aces, places,and faces

NORTH AMERICAN PAIRS
UNIT FINALS November 11
 
For all those who qualified for North American Pairs this summer, the Unit Finals are this month.
Qualifiers are posted at the Fresno Bridge Center. The game is stratified: A is Open,  B is for players with under 2,500 master points, and C is for players with under 500 mp who are not Life Masters. If you are in the top half of your flight, you qualify for the District 21 Finals in December. Flight A is on December 8 and 9; Flight B is December 15, and Flight C is on December 9. All D21 finals are in the Bay Area. You can play in only one Unit final, but you can play in all D21 Finals if you’re qualified. The top three go to NA Finals in Memphis in March.

CLUB NEWS
Top players in Oakhurst for October were Ken Doig, Claire Molnar, T. Srinivasan. Karen McCartin. Diane McDonough and Burke Zane.  The top player in Madera for October is Steve Johnson followed by Richard Meffley and Gay and Larry Slates. Gay and Larry lead for the year, followed by Carol Kaufman and Gary Nelson.
 Bob Durbrow was the top player at the Fresno Bridge Center in October, followed by Laura Da Costa, Mary Lou Pease, Steve Johnson, Ray April, and Skip Miller. Mark Stern leads for the year, followed by Bob Durbrow, Lowell Gist, and Maggie Mahaffey. Steve Johnson went over 100 master points, so the top 99er for October was June Oeser, followed by Mary Claire Ewing, Barbara Gaudin, and Ann Keag. Pam Pigg is the leading 99er for 2018, followed by Mary Claire Ewing, Jonel Mueller, and Ann Keag.

We’ve been saving up our Membership games for the end of the year. There will be several in November and December. They pay extra points to the winners, but you should be a member to be eligible for points. You can pay your dues at the game.
Thanksgiving is coming this month. There are no games on Thanksgiving or the day before. The Wednesday night game will move to the Tuesday before, so a 99er game and an open game will be held that night. Both will be Unit Championship games.

ELECTIONS
We’ll soon be having elections for a two year term on the Unit Board of Directors. Please let Nominaions Chair Mary Lou Pease know if you would like to serve on the board.

WINNERS
 
UNIT CHAMPIONSHIP
1A       Robert Durbrow - Richard Meffley
2A1B  Laura Neville - Al Crane
2B       Avis Morse - Dick Powell
  
1A       Mark Stern - Sally Anne Stern
2ARobert Durbrow - George Dalition
3A1BC            Robert Cherry - Tay Cherry
2BC     Don Austin - Marion Austin
3B                   Mary Lou Pease - Jane Bragg
 
 
99er UNIT CHAMPIONSHIP
 1/3      Sandy Petrie - Pat Heckathorn
 1/3      Cheryl Ryder - Ann Keag
 1/3      Jung Kim - Joan Clark
 
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
1A       Gerard Laquerriere - Dana Brown
2A       Laura Da Costa - Margaret Mahaffey
3A1B  Jim Mckoane - Barbara Thacker
2B1C   Irene Whelchel - Carol Rodder
3B       James Sweet - William Glass
2C       Renee Laquerriere - Judy Nibler
 
INIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP
1AB    Gary Nelson
2AB    Marion Austin
3A       Richard Meffley
4A3B  Steve Johnson
4B       Carol Kaufman
 
 
CLUB APPRECIATION
1A       Margaret Mahaffey - Carol Rodder
2A1BC            Laura Da Costa - Gwen Davey
3A2B  Jim Mckoane - Rosalie Jorgensen
2C       Debbie Kemp - Steve Johnson
 
 
1AB    Laura Da Costa - Ray April
2AB1C            Anthony Toto - Mary Lou Pease
3A       Richard Meffley - Robert Durbrow
3/4A2/3B        Deb Petersen - Cynthia Tingey
3/4A2/3B        Gloria Fitzgerald - Rosalie Jorgensen

750 CLUB APPRECIATION
1ABC  Mary Claire Ewing - Sandy OwYoung-Chu
2AB    Linda Town - Barbara Wiedel
3A       Edward Hampton - Rhonda Hampton
3BJohn Hempel - Jerry F. Noga
2C       Joan De Yager - Marsha Infausto
3C       Cheryl Johnson - Ann Keag

