieces or do a drawing, lets reward a couple of players. Two in particular played in all five games. 15 hours straight, playing bridge. When you combine their donations with their table fees, they actually were the next biggest donors. So, Mary Lou Pease and Anthony Toto, pick up your shirts at the center. 

LONGEST DAY
The Longest Day games were the best ever, with the Bridge Center filled for two of the sessions, and smaller attendance the other three sessions, totaling 38 tables. We may have raised about $3,500 for the Alzheimer’s Foundation. Anthony Toto played in all the games and won the most master points. Thanks to many folks from Visalia who canceled their Friday game to play in the Longest Day. Also thanks to Laura Da Costa for organizing much of the activities, and the directors, who donated their time.

 CLUB CHAMPIONSHP
1A           Robert Durbrow - Bob Cross
2A1BC  Laura Da Costa - Carol Miller
3A2B     Laura Neville - Irene Whelchel
3B2C     Carol Rodder - JoannE. Evans
 
1A           Mark Stern - David Haberstich
2A1B     Laura Da Costa - Ray April
3A           Lowell Gist - Gerard Laquerriere
2B           James Bushman - Debbie Kemp
 
1A           Mark Stern - Sally Anne Stern
2A1B     Rosalie Jorgensen - Jim Mckoane
3A2B1C                Rhonda Hampton - Renee Laquerriere
3B2C     Carol Kaufman - Barbara Diebert
 
1AB        Margaret Mahaffey - Sally Anne Stern
2AB        Laura Da Costa - Ray April
3A           Richard Meffley - Robert Durbrow
3B1C     Bob Cross - Joseph Tang
2C           Susan Spears - Alex C. Sherriffs
 
 INDIVIDUAL
1              Robert Durbrow
2A1B     Rhonda Hampton
3A2B     Joycelyn Kauder
3B1C     Carol Kaufman
2C           Don Austin
3C           Andrew Graves
 
OAKHURST WINNERS
Ken Doig - T Srinivasan[3]
Ken Sommers - Burke Zane
Burke Zane - T Srinivasan
Wally Wallace - Dana Brown
Hal Mendoza - Ira Estin[2]
Ken Doig - Claire Molnar[2]
Wally Wallace - Dana Brown
Clem Bingham - Jim Luther
Claire Molnar - Wally Wallace
Karen McCartin - Alfred Ellis
 
SPECIAL
Bob Cross - M. Steve Johnson[2]
Judy Zimmerer - Rhonda Hampton
Lowell Gist - Gerard Laquerriere
Linda Coppersmith - George Efthemon
Robert Durbrow - Bob Cross
Laura Neville - Ruth Christensen
Barbara Thacker - Laura Da Costa
Margaret Mahaffey - Irene Whelchel
Robert Durbrow - Jim Mckoane
Howard Arquette - Ray April
Carol Kaufman – Richard Meffley
Jim Mckoane - James Sweet
John Oakshott - Peggy Oakshott
Howard Arquette - Renee Laquerriere
Sheila Smith - Cynthia Tingey
Jason Mcalexander - Robert Cherry[B]
Judy Nibler - Mary Lou Pease [B]
Gay & Larry Slates [B]
  
750 SPECIAL
Mary Ann Clark - Gay Berry
Virginia Johnson - Estee Strombotne
Don Myers - Doris Myers[B]
Patricia Creede - Angelina Heisdorf
Rita Gladding - Pamela Pigg
John Oakshott - Peggy Oakshott [B]
Larry Miller - Sydney Bluestone[C]
Mary Claire Ewing - Sandy OwYoung-Chu[C]