Love of the Game Motivates ABTA Teacher of the Year Juniors Offer
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Sunday, March 18, 2012 Volume 55, Number 3 Daily Bulletin 55th Spring North American Bridge Championships Editors: Brent Manley, Paul Linxwiler and Sue Munday Juniors offer thoughts on Ao, Wang grab recruiting peers to bridge IMP Pairs crown Board of Directors and appointed by ACBL President Sharon Anderson. The setting was the Junior Reception, but Saturday’s get-together was nothing like previous meetings, where food has usually been the focus. Robert Hartman, ACBL’s chief executive, kicked things off by welcoming the Junior players and encouraging frank exchanges. The star of the show was Joel Wooldridge. At age 32 he is no longer a Junior, but his bridge profile is one that the ACBL would like to see more of. Wooldridge, now a professional player, started Joel Wooldridge speaks to the gathering at Saturday’s Junior playing at age 9 because his Reception. parents are fans of the game. Almost immediately, he was The graying of the ACBL has been going on for hooked and demonstrated an understanding of the some time now and is widely recognized as a threat game far beyond his years. Hailong Ao and Jian-Jian Wang to the survival of the organization, even to the game At the Toronto Regional, 10-year-old Joel and Hailong Ao and Jian-Jian Wang easily his mother, Jill, won the Mixed Pairs in a huge field itself. outdistanced the field in the final of the Lebhar IMP filled with expert players. He eventually gravitated to The question – discussed and debated for years – Pairs, winning the two-day contest by a margin of is what to do about it. the Junior programs and has seen the world playing for Junior international titles. “I got to see what more than 63 IMPs. It was the first NABC title for On Saturday afternoon at the Marriott, several the Washington DC area residents. Junior players offered constructive, creative bridge is like in other countries,” he said. “Around Ao and Wang finished with a score of 140.55 suggestions to members of the Junior Task Force, the world, they’re pretty good.” IMPs, well ahead of Irina Ladyzhensky and a committee made up of members of the ACBL continued on page 5 Alexander Ladyzhensky of Ellenton FL. Their four- session total was 77.47. Love of the game motivates Ao, a software engineer, and Wang, an atmospheric scientist for NASA, have previously ABTA Teacher of the Year had two solid finishes in top-level contests, making Back in the days when she first learned bridge, Her eyes were opened a few years later, she says, it to the semifinal round of the 2010 Vanderbilt Mary Jane Orock had a feeling there was more to the at Scott Air Force Base in St., Louis, when a woman Knockout Teams and the 2007 Spingold Knockout game than was immediately apparent. in her bridge group told her about duplicate. After Teams. She learned the game while stationed in Misawa, her first duplicate game, “I never went back to party In third with 76.90 were brothers John Potter Japan, one of the stops during her 22-year career as bridge.” of Panama City FL and Richard Potter of Black a nurse in the U.S. Air Orock’s last Air Force assignment was in Fort Mountain NC. Force. Learning bridge Worth TX, where she decided to stay when she left was a necessity, she the service in 1986. recalls, “because we had Her enthusiasm for the game helped her gain 100 inches of snow each competence and confidence, and soon other players Delmonte, Bessis year and we needed an were asking her advice as they sought to improve. indoor activity.” Around 1995, she started bridge groups. She bought a set pace in Orock took lessons subscription to the Mike Lawrence Newsletter, “and and began to play party we would get together and discuss it.” Orock always Platinum Pairs bridge. “I thought I was led the group. After yesterday’s action in the semifinal round the best player there,” she of the Kay Platinum Pairs, Ishmael Delmonte of continued on page 5 Mary Jane Orock says, “but I kept losing.” Australia and Thomas Bessis of France lead the field of qualifiers for today’s two-session final. LEFT: Celebrating Delmonte and Bessis’s four-session total was St. Patrick’s Day in 1074.00, about a board ahead of the second-place Saturday’s 299er Pairs were Pat Dalgleish pair, Israel’s Ron Pachtmann and Eldad Ginossar, (the one in the giant, who scored 1053.25. green, shamrock- Close behind in third place are Alexander bedecked hat) and Kolesnik of Ventura CA and Jim Munday of the Mac Dalgleish who Memphis area with 1053.07. are visiting from Salt Lake City UT. Twenty-eight pairs remain in the event. RIGHT: ACBL employee Vanderbilt Pre-registration (Tournament If you are planning to play in the Vanderbilt Department) Debbie Knockout Teams, you must sign up by 8 p.m. Vicknair with a shamrock-adorned today. To pre-register, see TD Steve Bates outside tee shirt. Ballroom A on the 2nd Floor. Page 2 Sunday, March 18, 2012 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS MEETINGS / SEMINARS / RECEPTIONS Sunday, March 18 Monday, March 19 8:30 am-Noon Teacher Accreditation Program (TAP), day two of three. 