Bridge Blog 1139: Marching along

 

Well, we’ve tramped up to the end of the first quarter of 2021 and the path ahead is clear, the lines of progress in this pandemic point race are set. For instance, I’ve settled into a leisurely pace of about 6 points per month. So let’s go to the ACBL and see what’s shaking as of March 31.

Ace of Clubs (club play only). Unit 116 (just Buffalo). Gold Life Masters (2,500 to 3,500 points).

Even those Weltes have slowed down a bit. After averaging 90 points a month in January and February, John and Martha added only 60.09 in March. They now stand at 239.79, far, far ahead among us Goldies. They’re also still tied for first among all players in the unit.

There are just 10 of us Goldies in Unit 116, so here’s all the rest of us:

Holding their places in this list and among all unit players are Ken Meier with 67.33, up 22.90; and Allen Beroza with 62.55, having added 20.66.

I’m still fifth with 19.21, up 8.44 since February. I’ve improved among unit players, though. A month earlier, I was #42, now I’m #33.

Again in sixth place is Bill Rushmore, who picked up just 3.86 in March. He’s #51, down from #47. Seventh-place Fred Yellen also had a slow month, gaining only 1.25 points. His 10.48 makes him #65 overall, down from #50. Davis Heussler brought in 1.74 to reach 8.35. He used to be #64, now #84.

Sharing the bottom rung are Art Morth and Pat Rasmus, both with 1.16. They’re also tied at #172 among all players in the unit.

Ace of Clubs. Unit 116. All players.

Way, way, way ahead are John and Martha Welte with their 239.79, but quite a scrum is developing behind them among those six players in the 60-point range. Here’s how they line up.

Barbara Libby, still third, with 68.70, which is 17.20 more than she had a month earlier. Nipping at her heels in Jim Lanzo, seventh a month ago and now fourth, having added 26.01 points to reach 68.43.

After that, it’s Ken Meier, 67.33; Martha Townson, 66.67, 21.24 better than February; Vic Bergsten, 65.47, a 21.79 point improvement; and Allen Beroza, 62.55.

Rounding out the Top 10 are Sandi England, 53.67; and Sharon Benz, 46.53. Eleventh-place Judi Marshall would want to be mentioned since she’s so close to tenth with 45.04. And while we’re at it, let’s give notice to Larry Himelein, who’s next with 44.12, and Gay Simpson, lucky #13 with 43.68.

OK, let’s do the rest of teens – Amita Arora, 40.66; Violet Makhija, 33.87; Bram and Terry Hamovitch, tied with 32.98; Linda Henschel, 31.50; and Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, tied at 30.50.

Mini-McKenney (club points plus tournament points). Unit 116. Gold Life Masters.

Pretty much the same numbers as Ace of Clubs, except for the Weltes, whose grand total is 255.18, an increase of 71.60, and Davis Heussler, who got a bump back in February. Here’s the list:

John and Martha Welte, 255.18; Ken Meier, 67.33, sixth overall; Allen Beroza, 62.55, eighth; moi, 19.21, #35; Davis Heussler, 17.25, #43; Bill Rushmore, 13.53, #54; Fred Yellen, 10.48, #68; and the tie between Pat Rasmus and Art Morth, 1.16, #173.

Mini-McKenney. Unit 116. All players.

After the Weltes, a couple of surprises. Ahead of Sapphire Life Master (3,500-5,000 points) Barbara Libby are a couple non-Life Masters – Jim Lanzo, ranked as an Advanced NABC Master (300-500 points), and Martha Townson, who’s just a Sectional Master (100-200 points). It helps, of course, that they can play in the novice games, where they dominate. Here’s the list:

John and Martha Welte, 255.18; Jim Lanzo, 79.24; Martha Townson, 73.11; Barbara Libby, 68.70; Ken Meier, 67.33; Vic Bergsten, 66.45; Allen Beroza, 62.55; Amita Arora, 54.32; Sandi England, 53.67.

And in the teens – Sharon Benz, 46.53; Judi Marshall, 45.04; Larry Himelein, 44.12; Gay Simpson, 43.68; Dian Petrov, 42.60; Violet Makhija, 33.87; Bram and Terry Hamovitch, 32.98; Linda Henschel, 31.50; (tie for #20) Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 31.46.

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

Here again, the Weltes have a lock on this division and Buffalo players hold four of the top five positions. Here they are:

John and Martha Welte, 239.79 (also first among all players in the district). Monica Early of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 91.65 (fourth overall). Ken Meier, 67.33 (#16). Allen Beroza, 62.55 (#24). Doug Snyder of Shaker Heights, Ohio, 55.59 (#31). David Norris of Rocky River, Ohio, 46.76 (#45). Peter Merker of Mentor, Ohio, 45.04 (#48). Gary Sikon of Cleveland, 33.61 (#92). And the lone Pennsylvanian, Jack Hawthorne of Valencia, 32.05 (#99).

Let’s do the teens, too. I’m in there. Jayne Stahr of Stow, Ohio, 25.55 (#133). Ronald Sain of Indiana, Pa., 22.49 (#156). Vicki Goodykoontz of Morgantown, W.Va., 20.88 (#174). Moi, 19.21 (#198). Kenneth Eichler of Murrysville, Pa., 19.14 (#199). Carolyn Sullivan of Richfield, Ohio, 18.50 (#211). Barry Boyd of Wheeling, W.Va., 17.81 (#227). Leroy Hackenberg of Pittsburgh, 17.67 (#231). Marcella Retetagos, also of Pittsburgh, 16.57  (#249). And sitting at #20, another Buffalonian – Bill Rushmore, 13.53 (#298).

Ace of Clubs. District 5. All players.

John and Martha Welte, tied at 239.79. Richard and Monica Early of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, not tied. Richard has 95.06. Monica has 91.65.

Then we have perennial point-gatherer Reanette Frobouck of Pittsburgh with 88.58, followed by a bunch of Ohioans – Davis Bonner of Mentor, 82.09; Gary Cole of Norwalk, 73.97; Sue Becker of Canton, 72.01; Robert Ryan and Macedonia, 70.85; Bruce Cahoon of Silver Lake, 70.75; and at #11 Chris Murphy of North Canton, 70.65.

