Bridge Blog 1031: Midpoint 2018

It coulda been big, what with the Airport Bridge Club offering extra point games all the time. It was for Alan Greer and Mike Silverman, who led the master point race at the club with 47.32 and 35.60, respectively.

For me, in 12th place on that list, thanks to a miserable STaC Week, I wouldn’t have even come close to my 15-points-per-month goal if I didn’t have an unexpected win in the final few days. Now that the ACBL race results have been up for a while, let’s see where we stand at midpoint 2018.

   Unit 116 (Buffalo only), Ace of Clubs (club play only), Ruby Life Masters (players with 1,500 to 2,500 points). 

     I gained 13.40 club points in June, bringing my Ace of Clubs total to 66.96, just enough to keep me in fifth place among the Rubies, although I’ve slid from 12th to 17th among all players in the unit. Here's the top 10:

      Still well ahead is David Millward, with 102.02, maintaining his 20-point lead over Allen Beroza, who now has 82.30. Mike Silverman’s bonanza gives him 80.92, zipping past Martin Pieterse, who now has 71.35. Then there’s me with 66.96.

     Ken Meier, who was fourth, slides back to sixth with 65.65. Rounding out the list are Dorothy May, 53.64; Fred Yellen, 53.40; Gene Finton, 53.26; and Elaine Kurasiewicz, 38.45, with Davis Heussler nipping at her heels with 38.20.      

   Unit 116, Ace of Clubs overall. 

     Alan Greer, missing a month ago, has been restored to the throne with a massive 201.42 points. Then it’s Nancy Wolstoncroft, 137.10; John Ziemer, 118.65; David Millward, 102.02; and Allen Beroza, 82.30.

Sixth is Mike Silverman, 80.92, up from 13th place a month ago, followed by Liz Clark, 79.67; Barbara Libby, 77.58; Bud Seidenberg, 77.31; and Mike Ryan, 75.31.

Second 10 goes like this: Ron Henrikson, 71.67; and Martin Pieterse, 71.35; Bob Linn, 70.64; Jay Levy, 68.40; Martha and John Welte, 68 even; moi, 66.96; Ken Meier, 65.65; Jim Easton, 65.01; and Judy Graf, 63.49.

Taking the list a little further, we have Marilyn Wortzman, 60.34; Gay Simpson, 59.30; Denise Slattery, 58.59; Judi Marshall, 55.35; and Ed Morgan, 54.42.

      Moving on to the Mini-McKenney races, which count all points earned everywhere, I have 86.96, up 14.46 from May, but not enough to keep up with Mike Silverman, who displaced me in the fifth position here.

     Continuing far ahead is Davis Heussler, who passed the double century mark with 221.08, but he's no longer tops among all Unit 116 players. He’s slipped to second.  

David Millward is runner-up again with 128.36, down from eighth overall to 11th. Then it's Ken Meier, third again with 127.66 (12th overall); Allen Beroza, holding steady in fourth with 102.56 (20th overall); and Mike Silverman, 91.36 (24th, up from 43rd).

     I lead the next fivesome with my 86.96, 28th overall, down from 26th. Then it’s Fred Yellen, 86.55 (29th); Martin Pieterse, 81.07 (34th); Elaine Kurasiewicz, 57.42 (49th); and Dorothy May, 56.91 (50th).  

     Among all players in Unit 116, the leader now is Alan Greer, with 245.20. Then comes Davis Heussler with his 221.08; John Ziemer, 183.21; Linda Burroughsford, 171.48; and Saleh Fetouh, 165.93.

The Weltes, tied for third a month ago, now are tied for sixth with 162.88; followed by Nancy Wolstoncroft, 162.86; Jay Levy, 148.78; Chris Urbanek, 128.55.

The second 10, all in three figures, include David Millward, 128.36; Ken Meier, 127.66; Sandi England, 127.02; Mike Ryan, 124.83; Bud Seidenberg. 113.16; Christy Kellogg, 110.82; Dian Petrov, 110.28; and Bert Hargeshimer, 106.55.

      Now let’s widen our horizons.

   District 5 (Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh) Ace of Clubs, Ruby Life Masters. 

