Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: April 25, 2026

 

News and notes for the Buffalo area duplicate bridge community appear weekly here at http://newsdupli.blogspot.com/, usually by midweek.

The District 5 finals for Grand National Teams take place next weekend, Saturday, May 2, and Sunday, May 3, in the Erie Bridge Center, 1221 Grant Ave., Erie, Pa. Teams must register by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29. Winning teams represent District 5 in the Summer North American Bridge Championships from July 9 to July 19 in Minneapolis, Minn. For more info, click this link.

The mentoring program has returned at the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the I-190.  Experienced players who want to share their knowledge with novices are encouraged to sign up. So should new players who want to pick up tips from the masters. Call Pat Haynes at 716-472-5189 or email phaynes508@roadrunner.com.

Sunday, April 26, sees the Buffalo Bridge Center’s next party game. Refreshments at noon, game at 12:30 p.m. $8 members, $12 non-members. Bring a snack to share. For partnerships, Pat Haynes once again is the contact. Call 716-472-5189 or email phaynes508@roadrunner.com.

The Bridge Center also offers a regular schedule of in-person and online games Monday through Friday with party games once a month on weekends, usually on Sundays. For more info, visit the club’s 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.

Online games hosted by the Bridge Center at 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday have been transferred from Bridge Base Online to a new platform, RealBridge. For more info, including a player guide, visit realbridge.online.

In addition, the club hosts a supervised play session for players who want experience and advice to improve their game from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays, which has been a great success. Small games now have been added to the session and Bert Feasley is giving mini-lessons. All are welcome. No pre-registration needed. Also popular is the club’s social bridge game just for fun at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays. Signup needed for this one. Call Ruth Nawotniak at 716-949-7574 or email at ruth2250@outlook.com. 

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

The Bridge Centre of Niagara (BCON) in St. Catharines, Ont., offers face-to-face games five 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: Games are held at 12:30 p.m. Mondays and Fridays in the Amherst Senior Center and at 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays in the Tonawanda Senior Center.

Upcoming tournaments

Pittsburgh Spring Sectional – Cranberry Elks Lodge, 20720 Route 19 North, Cranberry Township, Pa. Thursday, May 7, to Saturday, May 9. For more info, click this link.

Finger Lakes Regional – Seasons on Keuka Lake, 110 Mace St., Penn Yan. Monday, June 8, to Friday, June 12. For more info, click this link. 

District 5 Sectional Tournament at the Clubs (StaC) – Participating local clubs. Monday, June 8, to Sunday, June 14. For more info, click this link.

Cleveland All American Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Road, Independence, Ohio. Tuesday, June 23, to Sunday, June 28. For more info, click this link.

Buffalo Summer Sectional – Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. Friday, July 10, to Sunday, July 12.

Oakville Summer Regional – St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre, 1280 Dundas St. West, Oakville, Ont. Tuesday, July 21, to Sunday, July 26. For more info, click this link.

Rochester Summer Sectional – Gates Recreation Center, 1605 Buffalo Road (Route 33), Rochester. Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26.

Scores from ACBL Live for Clubs

Week of April 13 to April 19

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-South, Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 60.42%; Paula Rosen and Maryann Szafran, 58.33%; Joanne Nover and David Schott, 57.50%; Brian Fleming and Dennis Daly, 52.08%; east-west, Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 64.17%; Agi Maisel and Pat Haynes, 59.58%; Nathan and Bill Kross, 54.17%; Ruth Nawotniak and Julie Mitchell, 50%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Martha Welte and Howard Foster, 62.50%; Mary Ball and Joyce Frayer, 58.33%; Allen Beroza and Mike Ryan, 56.25%; Linda Burroughsford and John Ziemer, 54.86%; Donna Steffan and Bud Seidenberg, 54.17%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Pat Haynes and David Schott, 61.11%; Julie Mitchell and Brian Fleming, 60.32%; Marilyn Wortzman and Jim Easton, 53.17%; Linda Marsh and Art Ziller, 50%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. Judy Graf and Mike Ryan, 64.50%; Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 60.50%; John Ziemer and Jim Lanzo, 58.50%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Sandi England and Walt Olszewski, 60.42%; Jan and Carl Hasselback, 57.64%; Joanne LaFay and Barbara Booi, 56.25%; Bert Feasley and Dave Larcom, 52.08%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Monday afternoon – Connie Wilson and Miriam Regnet, 63%; Shirley Cassety and George Mayers, 60.42%; Edna and Ron Fill, 60.32%.