After that, Buffalonians dominate the teens. Barbara Libby is #13 with 68.70. Jim Lanzo is #14 with 68.43. Ken Meier is #16 with 67.33. Martha Townson is #17 with 66.67. Vic Bergsten is #19 with 65.47. And let’s not forget Allen Beroza, even though he’s just #24 with 62.55. For the next Buffaloon, you’ll have to scroll down to me at #198.

Mini-McKenney. District 5. Gold Life Masters.

Totals are a little different, but the order is the same until you get down to where I am. Robert Zimmerman of Pittsburgh has snuck ahead of me. Here’s the top 20:

John and Martha Welte, 255.18 (also, no surprise, first among all district players). Monica Early, 91.65 (#5). Ken Meier, 67.33 (#25). Allen Beroza, 62.55 (#28). Doug Snyder, 57.39 (#33). David Norris, 54.95 (#34). Peter Merker, 45.04 (#51). Gary Sikon, 33.61 (#99). Jack Hawthorne, 33.25 (#102). Jayne Stahr, 25.55 (#142). Ronald Sain, 22.49 (#166). Vicki Goodykoontz, 20.88 (#185). Robert Zimmerman, 20.41 (#192). Moi, 19.21 (#209). Kenneth Eicher, 19.14 (#210). Carolyn Sullivan, 18.50 (#222). Barry Boyd, 17.81 (#237). Leroy Hackenberg, 17.57 (#242). And at #20, another Buffalonian, Davis Heussler, 17.25 (#252).

Mini-McKenney. District 5. All players.

On top, of course, are John and Martha Welte with 255.18. Richard and Monica Early of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, are not third and fourth, however. Slipping ahead of them is Erin Gonzalez of Mars, Pa., who’s reached the century mark – 100.76.

Then it’s the Earlys with 95.06 and 91.65, respectively; Reanette Frobouck of Pittsburgh, 88.58; and a big jump up by Bruce Cahoon of Silver Lake, Ohio, who’s seventh with 86.41. He’s followed by Davis Bonner of Mentor, Ohio, 82.09; Gary Cole of Norwalk, Ohio, 81.98; and Amy Goddard of Hartville, Ohio, 81.25.

Heading the teens are Buffalonians Jim Lanzo, 79.24, and Martha Townson, 73.11. After that are a bunch of our folks in the 20s – Barbara Libby at #24, Ken Meier #25, Vic Bergsten #26, Allen Beroza #28. Down in the 30s, we see Amita Arora at #35 and Sandi England at #36.

Ace of Clubs. Nationwide. Gold Life Masters.

The Weltes got 70+ points in March, but it wasn’t enough to keep them in a second-place tie nationwide. The guy who passed them in February – Piotr Olszewski of Hackettstown, N.J. – increased his lead. As of March 31, he  has 339.88 points, 127.76 more than he had a month earlier.

Moving up to second place from fifth is Hal Jones Jr. of Lorton, Va., who accumulated 114.96 points in March, to reach 280.17. Slipping into third place is last month’s sixth-place guy, Stephen Donohue of Riverwoods, Ill, who collected 111.22 points and has 270.14.

John and Martha Welte are tied for fourth with their 239.79. After them is former-fourth place player June Patton of Brevard, N.C., with 226.94, having picked up 55.62 points.

Sitting seventh is Yacob (Jacob) Rubinstien of Holland, Pa., with 220.01, who’s 64.89 points better. Eighth is Jim Loffree of Naples, Fla., with 218.67, followed by Judy Hansen of Eagan, Minn., with 192.44, and Mark Crumrine of Ocala, Fla., with 176.36.

Further down the list we notice frequent opponents Danny Ioannidis of Grassie, Ont., at #29 with 117.44 and Jane Jennings of St. Catharines, Ont., at #226 with 58.97. District 5’s Monica Early is #68 with 91.65. Unit 116’s Ken Meier is #159 with 67.33 and Allen Beroza is #193 with 62.55. The list of 500 ends at 38.49 points.

Ace of Clubs. Nationwide. All players.

Continuing at the top of the heap is Judy Rothstein of Livingston, N.J., with 384.17, bolstered by another 132.42 points in March. Irva Neyhart of Portland, Ore., retains her hold on second with 343.17, which 114.43 better than a month ago. Third again is Goldies’ leader Piotr Olszewski with 339.88.

After that, it’s David Rosenblatt of Palmetto Bay, Fla., with 311.83, who was eighth a month ago; Sundaresan Ram of Tucson, 304.16; Milton Neher of Richardson, Texas, 302.18; Stephen Gladyszak of Newton Center, Mass., 297.50; Tom Rutledge of Charleston, N.C., 297.15; Mel Norton of Burlington, Ont., 288.24; John Brady of Jacksonville, Fla., 287.47. On deck in the teens are Hal Jones of Lorton, Va., 280.17; John Onstott of New Orleans, 274.45; and Dolores Aquino of Houston, 272.45.

The Weltes, tied for #13 a month ago, are tied for #27 now. Our old friend Rashid Khan of York, Ont., is nearby at #30 with 235.37. Nobody else from Unit 116 is on this list of 500. It ends at 97.88 points.

Mini-McKenney. Nationwide. Gold Life Masters.

Looks pretty much the same as the Ace of Clubs, though the numbers are slightly different – Piotr Olszewski, 353.59; Stephen Donohue, 294.56; Hal Jones, 280.17; the Weltes, 255.18; June Patton, 229.32; Jacob (Yacob) Rubinstien, 220.01; Jim Loffree, 218.57; Mark Crumrine, 211.76; and Judy Hansen, 192.44.

District 5’s Monica Early is #75 with her 91.65. Ken Meier’s here at #171 with 67.33. So is Allen Beroza at #206 with 62.55, not too far ahead of Jane Jennings from St. Catharines, who’s 3210 with 61.97. This list stops at 40.09.

Mini-McKenney. Nationwide. All Players.

