UPCOMING UNIT 154 TOURNAMENTS

Unit 154 – NEW GAME – Beginning, June 3, 2015

Valparaiso Duplicate Bridge Club -- Wednesday mornings -- 11:15 a.m.

Limited Game: 0-500 MP

Location: Banta Senior Center, 605 Beech St., Valparaiso, IN 46380

Club Manager & Director: Charlie Halberstadt at: chbug@yahoo.com

70% + GAMES

Lou Nimnicht, Crown Point & Steve Watson, Schererville; 74.07%  3/31

Joan Smith—Anne Bruick, Fort Wayne; 71.20%  4/1

Donald Ferguson—Rose Ferguson, Fort Wayne; 70.00%  4/14

Lou Nimnicht, Crown Point & Dan Spain, Portage; 72.28%  4/21

Mary Kocevar & Leonard Yarsh, Hobart; 70.83%  4/21

Connie Borland—Vallory Blanton, Fort Wayne; 70.83%  4/29

Joe Chin, Highland & Roger Sokol, Minooka, IL; 72.28%  5/2

Sally Priest, Angola - Grant Van Horne, Auburn; 70.31%  5/5

Al Simmons, Chicago, IL & Barbara Graegin, Dyer; 70.46%  5/2

Gary Chaney—Kimberly Grant, Fort Wayne; 74.64%  5/12

RISING IN THE RANKS:

JUNIOR MASTER:  Judith Black, Crown Point; Knoefel Jones, Porter; Maureen Skurski, South Bend; Thomas Wade, Chesterton

CLUB MASTER:  Donald Mohar, Chesterton; Margaret Mohar, Chesterton

SECTIONAL MASTER:  Kathy Bear, Fort Wayne; Gloria Falcone, South Bend; Don Giedemann, Valparaiso; Mary Kocevar, Hobart; Jim Lively, Highland

REGIONAL MASTER:  William Flanagan, Granger; Guy Morrical, Granger

BRONZE LIFE MASTER

Dr. Kenneth Bisson, Angola

At the Gatlinburg Regional ACBL Tournament, Dr. Ken Bisson earned the final masterpoints he needed to become an ACBL Bronze Life Master. With the help of his partner, Chet Pinkham, along with team event partners from California and Indiana, Ken earned 13 points during the tournament to surpass the 500 masterpoint requirement.

Following retirement from his medical practice, Ken decided to resume playing duplicate bridge, an activity he had enjoyed while in Medical School at Indiana University. In 2007, while on a cruise ship, Ken began earning masterpoints. Following that cruise, he joined the Tri-State Bridge Club in Angola, IN and began playing in their weekly game. Since then, several partners helped Ken gain the skills necessary to improve his game, including Loren Jackemeyer, Roger Lash, Mike Mellinger and Chet Pinkham. In Fort Wayne, Pat Love agreed to partner and mentor Ken. The year they played together helped Ken learn to compete aggressively. :-)

Ken and Chet earned most of their points in Gatlinburg by winning a section top in the open pairs game on Tuesday. It was a pleasant surprise to match up against fellow Director Bob Bell and Gwynne Bell, of Ontario. They first met in January aboard Ken's Freedom Cruise. A highlight of the tournament for Ken was joining team-mates from previous tournaments for several Gatlinburg team events. Reconnecting with friends is the best part of the Regional, according to Ken.

"I would like to thank my many partners for their help with this achievement. A special thanks goes to the students I have been privileged to teach, and to my teaching assistant (and wife), Ellen Bisson." Ken says the hours he devotes to teaching have greatly boosted his personal bridge success. Ken has recently been asked to serve as bridge instructor and Director aboard the Holland America ships and the Yachts of Seabourn. Combining his love of cruising with his passion for bridge has been an enjoyable retirement pastime for Ken and his wife Ellen.

BRONZE LIFE MASTER  

Edmond Douville, Hobart

Dan Simon is one of Ed's most frequent partners. Dan recognizes Ed's achievement with these words: As Eric Rodwell recently said about Ed — Ed is one of the best players in the country, but unfortunately he plays in the city." Kidding aside, Ed is an accomplished player, and it is always a pleasure to play with him. He is a student of the game, very knowledgeable about rules and bidding systems. His knowledge of systems is wide and deep, including Precision, Schenken, 2 over 1, Italian methods, and even Polish club. This makes him a compatible partner for almost anyone. We have known each other for over 30 years and have been playing together for ten. Hopefully, we will be able to play for many years to come.

Dave Abraham from Windsor, Ontario is most often Ed's partner in tournaments — since 2012 when they met at the NABC game in Orlando. They have also played in the nationals in St. Louis and in New Orleans. They have played together in a lot of regionals. The third time they played together was at a sectional in Aurora, IL, where Ed came in #5 out of 275 players who scratched. They have been partners in Kalamazoo and Detroit and Fort Wayne, as well, and have almost always done well.

Dave says that he really enjoys playing with Ed — that Ed is so good at bidding — knows so many things about bidding, that he learns a lot from Ed each time.

SILVER LIFE MASTER

David Hoevel, Fort Wayne    

Philip Slatt, South Bend

GOLD LIFE MASTER

Marilyn J. Weisbach, Fort Wayne

I got my first taste for bridge college! Then, real life began; including a career, marriage, and motherhood, filling my days for the next dozen years. Then Don, my late husband, graduated from college, and I became a “bored” housewife. Bridge became my time-eatter, but it was just social “party bridge” and not very stimulating. I explored the business world and my career for another 20 years. Then when the fever became hotter, it’s back to bridge I go, but this time it’s to the “The Bridge Center” (I first played at a center in Fort Wayne called “Menopause Manor” on Fairfield!---Yes, it was a real place!)

After one full year of not making that first point (or even one tenth of a point), playing with whomever a director could find for me, I was ready to give up. Then, my bridge angel showed up and hooked me up with Everett Bish, and I was totally addicted. While the bridge games were fun, it was the “post-mortems” after the games where I learned the most. Between Ever, Dave Bish, the Tryons, the Stephan, Jack Spring and a few others “stopping in” at Everett’s kitchen, I learned to love the game, and have never tired of the challenges it offers.

If I ever played with you or against you, in the past thirty-five years, I’ve appreciated it and thank you for the points you’ve helped me win to achieve this “Gold Life Master” title. Because of all the fun I have had pursuing this goal, I love all of you!!! “Mare”