Due to the inclement weather ACBL Headquarters will be closed Monday, February 8.
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING ACBL’S MOVE TO NEW LOCATION
The ACBL staff is excited about our upcoming relocation, however, please be informed that beginning March 11th and ending on or about March 19th, the ACBL headquarters staff will not be able to receive or send email communications. In addition, various portions of the ACBL web site will be affected. You may not be able to renew memberships online, log into MyACBL, or upload and/or view club game results on the web site during this time. There may be brief interruptions of phone services as well. We do not anticipate any interruption to the ACBL web site home page. We suggest that you visit our home page often for any updates. Our IT Department will be working diligently to keep the technical issues to a minimum and we thank you in advance for your patience as we relocate to our new headquarters.
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ACBL-wide International Fund Game # 1
Clubs across the ACBL will be holding the first of three ACBL-wide International Fund games on Saturday afternoon, February 6, 2010. Masterpoints won at the club are half red/half black sectional rated, with additional overall and district-wide awards possible. Funds from this game will help support ACBL players in international competition. Analysis by Frank Stewart is provided. Click here for a list of participating clubs.
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February is Junior Fund Month
All sanctioned club sessions in February may be held as Junior Fund Games. Players can earn extra masterpoints while helping the juniors and youth up to age 26. Junior players have their own special events as well. Check them out at Youth4Bridge.org.
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PLATINUM PAIRS – INAUGURAL EVENT SET FOR RENO!
The ACBL is excited to announce a new event for the Spring North American Bridge Championships – The Platinum Pairs. Those who qualify will have a chance to play in the inaugural event beginning Friday, March 12 at the 2010 Spring NABC at the Grand Sierra Resort & Casino in Reno, NV. Read more...
To qualify, players must meet one or more of the following criteria:
Earned at least 50 platinum points in the three calendar years prior to the event (total for the years combined);
Earned at least 200 platinum points lifetime;
Attained the rank of Platinum Life Master or Grand Life Master
Click here for complete tournament schedule.
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Join the Fun
Submitted By Leon Galecki
The Scottsboro (AL) Bridge Club, which just organized in 2009, is working hard to find bridge players in their area. The nearest bridge club is about 40 miles, so a group got together to establish a place where we can play and earn masterpoints. We were definitely noticed at the local Senior Expo (see photo). We are preparing to enter the Chili Challenge next month that benefits Habitat for Humanity where we expect to win the best Display/Presentation Award and hopefully the Best Chili Award. At the very least, the people in Scottsboro are learning that we are out there and that we are having fun! Pictured are Leon Galecki and Shirley Rosanno.
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Bridge Players Lend a Hand
Photos Submitted By Nadine Miller
One of the players from the Boca Raton (FL) Duplicate Bridge Club suggested the players take up a collection for the survivors of the earthquake in Haiti. The club owners, Neil Evangelista and Marlene and Ted Catino, agreed to match whatever was collected. The result was $150 from the players, and $150 from the club.
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Dick Benson
1941-2010
The head of a talented bridge family died January 22, 2010: Dick Benson. With almost 12,750 masterpoints, Dick was #247 on the list of the top Masterpoint holders in the ACBL. Read more...
Yet, Dick’s pride came not from his own substantial accomplishments at the table; they came from the rest of his family. Dick was thrilled when wife Chris became a Grand Life Master in 2008 with her win in the Whitehead Women’s Pairs. He delighted in the success of his daughter Martha Katz, a world Junior champion. And when grandson Sam won the 0-1500 Mini-Spingold in 2007, no one was more excited than Dick. He also beamed at the mention of son-in-law Ralph Katz, whose long list of national and international titles culminated in victory at the most recent Bermuda Bowl.
In addition to Dick’s family of champions, he had friends throughout the bridge world. Although a tough competitor, no one was more of a good sportsman than Dick. If partner didn’t find the right line of play, Dick was supportive. If an opponent came up with a winning defense, Dick offered congratulations. He enjoyed the successes of his friends more than he did his own.
Perhaps there is someone in the bridge world that is more positive, more supportive and with a bigger heart than Dick Benson – but, his friends can’t think of anyone. He will be missed.
Submitted by Peg Kaplan
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Playing Bridge in the Dark
Dominic Papa is 92 years old and plays bridge several times each week. There’s nothing unusual about that — quite a few bridge players do so. What is unusual is that Papa is blind. Read more...
Papa plays with Braille cards. He gets regular cards from ACBL, then has someone convert them to Braille, a pattern of raised dots that represent letters and numerals. He “reads” the cards by feeling the dots. At the table, the bidding is aloud. Then, someone tells him the cards in the dummy, and he memorizes them. Papa keeps a set of Braille cards at both clubs where he plays. Dots on cards eventually wear down and he has to get new ones.
Originally, Papa had high myopia. That means he wore thick glasses and didn’t see well. During surgery for a detached retina, he lost his sight in one eye in 1950. Then, when he was 83 years old, he fell, hit his “good” eye, and lost vision in that one, too. Up to that point, he had good vision in one eye (with a contact) and still drove. After that, he had to learn Braille.