The news here is not the supremacy of Judy Rothstein of Livingston, N.J., who’s sitting on top once again with 386.27 points. It’s the rise of Irva Neyhart of Portland, Ore., who’s second with 363.72, and Piotr Olszewski of Hackettstown, N.J., third with 353.49. They bumped last year’s champ, Mark Itabashi of Murrieta, Calif., who slipped from second to fourth with 337.35, after a mere 105.04-point month.

The rest of the Top 10 list includes Stephen Gladyszak of Newton Center, Mass., 317.23; David Rosenblatt of Palmetto Bay, Fla., 311.83; Sundaresan Ram of Tucson, 304.16; Milton Neher of Richardson, Texas, 302.18; Tom Rutledge of Charleston, S.C., 297.15; and Peter J. Boyd-Bowman of Greensboro, N.C., 295.65.

John and Martha Welte, tied for #15 a month ago, drop to a tie for #25 with their 255.18 points. And who should be sitting there in front of them at #24 is Rashid Kahn’s partner, Vera Carpenter, with 256.92. Rashid is #31 with 246.54. He’s one rung ahead of the legendary Jeff Meckstroth of Clearwater Beach, Fla., who has 245.41. No more familiar names on this list. It stops at 102.92. 

 

Bridge Blog 1138: The long and short of February

 

Two months into the new year and the hierarchies in the ACBL’s master point races are already set. The haves really have it. The rest of us are trailing way behind. Here’s the way it looked as February ended.

Ace of Clubs (club play only). Unit 116 (just Buffalo). Gold Life Masters (2,500 to 3,500 points). Here a three-tier system has developed, thanks to those super-achievers, the Weltes. John and Martha are way, way, way out in front. They added 84.55 points to their collection and now have 179.70. They’re also first overall in the unit.

Ken Meier and Allen Beroza comprise the second tier. This month Ken is ahead with 44.43, having added 22.77 to his total, while Allen has 41.89, earning just 13.30 more. Ken is fifth in the unit. Allen is eighth.

Then we take another big step down and there I am in fifth place with 10.77, having added only 4.16. It was enough to boost me past Bill Rushmore, who has 9.67 after a 2.40 point month. I’m #42 overall, down from #35. Bill is #47, down from #30.

Right behind us is Fred Yellen with 9.23, which is 3.83 better than last month. He’s #50 in the unit, down from #40. Rounding out the list are Davis Heussler with 6.61 (#64) and Pat Rasmus, standing pat with just 0.84 (#151).

Ace of Clubs. Unit 116. All Players.

No mystery at the top, where John and Martha Welte reign with 179.70, but lots of jostling and jockeying beneath Barbara Libby, who maintains third place with 51.50, up 17.89. Martha Townson, who has been burning up the novice games, jumps from seventh to fourth with 45.43 after a 21.30 point month. Then it’s Ken Meier, 44.43; Vic Bergsten, 43.68; Jim Lanzo, 42.42; Allen Beroza, 41.89; Sandi England, down from fifth to ninth with 37.92; and Judi Marshall, slipping from eighth to tenth with 34.96.

Sharon Benz once more starts the teens, again #11 with 31.24; Gay Simpson steps up to #12 from #14 with 31.15. Larry Himelein jumps from #17 to #13 with 28.67. Then it’s Amita Arora, 26.35; Bob Sommerstein, 24.7; Judy Padgug, 21.61; Linda Henschel, 21.29; Jim Easton and Marilyn Wortzman tied with 19.69; and Bonnie Clement, 18.96. We should also mention Bud Seidenberg, going strong as #21 at age 90, with 18.46.

Mini-McKenney (tournament and club points combined). Unit 116. Gold Life Masters.

In January, all the Mini-McKenney races were identical to the Ace of Clubs results. February separated them. The difference? Davis Heussler picked up about 9 points somewhere and bumped me down from fifth to sixth place. The list:

John and Martha Welte, 183.58 (first in the entire unit here, too). Ken Meier, 44.43 (seventh overall). Allen Beroza 41.89 (eighth overall). Davis Heussler, 15.51 (#24). Moi, 10.77 (#44). Bill Rushmore, 9.67 (#49). Fred Yellen, 9.23 (#52). Pat Rasmus, 0.84 (#152).

Mini-McKenney. Unit 116. All players.

John and Martha Welte, 183.58. Barbara Libby, 51.50. Martha Townson, 48.55. Jim Lanzo. 47.12. Vic Bergsten, 44.66. Ken Meier, 44.33. Allen Beroza, 41.89. Sandi England, 37.92. Amita Arora, 36.69, cracking the top ten thanks to 10.34 points in tournament play.

Judy Marshall, 34.96. Sharon Benz, 31.24. Gay Simpson, 31.15. Larry Himelein, 28.67. Bob Sommerstein, 24.73. Judy Padgug, 21.61. Linda Henschel, 21.29. Bonnie Clement, 21.23. The Jim Easton-Marilyn Wortzman tie, 20.65. And sitting at #21, Bud Seidenberg, 18.46, all Ace of Clubs points.

(added 25 March 21)

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

I’m not Top 10 here, by any stretch. With my measly 10.77 points, I’m lucky to be Top 20. The Weltes, however, have no trouble reigning over the region. They’re tied for first among the Goldies and among all the players from here to Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Here’s the list:

John and Martha Welte, 179.70 (tied for first overall, too). Monica Early of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 66.28 (fourth overall). Then a couple Buffalonians – Ken Meier, 44.43 (#18 overall), and Allen Beroza, 41.89 (#26).

The second tier of five is actually four – three Ohioans, David Norris of Rocky River, 32.36 (#48); Peter Merker of Mentor, 29.30 (#54); and Doug Snyder of Shaker Heights, 27.69 (#63). Rounding out the Top 10 are Jack Hawthorne of Valencia, Pa., 25.07; and then a big step down to Jayne Stahr of Show, Ohio, at 16.68 (#133).

Next Buffalonian to show up is me down at #18. I’m #255 overall. Bill Rushmore is #20 with his 9.67 (#284) and Fred Yellen is #21 with 9.23 (#296).

Ace of Clubs. District 5. All Players.

