Thursday, March 28, 2019 Volume 61, Number 7 Daily Bulletin 61st Spring North American Bridge Championships [email protected] Editors: Paul Linxwiler, Sue Munday and Chip Dombrowski Vandy top seed toppled The team led by Richard Pavlicek defeated Sanborns win Mixed Pairs the top-seeded Marty Fleisher team on Steve and Kerri Sanborn of Delray Beach Wednesday, 149–111. Playing with Pavlicek are FL won the four-session Rockwell Mixed Pairs Jim Munday, Frank Merblum and Doug Doub. by a fraction of a board over runners-up Pamela Fleisher played with Joe Grue, Chip Martel, Brad and Matthew Granovetter of Cincinnati. The Moss, Geoff Hampson and Eric Greco. Today, Sanborns, who qualified 10th in Tuesday’s Pavlicek, originally seeded 33, takes on 16 seed qualifying round, scored 64.36% in the first final Jeffrey Wolfson. session and 57.11% in the second to finish with In other upset news: Jimmy Cayne’s No. 6 3501.45 matchpoints. The Granovetters were squad fell to Jim Mahaffey’s No. 27 team 119–87, second with 3485.84 on a 103 top. while Vinita Gupta, No. 7, was sidelined by the This is the second NABC title for the No. 26 seed, Dano De Falco, 153–108. Pierre Sanborns as a pair. They won the NABC+ Mixed continued on page 7 Swiss Teams in 2015. It is the second NABC title Conventional tunes continued on page 5 By Bob Levey Winners of the Rockwell Mixed Pairs, Steve Rock and roll came of age when I did. It’s and Kerri Sanborn. still my preferred sing-along playlist in the shower, the car, the subway, wherever a back beat and a four-part ooh-wah are needed to boost my Glasthal wins 10K KO mood and my blood pressure. The team of Lou Glasthal, But another cultural phenomenon surged in Mike Massimilla, Robert Lass and popularity at the same time as Bill Haley and the Tom Fogarty won the 0–10,000 Comets and a young man named Elvis. Knockout Teams on Wednesday, Contract bridge. defeating Charles Nemes and Say what you will about the 1950s. I say this: company 125–79. Nemes played The world of bridge had as many stars light with Mike Gibson, Dave Bogolub up its early sky as the world of rock. and Rick Schoenfield. No, those bridge champs of yesteryear didn’t “It was more of a grind-it-out swivel their hips on The Ed Sullivan Show. But kind of match up until the second they left enduring marks just the same. half,” Lass said. “They came out a People like Edgar Kaplan. Alfred Sheinwold. little too aggressive in the second B. Jay Becker. Sam Stayman. Dozens more. half. It put them down too far to The other day (yes, in the shower), I had a come back.” thought as I soaped my neck. Glasthal led by 4 at the half, What if bridge and rock were actually continued on page 9 separated at birth? Winners of the 0–10,000 Knockout Teams: Mike Massimilla, What if they found a way to co-exist, all these Lou Glasthal, Robert Lass and Tom Fogarty. years later? What if some of the most famous rock songs of yesteryear could be re-lyricized in honor of the Bridge blogging British-style best card game ever invented? As a public service, I offer the following Ned Paul made never fails to produce new players who continue (somewhat lame) rewrites of some 1950s classics. the trip from London, to play in club games. England, to check off He stresses social interaction as the game’s continued on page 13 an item long on his strength. “I’d rather know your name than your bucket list: attending system.” He carries that philosophy through in all Goodwill Message an NABC. To chronicle the games he directs. “You can play any system Respect the directors -- they are his adventure, you want as long as the opponents know your here for you. Accept their decisions Paul is blogging at name.” with politeness and grace. nedplaysbridge.co.uk. Finding a local game is key to his club Sandy DeMartino, Chair “There’s nothing like players, Paul says. “Nobody cares about Aileen Osofsky Goodwill Committee these North American Bridge Championships in masterpoints – it’s not even a topic of Europe,” he says. conversation. In fact, if somebody reads you’ve Paul, who started playing the game when moved up in rank, they pull your leg a bit.” ATTENDANCE he was 15, runs eight sessions of club bridge a What impresses Paul the most about through Wednesday week in the southwest suburbs of London. “I love the NABC is the “gobsmackingly amazing teaching newcomers,” he says. He highlights his aggregation of brilliant players.” Furthermore, 6394 tables “Learn Bridge in a Weekend” seminar, which continued on page 5 Page 2 Thursday, March 28, 2019 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS MEETINGS / SEMINARS / RECEPTIONS All meetings are at the Sheraton Hotel unless otherwise noted. Thursday, March 28 Friday, March 29 9:30 am–Noon Unit and District governance disciplinary focus group. 