Papa is a Silver Life Master who shares time between Gloversville NY and Marco Island FL. He plays Standard American with some gadgets. The Jewish Congregation of Marco Island BC has named a once-a-year charity game after him.
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OfficeMax is Back!
As some of you are aware, we had a temporary glitch with our OfficeMax discount agreement. You will be glad to know that the problem has been resolved and we do have the OfficeMax discount. You can read the information and print out your discount card here.
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Collegiate Competition Scheduled to Begin
The 2010 Collegiate Bridge Championship qualifying will be held Saturday February 13. This free on-line qualifying phase will move qualifying teams on to the Summer NABC in New Orleans, LA. Entry is open to all colleges and universities in North America. Click here to view the Conditions of Contest. Click here to complete an entry form for your team.
For additional information contact: collegiates@acbl.org
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Can You Guess Bob L.'s Identity?
The mysterious Bob L. has traveled North America the past four months, attending clubs and tournaments and making many new friends. He is a little surprised, however, that no one has asked him point-blank who he really is. Click here to read Bob's latest post. You can win a visit from Bob if you can guess his identity.
Teacher of the Year Award Created
(Reprinted from the San Diego Fall 2009 NABC Daily Bulletin)
Not every bridge teacher has authored a bestseller, written a newspaper column or become well known enough to receive an entry in the Official Encyclopedia of Bridge. Nevertheless, there are many teachers who continue to inspire their students day in and day out, promoting the game in their community and answering any question clearly, concisely and without judgment, whether it’s how to take a finesse or Roman Keycard Blackwood. Their work too often goes unrecognized, yet it is vital to the future of the game. Read more...
Starting next year, thanks to Master Point Press and the American Bridge Teachers Association (ABTA), these anonymous-yet-praiseworthy mentors will finally have an annual award to call their own: the ABTA Master Point Press Teacher of the Year Award.
“This is really for the unsung heroes of the bridge world,” Barbara Seagram, co-author of the bestselling 25 Bridge Conventions You Should Know, chair of the ABTA Teacher of the Year Committee, and a bridge teacher herself, said in a statement. “At last there is an award for those in the trenches.”
To nominate someone, students are encouraged to e-mail one or two paragraphs to Barbara Seagram (bseagram@ca.inter.net) explaining why their teacher deserves consideration. Nominees must have at least five years’ teaching experience, and teach at least 75 hours a year. Nominations will close on April 1, 2010.
The award will be given to a teacher who exemplifies what Seagram calls “love for the
game. They may not have a famous name, but their communication skills and enthusiasm promote bridge’s future, adding to your enjoyment.”
Master Point Press co-founder Ray Lee is “delighted” to be working with the ABTA to create the Teacher of the Year award. “It is the bridge teachers who bring new people
into the game, and we want to recognize their hard work and dedication,” he said.
The first winner will be presented with a “Teacher of The Year” plaque and a cash award
next July in New Orleans at the ABTA’s 2010 convention.
The ABTA is a professional organization of bridge teachers from Canada, Mexico and the USA. Its mandate is to help those who teach bridge to do it better. Master Point Press is the world’s largest publisher of books on contract bridge with more than 150 titles in print. Most recently, MPP has expanded its reach by starting a blog site at www.bridgeblogging.com, aimed at providing a forum for discussion on all things bridge, and a sister site www.masteringbridge.com designed for teachers and students.
For more information on this new award, contact Barbara Seagram (bseagram@ca.inter.net) or phone 416-487-8321 or Linda Lee (info@masterpointpress.com) or phone 416-781-0351.
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More Highlights from the San Diego NABC
For more highlights, news stories and photos from the Fall 2009 NABC in San Diego, click here.
2010 World Bridge Series Set for Philadelphia
Thousands of the world’s best bridge players will compete for eleven world titles during the 2010 World Bridge Series Championships in Philadelphia, PA. In addition, a Regional tournament will be held in conjunction with the World Bridge Series. Make your plans now to join bridge players from 100 nations! Read more...
The USBF is pleased to announce that it has entered into a discounted airfare agreement with Continental Airlines, exclusively for participants in the upcoming World Championship. If you are traveling to Philadelphia or Newark, NJ from Sept 26th until Oct 21st, 2010, simply call Continental's MeetingWorks Reservations at 800-468-7022 or your travel agent, and provide code CKT9ZG with Z code ZZP3 to receive a discount on your air travel. In many cases, this special arrangment will provide you with significant savings.
Please click here to access information about the hotel, schedule and entry fees. Additional information is available at http://www.worldbridge.org, http://www.usbf.org and http://www.ecatsbridge.com.
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ACBL Election News
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Bridge Resurgence - Keeping Players Sharp and Creative
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Bridge Bulletin Online
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New Enhancement to ACBL Web Site: NABC Top Winners Directory
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It’s Official!
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Enhancement to ACBL Web Site: New Feature to "Find a Club" Search
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You Could Be Part of ACBL History
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