Minnesota Bridge

The Minneapolis Grand Slam Club in Pictures

 
Professional photographer Chris Bohnhoff shot marvelous photos of bridge players at the Twin City Bridge Center recently.  Chris had so much fun with that project, he decided to head a mile down the street and capture a few of the competitors at the Minneapolis Grand Slam Club.

Here are the results of Chris' most recent efforts.

We so appreciate Chris' attention to our great game, and for showing the world bridge lovers seriously competing in the Twin Cities toughest game.  If you have any photographic needs, Chris Bohnhoff is the guy to call!  Don't forget - Chris is a bridge player himself, too.  Maybe one day we'll capture Chris at the card table ... :)

There Once was a Partner....

At our most recent Minnesota State Sectional, we featured a bridge poetry contest.  Great entries were submitted by Evan Sachs, Steve Gaynor, Edna Lusk, Maurice Mertens, Verda Gould and Dave Neiman.  We thank everyone for their submissions, which were posted at the tournament.

Dave Neiman created the winning poem.  Please enjoy it below!

There once was a partner from hell,
Who bid like his hand was so swell.
He ignored my two passes,
Then took two losing finesses,
And blamed me when one short he fell.

Portrait of Bridge Players

Earlier today, I received a phone call.  "Hi," said the voice at the other end.  "I'm a commercial photographer in Minneapolis.  I like telling stories with my photos, and I'm working on telling the story of bridge."  So began my conversation with Chris Bohnhoff.

Later today, I arrived home with a link to Chris' blog, his Twin City Bridge Center photo shoot, and links to his fantastic other photographic work. 

When Chris says he's a professional photographer, he is not kidding!  Please do take a look at the portraits he took.  They are just superb - as his Chris' accompanying story of his introduction to the game of bridge itself.

Chris is hoping to take more photos and tell more stories.  I certainly hope he does - and if he has half as much talent for the game as he does for photography, we will have a budding bridge star on our hands!

Double Dummy

No, this is not a post about a hand so difficult, only eight bridge players in the U.S. could figure it out.  Rather, this is a tale of two hands, and how to enjoy yourself when you are "relaxing" as the proverbial dummy.

Our thanks to Bill Voedisch for this amusing and entertaining submission.  And after you're done enjoying Bill's article, do check out his new book and website!

Victorious in Lake Geneva

The fall regional in Lake Geneva has long been a popular venue for Minnesotans.  The drive there is gorgeous, and the tournament itself is fun and well run.

Highland Park natives Larry and Mary McIntyre met with much success there.  They won the first two knockout events and placed second in the morning compact knockout, finishing up the week by placing in the overalls of the Sunday Swiss Teams.  A couple from North Carolina played with Mary and Larry earlier in the week; Mary and Keith Anderson from Rochester joined them later.  Very well done!

 

Bridge in the News

Our thanks to Kim Ode and the Star Tribune for an in depth article in Saturday's paper!

Contract bridge is experiencing a resurgence, with an estimated 25 million players nationwide. The mean age of players also is trending younger -- it's now down to about 51. The boom is driven in large part by baby boomers who picked up the card game in college only to let it lapse and, now retired, have time to play again.

It doesn't hurt that a 2003 study by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York found that playing bridge (or chess or a musical instrument) significantly lowers the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.

Our Finest Hour

Just after receiving the nice photo that Rebecca took of Peter and Paul, I found this stupendous article from Paul Gutterman in my email box.

If you want to learn how to win at bridge - then please read this.

A Teacher's Inspiration

Teachers and inspiration.  When we contemplate them, we think of students who were inspired by their teachers.

Sometimes, however, the tables are turned.  A student can inspire the teacher!

Paul Meerschaert shares such a story with us.  Somehow, though - my guess is this teacher inspired his students, too.

Thanks, Paul!

District 14 Director: Sharon Anderson

As almost all of you know, Unit 178's Sharon Anderson is now District 14's representative to the ACBL Board of Directors.  Though she has been serving but a short time, already Sharon is doing the exceptionally wonderful job that we knew she would.

To better communicate with all of us, Sharon now has a District 14 Director webpage.  You can view it here.

Sharon is hoping that many in the bridge community will give her feedback, recommendations, and ideas, along with asking questions when they arise.  Links are provided at Sharon's new site; you can either leave your ideas there, or email Sharon at:  sharonroeanderson@comcast.net

Thank you, Sharon!  We are proud and excited to have you as our representative!

ACBL CEO on the Move

CEO Jay Baum, a familiar friend to many District 14 players, expounds on the ACBL's upcoming move to Mississippi.

Watch Jay in action!

And - thanks to our District director Sharon Anderson for the link.

Our Caddies

Sometimes, in addition to working, they just have fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Voice of Gopher News

As much fun as it is playing in the Gopher Regional, it's additionally fun to read the daily Gopher Bulletins.  Who did what?  Were there some exciting hands and even more exciting stories?

