Bridge Blog 509: The long and short of it

          The new ACBL master point totals for the year so far have been posted and I’m back in the pack, at least in the Ace of Clubs (club play only) scheme of things. Among players with 1,000 to 2,500 points in Western New York Unit 116 (metro Buffalo), I’ve gone up from 10th place in January to fourth place with a total of 16.98 (which should be half a point higher – see Blog 508).

          Leader is Vince Pesce with 26.18, followed by Barbara Libby (22.38), Liz Clark (19.77), me, Judy Padgug (16.77), Mike Silverman (16.71), Carlton Stone (15.89), Luke Danielson (13.98), John Ziemer (13.97) and Chuck Schorr (11.12).
          My Mini-McKenney total (clubs plus tournaments) is only fractionally higher, 17.91, which misses the Unit’s Top 10 by more than a point. Carlton Stone is 10th with 19.25. Top is Bridge Club Meridian director Dian Petrov with 31.61, followed by Judy Padgug with 30.11.

          Take it to the District 5 level (Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh) in the Ace of Clubs and, believe it or not, I’m still respectable – ninth place. Vince Pesce is still first. On the Mini-McKenney, you need 28.05 to reach the Top 25. Only two Buffalo players appear on it – Dian and Judy Padgug, 16th and 18th places, respectively. Tops are Nancy Steele of Bridgeport, W.Va., with 70.42 and Roy Larson of Wadsworth, Ohio, with 70.23.

          Nationally in the 1,000 to 2,500 division, Buffalo doesn’t exist on the Mini-McKenney Top 100, where you need at least 73.54 to gain entry. Come to think of it, District 5 doesn’t exist, either. Ditto for the Ace of Clubs, where the 100th player has 32.17 points. Top dog there is Michael Wolf of Coral Springs, Fla., with 62.73.