Bridge Blog 528: Chosen few

          Aha! The seventh of the month. The ACBL has posted updates in the master point races. Let’s see if 17 overall points for the month of April, including a best-ever sectional tournament, improved my standing.

          First stop: Western New York Unit 116. Buffalo area only. In the 1,000 to 2,500 point category, where I now reside, I’m still hanging in on the Top 10 in the Ace of Clubs race, which counts points earned in club play only. Ninth place with 36.54 points so far this year. Leader continues to be Vince Pesce, who now has 54.94. Then come Carlton Stone, 50.81; John Ziemer, 45.05; Jim Gullo, 44.86; Mike Silverman, 43.79; Barbara Libby, 41.60; Liz Clark, 38.59; and Judy Padgug, 38.32. Behind me in 10th place is Luke Danielson with 35.14.

          Meanwhile, over in the Unit 116 Mini-McKenney race, which counts club points plus tournament points, I’m on the list for the first time this year – 10th place, 44.99 overall points. Top of the Mini-McKenney once again is Dian Petrov with 107.87. Then it’s Judy Padgug, 73.76; Jim Gullo, 71.57; John Ziemer, 55.64; Vince Pesce, 54.94; Carlton Stone, 54.17; Mike Ryan, 51.30; Mike Silverman, 47.92; and Liz Clark, 47.51. The player with the most points overall in the unit is Dan Gerstman, who’s in the Over 10,000 category. He has 140.77.

          Well, now, let’s move along to District 5 – Buffalo, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Here the lists go to 25 places. In the Ace of Clubs, Buffalo players hold five of the top six positions (only interloper is Robert Maier of Morgantown, W. Va., who’s second with 53.64) and all of Buffalo’s Top 10 is present. I’m 15th. In the District Mini-McKenney, the competition elsewhere is stiffer. Only three from Unit 116 make the list. Dian Petrov is fifth. Leader once again is Michael Creager of Brecksville, Ohio, with 198.03. To have a place on the district list, you need at least 58.53 points.

          For the nationwide races, the lists go to 100 places. Leader in the national Ace of Clubs in the 1,000 to 2,500 division is a familiar figure – Charles Christmas of Tallahassee, Fla. He’s got 115.29. Vince Pesce? Not even on the list. You need at least 60 and a fraction. National Mini-McKenney? No Western New Yorkers there, either. You need almost 124 points to make it. Leader again is Leslie Amoils of Toronto – 276.85. The District 5 leader, Michael Creager, is 13th. And just to give it a little more perspective, there’s the Barry Crane Top 500, which rounds up all the points and all the players in all the categories. Leslie Amoils is 140th on that list. On top are two guys from Las Vegas who are the only players with more than 1,000 points so far this year – Mike Passell with 1,173.49 and Geoff Hampson with 1,080.42.