November 19-29, 1998 72nd Fall North American Bridge Championships Orlando, Florida DailyVolume 72, Number 8 Friday, November 27, Bulletin1998 Editors: Brent Manley and Henry Francis ZiaZia, Mahmood Weinstein and Howard Weinstein, playing win to- “fiveBlue or 10 years Ribbon ago” but not since. Pairs They hooked up gether for the first time in years, put together two solid when Weinstein’s regular partner, Steve Garner, wasn’t final sessions to win the Blue Ribbon Pairs by more available. than two boards. Weinstein and Garner have been hot lately, win- The runners-up were Eric Rodwell and Marty ning the Reisinger Board-a-Match Teams last fall in Seligman, followed by the 1996 Blue Ribbon champs, St. Louis, placing fourth in the Cavendish this spring Bob Blanchard and Jim Krekorian. and winning a calcutta in a strong field in London this “My secret,” Zia joked after the game, “is to play summer. with Jewish guys who have German-sounding names.” At the world championships in Lille, France, Zia’s regular partner, with whom he has had consider- Weinstein, Garner, Sidney Lazard and Bart Bramley able success, is Michael Rosenberg. The globe-trot- lost by 3 IMPs in the Vivendi Rosenblum Teams to the ting Pakistani is a two-time ACBL Player of the Year. Italian team which went on to win the event. Weinstein, who became a Grand Life Master at Weinstein is an options trader on the Chicago this tournament, said he and Zia played a few times Board of Options Exchange. The Blue Ribbon was his Zia and Howard Weinstein won the Blue Ribbon Pairs. sixth North American championship. Player of the Year chase downPaul Soloway to held six onto contendershis lead in the 1998 Player of the Year race despite being nearly shut out in the Blue Ribbon Pairs, and he remains the betting favorite among the six contenders left in the contest as play begins today in the Reisinger Board-a-Match Teams. Soloway is a new member of the Nick Nickell team, which has won four of the last five Spingold Knockout Teams in addition to posting three straight wins in the Reisinger from 1993 to 1995. Meanwhile, the field of contenders has been nar- rowed to Soloway, David Berkowitz, Lew Stansby, Richard Schwartz, Geir Helgemo and Geoff Hampson. The winner is the ACBL member who wins the most masterpoints in nationally rated events in a cal- endar year. No player can win more than 200 masterpoints -- Continued on page 7 WinnersCash of the prizes Thanksgiving coming Jackpot Pairs will be announced today after eligibility and cash awards for winners are determined. Each winning pair of the three strats will receive no less than $992, second no less than $744. Victors in the Senior Knockouts were back, left to right, Arnie Fisher, Zeke Jabbour, Fred Hamilton and Chuck Said; front, Mike Levine, left, and Tom Sanders. Levine team wins Rose and HowardNewcomers Fink of Miami took having a ball here up bridge in 1994, but they didn’t go to a tournament until four months ago. They TheSenior team captained Knockout by Mike Levine took a solid played only one day at the Fort Lauder- lead in the third quarter of the NABC Senior Knock- dale regional in July, but they went home out Team final, then coasted to victory over James with a trophy, some masterpoints -- and a Koley and company, 164-87. Playing with Levine were serious case of bridge fever. Zeke Jabbour, Fred Hamilton, Arnie Fisher, Tom Sand- The Finks are among the 800 or so ers and Chuck Said. On Koley’s team were Gene players who have populated the Interme- Simpson, Gene Freed, Syd Levey and Simon Kantor. diate/Newcomer games at the Fall NABC. “The aging of the ACBL has made this a really Lynn Berg, I/N chairman, said that except tough event,” said Jabbour, who now has won this event for Thanksgiving, the I/N games have four times in its five-year history. He has played a to- averaged 100 tables a day since the NABC tal of 26 matches and has won 25 times. He lost in last began. year’s final, but won the previous three years. Fisher The Finks have been among the I/N put the same thought a different way: “The good play- program’s best -- and happiest -- custom- ers are getting older. It’s getting tougher and tougher.” ers. Said, who has won three times, was the only de- They won three trophies on Tuesday fending champion. Sanders is another three-time win- alone, and they had four for the tourna- ner. Fisher was a member of last year’s runner-up team ment through Thursday afternoon. Continued on page 8 Continued on page 7 Rose and Howard Fink display trophies they have won in the Intermediate/ Newcomer games at the Fall NABC. Page 2 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS A convention Friday, Nov. 27 9:15 a.