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, Shirley Cassety and George Mayers, 58%; Tim Hartnett and David Young, 52%; east-west, Julie Mitchell and Bill Rogers, 61%; Pam and Craig Jones, 53%.

Tonawanda Senior Center Wednesday afternoon – Susan and Harvey Lichtblau, 56.25%; Rose Bochiechio and Edna Fill, 55%; Bob and Mike Rupp, 52.5%.

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Play in All Venues

Jan. 1, 2026, to March 31, 2026

0-5 Points – Art Ziller, 2,99; Jane Arnold, 0.69; (tie) Walter and Ellen Balon, 0.26.

5-20 Points – Frank Dluhy, 9.60; Susan Mann Dolce, 6.59; Linda Marsh, 4.71; Maureen Piasecki, 4.18; Mike Rupp, 3.78; Bob Rupp, 3.27; Amy Licata, 2.26; Joan Warren, 1.86; Ann Bonte, 0.83; John Brennan, 0.65.

20-50 Points – Julie Mitchell, 13.40; Devon Marlette, 4.63; Anthony Girasole, 2.82; Gini Sicignano, 1.81; Bill Kross, 1.23; Maxine Johnson, 0.74.

50-100 Points – Molly Morris, 7.43; Susan Burns, 5.92; Mike Metzger, 4.16; Anne Slater, 3.87; Kathleen Voigt, 3.24; Mary Berlow, 2.03; Susan Cardamone, 2.11; Jo Ann Smith, 1.84; Elaine Idzik, 1.21; Fran Riordan, 0.50.

100-200 Points – Mike Meacham, 15.97; Brian Fleming, 12.94; Candace Graser, 7.07; Cynthia Tashjian, 7.04; Jim Hassett, 6.92; Fran Schmidt, 4.82; Maria Schory, 4.72; Ilene Rothman, 4.10; Carol Licata, 4.07; Amy Habib, 2.64; John Houghtaling, 2.59.

200-300 Points – Ethan Xie, 9.24; Laura Houghtaling, 2.59; Betty DeFeo, 0.86.

300-500 Points – David Schott, 11.11; Joanne Nover, 9.93; Maria Amlani, 9.12; Ruth Nawotniak, 4.71; David Whitt, 4.02; Linda Milch, 3.46; Carl Hasselback, 3.30; Susan Caswell, 1.54; Agi Maisel, 1.42; Eugene Giorgini, 1.26.  

500-1,000 Points – Jo Nasoff-Finton, 23.56; Terry Hamovitch, 15.41; Bram Hamovitch, 15.37; Sushil Amlani, 13.13; Martha Townson, 11.01; Joyce Frayer, 10.03; Sharon Wilcox, 9.83; Wilson McClaren, 7.98; Pat Haynes, 7.05; Gordon Crone, 6.33.

1,000-1,500 Points – Vic Bergsten, 18.13; Bert Feasley, 15.10; (tie) Jim Easton, Marilyn Wortzman, 10.65; Mary Ball, 9.30; Paul Zittel, 6.44; Joanne LaFay, 5.58; Judie Bailey, 4.96; Terry Fraas, 4.72; Betty Metz, 4.24; Ed Morgan, 2.24.

1,500-2,500 Points –Jim Lanzo, 40.81; David Colligan, 17.40; Pinky Regan, 15.87; Rajat Basu, 11.18; Paula Kotowski, 10.94; Howard Foster, 8.99; Tova Reinhorn, 7.27; Walt Olszewski, 7.23: Joyce Greenspan, 6.26; Kamil Bishara, 4.78.

2,500-3,500 Points – Dale Anderson, 4.04; Art Morth, 1.84; Fred Yellen, 0.90; Elaine Kurasiewicz, 0.05.

3,500-5,000 Points – Linda Burroughsford, 55.39; John Ziemer, 17.17; Judy Graf, 12 even; Donna Steffan, 9.85; Martha Welte, 8.34; Allen Beroza, 2.02; Chongmin Zhang, 0.90.

More than 5,000 Points – Saleh Fetouh, 279.03; Davis Heussler, 69.50; Mike Ryan, 22.15; Jay Levy, 19.32; Bud Seidenberg, 15.04; Jay Costello, 14.72; Kathy Pollock, 11.16; Dian Petrov, 6.33; Chris Urbanek, 5.24.

Dale Anderson has compiled notes on duplicate bridge activities locally since he began playing in competition more than 20 years ago. A Gold Life Master, he reached a career milestone, 3,000 master points, at the Buffalo Fall Sectional Tournament last September. You can call or text him at 716-860-2305 or send an email to  dahotwings@aol.com.