8:30 am-Noon Teacher Accreditation Program (TAP), day three of three. (Marriott, Heritage Rooms 3 and 4) (Marriott, Heritage Rooms 3 and 4) 10 am-Noon Board of Governors/ACBL General Membership 10 am-Noon Free Bridge Lesson with Barbara Seagram. Seagram is Meeting. All members of the ACBL Board of Governors a bridge teacher extraordinaire, whose friendly smile and are invited to attend the Spring NABC meeting. This teaching style will win you over. Seagram’s lesson, for newer meeting is also open to the general membership of the and intermediate players, is “Become a Feared Opponent.” ACBL. Discussion will include recent actions of the Board (Convention Center, Sultana Room) of Directors, reports from the CEO and treasurer, and new 10 am-Noon Competition and Conventions Committee meeting. proposals from the Board of Governors. (Convention Center, (Marriott, Boardroom) Ballroom) 11 am-Noon Get Online with BridgeBase.com. Don’t miss this 10 am-Noon Free Bridge Lesson with Jerry Helms. Helms, well-known opportunity to meet with Fred Gitelman, creator of the teacher and Bridge Bulletin columnist, presents a fun bridge ACBL’s Learn to Play Bridge program. Get a guided tour lesson for intermediate and newer players. His topic is, “How of the Bridge Base web site and its outstanding teaching to Make Your Partner’s Bad Bids Look Good.” (Convention features. (Marriott, Memphis Room) Center, Sultana Room) 11 am-Noon Open Team Trials meeting. (Marriott, Beale Room) 10:30-Noon Senior Team Trials meeting. (Marriott, Beale Room) 12:30-2:30pm Happy Bridge. Special game for new players. 14 boards, no 12:30-2:30pm Bridge Plus+. Special game for new players. 14 boards, no card fee. (Convention Center, Sultana room) card fee. (Convention Center, Sultana room) 5-7 pm Goodwill Reception. Aileen Osofsky Goodwill Committee members only. (Marriott, Heritage Rooms 1, 2 and 3) CELEBRITY SPEAKER PROGRAM All speaker events will be held on Cotton Row, Mezzanine Level of the Convention Center. Tuesday, March 20 9:15 a.m. Phillip Alder Listen to Place Opponents’ Sunday, March 18 Honors 9:15 a.m. G S Jade Barrett Losing & Winning Trick Count 6:45 p.m. Barbara Seagram Common Errors to Avoid 6:45 p.m. Frank Stewart Developing Thought Processes Monday, March 19 9:15 a.m. Ken Monzingo Hand Patterns 6:45 p.m. Karen Walker The “Invisible Gorilla” at the Table HOSPITALITY Afternoon food is served at 1:30 p.m. on the Convention Center Mezzanine. Late-night snacks are served at 10:30 p.m. in the Marriott Ballroom. Tuesday, March 20 1:30 p.m. Ham and cheese sandwich with chips Sunday, March 18 10:30 p.m. Ham and cheese sandwich with chips 1:30 p.m. Hot dogs and chips Wednesday, March 21 Enjoy jazz between sessions 1:30 p.m. Pulled pork BBQ with chips Jim Duckworth, a guitarist who has entertained throughout the United States 10:30 p.m. Pulled pork BBQ with chips and Europe, will be featured this evening between 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on the Convention Center mezzanine. He will be joined by saxophonist John Thursday, March 22 Lux. 1:30 p.m. Turkey sandwich with chips 10:30 p.m. Ice cream bars 10:30 p.m. Turkey sandwich with chips Monday, March 19 1:30 p.m. Chicken salad sandwich with chips 10:30 p.m. Nachos and cheese with jalapenos Bid Box Alerts and Book signings today Monitoring Eric Rodwell will sign copies of The Rodwell At this and future North American Announcements Files, the best-selling book he wrote with Mark Championships, ACBL will be monitoring NABC+ When using bid boxes, the ACBL requires that Horton, at 12:30 p.m. today at the book stall at the events with visible, real-time cameras. The images will be recorded and will be available for later players tap the Alert strip and say “Alert” at the Convention Center. same time. official inspection and review. When making an Announcement, use the At 5:30 p.m. today, Frank Stewart will By general monitoring of the session and Announcement word (such as “transfer”) and tap sign copies of his books. His latest is Who Has participants’ behavior, ACBL has another source the Alert strip at the same time.