Well, we know it’s the Weltes. Third and fourth is another couple, Richard and Monica Early of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He has 67.78. She’s got 66.28.

Sitting fifth is perennial contender Reanette Frobouck of Pittsburgh with 60.47. After that, it’s Davis Bonner of Mentor, Ohio, 52.22; Bruce Cahoon of Silver Lake, Ohio, 51.98; Barbara Libby from our part of the world, 51.50; Sue Becker of Canton, Ohio, 50.77; and Celine O’Neill of Sewickley, Pa., 49.79.

Representing Unit 116 in the teens is our super-achieving novice, Martha Townson of East Aurora. She’s #15 with 45.43. Vic Bergsten of East Amherst is #22 with 43.68. Jim Lanzo of Lockport is #23 with 42.42. 

Mini-McKenney. District 5. Gold Life Masters.

The Top 10 doesn’t change and only three players accumulated tournament points in February. The Weltes have 183.58 on this list and they’re first among all players in the district, as well. And sixth-place David Norris has 37.52. He’s #35 overall. I’m #19 here and #264 among all players in the district.

Other Buffalonians on the list: Ken Meier, 44.43, fourth among the Goldies, #25 overall. Allen Beroza, 41.89, fifth and #30. Davis Heussler, 15.51 (#11 and #146). Bill Rushmore, 9.67 (#21 and #290). Fred Yellen, 9.23 (#22 and #304).

Mini-McKenney. District 5. All Players.

John and Martha Welte, 183.58; Erin Gonzalez of Mars, Pa., 82.05; Richard and Monica Early of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 67.78 and 66.28; Reanette Frobouck of Pittsburgh, 50.47; Joan Blinn of Holidaysburg, Pa., 57.60; Gary Cole of Norwalk, Ohio, 53.68; Davis Bonner of Mentor, Ohio, 52.22; and Bruce Cahoon of Silver Lake, Ohio, 51.98. On the threshold are Celine O’Neill of Sewickley, Pa., 51.55; and Barbara Libby of Tonawanda, 51.50.

Lots of Buffalonians can be found in the 20s here – Martha Townson, #21 with 48.55; Jim Lanzo, #22 with 47.12; Vic Bergsten, #24 with 44.66; Ken Meier, #25 with 44.33; and Allen Beroza, #30 with 41.89.

 (and finally) 

Ace of Clubs. Nationwide. Gold Life Masters.

        Believe it or not, somebody actually has more master points after two months than the Weltes do. He’s Piotr Olszewski of Hackettstown, N.J. He’s soared to 214.12, well ahead of John and Martha, who are tied for second with 179.70.

        Turns out there are plenty of Goldies in triple figures – 18 of them, in all. Here’s the rest of the Top 10: June Patton of Brevard, N.C., 171.32; Hal Jones Jr. of Lorton, Va., 165.21; Stephen Donahue of Riverwoods, Ill., 158.92; Yacob (Jacob) Rubinstien of Holland, Pa., 155.12; Irene and Anthony Toogood of Qualicum Beach, B.C., 139.44; and Jim Loffree of Naples, Fla., 138.94.

        Unit 116 is further represented by Ken Meier at #183 with his 44.43 and Allen Beroza at #210 with 41.89. The list ends at 26.53.

Ace of Clubs. Nationwide. All Players.

Holy moley! The Weltes aren’t even Top 10 here. They’re tied for #13. Here’s the charmed circle:

Judy Rothstein of Livingston, N.J., 261.95; Irva Neyhart of Portland, Ore., 228.74; Gold leader Piotr Olszewski, 214.12; Sundaresan Ram of Tucson, 202.26; Milton Neher of Richardson, Texas, 195.96; Stephen Gladyszak of Chelsea, Mass., 192.87; Tom Rutledge of Charleston, S.C., 192.20; David Rosenblatt of Palmetto Bay, Fla., 192.18; Stephen Cooper of Belle Mead, N.J., 190.14; and John Onstott of New Orleans, 188.45. On deck in #11 is Mel Norton of Burlington, Ont., 180.81; and Dolores Aquino of Houston, 179.91.

No other Unit 116 people here. The list stops at 66.36.

Mini-McKenney. Nationwide. Gold Life Masters.

Pretty close to the Ace of Clubs list, same names with one change in their order.

Piotr Olszewski, 214.12; John and Martha Welte, 183.58; Stephen Donohue, 183.34; June Patton, 171.32; Hal Jones Jr., 165.21; Yacob (Jacob) Rubinstien, 155.12; Irene and Anthony Toogood, 139.44; and Jim Loffree, 138.94. Ken Meier is #183 with 44.43, just like on the Ace of Clubs list, and Allen Beroza is still #210 with 41.89. And this list also ends at 26.53. 

Mini-McKenney. Nationwide. All Players.

Judy Rothstein rules here, too. And all she needs is her 261.95 Ace of Clubs points. Last year’s champ Mark Itabashi of Murrieta, Calif., who is in the teens in the Ace of Clubs, is second here with 232.31. Irva Neyhart of Portland, Ore., comes next with 231.82.

Then we encounter Piotr Olszewski with his 214.12 club points. After that, it’s pretty much names we’ve seen before – Stephen Cooper, 208.42; Stephen Gladyszak, 206.86; Sundaresan Ram, 202.26 – wait, here’s a new one,  Craig Allen of Glen Ellyn, Ill., 197.66. Rounding out the list are Milton Neher of Richardson, Texas, 195.96, and Peter Boyd-Bowman of Greensboro, N.C., 195.13.

The Weltes are tied for #15 with their 183.58. The player at the bottom of the list of 500 has 69.21 points. 

Bridge Blog 1137: January -- It's a start

New year, new lineup in the ACBL Master Point Races. OMG, the Weltes are now Gold Life Masters, but at the rate they accumulate points, they won’t be stopping at Gold for long. They brought home nearly 100 points in the first month of the year. Me? I got about 7% of what they got.  

Ace of Clubs (club play only). Unit 116 (Buffalo only). Gold Life Masters (2,500 to 3,500 points).

