aCES, pLACES, AND fACES

EGGY OCHS MEMORIAL GAME
SUNDAY MAY 1
       Sunday we’ll have our annual memorial game in memory of the members and friends we’ve lost in the last year. Peggy directed many of the games at the Fresno bridge club, even before we moved to the clubhouse on Clinton Avenue in the early sixties. She directed the Sunday Unit games as well games almost every afternoon of the week. Everyone who played was her friend.
    The game starts with a pot luck lunch at noon, followed by a memory of our members who passed away, and then a Unit Championship game at 1 p.m. The winners’ names go on a plaque on the Bridge Center wall, Please bring something for the pot luck lunch and enjoy a friendly afternoon.

DISTRICT 21 GOODWILL COMMITTEE
Congratulations to Jackie Finn, who was appointed to the District 21 Goodwill Committee this year. This is quite an honor, as only seven people in District 21 were given lifetime appointments this year for their hard work and dedication to bridge. She will be honored at the District 21 board meeting at the Sacramento Regional and receive the Goodwill Committee pin.


CLUB NEWS
STaC GAMES May 2-7
It’s time for our annual Spring Western Conference Sectional Tournament at Clubs. Nearly every club participates in the STaC games. All games are considered as part of a sectional tournament, with silver points for all master point winners. Players compete not only in Fresno, but also throughout the West. Most afternoon open games have hundreds of tables, all playing the same hands. The top score can win over twenty points in the open games. The competition is among similar games. Thus, all open games compete against each other; all 750 games compete only against each other, and all 99er games compete against each other. So, if you have less than 750 points, you are welcome to play Tuesday or Thursday afternoon. If you have less than 100 points, you can compete on Tuesday night.
               The top players in Oakhurst for April were Ken Doig, Jim Luther, Karen McCartin, Claire Molnar, and Burke Zane. The top players for April in Madera were Gary Nelson, followed by Carol Kaufman and Barbara Diebert. Gary leads for the year, followed by Carol, Mary Gullo, and Barbara Diebert.
               The top players at the Fresno Bridge Center for March were Steve Sharp, followed by Ray April and Mark Stern. Steve now leads for 2016, followed by Maggie Mahaffey, Skip Miller, Ray April, and Mark Stern, Top 99ers for March were Doris and Don Myers, followed by Beverly Little and Marge Field, Doris and Don lead for 2016, followed by Beverly Little, Judy Pardun, and Marge Field.
        During the Visalia sectional, May 13-15, there will be no bridge games at the Fresno Bridge Center Check with your teacher about the Saturday lessons. Comcast has come to Starpoint. During the Visalia sectional, we will convert our systems to Comcast. This will reduce our phone bill while upgrading the television service. Please try to avoid slowing down the game because you’d rather watch TV than play bridge.

WINNERS
UNIT CHAMPIONSHIP
1AB     Steve Sharp - Ray April
2A       Margaret Mahaffey - Victor Greener
3A2B   Mary Lou Pease - Kay Chrisman
3B1C   Don Myers - Doris Myers
2C        Robert Cherry - Tay Cherry
 
UNIT CHAMPIONSHIP
1AB     Judy Nibler - Rhonda Hampton
2AB     Patrick Carroll - John McGregor
3A       Mark Stern - Victor Greener
3B        Mary Lou Pease - Mun Takeda
 
ACBLWIDE CHARITY GAME
1AB     George Dalition - John Simpson
2AB     Irene Whelchel - Judy Zimmerer
3A       Belva Quattrin - Mark Stern
3B        Ray April - Gerry Jones
1C        Rhonda Hampton - Cynthia Tingey
2C        Kathryn Miller - Barbara Wiedel
3C        Peter Weber - Susan Vildosola
 
CHARITY CHAMPIONSHIP
1A       Richard Meffley - Bob Cross
2A       John Schnell - Della Schnell
3A1B   Laura Neville - Jim McKoane
2B1C   Larry Miller - Carol Miller
3B        Victor Greener - Byron Steinert
2C        Kay Chrisman - Gay Berry
 
499ER CHARITY CHAMPIONSHIP
1          Don Austin - Marion Austin
2          Marge Field - Nancy Jones
3          Marva White - Mary Claire Ewing
 
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
1A       Barbara Thacker - Ray April
2A       Belva Quattrin - Robert Durbrow
3A1B   Robert Endara - Carolyn Lofton
2B1C   Pat Huston - Carol Carr
3B        Al Crane - Bob Cross
2C        Sally Anne Eatherly - Gloria Durbrow
3C        Stephen Blumberg - Robert Cherry

CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
1          Steve Sharp - Jay Shapiro
2          Judy Dodd - Irene Whelchel
3          Robert Durbrow - Bob Cross
 
OAKHURST WINNERS
Karen McCartin - Paul Mertens
Joe Fox - Corey Cole
Terri Anderson - Annette Calhoun
Al Ellis - Joni Roberts
Burke Zane - Joe Fox
Bobbie Sweeden - Nancy Hays
Ken Doig - Jim Luther (3)
Burke Zane - Martha Robrahn

LET’S STAY ON TIME
BRIDGEPAD RESULTS REVIEW TO STOP
    The Unit board has noticed that the games often move along very slowly. So, to move things along, we’ll stop checking previous results on the bridgepads - just as has always been done at tournaments. We’ll start on May first and continue to the end of the month and then evaluate. Checking the other results on the bridge pads sometimes leads to a lengthy discussion. How could they make so much? It must have been the lead. Or maybe they guessed to finesse the right way. Or maybe they dropped the doubleton queen. For May, We’ll eliminate all that.       In case we speed up the game too much, here are ways we can use up the extra time that we’ve saved:

      When you’re the opening leader, always write in your private scorecard BEFORE you lead.

     When you’re dummy, wait until the opening lead, then write the contract in your scorecard, then put down dummy.

      Give the opponents a lesson, explaining how they should have played the contract or how they should have bid.

      Have a complete post mortem after each hand.

      When you’re North, wait until the hand is over before putting the contract in the bridgepad.

      Fumble with the bid cards, pull some out and put them back, before you decide on your final call.

     Each of these adds several unnecessary seconds to the game, but they add up. Be ready to play when it’s your turn.

PLACES AND FACES
There were no nearby big tournaments in April, but we had some sectional winners. Farid Assemi was seventh in the open pairs at the Saratoga sectional. Jay Roll, Richard Meffley, and Warren and Suzie Cederborg won the Bakersfield Swiss teams. Jay Roll won the open pairs at the Modesto  sectional. It’s fun to go to sectional and visit with players from other cities.
            We compliment Bakersfield on their fine hospitality. They had lots of snacks supplied by the members, plus a great Sunday dinner with baked chicken, about a dozen salads, and dessert.  So many of the sectional tournaments nearby really put out the welcome wagon for their guests, as we do.

VISALIA SECTIONAL
May 13-15
Our nearest neighbor is holding its annual tournament this month. There will be no games at the Bridge Center May 13 – 15, so go to Visalia and have a good time playing bridge. If you are free on Sunday, get a team together and play in the Swill teams. They are famous for the salads they have with lunch on Sunday. There are flyers at the Bridge Center with directions and a schedule of games.

FRIDAY EVENING BAROMETER
Mary Lou Pease - James Sweet
William Glass - Debbie Kemp
 
 
FRIDAY EVENING INDIVIDUAL
1          Gloria Durbrow
2          Marion Austin
3          Don Austin
4          Carol Kaufman
5          James Sweet
 
SPECIAL
Robert Durbrow - Belva Quattrin
Richard Meffley - Mark Stern
Mark Stern - Victor Greener
Jay Roll - Mark Stern
Steve Sharp - Ray April
Barbara Thacker - Jim Mckoane
Howard Arquette - Ray April
Gay & Larry Slates
Mary Gullo – Gary Nelson
Kay Chrisman - Steve Sharp[B]
Laura Neville - Ruth Christensen[B]
Judy Zimmerer - Irene Whelchel[B]
John Oakshott - Peggy Oakshott[C]
Don Baze - Anthony Toto[C]
Ray April - Mary Lou Pease[C]
Susan Vildosola - Peter Weber[C]
Don Austin - Marion Austin[C] 
 
 
750 SPECIAL
Lois Layne - Diana Papazian
June E. Weber - Fran Beazley
Gerry Jones - Nancy Holley
Jerry F. Noga - John Hempel
Janet Blumberg - Stephen Blumberg
Sandra Beebe - Judy Pardun[B]
Pat Huston - Gerry Jones
Joan De Yager - Marsha Infausto[B]
Mary Gullo - Cheryl Hiney[B]
Don Myers - Doris Myers[B]
Rita Gladding - Jonel Mueller[C]
 
 
99er
Gary Pigg - Pamela Pigg
Brenda Ward - Walt Kelso
Cheryl Ryder - Ann Keag
Cheryl Ryder - Ann Keag[B]
Fred Schellack - Joyce Furnas[C]