This year, Mike Cassel will be handling all the news that's fit to print at our tournament.  Here's a bit of information about the fellow who will be putting the News of the Day to paper!

Mike Cassel, Editor Gopher Bulletin

Mike joined the ACBL in the early 80's as a means to meet people.  Mike is currently serving his second term on Unit 178's board, has produced a Gopher dining guide, has worked on tournament scheduling plus serving on tournament committees in the last few years.

 

After voicing concerns about waning attendance for Grand National Teams, Mike became the District 14 GNT coordinator.  This past season, he served as the District Final tournament chair and helped to produce an almost 150% increase in district subsidies for the winning teams.  At the 2009 Gopher, Mike will step into the shoes of long time Gopher bulletin maven Darlene Anderson.

 

Highly competitive at the table, Mike has a strong desire to help aspiring bridge players and to work on ways to level the tournament playing field.

 

Hear All About Linda!

What if you gave a regional, and no one knew about it?  Thanks to Linda Brammer, we shall never have to imagine such a scenario.  Linda is in charge of publicty for the Gopher Regional '09 - which now is only a week away!  Here is a bit about the lady who is letting the world know about Gopher Greatness!

Linda Brammer:  Publicity

Linda Brammer (rhymes with “grammar”) started playing duplicate bridge a few years ago. Linda was a fast learner, and bridge quickly became a passionate interest. This year, Linda achieved Life Master rank!  For 2008, she is the District 14 winner of the Ace of Clubs and the Mini-McKenney in the 200-300 point category. Linda will handle publicity for the 2009 Gopher Regional, a job for which she is well-suited.

Linda worked in Marketing Management/Project management for over 15 years for Dayton’s/Marshal Field’s/Macy’s. Unfortunately, cutbacks at Macy’s in Minnesota left Linda unemployed and looking for work, with a strong interest in using her collective skills working for a non-profit organization.

Expert Night

A few years ago, Sharon and Roger Anderson built a beautiful new home.  They included a gorgeous kitchen, wonderful master suite, den with a view, and a bridge room.

Bridge room?

Yes!  For decades, bridge has been a major part of the Andersons' life.  In addition to being expert players themselves, Sharon and Roger have "given back" tremendously to the bridge community.  Both have served on Unit Boards.  Both have worked as tournament chairs, and Sharon has run Minneapolis tournaments, all the way up to our last NABC.  Now, Sharon is representing District 14 at the ACBL.

For the Andersons, however, this is not enough.  They built the "bridge room" with a plan.  Part of that plan is to help educate newer and intermediate bridge players.  Several times a year, local experts such as Kerry Holloway, Cindy and Bob Balderson, Mike Flader and others prepare a lecture on a topic of their choosing.  After a great pot luck dinner, participants listen keenly to the lecture, then play hands selected by their expert that relate to the evening's topic.  Larry Oakey donates expert directing services.  Afterwards, hands are discussed and the evening's expert answers questions.

Last week, Phil Schwarz was the able expert.  Phil's topic was "counting" - something that is critical to becoming a good player.  Though Phil's hands were tough, everyone enjoyed the evening - from the delicious dinner to all the bridge activities.

As a bonus, an international expert made a surprise entrance!  Richfield's own Steve Garner was in town, and Steve regaled us with tales of international bridge, elite competition and more.

Unit 178 President Marv Riedesel works with the Andersons to arrange these great evenings.  Our thanks to Marv, Larry, all the experts - and of course, Sharon and Roger - for donating so much to our bridge community!  You all are the best!

Do check out this link, too, for lots more photos of the latest Expert Night!

Welcome to the Gopher!

As the Gopher Regional draws nearer, we become even more appreciative of all those who work so hard to create a great tournament for us.  Getting folks registered and providing hospitality for all our players improves our experience.  Here is the person in charge of it all!

Kathy Beckman, Registration/Hospitality Desk

For give years, Kathy has volunteered to be in charge of the Registration/Hospitality Desk at the Gopher Regional.  Kathy is already "on the job"!  Much of the work is done prior to the Regional.  Kathy is an excellent chairperson, and she has many other willing and dependable helpers assisting her.  Having friendly people and encouraging everyone is a key goal for our tournament; Kathy makes it happen.

Kathy began playing duplicate bridge in the early 1980's.  After a divorce, she wanted to meet people.  Herm Buck in particular encouraged her.  Over the years, Kathy has indeed met many people and made loads of friends in the bridge world.  She has been rewarded with both friendship and enjoyment of the game - always striving to do her best.  Kathy looks forward to lots more bridge in upcoming years!

 

Caddie, Please!

When we're competing away at a tournament, our minds are focused on our game.  What did partner's bid mean?  How should I play this contract?  Where are our defensive tricks? 

Yet, away from the heat of battle, we can think about and thank the many sorts of people who make our tournaments run smoothly.  Some of those people are caddies.  They are the folks who pick up our results, be they plus 1100 or minus 670.  They move our boards around during team games - and overall, contribute to a well-functioning tournament.  Thank you, caddies, for your contributions!  And - thank you, Verda Gould, caddy master for Gopher '09!

