Monday, March 24, 2014 Volume 57, Number 4 Daily Bulletin 57th Spring North American Bridge Championships [email protected] Editors: Brent Manley and Sue Munday And the Oscar goes to … Matthew McConaughey ... Cate Blanchett … Brad Pitt … Greg Humphreys? Sure enough, Humphreys – card player, Google guy and Bridge Winners’s chief geek – nabbed an Oscar last month for movie-making technical achievement. “We were completely surprised!” says Humphreys who, in 2004, co-wrote a text with Matt Pharr and Pat Hanrahan called “Physically Based Rendering.” Richard Coren and Bobby Levin celebrate their “This is the first win in the Platinum Pairs Academy Award of any kind ever given for a book,” says Humphreys. He extraordinary book that explains and shares the Levin and Coren romp in attempts to demystify his award-winning, technical technology.” mumbo jumbo: “Our book shows how to make According to Humphreys, the Sci/Tech awards Platinum Pairs pictures with computers that are photo-realistic. start with a self-nomination process. There were Bobby Levin and Richard Coren took control This involves a lot of gory mathematics to properly 11 nominations vying for the award the ‘Physically of the Norman Kay Platinum Pairs going into capture how cameras and the human eye work, Based Rendering” squad ultimately received. the second final session, and didn’t let up. Their how light interacts with matter and scatters around “Because we didn’t think we could ever win such a blistering 68% evening session left the closest between objects or through fog, why different thing, we would never self-nominate,” he says. contenders in the dust by nearly three boards. materials look the way they do … things like that.” “What actually happened was that as the The second final session was run barometer-style Kristin Bell (Veronica Mars), one of the selection committee was interviewing the 11 – with the running results posted at the end of every presenters at the Scientific and Technical Awards candidates, each one of them mentioned our book as round – through round seven, at which point Levin, ceremony held on Feb. 15 at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the foundation for their work. This got the selection of Las Vegas NV and Coren, who lives in Delray noted that the text is the foundation for the special committee to add us to the mix without any self Beach FL, were about a board ahead of the field. effects we see in movies. nomination.” Beginning with the eighth round, only the “Now, current renderers can simulate the full While Humphreys doubted they could win, results of the boards were posted – like a traveler. physical nature of light and how it bounces around in it didn’t hurt to be nominated by the selection continued on page 12 a room,” Bell said. “Wow! This is very complicated committee. and computationally intense! Luckily, we have this continued on page 5 Barts take lead in EBL president reflects on Silver Ribbon Pairs Boosted by a 72% game in the first qualifying appeals committee move session, Les and Gloria Bart of Bradenton FL will start today’s play in the Levintritt Silver Ribbon Pairs Three years after he took over as president of The change with a carryover lead of 44.3 on a 77 top. the European Bridge League, Yves Aubry oversaw was coming, he Their carryover score of 286.77 put them ahead a major change in the way the organization runs its said, because of Arnold Malasky of Longboat Key FL and Richard tournaments. more and Wegman of Bethesda MD. In third are Texans John At the 2013 European Open Bridge more appeals Zilic and Tom Peters. Championships in Ostend, Belgium, it was committees announced in the Daily Bulletin that there would be were agreeing no more appeals committees. with directors’ Today is photo day The committees were replaced by a process rulings. Now, called “review of ruling.” Should a player disagree he said, no ACBL has retained a professional photographer with a TD’s ruling, a reviewer could be requested one “wastes to update images for our publications and website. to go over the process by which the ruling was time on bad We are looking for you – Hall of Famers, NABC reached. If the reviewer finds that the process was appeals.” winners, tournament staff, Grand Life Masters, soon- not followed correctly, the director in charge is Aubry also to-be Grand Life Masters and Platinum Life Masters, empowered to make a change in the ruling. commented on Bulletin contributors, I/N speakers, etc. Aubry acknowledged that the change was a bold the increasing From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the photographer will be move, but at this point it appears the new process has number of members of the EBL who attend ACBL’s located in the Sheraton Hotel, second