Aces Places and Faces March 2006

	ACES, PLACES, and FACES PUBLICATION OF THE FRESNO UNIT OF THE AMERICAN CONTRACT BRIDGE LEAGUE
Volume LVIII No 3 March 2006 Special Events Calendar	EDITOR: RICHARD MEFFLEY bridgefresno@hotmail.com (please e-mail to get on e-mail list)

ATTENDANCE IMPROVES AT WINTER SECTIONAL FEBRUARY 23-26 Maybe it was the great hospitality by our committee of Judy Nicholson and Dora Gostanian. Maybe it was the wonderful hospitality our members provided. Maybe it was the free lunch on Sunday. Maybe partnership chairman MunTakeda motivated more of us to play. Or maybe it was just that we were ready to win silver points. Whatever it was, attendance every day was an improvement over last year. Our 299er events were well attended, and the Swiss teams on Sunday was a respectable and challenging event. Maggi Manca, our guest from Novato thrilled us by making LM at our tournament. Jay Roll was the top master point winner, followed by Richard Meffley, Byron Steinert, and Skip Miller. David Brandl and Peter Fashing took the 99er award by winning the most master points of all 99er player at the tournament. Congratulations to all who participated. Thanks go to retiring tournament chairman Mark Stern. If you have any suggestions for our sectional, please talk to our new tournament chairman Rick Betcher. SERIES PARTY MARCH 19 March 19 is the day that the swallows return to Capistrano. To celebrate, we will start a series of six Sunday games, starting with a kickoff party provided by the unit board. Come enjoy the party. The series will continue through the following Sunday and the next few months. We will use the top four scores for each player on the six series games to determine who wins the prizes. We'll announce the prizes during the kickoff party starting at 12:15 Sunday March 19.	UNIT UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR with tournament links California and nearby tournaments Bay Area Tournaments WINTER SECTIONAL UNIT NEWS The unit board of directors currently meets monthly, usually the third Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. Members may attend - just contact a board member to let the board know you are coming. The Unit Board voted not to hold a sectional this June. Priorities for this year include attracting new members with lessons and through other means, and moving forward with the the building fund. Committee chairs and appointment for 2006 are: Hospitality Chairman – Judy Nicholson Membership – Maggie Mahaffey Recorder – Dave Shuster Sunshine – Kim Morris Publicity – Dave Shuster APF – Richard Meffley NAP/GNT – Richard Meffley Judiciary – Emmy Camp Parliamentarian – Kay Chrisman Historian – Verlee O'Neill Bridge Supplies – Paul Messner Business Manager – Mary Lou DaCosta Computer Graphics – Charlene Sweet, Kay Chrisman (Backup) Novice – Paul Messner Charity Chairman – Rick Betcher Clubhouse Maintenance and Repairs – Bruce Smith Education Chairman - Byron Steinert Electronic Contact - Howard Reed Draft minutes of unit board meetings will be posted at the clubhouse and will be available on the unit website.
PLACES AND FACES Donny Graham Makes LM in Santa Clara! At the Santa Clara regional, Donny Graham won the Bracket 4 KO teams and the flight B evening Swiss teams which was enough to make him our latest Life Master. Also in Santa Clara, Kim Morris, Kay Chrisman, Sandra Zovod, and Barbara Thacker were fourth in flight B in the evening Swiss teams. Farid Assemi and Edward Wojewoda were second in the KO teams and 10th in the Swiss teams. Jim Tritt was fourth in the IMP pairs. John and Tina Renna were third in the 299er pairs and won the bracket 3 compact consolation KO teams. Second in the compact KO team consolation were John and Della Schnell, James Slinger and Susan Bertken. Richard Meffley was second in the KO teams. Howard Reed and Pat Simpson were fourth in the 299er pairs and fifth in flight B of the 299er pairs. Warren Cederborg of Visalia was frustrated... He played three knockout matches against Rose Meltzer's team of pros, losing