Welcome, John and Martha Welte, although you’re really in a class by yourselves. You start the year with 95.15 points. You’re also first overall among all players in the unit.

Third among the Goldies and fourth in the unit is Allen Beroza, off to a fast start with 28.59. Last year’s Gold winner, Ken Meier, is next with 21.66, which lands him at ninth in the unit.

After that, it’s Bill Rushmore in fifth place with 7.27, #30 overall in the unit. I’m sixth with 6.61, good for #35 overall. Fred Yellen is next with 5.40, #40 overall. Davis Heussler is eighth with 4.10, #51 overall. And at the bottom of the list again is Pat Rasmus. Playing only face-to-face in East Aurora, she won 0.84 of a point in January. She’s #121 in the unit.

Ace of Clubs. Unit 116. All players.

Twenty-one players are in double figures for the first month. Here they are:

John and Martha Welte, tied at 95.15. Barbara Libby, 33.61. Allen Beroza, 28.59. Sandi England, 26.33. Vic Bersten, 26.05. Martha Townson, 24.13. Judi Marshall, 22.34. Ken Meier, 21.66. Jim Lanzo, 20.99.

The teens begin at #11 with Sharon Benz, 18.53. Amita Arora, 18.01. Brian Meyer, 16.71. Gay Simpson, 14.96. Bonnie Clement, 14.55. Judy Padgug, 13.59. Larry Himelein and Bob Sommerstein, tied at 12.67. Jim Easton and Marilyn Wortzman, tied at 12.34. And at #21, Bud Seidenberg, 10.77. 

Mini-McKenney (All points in clubs and tournaments). Unit 116. Gold Life Masters.

Same as Ace of Clubs.

Mini-McKenney. Unit 116. All players.

Same as Ace of Clubs.

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

Yes, the Weltes. First here with 95.15. First overall in the District, too. Allen Beroza is fourth with 28.59 and #14 among all District players. Ken Meier sits sixth with 21.66 and #32 overall.

In between, we have Monica Early of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, in third place with 33.35 (#5 overall); David Norris of Rocky River, Ohio, is fifth with 25.25 (#20 overall). Seventh is Peter Merker of Mentor, Ohio, with 13.35 (#79). Doug Snyder of Shaker Heights, Ohio, is eighth with 12.39 (#84). Sitting ninth is Carolyn Sullivan of Richfield, Ohio, with 12.01 (#91) . And top Pennsylvanian is Jack Hawthorne of Valencia, about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh, in tenth place with 11.16 (#98).  

Where are the rest of us Buffalonians? Bill Rushmore, 7.27 is #13 (#180 overall). I’m #16 with 6.61 (#203 overall). Fred Yellen is #18 with 5.40 (#260 overall). And Davis Heussler is #21 with 4.10 (#326 overall).

Ace of Clubs. District 5. All players.

Way, way, way behind the Weltes is Davis Bonner of Mentor, Ohio, with 36.75. Then another Buffalonian, Barbara Libby with 33.61, followed by Monica and Richard Early, both of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, tied for fifth with 33.35.

Seventh is Celine O’Neill of Sewickley, Pa., with 32.28. Bruce Cahoon of Silver Lake, Ohio, is eighth with 32.16. Good old Reanette Frobouck of Pittsburgh is ninth with 32.06. Holding tenth is Gary Cole of Norwalk, Ohio, with 31.46.

Buffalonians in the teens include Allen Beroza at #14 with 28.59; Sandi England at #17 with 26.33; and Vic Bergsten at #18 with 26.05. Bubbling under are Martha Townson at #23 with 24.13; Judi Marshall at #30 with 22.24; Ken Meier at #32 with 21.66; and Jim Lanzo at #34 with 20.99.

 Mini-McKenney. District 5. Gold Life Masters.

Same as Ace of Clubs.

Mini-McKenney. District 5. All players.

Same as Ace of Clubs.

Ace of Clubs. Nationwide. Gold Life Masters.

Believe it or not, there’s somebody out there who got more points from club play in January than Buffalonians John and Martha Welte. His name is Piotr Olszewski and he lives in Hackettstown, a town of fewer than 10,000 souls not far off I-80 in the northwestern corner of New Jersey. It’s notable for having the U.S. headquarters of the Mars Wrigley Confectionary Co. Did you know they also make Altoids and Life Savers? I didn’t either.

Anyway. Mr. Olszewski amassed an amazing 117.84 points in January, outdistancing the Weltes by 20+ points. They have 95.15.

Nipping at their heels is a player whose name is new to me – Jane Patton of Brevard, N.C. She earned 94.76. Then comes that Yacob (Jacob) Rubinstien guy from Holland, Pa. He’s got 85.88.

Tied for sixth are Irene and Anthony Toogood of Qualicum Beach, a town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. They have 78.29. Rounding out the Top 10 are Jim Loffree of Naples, Fla., 68.19; Stephen Donahue of Riverwoods, Ill., 67.22; and Peter Bouyea of Estero, Fla., 64.84.

Just missing the top tier are Paul Burleson of Cross River, N.Y., which is a hamlet in northmost Westchester County, 64.77; Judy Hansen of Eagan, Minn., 63.77; and Anil Altindag of Ankara, Turkey, 53.72.

Allen Beroza in #110 with 28.59. Ken Meier is #218 with 21.66. And that’s it for us Buffalonians. The list of 500 cuts off at 14.05.

 Ace of Clubs. Nationwide. All players.

Believe it or not, a couple people collected even more points in January than Gold Life Master leader Piotr Olszewski’s 117.84. Ruling the roost is Judy Rothstein of Livingston, N.J., with 145.48. Second is David Rosenblatt from Palmetto Bay, Fla., with 119.92.

In all, there are 11 players in triple figures in the first month of the year. The rest of them are Milton Neher of Richardson, Texas, 114.63; Stephen Cooper of Belle Mead, N.J., 112.38; Mark Itabashi of Murrieta, Calif., 106.50; Irva Neyhart of Portland, Ore., 105.52; Sundaresan Ram of Tucson, Ariz., 104.50; Tom Rutledge of Charleston, S.C., 102.28; Mel Norton of Burlington, Ont., 101.63; and Peter Boyd-Bowman of Greensboro, N.C., 101.22.