floor in Pearl the support of most of the players. big tournaments. Room 3. Please try to look nice. Aubry is in Dallas to attend a meeting of the The EBL has 47 member countries. Those Questions? Email the Daily Bulletin folks at World Bridge Federation’s management committee. with larger memberships feel it necessary to play [email protected]. In a wide-ranging interview, he touched on several around the world to be tested by the best, Aubry points, including the decision to banish appeals said. ACBL’s big tournaments are an increasing committees. The system was in use at the World draw for EBL members, and many schedule their Team Championships in Bali, Indonesia. championships around the NABCs in North America. Goodwill Message “I was cautious at the beginning,” Aubry said, The Europeans have had enviable success at “because all players have rights, but the process has NABCs. Last summer, a young Polish squad won Today is Goodwill Day. Remember, it is nice to been well accepted by the players.” He said the key the Spingold Knockout Teams, and a young pair be important, but so much more important to be nice! element to the review process is “good directors and from Romania came in first in the Lebhar IMP Pairs Sandy DeMartino, Chair a good reviewer.” continued on page 9 Aileen Osofsky ACBL Goodwill Committee Page 2 Monday, March 24, 2014 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS MEETINGS / SEMINARS / RECEPTIONS Monday, March 24 Tuesday, March 25 GOODWILL DAY 9 am-Noon Club Director Refresher Course. A continuing education 10 am-Noon Competition and Conventions Committee. (Sheraton Hotel, course for club directors to increase their skills. Participants Central Tower, Remington, 4th floor) must attend both sessions. Fee: $15 covers both days. Sign 10 am-Noon Zero Tolerance workshop. The lively two–hour workshop, up at the door. (Sheraton Hotel, Central Tower, 4th floor, developed for club managers and directors, goes well beyond Remington) the Laws to address how to communicate with problem players. TD Dan Plato’s presentation incorporates real–life Wednesday, March 26 experience dealing with club players, the differences between 9 am-Noon Club Director Refresher Course, session 2. A continuing club and tournament situations and suggestions for how to education course for club directors to increase their skills. be proactive. The goal is to make the club experience more Participants must attend both sessions. Fee: $15 covers both inviting for new members and more pleasurable for everyone days. (Sheraton Hotel, 4th floor, Remington) by encouraging and empowering directors and managers to deal with unacceptable behavior. (Sheraton Hotel, 2nd floor, Friday, March 28 Pearl 3) 11 pm-Midnight Women’s International Team Trials meeting. (Sheraton 5-7 pm Goodwill Reception. Aileen Osofsky ACBL Goodwill Hotel, 4th floor, Remington) Committee members only. (Sheraton Hotel, 2nd floor, Austin 2&3) CELEBRITY SPEAKER PROGRAM Don’t miss these free lectures by some of the best-known players in the game! (Conference Center, 3rd floor, San Antonio Ballroom) Wednesday, March 26 Monday, March 24 9:15 a.m. Phillip Alder Play the Right Card 9:15 a.m. Kevin Wilson Fitting Honors 6:45 p.m. Jeff Hand Play These Notrump Contracts 6:45 p.m. Ken Monzingo Aunt Lucy Thursday, March 27 Tuesday, March 25 9:15 a.m. Lisa Berkowitz Play to Trick One 9:15 a.m. Emily Harrell Mental Skills Training for Bridge 6:45 p.m. GS Jade Barrett The Power of Fits 6:45 p.m. George Jacobs Having More Fun at the Table ENTERTAINMENT and HOSPITALITY Late-night snacks served at 10:30 p.m. in the Grand Hall on the first floor Tuesday, March 26 of the Conference Center. Southern-fried chicken and slaw sandwich Monday, March 25 Wednesday, March 27 Cupcakes Cheese cake lollipop 10K Knockout Teams Parking Use of the Bidding Box – Play starts today in the inaugural 0-10,000 Discounted parking is available for all bridge Knockout Teams. players: $15 a day if you self park, $20 a day valet. Alerts and Announcements The event is open only to players with fewer than If you are staying at the Sheraton, the cost will be When using bidding boxes, the ACBL requires 10,000 masterpoints. It pays 10 percent platinum applied to your room charges. If you are not staying that players tap the Alert strip and say “Alert” at the to those placing in the overalls, and while it has a at the hotel, you must pick up a parking validation. same time. national rating, it does not serve as a Grand Life You can get your parking validation at the When making an Announcement, use the Master qualification. Information Desk on the third floor of the Conference Announcement word (such as “transfer”) and tap the The 0-10,000 Swiss Teams, which debuted last Center.