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: Candace Fowler, Suit Transfers and Super Back in the Sixties Bill Passell invented a conven- Acceptance. Orlando Room. Fowler, Jacksonville FL, is a certified director, accredited backfires tion. After an opening bid of a minor by either partner teacher and Diamond Life Master. Her team won the top bracket of all three knockout or right-hand opponent, a leap to 4 showed a long, events at the recent Bluegrass Regional in Lexington KY. ¨ strong heart suit and a leap to 4 showed spades. Over 10:30 a.m. ITT meeting, Peabody Boardroom. © the years Bill and his wife Marlene have found that 7:15 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: Jade Barrett, It’s All in Your Head. this convention works very well. The idea is to have Orlando Room. Barrett, Vancouver WA, is a full-time bridge professional, columnist the preemptor’s hand go down as dummy and keep and frequent speaker. A Diamond Life Master in the ACBL and the ABA, he has won partner’s hand hidden -- almost always a good idea. more than 60 regional titles and several ABA national championships. A longtime Not many players in the United States have adopted it, supporter of Junior bridge, Barrett was coach of U.S. Junior Team II at the World but it is quite popular in Canada and Mexico. It is quite Junior Bridge Championships in Hamilton ON in 1997. He was non-playing captain of similar to Namyats. the U.S. Junior team at the HERO International Youth Bridge Festival in Well, it came up in the second semifinal of the s’Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, in January. Barrett will be working with Bobby Wolff Blue Ribbon Pairs. to train the Junior Team selected to participate in the 1999 World Junior Team Dlr: West 9 7 Championships. « Vul: Both A J 5 11:30 p.m. Pizza, Coconuts, on the Recreational level. ª © A K J 10 9 5 ¨2 Saturday, Nov. 28 — J 6 2 9:15 a.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: Harry Falk, Eight over Eight. Orlando « « ª Q 10 8 6 3 ª K 9 4 Room. Falk, Jupiter FL, is manager of the Bridge Center of Martin County and a 7 6 4 3 Q 2 certified director. He is an accredited teacher and a Two-Star Teacher (a recognition © © ¨ A 10 7 5 ¨ K Q 9 6 4 earned by teaching 100 students in each of two of the Club, Diamond, Heart or Spade A K Q 10 8 5 4 3 Series courses). « ª 7 2 7:15 p.m. Intermediate/Newcomer Speakers Program: Max Hardy, Overcalls. Orlando Room. 8 Hardy, Las Vegas, is an Associate National Tournament Director, a bridge teacher and © ¨ J 3 a professional player. His total of more than 10,000 masterpoints is tops among West North East South tournament directors and ACBL employees. Hardy, founding editor of Southern Bill Marlene California Bridge News, is the author of eight books including Five Card Majors -- Pass 1 Pass 4 Western Style. © © Pass 4« All Pass 11:30 p.m. Mini-desserts, Coconuts, on the Recreational level. This time it didn’t work. It put East on lead, and of course he had no problem finding the club lead. So the Sunday, Nov. 29 defense took the first two tricks and the Passells scored 2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Fifty-cent hot dogs up 650. At every other table South was the declarer and Noon & 7 p.m. Vugraph, Plaza International Ballroom. no West found a club lead. With the ©Q dropping doubleton, the South declarers took all 13 tricks for 710. Dlr: South Q 10 9 3 By Ray Lee Masters of the Moysian« You hold: What does it take to win a North American cham- Vul: None ªK Q 8 3 What do you lead? pionship? Certainly skill and judgment, but a little luck « 10 4 3 ©A 5 4 2 at the right time doesn’t hurt either. Grant Baze and ª J 5 4 ¨9 George Mittelman took advantage of all three on their © J 6 2 «J 8 7 4 «5 2 way to winning the Open Board-A-Match Teams on ¨ Q 8 3 2 ªJ 7 5 2 ªA 10 6 4 and you see this auction: Monday. In the final session, they steered their way to ©6 ©9 7 3 West North East South the right side of two nice 4-3 trump fits, each of them ¨A Q J 5 ¨7 6 4 2 worth a winning board. 1¨ «A K 6 Dlr: South K Q 10 Pass 1ª Pass 1NT « ª9 Vul: E-W K J 10 9 4 Pass 2© (1) Pass 2ª ª ©K Q J 10 8 Pass 2NT Pass 3NT ©Q 7 ¨K 10 8 3 Pass Pass Dbl Pass ¨Q 9 5 West North East South Pass Redbl All Pass «5 4 3 «9 6 2 Baze Mittelman Clearly a lot of points are riding on your opening ªQ 5 ª8 6 3 2 1© lead.