Tied for #12 are Buffalo’s leaders, John and Martha Welte, with 95.15. The list ends at 36.06, which shuts out the other Buffalonians. Also missing is expatriate Buffalonian Joel Wooldridge. 

Mini-McKenney. Nationwide. Gold Life Masters.

Same as Ace of Clubs.

Mini-McKenney. Nationwide. All players.

Same as Ace of Clubs.

Bridge Blog 1136: Old year, finally gone ...

 

Bridge players pretty much ignore everything in the outside world when they’re in the heat of the game – I certainly do. They’re kind of like golfers that way.

But the events of 2020 just had to be taken into account. Covid-19 brought face-to-face games to a sudden halt. Tournament after tournament was canceled. Everybody retreated to their computers. Competition moved online.

Alas, online it seems like there aren’t as many points to win. And although some players found ways to rake them in, totals in the ACBL master point races reflected the restrictions. It certainly stunted my winnings. An average year would find me adding 150 points to my career totals. In 2020, I collected 81.52 in club play and in all games ????.

At any rate, let’s open up the record book and see what’s up. Or rather, who’s up.

 Ace of Clubs (club play only). Gold Life Masters (2,500 to 3,500 points). Unit 116 (just Buffalo).

 Look at that Ken Meier. He put on a stretch drive and nosed out Allen Beroza, who’d been the leader all year. Ken wound up with 163.36 points, adding 29.22 in December. Allen finished with 163.27, just 14.40 better than a month earlier. They’re ranked third and fourth among all Unit 116 players.

My 81.52 points, a 10.89 improvement, puts me in a room of my own in third place, way behind the leaders, way ahead of the next guys – Fred Yellen with 51.08 and Mike Silverman with 50.61. I’m #26 among all Unit 116 players, up from #27. Fred is #43 and Mike is #44.

The rest are stragglers. Art Morth stays sixth with 28.48 and is #73 overall. Bill Rushmore has 20.93 and is #92 overall. John Sinclair, who has a gazillion points from online play, has just 18.62 that count. He’s #114 overall.

Last but never least is Pat Rasmus with 6.98, having picked up a few after face-to-face play resumed at the Bridge Club of East Aurora. She’s #210 among all Unit 116 players.

Ace of Clubs. Unit 116. All players.

John and Martha Welte blew past the half century mark in December, adding another 64.30 points to finish the year with 555.60.

Third and fourth are the Gold Life Master leaders, Ken Meier and Allen Beroza, way back with 163.36 and 163.27, respectively.

Ensconced in fifth place is NABC Master Jim Lanzo, who added another 10.73 points to his stellar performance and finished with 150.86.

After that, it’s Vic Bergsten, 142.35; Bud Seidenberg, 140 even; Barbara Libby, 136.77; Sandi England, 130.86, and Saleh Fetouh, 128.22.

 Mini-McKenney (Club points plus tournament points). Unit 116. Gold Life Masters.

Ken Meier pulled ahead here, too. He has 184.08, 43.06 more than he had a month ago. Allen Beroza drops to second with 175.30, having added just 14.40. They’re fifth and seventh, respectively, among all Unit 116 players.

I’m third again here, with 86.07, thanks to those 10.91 club points. That puts me at #29 overall, up from #30.

After that, it’s Fred Yellen, 66.48 (#36 overall, up from #37); John Sinclair, unchanged at 58.89 (#45 overall, down from #38); Mike Silverman, standing pat at 55.77 (#49 overall, down from #43); Art Morth, 35.97 (#67 overall, down from #66); Bill Rushmore, 26.77 (#88, down from #87); and finally, Pat Rasmus, 6.98 (#215, up from #223).

Mini-McKenney. Unit 116. All players.

Those Weltes! John and Martha tie for first with 632.59, having gathered 71.13 points despite the holidays. Third-place Saleh Fetouh, on the other hand, accumulated only 12.41, finishing with 218.33.

Fourth is held by NABC Master Jim Lanzo. Having reached fourth place last month, he piled up another 24.67 points to reach 186.68.

After that, it’s Gold Life Master champ Ken Meier with 184.08, Davis Heussler with 179.31, Allen Beroza with 175.30, Bud Seidenberg with 162.14, Vic Bergsten with 159.90 and Sandi England with 140.65. Just missing the Top 10 are Linda Burroughsford, 138.98, and Barbara Libby, 137.93.

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

Buffalonians Ken Meier and Allen Beroza are 1-2 here, too – Ken with 163.36, Allen with 163.27. Ken is #19 among all District 5 players. Allen is #20.

Then it’s Barry Boyd of Wheeling, W.Va., 136.52, #35 overall; Philip Goulding of Wexford, Pa., 115.77, #48; Peter Merker of Mentor, Ohio, 106.51, #60; Kenneth Eichler of Murrysville, Pa., 99.76, #74; Carolyn Sullivan of Richfield, Ohio, 98.68, #76; Jayne Stahr of Stow, Ohio, 91.38, #89; and Gary Sikon of Cleveland, 84.13, #104. And look who’s tenth – moi, up from #11 in November. I’m #112 overall, up from #114.

 Ace of Clubs. District 5. All players.

John and Martha Welte reign here, too. Tied for first with 555.60. Then a bunch of familiar names following up:

Paul Holmes of Wadsworth, Ohio, 523.75; Erin Gonzalez of Mars, Pa., 310.04; Reanette Frobouck of Pittsburgh, 272.45; Richard and Monica Early of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 272.01 and 254.69; Stewart and Sandra Metosky of Pittsburgh, 221.19 and 212.04, together in a ninth-place tie a month ago, now separated by Bruce Cahoon of Akron, Ohio, who occupies the spot between eighth and tenth with 220.61.

Mini-McKenney. District 5. Gold Life Masters.

Unit 116’s Ken Meier managed to snag second place with his 184.08 (#26 among all district players), but there was no catching Philip Goulding of Wexford, Pa. His 350.30 made him a solid leader and fifth overall in the district.