     Here Unit 116 players hold seven of the top 10 spots, led by David Millward, with 102.02, though his lead is shrinking over the man he displaced in April, Philip Goulding of Wexford, Pa., who has 93.73. Millward has slipped from fifth to eighth among all District 5 players. Goulding was ninth a month ago, now he’s 11th.  

     Allen Beroza continues third with 82.30 (16th overall in the district, down from 15th). Then it’s Mike Silverman, 80.92 (18th); Martin Pieterse with 71.35 (31st); Marvin Shapiro of Akron, Ohio, 70.42 (34th); James Wheeler of Edinburg, Pa., 67.13 (39th); me, 66.96 (40th, up from a tie for 44th); Ken Meier, 65.65 (42nd); and Susan Konig of Bridgeville, Pa., 61.91 (50th)

   Overall Ace of Clubbers in District 5 look like this:

     Two Buffalonians on top – Alan Greer with 201.42 and Nancy Wolstoncroft with 137.10. They lead Reanette Frobouck of Pittsburgh, 134.95; Richard Katz of North Versailles, Pa., 121.93; and Arlene Port of Pittsburgh, 120.12.

Sitting sixth is John Ziemer, 118.65; then it’s Asim Ulke of Monroeville, Pa., 102.13; David Millward, 102.02; Barbara Belardi of Pittsburgh, 99.68; and Patricia Katz of Pittsburgh, 98.17.

     Other Unit 116 players in the Top 25 are Allen Beroza, tied for 16th with 82.30; Mike Silverman, 18th with 80.92; Liz Clark, 19th with 79.69; Barbara Libby, 20th with 77.58; Bud Seidenberg, 21st with 77.31; and Mike Ryan, 23rd with 75.31.  

   Now for the District 5 Mini-McKenney, Ruby Life Masters. 

    Philip Goulding of Wexford, Pa., has pulled way ahead of Unit 116’s David Heussler. Ahead by less than a point a month ago, now he leads 238.32 to 221.08. They’re eighth and tenth overall in the district.

     The other leaders include: Craig Biddle of Pittsburgh, 183.95 (holding steady overall at 19th); David Millward, 128.36 (down from 39th to 48th); Ken Meier, 127.66 (up from seventh to fifth and holding steady at 49th overall); Leroy Hackenberg of Pittsburgh, 122.51 (down from 47th to 54th); Marvin Shapiro of Akron, Ohio, 119.92 (58th); Barbara Greenpsan of Beachwood, Ohio, 116.73 (down from 45th to 64th); Wayne Heritage of North Olmsted, Ohio, 105.95 (down from 58th to 80th); Allen Beroza, 102.46 (82nd) and Mike Silverman, 91.36 (95th). I’m down one notch to 15th with my 86.96, and steady at 107th overall.

   Mini-McKenney leader among all District 5 players is, not surprisingly, Sue Lan Ma of Kirtland Hills, Ohio, who added 101.83 points in June to reach 533 even.

     Second and third again are Kathleen Sulgrove and Don Sulgrove of Twinsburg, Ohio, with 356.12 and 323.69.

     Robert Alexander of Mentor, Ohio, switches places with Bernie Greenspan of Beachwood, Ohio. They have 294.88 and 289.19, respectively. Then it’s Stephanie Alexander of Mentor, 281.14; Buffalo’s Alan Greer with 245.20; Ruby Life Master leader Philip Goulding with 238.32; Kenneth Kranyak of Parma, Ohio, 228.59; and Davis Heussler in tenth place with 221.08. Also above the double-century mark are Reanette Frobouck of Pittsburgh, 217.74; and Marc Sylvester of Edinboro, Pa., 206.22.

   Ace of Clubs, Ruby Life Masters, nationwide.

    Paul Hassett of The Villages, Fla., keeps ahead of Anna Maxcine Thacker of Palm Coast, Fla., 189.44 to 172.31. April's leader, Russ Pearly, also of The Villages, continues third with 169.82.

