A Player of Pedigree

Sunday, December 8, 2013 Volume 86, Number 10 Daily Bulletin 86th Fall North American Bridge Championships [email protected] Editors: Brent Manley and Sue Munday Thanks for coming! Zimmermann ahead By Marsha and Darryl Helton in Reisinger BAM The team captained by Pierre Zimmermann – better known as Team Monaco – takes a slim lead into the two final sessions of the Reisinger Board- a-Match Teams today. Zimmermann is playing with Franck Multon, Geir Helgemo, Tor Helness, Fulvio Fantoni and Claudio Nunes. Zimmermman’s carryover of 23.67 is just ahead of the next two teams – led by Martin Fleisher and Paul Fireman – with 21.92 each. Holding down the fourth spot is the young team from Sweden captained by Mikael Groenkvist, playing in their first Reisinger, arguably the toughest event on the ACBL calendar. Lynch maintains NA Swiss lead The team captained by Carolyn Lynch, leading after the first day of qualifying in the Keohane North American Swiss Teams, will start play today still in NABC committee chairs: (back) Dave Zapatka, Darryl Helton, Marsha Helton, Ned Kohler, Jo Levy, first place. Rob Johnson (middle) Jo Ann Zapatka, Angie Ulrey, Janet Newman, Ann Marie Harrington, Kathy Lynch, playing with Mike Passell, Garey Schenk, Suzette Wynn, Sonya Webber (front) Marianne Spanier, Nancy Goulet, Jo Anne Lowe, Sherryl Hayden, Adam Zmudzinski and Cezary Balicki, takes Buchler, Beverly Hoover a carryover score of 31.58 into the final two sessions. On behalf of the 2013 Fall NABC Planning forced the sudden resignation of the previous Less than 5 victory points behind is the team led by Committee, we would like to thank you for attending committee co-chairs. We had never managed a Paul Street, whose teammates are Barnet Shenkin, our tournament. We have received many compliments tournament that attracted more than 450 tables of Matt Granovetter, Ron Rubin, Morten Bilde and on this event, and we appreciate your kindness. players (the Laughlin Sectional), and now we were Dennis Bilde. Two VPs behind Street is the Piotr We would like to take a moment to pay tribute to being asked to co-chair an NABC? On top of this, Klimowicz squad. the organizations and people who have contributed to we live 100 miles away from the two large units our success. (354 and 351) that constitute the Phoenix bridge Familiar face makes At the top of that list is our planning committee. community and we were relatively unknown beyond Darryl and I were asked to co-chair this event our hometown of Sedona. a bridge comeback in February 2012, when illness and family matters continued on page 7 In January 2006, after more than 30 years in the bridge book business, A player of pedigree Randy Baron signed Her mother is bridge Hall of Famer, Gail Jill says that her papers to sell Baron Greenberg, a world gold and silver medalist and first lessons were Barclay Bridge Supply – a North American champion 17 times over. Her through osmosis. the world’s largest such dad, Steve Shane, is a national champion. If bridge “Mom taught out of business – to his partner, greatness could be genetically engineered, Jill Levin our house. We were Jim Maier. had a head start. But it’s intelligence, imagination and around bridge players “It was time to do hard work — not genes — that have made her one of all the time. Also, something else,” says Baron, now 64. With that, the top women bridge players in the world. we played other card Baron began a series of trips that kept him on Although the family played many games, games — I learned to the road four to five months a year in places like Greenberg adamantly did not want her children to count cards playing Tibet, India and other remote locations. “I love the learn bridge growing up. “I think that young people’s hearts.” Himalayas,” he said. priorities should be on their studies, their friends and In high school, Baron is back in the bridge world, starting a sports,” she says. “I’ve seen many brilliant people Jill wanted to go on expensive ski trips. As chance bridge travel business and visiting with old friends get off track because of bridge.” Greenberg herself, would have it, the chaperones for the trips needed at the Fall NABC in Phoenix. At the 2013 Summer beckoned by bridge, abandoned her dreams of going a fourth for bridge. Though she still had no formal NABC in Atlanta, he even played a little bridge, to medical school after graduating from Barnard teaching, she felt she had picked up enough of the continued on page 7 College. game to finagle a deal that allowed her to play bridge Perhaps it was the forbidden nature of the game and ski free. Please note the hotel that made it attractive to a young, headstrong girl. “I came home from one trip,” recalls Jill, “and assignment and starting time Greenberg remembers, “When Jill was 9 or 10 years gave a hand to my mother. ‘My partner opened 4♦,’ for these events on Sunday: old, she came home from school one day and, with I told her. ‘Should I have bid 5♦ or 6♦?’ “‘Neither,’ her hands on her hips, stomped her foot and said, she says. ‘4♦ is a weak bid.’” It was at that point my Sheraton “Aha! We’re having an afterschool bridge activity mother relented and agreed to teach me. She couldn’t 10 a.m. A/X Swiss and you can’t stop me from playing.” continued on page 5 B/C/D Swiss 11 a.m. North American Swiss Teams Goodwill Message Reisinger Board-a-Match Teams ATTENDANCE Hyatt 10 a.m. Stratified open pairs Compliment your opponents on their good play. Side games through Saturday Sandy DeMartino, Goodwill Chair Regional knockouts Intermediate/newcomer events 11,869.5 tables 299er Swiss teams Chief Corporate Sponsor Fall NABC Page 2 Sunday, December 8, 2013 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS MEETINGS / SEMINARS / RECEPTIONS Sunday, Dec. 8 11am and 5 pm Peter Pender Memorial Vugraph Theater presentation. Room:Deer Valley, Sheraton, 2nd floor. Bridge and friends Imagine leading out of turn Dining and drinking By George Retek When David Berkowitz says he’s never seen at the Hyatt After a year away from the NABCs, my wife, something before, it must be worth a look. This Networks Mari, and I decided to visit Phoenix for a few days. is board 25 from the second set of the Reisinger Be sure to come to Networks, the Hyatt Regency Eleven years ago, the fall tournament was my final qualifying round. Phoenix’s headquarters for top-of-the- line cocktails, NABC as ACBL president. Being here brought back Dlr: North ♠ — burgers and salads. We open each day at 11 a.m. and many happy memories. Vul: N–S ♥ 10 our kitchen is open nightly until midnight. During the summer, we visited Doug and Sandra ♦ K 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 We’ll be featuring special drinks throughout the Fraser in Victoria BC, where they are enjoying life ♣ 9 4 2 NABC. Mention the secret password “DUMMY” and after moving from Montreal. He met them again ♠ 10 8 5 4 3 ♠ A Q J 7 2 receive a 10% discount on all food items! in the penultimate round of the Senior Mixed Pairs ♥ 8 3 2 ♥ A Q 7 Our featured drink of the day will be: final. You can be the judge as to how this pleasant ♦ A ♦ Q J 2 12-8 Overall (Margarita on the rocks) encounter turned out for us. ♣ A Q 6 5 ♣ K 10 Networks Bar and Grill is located on the first Sandra and Doug are known for their aggressive ♠ K 9 6 floor of the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. bidding, and they were right once again. ♥ K J 9 6 5 4 Terrace Café: Dlr: North ♠ A 10 9 6 ♦ — Open daily at 6 a.m., the Terrace Café features a Vul: N-S ♥ 3 2 ♣ J 8 7 3 full breakfast buffet. The Terrace Café is located on ♦ 6 2 “If West plays 6♠, North can lead any card in his the second floor of the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. ♣ A 10 9 8 7 hand and beat it. If East plays 6♠, South can lead any Cash food sales: ♠ J 8 5 ♠ 7 2 card in his hand and cannot beat it. Wow!” Cash food sales are open daily, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. ♥ A Q 10 4 ♥ K 9 5 on the second floor of the Hyatt Regency Phoenix. ♦ K Q J 5 ♦ A 10 9 8 7 4 Where there’s eight . We’ll be featuring grab-and-go items all day such ♣ Q 6 ♣ 4 3 By Barry Rigal as beverages and snack items. From noon to 3 p.m., ♠ K Q 4 3 This deal was played in the first final session of the menu will be expanded to include lunch items ♥ J 8 7 6 the Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs. including burgers, salads, sandwiches and a host of ♦ 3 other items all very reasonable priced! ♣ K J 5 2 Dlr: North ♠ 10 8 For coffee service after 6 p.m., Networks Bar and West North East South Vul: E-W ♥A 10 8 5 Grill sells $2 cups of coffee to go. George Sandra Mari Doug ♦ 4 2 Price includes state sales tax and is on a cash Pass Pass Pass ♣ 8 7 5 4 3 only basis (no ACBL vouchers). 1NT Pass Pass 2♣ (1) ♠ A 7 5 4 ♠ Q 9 3 2 Compass: Pass 2♦ Dbl 2♥ ♥ 9 2 ♥ 7 6 3 Visit the Hyatt’s award-winning revolving Dbl 2♠ All Pass ♦ K Q 7 6 3 ♦ J 9 5 restaurant on the 24th floor for dinner or just for (1) Diamonds or the majors.

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