I started playing Bridge about 8 years ago. I had sold my family business (Zinman Furs) a few years before that and was looking for something to do that would keep my attention and that I would enjoy. I had tried a few other things like Real Estate and taking some classes, but I really didn’t want to stick with anything until I found Bridge. I never thought I’d make Life Master. 500 points seemed insurmountable, but little by little they accumulated and low and behold, I finally made it! I’ve made lots of friends and there’s always something new to learn. Thanks to everyone who’s helped me along the way – My partners and teachers.
Category Archives: Stories
James Post – NABC Master
I started playing bridge in college over fifty years ago.Always enjoyed the game but never really learned much about how to play. When I retired in July 2017, I decided to play bridge as a way to make new friends and perhaps learn the game. The bridge community of northeastern Pa. has been great at being mentors and ambassadors of bridge. many thanks to Beth Rosenthal,Joe Distini,George Mansour, and George Marcy for helping and teaching me the game and of course to my many partners. Looking forward to many more years of playing.
Marsha Raines and Steven Gersz – Club Masters
We are happy to share that our teacher, Cindy Reid, is responsible for turning us into Bridge people! We began lessons with Cindy about three years ago. We were one of Cindy’s first students and as she learned to teach, we learned to play! She is a very patient teacher and understood that we needed to be taught not only the fundamentals of the game but also needed much encouragement. Many of our group played with their “life partners” and that, as you know, can be a challenging experience! Cindy encouraged us to play “nicely” and to always treat our partner with respect and kindness.
Cindy recognized that her beginners needed not only lessons but an opportunity to play. She worked with Bruce Toder to establish a “Beginners side of the room” for his Monday evening games. She attended with us, providing reassurance and support as we entered the world of Duplicate Bridge. Cindy also arranged for a supervised play of the hand class so we could practice our new skills while playing in a supportive and non-threatening atmosphere.
We also have to give credit to Ricky Briggs, a great mentor and to all of the more experienced “Pros” who willingly played with us at the Pro/Am games. We have recently begun to take classes with Mary Miller who is also a fantastic skilled teacher! (And who gives her students chocolates at every class!)
Final thanks go to all of the more experienced players who have been patient with our bidding and playing mistakes (Gee Marsha, I don’t think you really want to double your own partner!) To Lois Sanders who puts up with our forgetting our convention card. To the Tournament coordinators who have provided us with Vegan lunches!
We have begun to explore opportunities to play in District and Regional tournaments and have had a great experience!
Frank Doub – Life Master
Frank Doub, a resident of Falling Waters, with roots in Washington County, recently achieved the most sought after rank in competitive bridge: Life Master. To achieve this rank, a player must gain different types of points—gold, silver, black—in competition at the local, state and regional level. Frank met the goal of 500 points at a regional tournament in Reston, VA, on July 2.
Frank began his quest for Life Master in 2015. He played bridge with his parents and socially with friends for many years but discovered competitive bridge once he retired. Members of the Hagerstown and Martinsburg Duplicate Bridge Clubs partnered with Frank as he travelled to tournaments as far away as Gatlinburg, Tennessee to get the required points.
“Bridge is a wonderful and fascinating game. It is a great way to exercise your brain which at my age, 68, is a good idea” reports Frank. “It also gets you out of the house and enables you to socialize with some really great people. I received my early lessons from Frank Carden and then later from Dan Putnam,, both of whom are directors at the Hagerstown Club. My primary partner has been Charles Meister, who is the director of the Martinsburg Club”.
There are many levels of Life Master. Frank already has his sights set on the next rank, Bronze Life Master. Charles Meister, a silver Life Master, does not doubt Frank will achieve his goal.
“Frank is very deliberate in his play. He is a good partner, compliments good play and does not criticize his partner’s mistakes.”
Diane Brinker – Regional Master
I joined Overbrook golf club about 15 years ago and took a crash course on bridge. I was placed at the last table on the third team in the Philadelphia league.
My first partner in bridge was 93 years old and was so bright and her memory so sharp that she inspired me to continue with duplicate bridge.
I continued to play team bridge and earned master points at the Ocean City yacht club and the shore Bridge club in NewJersey In the summer, and at duplicate games at Overbrook golf club in Pennsylvania in the winter months. Playing bridge has been and continues to be a great experience.
Sharon Laas – Life Master
About 15 years ago, I started hearing about how great bridge was from two whitewater paddling friends who had had to give up the sport and whose energy and enthusiasm was now focused on this new endeavor. A short time later, I met another former kayaker at a dinner party who was also touting bridge. Since I was contemplating retirement in another year or two, I thought I might give this a try.
It started with the former kayaker and his bridge partner organizing weekly social bridge with a mini-lesson to start. We needed a fourth, and I eventually recruited a retired friend from work (and future regular bridge partner) to participate. Eventually my friend and I discovered the Intermediate lessons at the Bridge Studio of Delaware, and avidly pursued their course of Intermediate, and then Advanced Lessons which were invaluable.
Meanwhile, we continued to play weekly social bridge with a strong emphasis on analyzing interesting hands regarding the bidding or play of the hand. Eventually my novice partner and I tested the waters at a few local bridge tournaments.
Once I retired, bridge turned out to be a great outlet for mental stimulation, protracted focus and memory improvement. Learning the various bidding systems was like learning a foreign language while play of the hand was a great way to challenge one’s memory powers!
Becoming a life master was a long term goal, but not a priority for me. I’m still an avid white water kayaker and kayak instructor. So I mainly played in Sectional, Regional or National tournaments that were easy day trips from home such as the Philadelphia National (where I won my first gold points), and tournaments in Hunt Valley, MD; King of Prussia, PA; Lancaster, PA; and Wilmington, DE.
The most recent tournament in Fort Myers, FL where I finally made life master was the first “away game” I ever attended.
Besides the instruction at the Studio, I’ve also spent many hours of practice using Bridge Baron for Mac on my computer, reading the Bridge Bulletin, and a few bridge books. By and large, however, my primary partner and I have generally stayed with the systems that we learned in the Intermediate and Advanced program at the Bridge Studio of Delaware.