Third was Barry Boyd of Wheeling, W.Va., with 180.67 (#27 overall). Another Buffalonian, Allen Beroza, took fourth with 175.30 (#30 overall).

Then it’s Craig Biddle of Pittsburgh, 142.74 (#49); Peter Merker of Mentor, Ohio, 138.16 (#53); Gary Sikon of Cleveland, 132.06 (#59); Robert Zimmermann of Pittsburgh, 129.63 (#60); Kenneth Eichler of Murrysville, Pa., 111.66 (#89); and Carolyn Sullivan of Richfield, Ohio, 107.38 (#96).

Then we find Jayne Stahr of Stow, Ohio, with 98.74 sitting #11 (#109 district-wide), and moi. My 86.07 is good for #12 among the Goldies and #139 in the district. I’ll take it.

A trio of us Unit 116ers occupy the mid-teens – Fred Yellen at #15 with 66.48 (#207 in the district); John Sinclair at #16 with 58.89 (#254); and Mike Silverman, #17 with 55.77 (#269).

Mini-McKenney. District 5. All players.

Those Weltes, tied for the top with 632.59. Not far behind, surprisingly, is Paul Holmes of Wadsworth, Ohio, 608.65.

Then things drop off precipitously. Reanette Frobouck of Pittsburgh, 401.53; Philip Goulding of Wexford, Pa., 350.30; Erin Gonzalez of Mars, Pa., 348.97; Richard and Monica Early of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 309.79 and 281.01, respectively; Ricahrd Katz of North Versailles, Pa., 266.36; and Jeffrey Weiss of Novelty, Ohio (Novelty, really???), 245.54. Buffalo’s Saleh Fetouh is #15 with 218.33. 

Ace of Clubs. Gold Life Masters. Nationwide.

Never any doubt about Dolores Aquino of Houston. She’s tops with 714.93. The rest: Lynn Leisy of Amelia Island, Fla., 631.16; David Morse of New Minas, Nova Scotia, 505.93; Russ Pearly of The Villages, Fla., 604.18; Yacob (Jacob) Rubinstien of Holland, Pa., 575.86; Ann Buchholz of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., 458.49; Peter Martin of Kennesaw, Ga., 449.61; Steve Vaughn of Kingwood, Texas, 445.67; Wendy Lee of East Hanover, N.J., 427.49; and Mason Barge of Atlanta, 425.89.

Buffalo’s Ken Meier and Allen Beroza are #202 and #203 with 163.36 and 163.27. The list cuts off at 104.55.

Ace of Clubs. All players. Nationwide.

OMG, despite the pandemic, Stephen Garreffa of Randolph, N.J., managed to accumulate 967.37 points in 2020. Following at a respectful distance are Milton Neher of Richardson, Texas, 898.64; Robert McClendon of Ponte Vedra, Fla., 855.32; Piotr Olszewski of Hackettstown, N.J., 853.83; Judy Rothstein of Livingston, N.J., 815.10; Mel Norton of Burlington, Ont., 794.82; Jack Jones of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., 729.04; Goldie leader Dolores Aquino, 714.93; Stephen Cooper of Belle Mead, N.J., 708.87; and David Rosenblatt of Palmetto Bay, Fla., 708.87.

Familiar names in the next three places – Gillian Miniter of New York City, 702.42; Ann McClelland of The Villages, Fla., 597.44; and Bella Ionis-Sorren of Fort Lauderdale, 589.40.

Unit 116 leaders John and Martha Welte show up in a tie for #37 with their 555.60. No other Buffalonians on the list. It stops at 257.75.

Mini-McKenney. Gold Life Masters. Nationwide.

Looks like the Ace of Clubs list all over again, starting with Dolores Aquino on top with 854.94. Then it’s Lynn Leisy close behind with 842.26; Ann Buchholz, 655.80; then a cluster of Russ Pearly, 627.41; David Morse, 627.36; and Yacob (Jacob) Rubinstien, 625.17. The rest are Peter Martin, 536.70; Mason Barge, 534.33; an outlyer – Barbara Murphy of Newton, Mass., 476.08 – and then Steve Vaughn, 468.90.

Do our Unit 116 guys show up here on the big board? Yes, they do. There’s Ken Meier at #218 with 184.08. And Allen Beroza checks in at #245 with 175.30. The list stops at 123.37.

Mini-McKenney. All players. Nationwide.

Usually, winners here are approaching 3,000 points. Not in 2020. Top dog is Robert McClendon of Ponte Vedra, Fla., and he has 1,619.11. Only three other players got into four figures – Gillian Miniter of New York City, 1,181.77; Piotr Olszewski of Hackettstown, N.J., 1,054.39; and Mel Norton of Burlington, Ont., 1,011.29.

Only in the bottom half of the Top Ten do the perennial winners pop in – Joe Grue of New York City is eighth, Mark Itabashi of Murrieta, Calif., is tenth.

Fifth place holder Stephen Garreffa of Randolph, N.J., almost made the millennial mark. He had 998.58. Then it’s Peter Boyd-Bowman of Greensboro, N.C., 985.65; Milton Neher of Richardson, Texas, 966.72; Joe Grue, 958.50; Michael Dalton of Palm Coast, Fla., 925.39; and Mark Itabashi, 907.39.

The legendary Jeff Meckstroth finished #15 with 882.95, one rung ahead of Gold Life Master leader Dolores Aquino. Former Buffalonian Joel Wooldridge, now of Jackston Heights in Queens, was #89 with 562.38. That’s not as good as the Weltes. They’re tied for #49 with 632.59. No other Buffalonians here. To reach #500, you needed 319.12. 

Bridge Blog 1135: Gobbling up November

 

        Am I thankful that partner Selina Volpatti and I seem to be improving? Indeed I am. We were able to accumulate 10.93 points on Bridge Base Online in November, which is about as wonderful as we can get.

Meanwhile, in the master point races, places are pretty well settled for 2020 with one month to go. Let’s check them out:

 Ace of Clubs (Club Play Only). Unit 116 (Just Buffalo). Gold Life Masters (Players like me with 2,500 to 3,500 points).