6:30 pm Intermediate/Newcomer dinner. Southwest Hall Natchez Room TBA Peter Pender Memorial Vugraph. (Room TBA) CELEBRITY SPEAKER PROGRAM Don’t miss these free lectures by some of the best-known players in the Friday, March 29 game! Southwest Exhibit Hall on the second floor of the Convention 9:15 a.m. Donna Compton Passive vs. Attacking Defense Center. Speakers and topics are subject to change. 6:45 p.m. Adam Parrish When to Draw Trump Thursday, March 28 Saturday, March 30 9:15 a.m. Kevin Wilson Fitting Honors 9:15 a.m. Emily Harrell Mental Skills Training 6:45 p.m. Jeff Hand Trump Contracts HOSPITALITY Friday March 22 through Saturday March 30 Thursday, March 28 Exhibit Hall foyer 1:30 pm Barbeque sandwiches. East Hall 8:30 am–10 am; 11:30 am–1 pm; 6–7 pm Free coffee 10:30 pm Warm pretzels with cheese sauce. Exhibit Hall foyer be scent-sitive! Check cashing and Some people have an extreme sensitivity to fragrances (colognes or perfumes). Many ACBL Bridge Bucks The check cashing and Bridge Bucks desk is clubs, units and districts have adopted policies located on the second floor that prohibit players from wearing fragrances. The of the Convention Center ACBL has not across from Ballroom C. issued an official The desk hours are policy on the 9:30 to 10 a.m, and noon matter, preferring to 1 p.m. instead to appeal to the goodwill of its members to refrain from using Appealing a ruling Players in NABC+ events who want to appeal fragrances. a director’s ruling initiate the process by speaking Because with the director who delivered the original duplicate bridge requires players to be in ruling. The table director will fill out paperwork close proximity to each other, individuals who regarding the appeal, and the appellants will suffer from fragrance-related reactions cannot explain what they believe to be wrong with the avoid those who are wearing them. Among initial ruling. From there, the case may be handled the commonly reported symptoms are intense by a variety of means. When the appeals reviewer headaches (indeed, fragrances can frequently be a receives the case, the circumstances of that trigger for migraine sufferers) or breathing-related particular case will determine whether the case problems. For these individuals, the issue is much can be resolved by the original staff (in the case of more serious than simply disliking a particular misapplication of Law or regulation, for instance), smell — it’s a real health problem. a panel of directors, or even a committee-type Please, if you’re going to play in a club or hearing which could include bridge experts. a tournament, don’t wear cologne, perfume or scented lotions. ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ Daily Bulletin Thursday, March 28, 2019 Page 3 JUST FOR NEW PLAYERS West leads the ♦A K Take All Your Chances and a third diamond. East By Eddie Kantar ruffs the third diamond North and exits with a low heart. ♠ K J 10 Spades are 2-2. What ♥ 10 4 2 is your plan? (Notice ♦ J 5 3 that the ♦J and ♦Q are ♣ A Q J 5 worthless). ♠ 5 2 ♠ 7 6 Well, 12 HCP are ♥ Q 8 7 ♥ 9 6 3 missing and West, the ♦ A K 10 6 4 ♦ 9 7 opening bidder, is a heavy favorite to have all ♣ K 10 9 ♣ 8 7 6 4 3 2 12. Win the ♥A, cross to a spade, play the ace of South (You) clubs, discarding a heart, and ruff a club. Return ♠ A Q 9 8 4 3 to dummy with a spade and ruff another club. If ♥ A K J 5 the king appears, use the ♣Q to discard a second ♦ Q 8 2 heart. If the king doesn’t appear, try to drop the Mary Gilmore and Donna Terry drove from ♣ — ♥Q in the West hand. Why finesse into a player Meridian MS on Wednesday to play in who is known to have the queen? their first NABC. They were college friends With both sides vulnerable, West opens Tip No. 1: When the bidding tells you that a at Ole Miss who reconnected when they 1♦, North and East pass, you double, partner particular defender must have a particular card, started playing bridge about two years ago. responds 3♣, too strong to make a forced 2♣ play that defender for that card even if it means “We just kinda rekindled our friendship and response. You bid 3♠, forcing, and partner raises going against the odds in the play of that suit.