Category Archives: Stories

Stuart Nemser – Bronze Life Master

ACBL District 4
I retired in 2023. To stay mentally active I played bridge three times a week with my bridge partner Sally Humphrey. Sally is member of Delaware State Bridge Association Board. Sally noticed that all I needed was a few silver points to become Life Master. Therefore we played in the Sectional Tournament at Delaware Bridge Studio in early December. We won (see attached photo) and this gave me enough points to become life master.
My bridge goal in 2024 is to continue to play silver tournaments with Sally and have her become life master in 2024. Life and bridge are good.

Carl Coan – Sectional Master

ACBL District 4

I first started playing duplicate with my mother about thirty years ago. At first we played in a weekly club game at the Knight of Columbus in Arlington, VA. Then we played a few sectionals and regionals and one national tournament in Washington, DC. We had some modest success and earned approximately 31 master points. The last time I earned any master points before this year was, I believe, 2004. and before that it was 1997. Then, for reasons I don’t remember, we stopped playing duplicate.

Then, my wife and I moved to Rehoboth Beach in the spring of 2021. I started playing regular bridge at the country club I belong to. Then, at the end of last year, someone at the club suggested I play in a non-sanctioned duplicate game he played in. So, I started playing in this duplicate game beginning in January of this year.

Then, in July, I was on the ACBL website and, on a whim, I searched to see if there were any sanctioned games in or around Rehoboth. I saw Anna Delapo had a game close to where I live on Mondays and Wednesdays. So I contacted her and have been playing regularly since July. Then, through Anna, I found out about a game on Thursdays in Ocean View run by Donna Heckscher. So I have been playing in Donna’s game since August.

Amazingly, I have earned more than 26 master points in the few months since I resumed playing in sanctioned games in July. That’s almost as many master points I earned playing with my mother over a period of several years.

I enjoy playing duplicate bridge immensely. I plan on playing as often as I can in future.

Philip Lebovitz – Life Master

ACBL District 4

I started playing bridge at the age of 6. My parents and 16-year-old brother needed a fourth and I was it! My mother was a Life Master in Pittsburgh. I played bridge throughout college and medical school, but never competitively. I stopped playing completely from age 25-70 while we were raising a family and while I was involved in my cardiology practice in Lawrenceville NJ. We moved to a 55+ community in Langhorne and I started playing in the clubhouse one afternoon a week. That’s where I met Mark Hedson, who was already a Life Master. Although he is 10 years younger than me, he “adopted” me and asked if I was interested in playing at bridge clubs and learning bidding conventions and defensive strategies. I agreed. We started playing at Dotties in Warminster and routinely finished in the bottom third. But I persevered and gradually we became a very competitive team. When Barbara Patterson started AMI Bridge Club in Langhorne, she served an area that had been long ignored in the northern Philadelphia suburbs. This allowed us to play twice a week without having to travel a distance. In addition, we would play one or two days in the yearly regional at Valley Forge. My high point was at the 2018 regional when Art Frank and his partner from Ohio, Ron Woofter, asked Mark and I to partner in the 2 day KO. Here I was, with 300 or so points, playing with partners with well over a thousand and opponents with even more. We came in 2nd for 9+ gold points! Bridge has been a wonderful outlet for me in my retirement years.

You know, sometimes we meet people at different stages of our lives that have a profound influence. Mark Hedson was one of those. He was never embarrassed when we would get 43%. He introduced me to 2/1, NMF, Cappelletti, Drury, Smolen, Michaels, RKC, Inverted Minors, unusual NT, etc. Each step along the way, he was concerned that my age would keep me from keeping everything straight in my mind. Boy, did I surprise him! I would never have gotten into duplicate bridge if it had not been for him. He has been my mentor and support. I also remember when Barbara started her game. She would get 4 1/2 or 5 tables. She has been such a positive influence in the Yardley-Langhorne area.

Ellen Luchette – Life Master

ACBL District 4

Becoming a life master was a goal I shared with my beloved mother, Lila Gleitman. Crushingly, she died at the end of a bridge game (but not before she asked if we got any points). I’m very proud to share this achievement with Mom, my first and forever bridge partner. Mom and Dad taught my husband and me how to play bridge around the kitchen table. It wasn’t until after losing Dad that we started our journey with competitive bridge and the ACBL.

After losing Mom, I was lucky enough to meet a fabulous man, Bob Grinwis, who became my mentor and close friend. A Ruby Life Master himself, he patiently took the time to teach me things after each game – never judging, never making me feel bad about myself. I became a Life Master at the 2023 Lancaster Regional with Bob as my partner and Mom there in spirit.

I have been very, very fortunate to take bridge lessons with two superb teachers – John Dickenson and Joann Glasson. All four of these special people taught me to always play up and never give up. I look forward to many more days, months, and years at the bridge table.

Jane Bovard – Life Master

ACBL District 4

I have been blessed with a Mentor. He has taught me the conventions and has tested me constantly. I have read books on bidding and the play of the hand. I love the game so it wasn’t a hardship. I was a work in progress for a long time. Some of the best advice I was given: “Play up” and my favorite: “It’s history let it go”.

I have found the one thing that was hard to achieve is confidence. To go into the game and say to yourself – I know the conventions, relax and think. Listen to your partner, it’s a conversation and don’t try to play his hand. Obviously, these are some of my faults. Duplicate Bridge is a wonderful challenge.

 

Mary Moyer – Life Master

ACBL District 4

It took me about 10 years to become a life master.  My husband and I travel a great deal so I kept missing regionals.  On Thursday of the week in Baltimore, my partner and I went down to play in the mid-flight Swiss.  We didn’t have another pair so went to the partnership desk.  I wasn’t very confident because I’ve heard some horror stories about random matchings.  However, we were very lucky and got two of the nicest guys!  They were good players too and we came in third.  I got just enough gold to finally make life master!  I guess it proves no one should give up.