Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: Dec. 20, 2025 (Updated)

 

News and notes for the Buffalo area duplicate bridge community appear weekly right here at http://newsdupli.blogspot.com/, usually by midweek. They are no longer carried on the Buffalo News website.

Looking for a face-to-face game on the day after Christmas? The only club offering play on Friday, Dec. 26, will be the Bridge Centre of Niagara in St. Catharines, Ont. The Buffalo Bridge Center and the Niagara-on-the-Lake Bridge Club will be closed that day.

The Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the I-190, also will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 24, and Thursday, Dec. 25, or the holiday. Otherwise it offers a regular schedule of in-person and online games Monday through Friday with party games once a month on weekends. For more info, visit the Buffalo Bridge Center website at https://buffalobridgecenter.godaddysites.com/ or call 716-424-0014. Fee for games is $8 for members and $12 for non-members. Membership is $80 annually and is due this month.

Other ACBL sanctioned clubs: Contact for the Bridge Club of East Aurora is Dave Larcom at dmocral@verizon.net. Games are at 10 a.m. Wednesdays in the Aurora Senior Citizens Center, 101 King St., East Aurora.

The Bridge Centre of Niagara (BCON) in St. Catharines, Ont., offers face-to-face games six days a week at its club in Tremont Square opposite the Pen Centre shopping plaza off Glendale Avenue. Website is bridgewebs.com/Niagara.

The Niagara-on-the-Lake Bridge Club plays in the Community Centre in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., on Anderson Lane off Mississauga Street on the western end of the village. Open games are at 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays. Website is bridgewebs.com/niagaraonthelake.

Non-sanctioned clubs: Tonawanda Senior Center, 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays; Amherst Senior Center, 12:30 p.m. Mondays and Fridays.

Tournament calendar

2026

Toronto Winter Non-Life Master Regional – Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ont. Saturday, Jan. 3, and Sunday, Jan. 4. For more info, click this link.

Toronto Winter Sectional – Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ont. Saturday, Jan. 3, and Sunday, Jan. 4. For more info, click this link.

Cleveland Rock and Roll Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Road, Independence, Ohio. Wednesday, Jan. 7, to Sunday, Jan. 11. For info, click this link.

Niagara Winter Sectional – Holiday Inn & Suites Parkway Conference Center, 327 Ontario St., St. Catharines, Ont. Friday, Feb. 13, to Sunday, Feb. 15. For more info, click this link.

Toronto Easter Regional – Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen St. West, Toronto, Ont. Tuesday, March 31, to Sunday, April 5.

Buffalo Spring Sectional – Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. Friday, April 10, to Sunday, April 12. For info, click this link.

 

Scores from ACBL Live for Clubs

Week of Dec. 8 to Dec. 14

Buffalo Bridge Center Monday evening – 0-900 game online. Fran Schmidt and Richard McGowan, 58.33%; Michael and Jim Hassett, 55.56%; Laura and John Houghtaling, 52.78%; Michel Dupuis and Gary Keenan, 47.22%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-south, Joanne Nover and David Schott, 64.58%; Betty Metz and Barbara Landree, 57.08%; Jim McClure and Richard McGowan, 50%; east-west, Agi Maisel and Pat Haynes, 58.33%; Gerry Steenberge and Mike Meacham, 53.33%; Carol Licata and Ilene Rothman, 51.25%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Judy Graf and Jim Gullo, 65.40%; Davis Heussler and David Colligan, 60.07%; Jay Levy and Kamil Bishara, 53.59%; Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 52.90%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 49.04%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 56.25%; (tie) Julie Mitchell and Brian Fleming, Joanne Nover and Agi Maisel, 55.63%; (3-way tie) Betty Metz and Maryann Szafran, Paula Kotowski and Walt Olszewski, Joyce Greenspan and David Schott, 51.88%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 50.63%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. (Tie) Donna Steffan and Bert Feasley, Linda Burroughford and Judy Graf, 58%; (tie) Martha Welte and Larry Abate, Tova and Andrei Reinhorn, 48%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Saturday afternoon – Open game. Howard Foster and Mike Ryan, 64.02%; Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 54.76%; Judy Graf and John Ziemer, 50.53%; Joanne Nover and David Schott, 50.26%; Florence Boyd and Dale Anderson, 48.94%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 47.62%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Linda Zittel and Joanne LaFay, 70%; Dan Clark and Dave Larcom, 50%; Bert Feasley and Paul Zittel, 47.50%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – North-south, Shirley Cassety and George Mayers, 67%; Edna and Ron Fill, 55%; east-west, Connie Wilson and Miriam Regnet, 56%; Judie Bailey and Paul Orosz, 55%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, Violet and Jasbeer Makhija, 59%; Nancy Wolstoncroft and Paul Orosz, 58.9%; east-west, Mary and Jim Atwood, 55%; Karen Synor and Jeff Peters, 54%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Mike and Bob Ruff, 58.3%; Ann Dunlop and Kay Brinkman, 50%.