Still first among Goldies, still third among all Unit 116 players – Allen Beroza. He had a 19.62 point month, for a total of 148.87.

Still second is Ken Meier. A 21.87 point month brought him to 134.14 points and elevated him to fifth in the unit, up from seventh a month ago.

Still third is … me! I now have 70.61 points for the year and sit at #27 overall in the unit, up from #28.

Fourth place Mike Silverman and fifth place Fred Yellen brought home no points at all in November. They still have 50.61 and 44.58, respectively. Among all unit players, however, they’ve plummeted. Mike is #38, down from #32. Fred is #45 overall and not down at all. He was #45 last month.

 Art Morth still is standing pat with 28.48 in sixth place, now #71 overall, down from #66. Bill Rushmore has 19.88 points, still seventh and now #90 overall, down from #88. John Sinclair at 18.62 is eighth, slipping to #95 overall from #94 a month ago. Rounding out the list is Pat Rasmus with 6.38, having added 2.14 in live face-to-face play at the East Aurora club. She’s #217 overall, on the march from #241 a month ago.

 Ace of Clubs. Unit 116. All players.

John and Martha Welte could have stopped six months ago and still have won this one. But they haven’t stopped. November brought them another 75.23 points and they’re tied for first overall with 491.30.

Far, far behind in third place is Gold leader Allen Beroza with 148.87. NABC Master Jim Lanzo still holds fourth place with 140.13 after a 17.65 point month. Ken Meier takes fifth with 134.14.

Then it’s Vic Bergsten, 126.54; Bud Seidenberg, 121.54; Barbara Libby, 116.92; Saleh Fetouh, 115.81; and Sandi England, 109.52. Also surpassing the century mark in club points are Gay Simpson, 107.49; Larry Himelein, 105.05; Martha Townson, 102.80; and Alan Greer, with the same 100.85 he had back in March.

 Mini-McKenney (Club points plus tournament points). Unit 116. Gold Life Masters.

 Allen Beroza continues his reign. 160.90 points, 19.62 better than a month ago. Back to fifth overall, up from sixth.

Ken Meier keeps closing in. 141.02, up 29.93. Seventh overall, up from eighth.

Big step down to me in third with 75.16, up 10.93. #30 overall, up from #31.

Fred Yellen stirred enough to take fourth away from John Sinclair, who’s now fifth. Fred has 59.98, a 4.37 increase. He’s #37 overall, up from #41. John stands at 58.89, a 0.62 increase, #38 overall, down from #32.

Mike Silverman, motionless with 55.77, is sixth among Goldies and #43 overall, down from #40.

Way down in seventh, it’s still Art Morth with the same 35.55 he had a month ago. He’s #66 overall, down from #62. Bill Rushmore has 25.72, #87 overall, down from #82. And Pat Rasmus rounds out the list with her 6.38, which sits her at #223, up from #247.

        Mini-McKenney. Unit 116. All players.

        No surprise. It’s the Weltes. With 561.46, which is 75.23 better than October, almost as good as their previous month’s haul of 86.26.

        Saleh Fetouh is next with 205.92, an 11.55 point improvement. Jim Lanzo climbs into fourth with 162.01, an 18.76 point effort. Allen Beroza follows with his 160.90. Davis Heussler is close behind in sixth with 157.23.

        Then it’s Ken Meier, 151.02; Vic Bergsten, 144.09; Bud Seidenberg, 143.68; and Linda Burroughsford, 127.65.

        Lurking next in the teens are Sandi England, 119.31; Gay Simpson, 118.51; Barbara Libby, 118.08; and Bob Sommerstein, 114.68. Clustered in the mid teens are Martha Townson with 110.94 and the team of Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, both with 110.50.

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

        Only three centarians here: two Buffalonians – Allen Beroza, 148.87 (#20 in the whole district); and Ken Meier, 134.14 (#25 district-wide); and Barry Boyd of Wheeling, W.Va., with 116.42 (#38 overall).

        The rest of the Top 10 are divided between Ohio and Pennsylvania – Kenneth Eichler of Murrysville, Pa., 99.76 (#52); Peter Merker of Mentor, Ohio, 87.58 (#72); Carolyn Sullivan of Richfield, Ohio, 87.05 (#76); Philip Goulding of Wexford, Pa., 85.87 (#77); Gary Sikon of Cleveland, 81.76 (#86); Jayne Stahr of Stow, Ohio, 79.51; and Ronald Sain of Indiana, Pa., 75.90 (#103). And look who’s #11 – moi – 70.61 (#114).

        Ace of Clubs. District 5. All Players.

        Martha and John Welte, 491.30. Then it’s all Ohio and Pa. – Paul Holmes of Wadsworth, Ohio, 456.96; Erin Gonzalez of Mars, Pa., 303.20; Reanette Frobouck of Pittsburgh, 247.18; Richard and Monica Early of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 238.93 and 221.61, respectively; Richard Katz of North Versailles, Pa., 203.14; Bruce Cahoon of Akron, Ohio, 200.52; and Stewart and Sandra Metosky of Pittsburgh, 197.84 and 192.18.

        Mini-McKenney. District 5. Gold Life Masters.

        Here Philip Goulding of Wexford, Pa., has the lead with 242.42. He’s ninth among all District 5 players. Allen Beroza comes next with 160.90. He’s #30 overall. Right behind him is Barry Boyd of Wheeling with 160.57 (#31 overall). And not far away is Ken Meier with his 151.02 (#36).

        After that, it’s Gary Sikon of Cleveland, 129.69 (#47); Peter Merker of Mentor, Ohio, 119.23 (#52); Kenneth Eichler of Murrysville, Pa., 111.66 (#64); Carolyn Sullivan of Richfield, Ohio, 93.86 (#98); Jayne Stahr of Stow, Ohio, 86.87 (#113); and Leroy Hackenberg of Pittsburgh, 82.24 (#125).

        And guess who’s #12, after Ronald Sain of Indiana, Pa. (75.90 and #144). This Dale Anderson guy. His 75.16 puts him at #147 among all District 5 players.

        It felt so good skipping the national guys last month, I think I’ll do it again. Year-end, we’ll catch up with them.