I started playing bridge 50 years ago with my in-laws, joining the ACBL in 1973. We played in ACBL games in a large family room in the home of Helen Joe and Bob Owens in our resort town of Cape May, NJ. Helen Joe is now the club manager for Clearwater Bridge Club, FL. My first big tournament was in Lancaster in the early 1970s. I had a bridge party for a baby shower in 1973. As a wife, mother, and nurse, it was difficult to make bridge a top priority. Our home was also a distance from many tournaments. Studying my bridge book signed by Charles Goren taught me card play and defense. I was so happy to finally get the silver points I needed at our Cape May club with many of the players I had played with for over 40 years.
Category Archives: Stories
Ellen Luchette – NABC Master
I reached this next rank thanks to the late, great Lila Gleitman, my mother. Mom, my favorite bridge partner, would come to the table and when meeting new opponents, would say, “I may look like a blind, little old lady, but I always have an Ace up my sleeve.” And she would pull out an Ace of Hearts. Mom and I wanted to go to Nationals this year. We qualified right before Covid. I retired to play bridge with her and go to Nationals. I almost quit the game when she died, but thanks to John Dickenson who invited me to play with him shortly after her death, I realized the game was her gift to me. And so long as Mom is in my heart, I will always have an Ace up my sleeve. I had one tattooed permanently on my arm.
Alan Fierverker – Gold Life Master
I started playing bridge in the late 90s to help my dad become a Life Master. We never had a convention card. He was not in good health. I was working full time as a physician. But he did become a Life Master before passing away in 2004. I subsequently retired and began playing more bridge. The photo is of my dad Harry who was loved by all & myself.
Pam and Lance Rozsa – Junior Master
Lance retired in 2017 and I semi-retired in 2019. We wanted to find something we could enjoy learning together, both for mental acuity and for social contacts. I played bridge in college, but not since, and Lance never played bridge. Lance is a “strategic” thinker and I felt he would enjoy the challenge of learning bridge. We were thrilled to find lessons with Sara Gainey, who is a wonderful teacher. We began lessons in Spring 2019. And then…Covid hit. We continued learning using BBO and Betsy Cutler offered us online mentoring with another couple. This was invaluable to us as new players.
As you all know, Covid prevented in person play so we participated in online games offered through the Unit on BBO. We slowly began getting points — thanks to stratification — but our goal has always been to learn. Last Spring and again this year, we are fortunate to be mentored by Mimi Lengel and MaryJo Stoffet. Both ladies are extraordinarily knowledgeable and patient, patience being the higher virtue. Remembering bidding rules and conventions is, at times, difficult and mistakes happen (like the time I passed MaryJo’s “double” not remembering it was a forcing bid only to have the opponents’ contract results doubled). We open hands after each board and discuss how we might bid the hand differently, count losers, and different play strategies. We know our bidding and play of the hand has improved because of their mentorship.
We also play at Brookside Country Club on Wednesdays with a marvelously kind group of players whose skills and sense of humor allow us to grow as players. Sara Gainey is the director and offers a lesson before each game. With the ebb and flow of Covid, our attendance has been more sporadic than we’d hoped, but we’re committed to continuing to learn with this fun group of players.
The journey of learning and playing bridge has been a more bumpy road than we expected, but we plan to continue to grow with lessons, mentoring and games.
David Laskin – NABC Master
I am extremely proud of my recent achievement of attaining NABC Master in a relatively short time! My first black points were earned on December 31, 2019, three weeks after my initial visit to the South Jersey Bridge Club. Little did anyone anticipate how all of our lives would drastically change over the ensuing months!
There are many people to thank in reaching this milestone. First my teachers: Lou Minter (showed me how to play bridge for the first time during a cruise in November 2019), Martin de Bruin, Dave Le Grow, Joann Glasson and Becky Levinson. Also, many people over the last two years have partnered with me and tolerated my mistakes and poor judgment: Pam, Becky, Christina, Wendy, Susan, Ann, but most importantly, John O’Rourke. Thank you all for your patience and friendship!
Finally, and of paramount significance, I would love to thank my loving wife of 40 years, Carol, who has been putting up with me, throughout these last two years, with my new addiction. Carol, thank you for your love and support!
Walter Stromquist – Life Master
I have aspired to LM status since high school, but I had accumulated only about 6 points through 2017. Then I began to play regularly at Dave LeGrow’s Valley Forge Bridge Club, and found good friends and partners there including Hinda Haskell and Rich Meyers. More recently on BBO I have been able to continue my partnerships with Jon Kane and Sandy Soss and play regularly with Paul Turner, along with many other great partners! That last oh-so-elusive gold point came in an online event last March.