Wednesday, March 21, 2012 Volume 55, Number 6 Daily Bulletin 55th Spring North American Bridge Championships Editors: Brent Manley, Paul Linxwiler and Sue Munday Mid-level seeds hammered in Vanderbilt round of 64 Although the top-seeded squads had little difficulty on the first day of head-to-head matches in the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams, many mid-ranked teams got the boot: • The No. 11 team captained by Jim Mahaffey (Sam Lev, Jacek Pszczola, Piotr Gawrys, Tony Forrester and Gunnar Hallberg) lost to the No. 54 seed “Consus Red” (Piotr Zak, Grzegorz Lewaciak, Jergzy Zaremba, Jaroslaw Cieslak and Waldemar Frukacz) by a single IMP, 99-98. • The No. 15 seed led by John Onstott (Bruce Ferguson, Drew Casen, Jim Krekorian, Jon Baldursson and Thorlakur Jonsson) was defeated by the original 53 seed (Steve Bloom, Betty Bloom, John Zilic and Jeffrey Juster) 143-122. • The No. 17 seed (Kyle Larsen npc: Rose Meltzer, John Mohan, Diego Brenner, Carlos Pelligrini, J.P. Campos and Miguel Villas- Tournament Director John Ashton, fourth from left, with fellow TDs from District 19 and 20 at the Boas) lost to the No. 48 seed “Texan Aces” (G. Oregon Trail Regional in Vancouver WA last month. Ashton is retiring after 35 years as a tournament Venkatesh, Keyzad Anklesaria, p. Sridhar, K. director and 14 years as a director in charge at NABCs. With him, left to right, are Brian Russell, Matt Moorthy, Jyottindra Shah and Uttam Gupta), Koltnow, Jeff Jacob, McKenzie Myers, wife Marie Ashton, Patty Holmes, John Gram and Matt Smith. 127-112. Photo by Marilyn Vilhauer. • The No. 18 seed (captain Reese Milner, Garey Hayden, Chris Compton, Jacob Morgan, Matt Granovetter and Ron Rubin) was pummeled by After all these years, Hamman the No. 47 seed captained by Allan Falk (John Lusky, Peter Friedland and Mark Dahl), 158-67. still crazy for playing bridge • The No. 19 seed led by Mary Ann Berg (Huub Bertens, Ton Bakkeren, Bauke Muller, Simon At the 1992 The younger Lall was the 24th different partner de Wijs and Mark Lair) was narrowly ousted by Summer NABC with whom he has won a major title – not counting the No. 46 seed captained by Doug Doub (Frank in Toronto, Bob his 12 world championships and “umpteen team Merblum, Jay Borker and Gert Jan Paulissen), Hamman and trials.” The list of partners is impressive: 154-152. Hemant Lall won Don Krauss, Lew Mathe, Mike Lawrence, Action continues in today’s round of 32. the six-session Billy Eisenberg, Bobby Wolff, Paul Soloway, Eddie von Zedtwitz Kantar, Eric Rodwell, Nick Nickell, the two Lalls, Life Master Pairs, Ron von der Porten, Michael Rosenberg, Jim Jacoby, Suty, Gates lead beating out Zia Larry Richardson, Bart Bramley, Petra Hamman (his Mahmood and wife), John Sutherlin, Sami Kehela, Paul Swanson, Hugh Ross. It was Chris Compton, Eddie Wold and Charlie Weed. Mixed quals Daniel Suty and Georgiana Gates of Houston Hamman’s 28th Hamman was playing with Krauss when he won TX posted the best score in Tuesday’s qualifying North American the 1962 Reisinger. Their teammates were Kantar round of the Rockwell Mixed Pairs. Suty and Gates championship. and Marshall Miles. will begin today’s two-session final with a carryover The day Hamman and Lall won, another top- For 20 years – 1985 to 2005 – Hamman was of 241.19. flight player remarked, “That Hamman – he’s the the No. 1-ranked player in the world according to In second with a carryover of 230.83 are best. He wins with everyone.” World Bridge Federation rankings for World Grand Andy Avery of Jamaica VT and Cecily Kohler of Indeed, since Hamman won his first major title Masters. The WBF masterpoints in those rankings Washington DC. In third with 226.52 are Karen in 1962 – the Reisinger Board-a-Match Teams – he erode over time. In the category of so-called placing McCallum of Exeter NH and Cenk Tuncok of has won 50 North American championships with 24 points, which recognize lifetime achievement, Amesbury MA. different players. On 10 of those occasions, he and Hamman is far and away the leader. The initial field of 354 pairs was trimmed to 182 his partner were playing together for the first time in He was ACBL’s first Player of the Year and has pairs for today’s final. a national event. won the award three times. Hamman has been on the On Sunday night in Memphis, about 20 years winning squad in the Spingold Knockout Teams a after winning the LM Pairs, Hamman won the record 15 times, and he has 13 victories in arguably Profiling USA six-session Kay Platinum Pairs with Hemant Lall’s the toughest