in the semifinals twice. The third time he lost in the finals, losing the lead on the next to last board. He ended up with the seventh highest masterpoint total for the tournament - behind the six members of Rose's team. Jay Roll and Larry Cavanaugh were fourth in the Arroyo Grande sectional open pairs. Congratulations to Anthony Toto, our newest Bronze Life Master. Congratulations to Jim Slinger and Susan Bertken, who were married in February. Welcome to new member Judy Hecht of Madera. She is Denny Green's daughter, and started right by placing second her first time at the Madera Bridge Club. We hope to see Bert Rettner Back at the bridge table soon. He is recovering from recent back surgery. Speedy recovery wishes go to Joyce Kauder, who fell a few weeks ago and is now recuperating at Horizon Health. She hopes to be home soon and be on the rode to recovery, We were saddened at the sudden passing of John Jonasky. He was in the last class of EasyBridge - he thoroughly enjoyed bridge. When he was out of town he always looked up a Bridge Club and played. We will surely miss him. We are sorry to know that our one time unit treasurer Victor Koehler recently passed away. His son informed us of how much pleasure he got from playing at our bridge club.	CLUB NEWS Wanda Cardella was the top master point winner at the Fresno Bridge Club in January. The 99er leader for January was Sue Gearhart with George Eftemon right behind. We've saved lots of club championships for March - check your calendar and play in a few. Those who've played in our sectionals lately have noticed an event called IMP pairs. The game is played like a regular pairs game, but is scored more like a team game. Players are rewarded well for making or beating games or slams, but get tiny rewards for an extra overtrick. Strategy is like team games. The Friday night game will have an IMP pairs game on March 31. Wednesday afternoon will have a Guess Your Score gamee on March 29. Guess your score before the game starts and win! Everett Bondeson and Bob Mortimer were the top Madera players for January, with Denny Green and Ruth Rowe right behind. Pearl McGinnis and Ruth Rowe beat Denny Green and Morgan Johnson by .04 points for February. EasyBridge lessons have just started on Mondays at 6:30 to 9 pm in River Park. Club 55 EasyBridge is at 1pm on Thursdays. The Fig Garden Swim and Racquet Club has a 99er game at 11:30 am on Wednesdays. It's not too late to join any of these groups. Call Gloria at 261-0529 for more information. BRIDGE LESSON #1 NEGATIVE DOUBLE The negative double is one of the oldest of the modern conventions, invented in the 1950's. When your partner opens and the next player overcalls, the negative double is used to tell your partner that you the unbid suits but you do not have the values (in high cards or length) for a free bid. In two cases, you do have the values for a free bid, but we prefer the negative double to describe your hand better. 1. If partner opens a minor, and the next player overcalls 1 heart, bid 1 spade with five spades and double with 4 spades. 2. If partner opens 1 club, and the next player overcalls 1 diamond, double with exactly four cards in each major. With any other major suit distribution ( that means all others) do not use the double. Just bid as if there was no overcall. If you have four of one major and five of the other, bid the five card major. If you have four of one major and fewer in the other major, bid the four card major. Please note that case 1 and case 2 are not the same at all. If you'd like to write a lesson, or if you'd like one written, please write to the editor.