 

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Virtual Club Play

Jan. 1, 2025, to Nov. 30, 2025

0-5 Points – Julie Mitchell, 9.66; Joan Warren, 1.80; Maureen Piasecki, 1.58; Amy Licata, 1.36.

5-20 Points – Mike Rupp, 6.32; Devon Marlette, 3.88; Fran Holmes, 3.83; David Taylor, 0.63.

20-50 Points – Dennis Daly, 4.43; Maxine Johnson, 3.06; Karen Dearing, 1.57; Maureen Saab, 1.34.

50-100 Points – Brian Fleming, 27.06; Gary Keenan, 14.83; Mike Metzger, 14.09; Amy Habib, 11.88; Cynthia Tashjian, 10.22; John Houghtaling, 10.16; Candace Graser, 9.28; Carole Sedita, 6.33; Kathleen Voigt, 4.86; Ilene Rothman 4.73.

100-200 Points – Maria Schory, 16.55; Fran Schmidt, 14.41; Jim Hassett, 12.84; Jim Greno, 5.24; Carol Licata, 4.84; Betsy Greno, 4.61; Joan Ciszak, 0.42.

200-300 Points – Maria Amlani, 63.02; Laura Houghtaling, 10.16; Patty Porter, 1.55.

300-500 Points – Pat Haynes, 12.49; David Schott, 7.03; Bob Ciszak, 6.38; Kusum Phadke, 6.14; Eugene Giorgini, 2.01; Ruth Nawotniak, 1.60; Agi Maisel, 0.85; Joanne Nover, 0.36.

500-1,000 Points – (Tie) Terry and Bram Hamovitch, 65.70; Martha Townson, 33.94; Sushil Amlani, 24.29; Ed Harman, 21.75; Richard McGowan, 16.77; Joyce Frayer, 10.89; Diana Smith, 7.64; Phyllis Wilkinson, 4.24; Jeff Bender, 4.20.

1,000-1,500 Points – Jim Lanzo, 121.75; Vic Bergsten, 65.59; Bill Rich, 15.26; (tie) Jim Easton, Marilyn Wortzman, 13.38; Mary Ball, 4.55; Paul Zittel, 2.93; Bert Feasley, 1.99; Larry Abate, 0.35.

1,500-2,500 Points – Walt Olszewski, 14.44; Pinky Regan, 10.59; Rajat Basu, 6.28; (tie) Paula Kotowski, Nancy Kessler, 2.03; Martin Pieterse, 1.12; Sandi England, 0.98; John Bava, 0.20.

2,500-3,500 Points – Art Morth, 4.07; Elaine Kurasiewicz, 1.90; Linda Burroughsford, 0.84.

3,500-5,000 Points – Chongmin Zhang, 14.81; Martha Welte, 8.42; Barbara Libby, 6.12; Ken Meier, 3.36; Davis Heussler, 0.84; Mike Silverman, 0.23.

More than 5,000 Points – Saleh Fetouh, 105.90; Jay Levy, 39.26; Dian Petrov, 38.61.

Dale Anderson fell in love with this wonderful game as a teen and compiled the local duplicate bridge notes column in The Buffalo News every week for more than 20 years. He's a Gold Life Master and reached a career milestone, 3,000 master points, at the Buffalo Fall Sectional Tournament in September. He can be reached by phone or text at 716-860-2305 or by email at dahotwings@aol.com.