3 Colorado players champs at spring match in Dallas
By Jared Johnson
Three Colorado bridge players can add “national champion” to their already impressive résumés. Spencer Jones, PeggyWare and Garth Yettick, all of Denver, plus Robert Todd of Tallahassee, Fla., won the first ever zero to 10,000 Knockout Teams at the Spring North American Bridge Championships in Dallas last month.
Many competitors fielded sixplayer teams to allow pairs to rest from time to time, but the Coloradans and Todd played as a foursome, which means they played every hand, 56 a day for a total of 280 hands over five days.
Jones, Ware and Yettick are all Diamond LifeMasters with over 5,000 lifetime masterpoint totals, while Todd is an Emerald Life Master with over 7,500.
Although from Florida, Todd is is a regular attendee at Denver sectional and regional tournaments.
Jones andWare have been cowinners of the Colorado Victory Trophy three years in a row. The award goes each year to the Colorado player winning the most masterpoints for first through third overall in upper-division championships at Colorado sectional tournaments.
Yettick is also a multiple trophy recipient. He won the Lou Neff trophy in 2009, 2010 and 2013. The Lou Neff Trophy goes to the Denver unit player winning the most masterpoints at the annual Rocky Mountain Regional in lateMay.
In 2009 Yettick had a recordshattering total of 168 masterpoints. The trophy is often won with 100 or even less.
Ware noted some unusual hands. On one deal the opponents played two of a minor making two for plus 90 (on their five-zero fit, oops). The Colorado team at the second table got to a small vulnerable slam in the other minor (a 10-card fit) for plus 1,370 and a huge point swing.
On yet another hand, one side again played a partial for plus 110, while the same cards, in a different contract naturally, produced another slam, with the Colorado team again on the winning side of the swing.
Bridge Lessons: Those looking to climb the ACBL precious-gems totem pole someday may wish to start with Beginning Bridge, a five-week lesson series taught by Paul Ossip at The Denver House of Cards at 1800W. Oxford Ave.
Classes begin at 6:30 p.m. April 22. Bidding and play will be covered. Call 303-781-6552.
The club is also launching a flighted 299’er game Fridays at 10:30 a.m.
New Player Plateaus: Congratulations to Cal Newlin of Aurora, joining his wife, Flo, as a Platinum LifeMaster for over 10,000 masterpoints.
The Newlins have been one of Denver’s most successful bridge partnerships for several decades. As of Denver’sMarch sectional, they were leading the 2014 Colorado Victory Trophy race with over 60 masterpoints.
New Player Plateaus: Dennis Goldston of Colorado Springs has hit the Emerald LifeMaster threshold at 7,500 masterpoints, and Dick Duff of Denver has attained Diamond LifeMaster status at 5,000, while Rande Short of Colorado Springs, NormanWatt of Loveland and SusanWong of Monument join the Silver Life Master list at 1,000 masterpoints . Karen Carlsen of Lakewood is a new LifeMaster.
Overtricks: Leo LaSota of Glen Burnie, Md., has racked up over 18,000 masterpoints, most of them not even playing against flesh and blood opponents. LaSota tallied up 2,180 masterpoints playing online last year. A few years ago he picked up over 3,500 in a year.
Originally there was supposed to be some kind of a limit on masterpoints that could be won playing on the computer as opposed to at clubs and tournaments, but somewhere things got out of hand.