    Brian Breckenridge of Corvallis, Ore., vaults from eighth place to fourth with 165.22, thanks to a 46.41-point month. Richard Seidman of Orlando, Fla., who merely had a 37.28-point month, drops to fourth with 163.95, followed by Joanne Matchette of Vero Beach, Fla., 160.12; Bruce Ladin of Harwood Heights, Ill., 150.33; Emil Dimitrov of Hot Springs Village, Ark., 144.41; Mason Barge of Atlanta, 142.28; Jonathan Williams of The Villages, Fla., 141.93; and Michael Fishman of Great Neck, L.I., 140.45.

     Unit 116 leader David Millward is down from 40th to 70th. Allen Beroza also is down from 158th to 190th. Other local notables include Mike Silverman, 208th; Martin Pieterse, down from 291st to 343rd; I’m back on the list in 448th place. Last Buffalo player is Ken Meier, 469th. The list cuts off at 64.75.

   Ace of Clubs, all players, nationwide. 

     Bill Kulbersh of Atlanta is amazing! He followed a 67-point month in May with an 83.93-point month in June. His 411.32 is way beyond Bella Ionis-Sorren of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in second place with 293.96. She edged back in front of Robert Epstein of Atlanta, who has 285.53.

     Then it’s Harry Kaufmann of North Redington Beach, Fla., 268.15; Irva Neyhart of Corvallis, Ore., 265.85; Kay Schulle of Purchase, N.Y., 255.45; Tania Reyes Hiller of Bedford Corners, N.Y., 253.67; Neil Silverman of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 247.09; and tied for ninth, Diane Hurt and Edgar Hurt Jr., both of Laguna Woods., Calif., both with 243.34.

         Alan Greer is 28th; Nancy Wolstoncroft is 218th. John Ziemer is in 424th place. The list stops at 113.65.

    Onward to Mini-McKenney, Ruby Life Masters, nationwide.

         Way, way, way out front is Robert L. McClendon of Ponte Vedra, Fla., who enjoyed a 168-point month to reach four figures – 1,040.85. That more than doubles Mary Ose of Sacramento, Calif, a very distant second with 449.16. Alex Khrakovsky of Columbus, Ohio, is still third with 427.15.

       Sabrina Miles of Mansfield, Mass., had a 112-point month to rise from fifth to fourth with 400.96. Darryl Legassie of Milton, N.H., is nearly as good, jumping from seventh to fifth with a 110-point month for a total of 391.24.

     Then it’s Junko Hemus of San Clemente, Calif., 320.60; Mason Barge of Atlanta, 306.27; Russ Pearly of The Villages, Fla., 299.35; Kim Brinkman of Highland Village, Texas, 286.96; and James Walter of Ann Arbor, Mich., 276.58.

Unit 116’s Davis Heussler, is 39th with his 221.08. David Millward drops from 204th to 292nd. Ken Meier slips from 265th to a tie for 296th. The list ends at 107.02.

     And now for the really heavy hitters, the Mini-McKenney leaders overall.

     A month ago there were nine players in four figures. Now there are 12.

     Joe Grue of New York City sits on top for the fifth straight month with 1,746.47. Mark Itabashi of Murrieta, Calif., continues second with 1,601.12.

Brad Mass of Denver once again trades places with Kevin Dwyer of Melbourne, Fla., moving from fourth to third with 1,464.28 to Dwyer’s 1,436.91.

     Hall of Famer Eric Rodwell of Clearwater, Fla., moves from seventh to fifth with 1,228.39, while longtime collaborator Jeff Meckstroth of Clearwater Beach, Fla., slides from ninth into sixth with 1,202.37. 

     Then it's Shan Huang from Melbourne, Fla., with 1,185.49; John Hurd of New York City with 1,132.88; January leader Geoff Hampson of Las Vegas, down another notch from eighth to ninth with 1,119.97; and Jacek Pszczola of Chapel Hill, N.C., with 1,091.75. Also in four figures – Justin Lall of Charlotte, N.C., 1,043.84, and the aforementioned Ruby Life Master leader Robert L. McClendon with 1,040.85.

     Familiar names: Former Buffalonian Joel Wooldridge advances from 25th to 24th with a 125-point month, reaching 820.31. District 5 leader Sue Lan Ma is up from 91st to 76th with 533 even. No Unit 116 people here. This list cuts off at 251.49. Bet we see Alan Greer among the Top 500 next month.