17 full tables enjoyed our recent pro-am unit game. It’s very encouraging to see all the “amateurs” seeking to improve their bridge games and all the “pros” willing to share their experience. Fran Dickman & Tom Dougherty were first overall. Wendy Dewell & Paul Cornelius were first in the other direction in strats A, B, and C! First in B and C in the other direction were Shane De Zilwa & Michael Fleisher. Due to popular request, the board is considering more than one pro-am game a year. The random pairings seemed to work fine. Next time might well be all random pairings and no prearranged partners.

            Upcoming in May we’re having a unit game Saturday night, May 11, at the end of STAC week. If you’ve been looking for a convenient duplicate game on a Saturday night, you found it. STAC week means silver points at the club.

            In May unit members will have an opportunity to vote for new board members. If you want to serve on the board, let me or another board member know. Free pizza at our meetings the first Wednesday of every month. Look for announcements and voting slips at the San Jose Bridge Club.

            At the Houston Nationals, Dianne Shannon was 2nd in the Silver Ribbon Pairs. Fran Dickman & Jyme Schmeider were 10th in the Women’s Pairs. Shih-Ming Shih and Henry Zoellner won their knockouts.

            At the San Mateo sectional Teddi & Derek Fiero won flight B pairs with a 71.8% game. Other strat firsts in pair games were recorded by Leon Lee & Eric Yang, Pam Wood & Michael Ravera, Bill Langlois, Gabi Pani, Melinda Foos & Stephen Tu, Ted Richmond, Chingling Jim Tseng, Leila Sink & Will Watson, Missy Coy, Robert & Joan Rouse, and Lynn Yokel. Winning Flight A Swiss were K-P. Cheng, Jim Liu, & Jeffrey Hu. In the BCD Swiss, Michael Migdol & Stephen Tu’s team took first, with the Fieros first in their strat.

            At the Marin sectional, Steve Chen had two strat tops in pair games. The evening game must have been wild. 64.9% was only good for 6th overall. Winning their Swiss bracket were K-P. Cheng, Darren Kuo, & Jeffrey Hu.

            Here are last year’s winners in the mini-KcKenney and Ace of Clubs categories respectively. Ace of Clubs is for the most masterpoints in clubs.  Mini-McKenney is simply masterpoints.  Hiram Shen won both races as a Club Master.  Richard Jacobs won both as a Sectional Master. Gerry and Joan Piaget tied as mini-KcKenney Rookies.  The Rookie Ace was Gerald Mitchell.  The rest are Robert Rouse, Evelyn Rossi-Jaschob (Junior); Melinda Foos, Rita Randolph (Regional); Shih-Ming Shih, Gigi Spinazze (NABC); Annette Powers, Art Fonda (Life); Will Watson, Tania Moalem (Bronze); David Pankratz, Ted Richmond (Silver); Richard Reitman, Bonnie Beardsley (Gold); Rose Meltzer, Fran Dickman (Diamond), and Peter Weichsel (Grand Life).

            Corrections, comments, and news are welcome at (408)379-7717 and rayyuenger@starband.net. Old columns appear under “old stuff” at www.sjbridge.org.