event on the ACBL calendar – the 25-year-old son, Justin. Reisinger. Justin’s comment about playing with Hamman Although he admits to not being as sharp as he Juniors The United States Bridge Federation will echoes what partners and opponents have been once was, Hamman says, “I’m still playing pretty send five teams to compete in the World Junior saying about him for decades: “He’s the best!” good.” Asked about what keeps him returning to Championships in Tai Cang City, China, starting Hamman was pleased to have another “skin on the table time and again, he says, “I like to play. It’s July 24. See page 9 for the first of five sets of the wall,” as he likes to put it, but he shared credit nothing more complicated than that.” profiles of the players. for the win with some of his unfortunate opponents. Even at age 73, Hamman says his concentration “The luck was unbelievable,” he said. “The ball just is good “in the sense of not dwelling on bad results. bounced our way.” I still make mistakes, but I’m good at not being He did point out, however, that “the luck is there distracted by the last hand, so I can use whatever I’ve Attendance a certain percentage of the time. It’s your job not to got available for bridge on the current hand. You’re screw it up.” kidding yourself, though, if you don’t think you will 5167 Tables Hamman praised his partner: “Justin is very have lapses. Very good players from time to time thru Tuesday evening good, and he rates to get better. He does most things make major blunders.” right.” continued on page 5 Page 2 Wednesday, March 21, 2012 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS MEETINGS / SEMINARS / RECEPTIONS Wednesday, March 21 Friday, March 23 9 am-Noon Club Director Refresher Course (session 2). An update 11:30 pm-2 am Women’s Team Trials meeting. (Marriott, Boardroom) course for club directors to refresh and renew their skills for Sunday, March 25 directing club and bridge cruise games. Anyone who is a 11 am-5:30 pm Peter Pender Memorial Vugraph. (Room TBA) club director or a director aboard a cruise ship is invited to 8 pm Peter Pender Memorial Vugraph. (Room TBA) participate. (Marriott, Beale Room) CELEBRITY SPEAKER PROGRAM All speaker events will be held on Cotton Row, Mezzanine Level of the Friday, March 22 Convention Center. 9:15 a.m. Haig Tchamitch Support Doubles Wednesday, March 20 6:45 p.m. Ellen Kent “Panic-ville: This is Not a 9:15 a.m. Mike Flader Ruling the Game Zynga Game” 6:45 p.m. Coley McGinnis & Takeout Doubles Saturday, March 23 Linda Hanson 9:15 a.m. Michael Huston Doing it with Finesse Thursday, March 21 6:45 p.m Jeff Roman Look Beyond Your High- 9:15 a.m. Lisa Berkowitz Play to Trick One Card Points 6:45 p.m. Barry Harper A Short List of Conventions You Need HOSPITALITY Afternoon food is served at 1:30 p.m. on the Convention Center Mezzanine Saturday, March 24 Late-night snacks are served at 10:30 p.m. in the Marriott Ballroom. Coffee and pastries will be served at the start of morning games in the Wednesday, March 21 Exhibit Hall and Daylight Pairs playing area 1:30 p.m. Pulled pork BBQ with chips 10:30 p.m. Cookies and brownies 10:30 p.m. Pulled pork BBQ with chips Thursday, March 22 Be nice! 1:30 p.m. Turkey sandwich with chips Players are reminded that the Hospitality treats available at 1:30 10:30 p.m. Turkey sandwich with chips p.m. are for participants in the morning or morning/afternoon games Friday, March 23 only. 1:30 p.m. Cheeseburger with chips Hospitality food for participants in afternoon/evening games will 10:30 p.m. Cheeseburger with chips be available after the evening session is complete. The Insider introduce an SC in-training. The identity of this new No bad deed SC2B is unknown to the Insider but he promises to The Insider was hanging out with the Bulletin dig deep, probe his sources and deliver a name by Boys when two ladies dragged the trophies they goes unpunished the end of this NABC. had won in the 10 a.m. 49er game into the Bulletin By “Hagar the Horrible” Haig Tchamitch Office. Their excitement was contagious. The thrill I freely confess that my love for the occasional of winning here Memphis will stay with them Collect your prizes unorthodox action in the bidding is rewarded more long after they leave town and head back home Section top and overall prizes are available at often than it should be by unsuspecting opponents. to, well, they are just heading home to Memphis, the Prize Desk at the Convention Center, and Ed But on this deal, from Monday evening’s A/X but you know what I mean.