Monday, March 7, 2016

Bridge Blog 883: Leap Month

The Airport Bridge Club regulars took most of the places in the upper echelons of the Unit 116 Ace of Clubs master point races once the ACBL posted its February updates. Thank you, club director Bill Finkelstein, for getting them to the church on time.
On top of the Ace of Clubs heap for the whole unit is Meg Klamp with 33.87, but we haven’t seen her in these parts yet this year. She’s amassing those points down in Florida. Next come Mike Silverman, tops in my division, the Ruby Life Masters (1,500 to 2,500 points) with 27.70, and fellow Ruby player Ken Meier with 22.68. I’m next, fourth in the whole unit with 22.18. Right behind me are Jerry Geiger with 22.15 and John Ziemer with 20.84.
Amongst the Ruby crowd, I’m third. Then come Allen Beroza, 18.81; Fred Yellen, 17.98; Gene Finton, 13.34; Vince Pesce, 11.04; Anne Watkins, 10.28; Bill Finkelstein, 8.95; and Claire Gareleck, 8.34.
Of course, 15.18 of my club points came in January, along with another 3.22 silver points in the Buffalo Winter Sectional. February, then, actually was a major letdown. Just 7 club points, plus 1.68 elsewhere for a to-date total for the year of 27.08. That puts me fourth among Ruby Life Masters in Unit 116, and 18th overall among all Buffalo players on the Mini-McKenney list, which includes all points earned everywhere.
The Ruby Mini-McKenney list goes like this: David Hemmer, 45.69; Fred Yellen, 32.35; Mike Silverman, 28.48; then me at 27.08; Ken Meier, 23.94; Sharon Gerstman, 21.61; Allen Beroza, 20.13; Art Morth, 16.64; Claire Gareleck, 13.61; and Gene Finton, 13.34.
Overall Mini-McKenney leader, no surprise, is Saleh Fetouh with 105.20, followed by Jay Levy, 52.74; Ron Henrikson (yes, surprise), 47.29 (must be doing very, very well down in Florida); then David Hemmer’s 45.69; Meg Klamp, 44.86; Bud Seidenberg, 39.05; Mike Ryan, 33.71; Jim and Paula Jones from up in Newfane, tied with 32.96; and Judy Padgug, 32.69.
Moving on to the District 5 level (Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh), Mike Silverman tops the Ace of Clubs list among Ruby Life Masters, but Ken Meier is fourth, behind James Quigley and Ami Ellis, both of Pittsburgh, with 23.69 and 22.95, respectively. I’m sixth, behind the formidable Sue Lan Ma of Kirtland Hills, Ohio, who is tied for fourth with Ken Meier with 22.68. Allen Beroza is seventh, Fred Yellen is ninth. We Unit 116ers hold half of the top 10 positions, but none of the next 10.
Overall District 5 Ace of Clubs leaders are Patricia Katz of Pittsburgh with 48.52 and Richard Katz of North Versailles, Pa., with 47.28. Someone named D. Pierce of Parkersburg, W. Va., is third with 35.43, followed by our own snowbird Meg Klamp. Mike Silverman’s fifth. I’m 23rd.
District 5 Mini-McKenney leaders amongst us Ruby Life Masters are Sue Lan Ma with 79.86, followed by Barry Boyd of Wheeling, W. Va., with 72.47; and Harvey Cohen of Winter Haven, Fla., a snowbird with 51.98. David Hemmer is fourth. I’m 17th among the Rubys and 89th overall among all District 5 players.
Topping District 5 overall is the estimable Reanette Frobouck from Pittsburgh with 186.32, followed by good old Michael Craeger of Bedford, Ohio, with 109.15. Our own Saleh Fetouh is third. The aforementioned Richard Katz is fourth with 97.90 and the familiar Fleur Howard of Gates Mills, Ohio, is a very close fifth with 97.87. Sue Lan Ma is 12th.
Ace of Clubs leader for the entire nation among Ruby Life Masters is Edward Rauch of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with 73.44; followed by Marc Raphael of Scottsdale, Ariz., with 59.77. Ken Hardcastle, who sometimes plays here when he’s up from Georgia, he’s in 46th place with 35.76. Another of our snowbirds, David Millward, is 85th with 33.07. Mike Silverman is there, tied for 185th. I’m there, tied for 442nd with Jim Adams of Webster City, Iowa.
National Mini-McKenney leader among Ruby Life Masters is Cookie Potter (love that name) from Boca Grande, Fla., with 167.16. Right on her heels are Mary Jane and Michael Gladfelter from Columbus, Ohio, both with 167.11. Sue Lan Ma is 40th. David Hemmer is 309th. The list of 500 stops at 38.12.

Overall Mini-McKenney top dog for the entire nation at this point is Chris Compton of Dallas, with 575 even. In just two months! Next are two Californians, Mark Itabashi of Murrieta with 506.90 and David Grainger of Roseville with 480.08. Saleh Fetouh is 321st. The list stops with a familiar name, Charles Christmas of Tallahassee, Fla., who’s 500th with 88.65.