Volume 13, Issue 9 June 7, 2019 USBF President Marty Fleisher USBF Vice President 1 Kasle 216 21 35 41 34 38 47 Brad Moss USBF COO & Secretary 2 Lall 158 20 10 17 33 44 34 Jan Martel USBF CFO Stan Subeck 3 Wolfson 166411319412131 Directors ‐ SUSBC 8 Simson 1312817733145 McKenzie Myers Rui Marques 4 Lewis 153291511 17 56 25 Operations Manager Joan Paradeis 7 Hamman 144 41 6 11 29 948 Appeals Administrators Suzi Subeck, Chairman 5 Brod 224472456302641 Bill Arlinghaus 6 Mahaffey 219334837313634 Martha Katz Appeals Panel: Bart Bramley Gary Cohler Mark Feldman Ron Gerard Geoff Hampson Mike Kamil 2 Lall 129 41 88 Ralph Katz 5 Brod 22 12 10 Chip Martel Jeff Meckstroth Beth Palmer 3 Wolfson 97 42 55 Eric Rodwell 4 Lewis 64 23 41 Debbie Rosenberg Michael Rosenberg Kerri Sanborn Aaron Silverstein Ronnie Smith Danny Sprung Adam Wildavsky VuGraph Organizer Jan Martel Bulletin Editor Suzi Subeck Photographer Peg Kaplan Hospitality Chairs Martha Katz UNITED STATES BRIDGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Oldies but Goodies—SUSBC Oldies but 2019 Senior USBC TEAMS Teams are listed in alphabetic order & will be numbered in alphabetic order for the Round Robin JoAnna Stansby Brod Geoffrey Brod, Capt Jon Greenspan There was once this second‐rate orchestra led by a Karen McCallum Victor King second‐rate director. Cappelli Robert Cappelli, Capt Robert Bitterman In the orchestra was this guy on the cymbals who David Caprera Anne Brenner never banged them at the right time. So the con‐ Kenneth Kranyak Phil Becker ductor said, "If you don't get it right this time I'll kill Denison Daniel Denison, Capt Richard Unger you." Albert Shrive Michael Ranis When the time came for the percussionist to get it Hamman Robert Hamman, Capt Peter Weichsel right, he didn't. And so the director pulled out a Howard Weinstein Mark Feldman gun and shot him dead. Neil Chambers John Schermer Jacobs George Jacobs, Capt Claude Vogel Of course, the police came and arrested him and Jeffry Mandell Jon Sorkin eventually the conductor ended up on death row. David Lehman Richard Melson The day came when he was sent to the electric Kasle Gaylor Kasle, Capt Dan Morse chair. As the crowd watched, the executionist Peter Boyd Steve Robinson flipped the switch ... but nothing happened. Every‐ Bart Bramley Kit Woolsey one wondered what when wrong. Lall Hemant Lall Reese Milner But the director knew. Saddened by all that had Zia Mahmood Curtis Cheek taken place, he said, "I never was a very good ... Dennis Clerkin Jerry Clerkin conductor!" Petra Hamman, NPC Lewis Paul Lewis, Capt Ron Smith Mike Passell Marc Jacobus This guy goes into a restaurant for a Christmas Mark Itabashi Eddie Wold breakfast while in his home town for the holidays. Mahaffey Jim Mahaffey, Capt Sam Lev After looking over the menu he says, "I'll just have Drew Casen Jim Krekorian Alan Graves the eggs benedict." Matthew Granovetter Lew Stansby Reynolds W. Thomas Reynolds, Capt Lance Kerr His order comes a while later and it's served on a David Pelka William Hall big shiny hubcap. He asks the waiter, "What's with Ellen Kent Robert Kent the hubcap?" Simson Doug Simson, Capt Jeff Aker The waiter sings, "There's no plate like chrome for Allan Falk John Lusky the hollandaise." Steve Beatty Fred Stewart Wolfson Jeffrey Wolfson, Capt Michael Rosenberg Mark Lair Steve Garner The friars were behind on their belfry payments, so David Berkowitz Alan Sontag they opened up a small florist shop to raise funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town thought this was Baseball is 90 percent In theory there is no unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, mental and the other difference between half is physical. but they would not. theory and practice. In Yogi Berra practice there is. He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him. So the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the In Memorium… roughest and most vicious thug in town to It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Eunice "persuade" them to close. Hugh beat up the friars Rosen. Eunice was a great character in the Chicago bridge com‐ and trashed their store, saying he'd be back if they munity. We have missed her participation for years since she didn't close up shop. became ill. Our condolences to daughter, Marta, her brothers, Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that: Hugh, and all of their wonderful families. They meant the world to and only Hugh, can prevent florist friars. their parents. 