If you receive this paper on time, you’ll have time to head out to the Santa Clara Valley sectional, which starts on Friday April 1, still at the San Jose Masonic Temple. For further details, look for our ad elsewhere in this paper.

Even if this paper comes too late for the sectional, you’ll have time to come to our next unit game, Saturday, April 30, at 7:00 p.m. This stratified open pairs game will recognize Jim Hayashi as one of our newly coined Emerald Life Masters.

Also in April, Lynn Yokel will be offering a new series of bridge classes to beginners and advanced beginners who are interested in improving their defense. Contact her at (408)374-4669 or lynnyokel@comcast.net for more information.

Bruce Scott and Lynn Yokel took first in what was billed as a pro-am unit game. Thanks to the other two “pros” who turned out. If only 18 more had showed up. Next time -- and it will be soon -- we will do it up right and make sure the pros attend. I know how much fun it can be for the more experienced players to lend a hand to those eager to learn.

The San Mateo regional was THE local tournament in February and many unit members took advantage of its proximity. Earning stratification tops in two-session pair games were Li-Chung Chen; Trina Bowman; Daren Kuo; K-P Cheng; Leon Lee & Jerry Lundquist; and Steve Chen. In the limited games, these players prevailed: Bruce Scott & Jesse Merlin; Harvey Lindauer; Cassandra Leung; Marc Epstein; Barbara Tiernan; Joy Baker & Karen O’Connell; Stacie Bowman; Raghu & Manju Agarwal; and Umesh Reghuram.

On winning knockouts teams were Rose Meltzer; Dana Brown & Tania Moalem; Nadia Nillson; Erin Gove, Janet Adamiak, Raja Smadi, John Prior, and Hiram Shen; and Robert & Marcia Dean. Swiss strat tops went to Judy Clark, Michael O’Leary, and Chingling Jim Tseng; Robert & Marcia Dean; David Chang, Y. Chen, and Chee Tung; Ted Richmond and Bill Riester; and Cassandra Leung.

Too many unit members to name here should be congratulated for section tops, high finishes, and success in side games and single-session Swiss games.

Bridge is a competitive game, and it can be frustrating when your opponents are making the right moves and your teammates, your partner, or even you are having unfortunate lapses. The test of character is in how you handle these moments of adversity, more than how you accept the occasional gifts. Remind yourself, it’s only a card game, and I’ll try to remember to do the same.

I welcome news and corrections at rayyuenger@comcast.net and (408)379-7717. Old columns appear under old stuff at sjbridge.org. Any volunteers to be webmaster please contact me.