Verda Gould:  Caddies

Verda Gould will again be our caddy master, supervising both senior citizens and young people as caddies.  The senior citizen caddies Verda recruits are raising funds to support the Minneapolis Acquatennial, an organization to which Verda has devoted much time and devotion. 

Verda's first allegiance, however, is to our bridge community.  Verda started playing bridge after seeing a Twin Cities Bridge Center sign across the street as she was dining at Perkins.  (Verda is not the first Perkins customer to become a bridge player!)  Verda has been active in our bridge organization by chairing or working on the state sectional, the North American Pairs contest and the Mini McKenney awards.  She has also served on the Unit 178 Board of Directors.  Verda is happy to volunteer on these projects because, as she says, "The people are always wonderful and cooperative."

                   

Bravo!

Awards.  Recognition.  Fabulous turnout.  Bountiful & beautiful buffet.  Duplicate game.  Smiles.  Applause.  Laughs.  Tough bridge hands!

All this and more were on stage at the Twin City Bridge Club Saturday night as Unit 178 celebrated and feted those honored with Mini-McKenney and Ace-of-Clubs awards.  Marv Riedesel, President of Unit 178, began the evening with an introduction of Roger Anderson, Master of Ceremonies.  Roger has done a magnificent job for many years now, introducing award winners and recognizing those with fine accomplishments for the past year. 

Along with dapper Roger, Sharon Anderson has also been instrumental in the special evening at the TCBC.  This year was no different; festivities included a wonderful buffet that never ended, all organized and prepared by the amazing and elegant Sharon.  Of course, now Sharon is also the director representing our District 14 - for which we are quite grateful.

As award winners received a handshake from Marv and congratulations from Roger, they were a blur of motion.  Then, it was on to the two section local duplicate game, where all those who had accomplished so much in 2008 were able to dazzle their partners.

Many thanks to the many who contributed to the fine evening, including TCBC owners Chip and Teri Blu, the amazing TGLO (THE great Larry Oakey), Unit 178 board members - and, of course, all of you who showed up to participate!

One person was not at the party last night.  Nevertheless, he was remembered fondly and warmly.  Jim Hall, the Minnesotan who earned more masterpoints than any other in our history, died just about a year ago in March.  As Jim had bravely played some in the last few months of his life, he was on the list of those who achieved in 2008.  Actually - Jim had been achieving for decades at our game, setting the standard for both technique and accomplishment.  Not having Jim in our events any longer is an enormous loss.  Still - we remember him both as our friend and as "the guy to catch" in so many ways.

Please enjoy more photos from Unit 178's fun awards celebration!

Top 100 - 2009

Every year, we publish a list of the top 100 masterpoint holders in Minnesota.  Those who comprise the top 100 for 2009 is now ready; the full list can be seen below the line.

The top ten masterpoint holders are:

1	Peggy	Kaplan	11294.39
2	Jerome	Lee	10107.03
3	Larry	Oakey	9567.32
4	Jack	Rhatigan	8691.72
5	Peder	Langsetmo	8550.23
6	Bob	Balderson Jr	7333.13
7	Terry	Beckman	7206.39
8	Paolo	Ranaldi	6929.73
9	Cynthia	Balderson	6797.24
10	Steven	Gaynor	6552.32

You will note that only two of the 100 have gone over 10,000 masterpoints - though Larry Oakey is threatening to do so soon!  One married couple has achieved status in the top ten:  Bob and Cindy Balderson.  And, for those who are curious, the sum total masterpoints of the top 100 is 400,319.41!  To make it into the top 100, at least 2044.26 masterpoints were required.

Everyone should be aware that masterpoints are only a rough approximation of a player's capability and accomplishments.  Many factors enter into why a player earns the masterpoints that they do.  Some quite talented players simply do not have the same opportunities to add to their masterpoint totals as do others.

Nevertheless, we applaud all these Minnesotans on our list.  Through club games, sectionals, regionals and national events, they have competed and succeeded - and piled up the masterpoints!  Well done!

Missing in Action

Did you miss the action at the ACBL's most recent NABC in Houston?  If so, Minnesota Bridge will try to bring a bit of the action back to you!

First, a fun news clip about our game, its personalities and the future of bridge.

Next, a round-up of stories, photographs and people who were in Houston, courtesy of yours truly, the "roaming reporter."

Finally - another photograph of those who did enter Houston's bridge fray:  Carole Miner and Cindy Balderson with two of their teammates from the Women's Swiss Teams, Nadia Koch and Kathy Baum.

 

For our next NABC in Washington, D.C., we hope that you will be a contender!  Nothing would please me more than capturing a celebratory pose!

Minnesota in Houston Snapshots

Although I arrived at the Houston NABC too late to play, many Minnesotans were right in the thick of things.  Here are a few photos of friends I glimpsed during the second qualifying session of the Open Pairs.