WINNERS CIRCLE WINTER SECTIONAL OVERALL WINNERS WINTER SECTIONAL RECAP SHEETS January 15 - February 15, 2006 UNIT CHAMPIONSHIP 1 Della Schnell - John Schnell 2 Anita Penny - Wanda Cardella UNIT GAMES Jay Roll - Gerard Laquerriere Barbara Thacker - D.S. Zody Skip Miller - Byron Steinert Bert Rettner - Curt Reeves Sally Perring - Paul Messner(B) Sally Perring - Paul Messner(C) UNIT 299ER GAMES Mary Ann Clark - Beverly J Little Roberta Beam - Beverly J Little UNIT BIRTHDAY GAME John Schnell - Della Schnell Doris Frazer - John Barrere(B) GRAND NATIONAL SWISS TEAM 1A Jay Roll - Robert Durbrow - Shirley Blum - Curt Reeves 2 A Richard Meffley - James Tritt - Warren Cederborg - Suzanne Cederborg 3A1B Robert Rouch Jr - Paul Schommer - Mark Stern - David Shuster 1 Margaret Mahaffey - Richard Meffley - Mark Stern - Gerard Laquerriere CHARITY CHAMPIONSHIP 1A Della Schnell - Verlee O'Neill 2A Monique Irion - Anita Penny 3A James Sweet - Jean Kesler 1B Margie Kenyon - Wilma Long 2B1C Rosalie Jorgensen - Gloria Easterly 3B Howard Arquette - Ray April 2C Peter Fashing - David Brandl JUNIOR FUND CHAMPIONSHIP PAIRS 1AB Mark Stern - David Shuster 2AB1C Kay Chrisman - Kim Morris 3A Gerard Laquerriere - Mun Takeda 2B Judy Jessick - Jim McKoane 1 D.S. Zody - Sandy Zovod 2 Sandy Barnes - Robert Durbrow 3 Skip Miller - Byron Steinert 299ER JR FUND CHAMPIONSHIP 1 Sharon Peterson - Ron Licata 2/3 John Barrere - Patrick Carroll 2/3 E Gabriella Solomon - Lorraine Ruen 750 VALENTINE PARTY Kathy Coit - Ina Yssels Mary Jo Davila - Jim Stefanich Carol Miller - Suzanne Graham(B) Mary Warner - Kelly Pope(B) 750 SPECIAL Rick Betcher - Steve Sharp Howard Reed - Pat Simpson Kathy Coit - Ina Yssels George Efthemon - Alan Button(B) Nadine Nemechek - Donna Berman(B) Marlene Robinson - Viola Berg(B) Lou VanCoevorden - Paul Boyd(B) Juanita Mason - Joan James(C) John Oakshott - Peggy Oakshott(C) Marlene Robinson - Jan Winter(C)	CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 1A Della Schnell - John Schnell 2A1BC Suzanne Graham - Judy Jessick 3A George Sturges - Wanda Cardella 2B Bob Loudermilk - Villa Vejvoda 3B2C Rick Betcher - Steve Sharp 3C Mary Jo Davila - Dolores Parada 750 CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 1AB Rick Betcher - Paul Messner 2A Carol Miller - Vivian Betcher 3A2B1C Sue Gearhart - Dolores Beebe 3B George Efthemon - Alan Button 2C John Peckler - Bill Frampton 3C Nadine Nemechek - Donna Berman 1A Rick Betcher - Vivian Betcher 2A1B Syd Bluestone - William McCormick, Jr 3A2B1C Joan James - Juanita Mason 3B Michael Molinari - Mun Takeda 2C Sue Gearhart - Don Winton 3C John Peckler - Betty Peckler OAKHURST WINNERS Bobby Schlagel - Wally Cucura Opal Purvis - Jim Luther Jim Honeywell - Everett Bondeson Mary Myers - MaryAnn Wiker Don McCartin - Muriel Trantham Burke Zane - Al Crane Karen McCartin - Paul Mertens Mike Molinari - Don McCartin Opal Purvis - Gene Kreighoff Den Green- Morgan Johnson Muriel Trantham - Karen McCartin Burke Zane - Al Crane BAROMETER PAIRS 1A William Glass - J. Jay Roll 12/3 Della Schnell - John Schnell 1ABMun Takeda - Sally Perring 2/3A2B Verlee O'Neill - Kay Chrisman 2/3A Bert Rettner - Curt Reeves 1A Curt Reeves - Bert Rettner 2A1BC Judy Jessick - Sally Perring 3A Della Schnell - John Schnell 2B Bill Wood - Jill Wood 2C Hugh Miller - Sandy Zovod 99ER PRS Bob Brothers - Judy Brothers Mary Kay Veenboer-Mauldin - Sandra Beebe Linda Sims - Angelina Heisdorf Bob Brothers - Judy Brothers Linda Sims - Angelina Heisdorf Sandra Browning - Fran Endara Linda Sims - Angelina Heisdorf Sandra Browning - Fran Endara Fran Endara - Jane Bragg(B) Patrick Carroll - John J. McGregor(B) SPECIAL Curt Reeves - J. Jay Roll Verlee O'Neill - John Schnell Jane McCoy - Verlee O'Neill Barbara Taniguchi - Sophia Iwatsubo Norman Woo - Wanda Cardella George Sturges - Bert Rettner John Schnell - Della Schnell Martha Waller - Jean Moats(B) Wanda Cardella - Norman Woo(B) Ray April - Howard Arquette(B) Barbara Thacker - Doris Frazer(B) Howard Arquette - Ray April(B) Sarah J Gilmore - B Joan Fuchs(B) Ted Macaulay - Cynthia Dixon(B) Rick Betcher - Vivian Betcher(B) Martha Waller - Jean Moats(B) Wanda Cardella - Norman Woo(B) Ray April - Howard Arquette(B) Sally Perring - Judy Rosenthal(C) Ron Licata - Sharon Peterson(C) RESTRICTED SPECIAL Jackie Noblat - Sheila Smith Kimi Mochizuki - Laura NeVille Roberta Beam - Beth Hill(B) Pat K. Creede - Lorraine Elia(C)
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