2 Board 9 of Segment 5 is clearly a highlight. Watching Brod/Mahaffey, Kasle/Lall, and Hamman/Lewis, three tables played in a normal 3NT. One played in 6NT and two played in the Moysian 6H. It was not surprising that after many, many, years of great friendship, respect, sharing bridge thoughts and strategies, that the two partnerships who found themselves in 6H involved Woolsey and McCallum. They share many of the same theories about the game and spend lots of time dis‐ cussing hands and possibilities. On Board 9, they were the big winners! Their auctions var‐ ied and they are both playing complex strong club systems that are similar with relays and gadgets. McCallum/King get the gold for playing the hand from East where it was actually cold. Woolsey could have been defeated on a spade lead through the AQ, but Cheek led the D5 and Woolsey was able to negotiate 12 tricks by ruffing a diamond in dummy and playing on clubs. In the other room of Kasle/Lall, Milner and Lall bid to 6NT. Morse led the CJ. Lall won, played a heart to the ten and a diamond to the queen and ace. When the spade hook lost, Lall was doomed. 6NT was down one. 17 IMPs to Kasle. King got a heart lead from South. He won the ten in dummy and led a club to his hand. He tried the D4. Mahaffey rose and continued hearts. King no longer needed a diamond ruff to collect 12 tricks. He won, pulled trumps, and like Woolsey, relied on the club suit to lie favorably. When Drewski made 5NT in the other room, Brod took 13 IMPs. In Lewis/Hamman, it was “just another boring push!” No visions of gran‐ deur… both tables stopping in the easy 3NT! Team Lall– halfway through so Zia, thematically, is 3 halfway in the photo! Clearly this set is the most exciting set of the tournament so far… Slam swings both small and grand abound in matches that are very close with only one segment left to play after this one. Again, in Lewis/Hamman, a small swing when one table played in 7H making and the other in 7D making. In the other two matches, things were far more exciting. In the Kasle/Lall USA1 Final, Lall was allowed to play in 7CX going light one trick while Zia and Cheek declared 7H mak‐ ing. This resulted in 16 IMPs to Lall, however, it could have been more… Cheek an Zia could have played in 7DX from North successfully. In Brod/Mahaffey, it was an 11 IMP swing for Mahaffey when Brod declared six hearts from North, making only six when Drewski found the opening lead of a diamond. The important thing on this hand was to play it from the proper side. If the grand in hearts was reached, it needed to be played by South. If the grand in diamonds was reached, it needed to be played by North. Fresh from Jeopardy… James is at the bridge club in Vegas with Ellen Crawford! 4 Mark Lair (born 1947) is a profes‐ North American Bridge Champion‐ sional American bridge player ships from Canyon, Texas. Blue Ribbon Pairs 1984, 1994 Lair is ranked 5th all‐time on Jacoby Open Swiss Teams 1991, the American Contract Bridge 2000 League (ACBL) Top 500 listings with Truscott Senior Swiss Teams 2008 over 67,800 masterpoints (as of Oc‐ Vanderbilt 1979, 1997, 1998 tober 2018). He is an ACBL Grand Life Senior Knockout Teams 2009 Master and World Bridge Federation Keohane North American Swiss (WBF) World Life Master; he was in‐ Teams 1998 ducted into the ACBL Hall of Fame in Mitchell Board‐a‐Match Teams 1986, 2009. 1988, 1993 Honors Chicago Mixed Board‐a‐Match 1977, ACBL Hall of Fame, 2009 1978, 1979, 1990 Honorary lifetime appointment to Reisinger 1988, 1992 the ACBL Goodwill Committee, 1997 Spingold 1986, 1989 Fishbein Trophy 1986 Runners‐up Barry Crane Trophy 1990 North American Bridge Champion‐ Herman Trophy 1994 ships Blue Ribbon Pairs 1972 Wins Mitchell Board‐a‐Match Teams 1995 World Championships Chicago Mixed Board‐a‐Match 1984, The d'Orsi Seniors Trophy ‐ Seniors 2005 Teams, 2015, Chennai, India Reisinger 1978, 1980, 1990, 1993, The Rand Cup ‐ Seniors Teams, 2018, 1994, 2000 Orlando, FL, USA Spingold 1994 Hospitality Suite The hospitality suite for the 2019 Senior USBC will be room 2321. Our wonderful hostess, Martha Katz will be in Schaumburg to welcome you, with a lot of help from other volunteers. The hospitality suite will be open starting on Thursday evening and continuing throughout the event. Breakfast will be served each day from 8:00‐10:30 and lunch each day from about 1:00‐4:00. Players, kibitzers, friends, spouses and children are welcome to join us in the hospitality suite. The hospitality suite will be open for Vugraph, casual chit chat, drinks & snacks during the rest of the playing hours and for a short time after the end of the day.