Bridge Blog 922: November's tally

The ACBL has updated its masterpoint races to include November. Not much of a month for me. I bumped my totals up only by 10.75, well short of the relatively modest average of 15 I’d like to maintain. Now I have 134.32 in club play, 169.02 in all venues. So just how much standing did I lose?

Nothing much among Ruby Life Masters (1,500 to 2,500 points). I’m still third in the Ace of Clubs race on the Unit 116 list, which is Buffalo only. In fact, it looks like I’m dancing all by myself in third place.

Mike Silverman and Ken Meier are neck and neck at the top, with 168.46 and 166.66, respectively. They’re third and fourth overall in the unit.

Then there’s me with 134.32, ninth overall in the unit, and then another big step down to Fred Yellen with 106.73 (18th), followed by Gene Finton with 95.26 (23rd), Allen Beroza with 85.85 (28th), Vince Pesce, 84.94 (29th), then another big step down to Bill Finkelstein, 55.90 (54th), Anne Watikins, 53.43 (58th), and Chuck Schorr, 49.14 (68th).

Ace of Clubs overall leader continues to be Jerry Geiger, with 228.97, way ahead of second-place Judi Marshall with 175.18. In fifth place, breathing down the necks of Mike Silverman and Ken Meier, is Ron Henrikson with 166.18. He’s followed by Liz Clark, 158.34; Tom Koralewski, 154.11; John Ziemer, 143.85; my 134.32, then Martin Pieterse, 132.47; Mike Ryan, 126.97; and Meg Klamp, 120.20.

Turns out I’m also still fifth among Ruby Life Masters on the Unit 116 Mini-McKenney list, though I’ve dropped one place overall to 24th among all local players. Ahead of my 169.02  are Ken Meier, 272.72 (10th overall); David Hemmer, 187.59 (19th); Fred Yellen, 183.60 (20th); and Mike Silverman, 179.49 (22nd).

Well behind me are Gene Finton, 114.23 (37th), Allen Beroza, 109.02 (42nd); Vince Pesce, 97.19 (48th); Art Morth, 86.06 (55th); and Chongmin Zhang, 61.69 (82nd).

Still atop the overall list is Saleh Fetouh with 457.36. But after him, the Weltes have jumped ahead of Jerry Geiger. John Welte has 374.44, while wife Martha has 365.53. Impressive! Jerry is fourth with 341.31. Then it’s Mike Ryan, 308.26; Tom Koralewski, 304.52; Dian Petrov, 298.39; John Ziemer, 277.49; Jay Levy, 273.26; and Ken Meier’s 272.72.

We three kings of the Unit 116 Ace of Clubs list also hold the three top places among Ruby Life Masters in District 5 (Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh). I have a healthy lead over fourth-place Doris Kirsch of East Springfield, Pa., who has 119.34. Fred Yellen is eighth. Gene Finton is 12th.

Overall, Mike Silverman is still ninth among all players in the district. Ken Meier is 10th, up from 16th. I’m 28th. Last month I was 22nd.

Among all District 5 players, Jerry Geiger’s 228.97 gives him a slim Ace of Clubs lead over Arlene Port of Pittsburgh, who has 227.23. Charles Smith of Erie, Pa. (199.40); Patricia Katz of Pittsburgh (189.96); and Robert Alexander of Mentor, Ohio (181.89); fill in the slots in front of Judi Marshall’s sixth-place 175.18.

Go to the Ruby Life Masters on the District 5 Mini-McKenney list and the runaway leader is Sue Lan Ma of Kirtland Hills, Ohio. Clearly a frequent flyer at tournaments, she has 488.87. She’s also sixth overall among all district players. Unit 116’s Ken Meier is a distant second with his 272.72. He’s 36th overall.

Others above 200 are Charles Ladiha of Vermilion, Ohio, 239.64; Peter Merker of Mentor, Ohio, 234.35; and Craig Biddle of Pittsburgh, 211.84. Buffalonians David Hemmer and Fred Yellen are sixth and seventh. Me? I’m 14th, up a notch from last month, but 103rd overall, down one position.

Reanette Frobouck of Pittsburgh continues to lead all District 5 players in overall points. She has 913.09. A month ago, she had 779.82.

Trailing at a distance are the usual suspects – Philip Becker of Beachwood, Ohio, with 593.32; Robert Alexander of Mentor, Ohio, with 566.18; Kathleen Sulgrove of Twinsburg, Ohio, 543.15; and Stephanie Alexander, also of Mentor, 539.28. Buffalo’s Saleh Fetouh is eighth with his 457.36. John Welte is 14th, Martha Welte is 16th and Jerry Geiger is 19th.

Nationwide, it shapes up like this in Ace of Clubs: Ruby Life Master leaders are Robert Shearer of Diberville, Miss., 316.19; Ariel Liebovitz of Houston, 297.65; Edward Rauch of Fort Lauderdale, Fla, 290.38; Richard Fronapel of Danbury, Conn., 288.48; and Billie Brown of Evansville, Ind., 285.11. Mike Silverman is 124th. Ken Meier is 128th. I’m 337th.

Overall Ace of Clubs champs are Bill Kulbersh of Atlanta with 699.85; Bella Ionis-Sorren of Fort Lauderdale, 557.43; and Kay Schulle of Purchase, NY, with 537.36. No Unit 116 players here. The list of 500 stops at 197.60.

Mini McKenney nationwide gets rather awe-inspiring this time of year. Leader among the Ruby Life Masters, Oren Kriegel of Chicago, has broken into quadruple figures – 1,133.16. Next are Mary Jane and Michael Gladfelter of Columbus, Ohio, with 765.91. District 5’s Sue Lan Ma is 20th. Buffalo’s Ken Meier is 188th. He’s the only Unit 116 player who made it. The list of 500 runs out at 197.94.

Among all players nationwide, the current king is Chris Compton of Dallas with 3,275.36, followed by Kevin Dwyer of Melbourne, Fla., with 2,956.56, Eddie Wold of Houston with 2,577.24, Mark Itabash of Murrieta, Calif., with 2,495.64 and Mike Passell of Plano, Texas, with 2,463.70. Wow!

The fabled Jeff Meckstroth of Clearwater Beach, Fla., is eighth with 2,300.80. Buffalo native Joel Wooldridge is 29th with 1,529.36. District 5’s Reanette Frobouck is 102nd, five notches behind a certain Sally Meckstroth, also of Clearwater Beach. The list of 500 stops at 472.16. District 5 Ruby Life Master leader Sue Lan Ma is 465th. No Unit 116 player makes the list.