99ER CLUB APPRECIATION
1          Alvin Fred Schellack - Walt Kelso
2          Carol Fiorentino - John Cadwalader

MUN TAKEDA LESSON
November 13     6 pm
 
Mun Takeda has given us several helpful lessons. This month’s lesson is on weak two bids – a subject that all know how to misuse. Beginning lessons may tell us to open a weak two bid with six  to ten point hands with a six card suit, but there’s more to it, and plenty to learn about responses. Are they forcing? That’s one to make sure you and your partner are on the same wavelength. Find out how to get the most from your weak twos at 6 o’clock Tuesday November 13. Thanks to Mun for donating her efforts, which helps to keep the Unit solvent.
 
TREASURER’S REPORT
If you look at the latest statement of financial position posted at the bridge club, you will see that we have actually been in the black for the last three months. That’s a little more in September than the previous two months because of the sectional tournament and Mun Takeda’s lesson. Once again, thank you Mun.
But don’t get over excited. Without the fund raisers and tournaments of the past few months, we are losing, on average, $1000 a month. October may be one of those months. So overall, we are down for the year, but not as much as expected. In other words, the bleeding has slowed for now, but we need to keep up the efforts to keep the center alive.
Mun’s next lesson on weak 2 bids will be valuable to beginners and intermediate players alike. So not only help the club out by taking the lessons, help yourself with improved play by signing up for her lesson.
PLACES and FACES
Farid Assemi was tenth in Santa Cruz sectional open pairs.
 
At the Reno regional, William Glass, James Sweet, Edward and Rhonda Hampton, and Wally Wallace were third in Bracket 2 of the Knockout teams. Gerard Laquerriere won the open pairs. Bill Glass took third in the side game. Wally Wallace and Rhonda Hampton were fourth in Flight B of the side game. Congratulations!
 Get well wishes go to Maggie Mahaffey. We hope to see her back at her afternoon games in a few weeks.
 Our condolences go to Sandy Richardson whose husband John recently passed away.

 
 

 
OAKHURST WINNERS
Judy Bingham and Judy Van Winkle
Ken Doig and Claire Molnar (2)
Ken Doig and T. Srinivasan (2)
Paul Mertens and Karen McCartin
Wally Wallace and Dana Brown (2)
Claire Molnar and Karen McCartin
Karen McCartin and Marth Robrahn
Diane McDonough and Jim Luther
 
 
SPECIAL
Lowell Gist - Gerard Laquerrie
Don Austin - Marion Austin
Gerard Laquerriere - Lowell Gist
Mark Stern - Dave Haberstich
Belva Quattrin - Dick Powell
Wilson Wallace - Rev. Jim H. Luther
Skip Miller - Byron Steinert
Robert Durbrow - Belva Quattrin
Lowell Gist - Gerard Laquerriere
Peter Weber - Susan Vildosola [B]
Laura Da Costa - Judy Shuster [B]
Virginia Johnson - Gloria Fitzgerald [B]
Judy Zimmerer - Irene Whelchel [B]
Don Austin - Marion Austin [B]
Anthony Toto - Byron Steinert [B]
Sheila Smith - Gerry Jones [C]
 
 
 
750 SPECIAL
Yvonne Jeffrey - Estee Strombotne
Kathryn Miller - Barbara Wiedel
John Oakshott - Peggy Oakshott
Judy Shuster - M. Steve Johnson
Mary Ann Clark - Gay Berry [B]
Kathryn Miller - Mary Claire Ewing [C]
Bill Rogers - Chris Rogers [C]
Joan De Yager - Marsha Infausto [C]
Lois High - Ann Sadler [C]
 
99 SPECIAL
Cheryl Ryder - Ann Keag
June Oeser - Alan Sakamoto
Jung Kim - Joan Clark [C]
 
99
Joan Clark - Ruth Ann Townsend
Steve Johnson - Margot Cegielski
Julia Kendall - Tom Callahan
Sandy Petrie - Sandra White
Steve Johnson - June Oeser
Alvin Fred Schellack - Walt Kelso
Clint Hudson - Barbara Gaudin
Julia Kendall - Tom Callahan