Buffalo Niagara duplicate bridge notes: October 24, 2026

 

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

Linda Burroughsford will lead the next round of lessons, starting Monday, Nov. 2, at the Buffalo Bridge Center, 60 Dingens St. off Exit 1 of the northbound I-190. She will cover the two-over-one bidding system, including the forcing 1 No Trump, rebids and Bergen raises. The 10-week course will be held on Mondays from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Cost is $175. For info and sign-up, call or text Linda at 289-241-4449 or email her at burroughsford@icloud.com.

Next party game at the Buffalo Bridge Center will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14, and includes the club’s annual meeting. Refreshments and meeting begin at 11:30 a.m. Bring snacks to share. Game starts at 12:30 p.m. Free for club members, $12 for non-members. Need a partner for the party games? The club has started using a Google form to help players match up. To find it, go to BBC website and click on Announcements. There you can see who’s looking for a partner, fill out a form and add your name to the list. For more info, contact Julie Mitchell by calling 845-978-9480 or emailing jkmitchell070121@gmail.com.

There’s a regular lineup of in-person games at the Buffalo Bridge Center from Tuesday through Friday with party games once a month on weekends, usually on Sundays, except during football season. Next party game is Saturday, Nov. 14. 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.

An online game for players with fewer than 900 master points is hosted by the Bridge Center at 7 p.m. Monday on RealBridge. For more info, including a player guide, visit realbridge.online.

In addition, the club hosts a supervised play session for players who want to gain some experience and get some advice to improve their game. It’s from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays and it’s been a great success. Small games now have been added to the session. All are welcome. No pre-registration is required, but things work out better if those interested in supervised play get in touch with Julie Mitchell by calling 845-978-9480 or emailing jkmitchell070121@gmail.com.

Also popular is the club’s social bridge game at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, which is just for fun. Signup needed for this one. Call Ruth Nawotniak at 716-949-7574 or email at ruth2250@outlook.com. 

The Bridge Center has started its mentoring program again. 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.

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

Other ACBL sanctioned clubs: Bridge Club of East Aurora holds an open game 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 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

Niagara Open Sectional – Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Center, 14 Anderson Lane, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. Friday, Nov. 6, to Sunday, Nov. 8. For more info, click this link.

Finger Lakes Sectional – Cornell Cooperative Extension, 480 N. Main St., Canandaigua. Saturday, Nov. 7, and Sunday, Nov. 8. For more info, click this link. 

District 5 Sectional Tournament at the Clubs (STaC) – Participating bridge clubs. (No local clubs yet.) Monday, Dec. 7, to Sunday, Dec. 13.

Cleveland Rock and Roll Regional – Embassy Suites Hotel, 5800 Rockside Woods Road, Independence, Ohio. Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2027, to Sunday, Jan. 10, 2017. For more info, click this link.

Toronto Non-Life Master Regional – Sheraton Centre Toronto, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ont. Friday, Jan. 8, 2027, to Sunday, Jan. 10, 2027. For more info, click this link.

Toronto New Year’s Sectional – Sheraton Centre Toronto, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ont. Friday, Jan. 8, 2027, to Sunday, Jan. 10, 2027. For more info, click this link.

Niagara Winter Sectional – Holiday Inn and Suites, 327 Ontario St., St. Catharines, Ont. Friday, Feb. 19, 2027, to Sunday, Feb. 21, 2027.

Toronto Easter Regional – Sheraton Centre Toronto, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ont. Tuesday, March 23, 2027, to Sunday, March 28, 2027. For more info, click this link.

Scores from ACBL Live for Clubs

Week of Oct. 12 to Oct. 18

Buffalo Bridge Center Tuesday morning – 0-1,600 game. North-south, Larry Himelein and David Schott, 61.23%; Joanne Nover and Bonnie Clement, 59.18%; Ilene Rothman and Julie Mitchell, 57.48%; Brian Fleming and Mike Meacham, 55.10%; Audrey Ray and Adrian Figliotti, 51.02%; Betty DeFeo and Bert Feasley, 51.02%; east-west, Brian Universal and Bob Mampe, 72.02%; Gordon Crone and Mary Terrana, 62.50%; Linda Milch and Linda Zittel, 54.46%; Agi Maisel and Pat Haynes, 51.79%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Wednesday morning – Open game. Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 65.63%; Jo Nasoff-Finton and Fred Yellen, 59.38%; Betty Metz and Andrei Reinhorn, 55.21%; Tova Reinhorn and Rajat Basu, 50%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Thursday morning – 0-2,000 game. Audrey Ray and Ed Morgan, 64.01%; Agi Maisel and Pat Haynes, 59.79%; Paul Zittel and Joyce Greenspan, 52.38%; Julie Mitchell and Brian Fleming, 51.85%; Walt Olszewski and Ed Drozen, 51.63%; Joanne Nover and Bonnie Clement, 51.32%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Friday morning – Open game. (Tie) Donna Steffan and Linda Burroughsford, Jay Costello and Bud Seidenberg, 57%; (tie) Mike Ryan and Bert Feasley, John Ziemer and Jim Lanzo, 49%.

Buffalo Bridge Center Saturday afternoon – North-south, Joyce Greenspan and Tony Girasole, 60.42%; Chris Urbanek and Kamil Bishara, 55.36%; Howard Foster and Mike Ryan, 51.49%; Ruth Nawotniak and Julie Mitchell, 49.40%; east-west, John Ziemr and Vic Bergsten, 63.99%; Tova and Andrei Reinhorn, 59.52%; Davis Heussler and Brian Fleming, 57.14%; Walt Olszewski and Jo Nasoff-Fenton, 55.06%.

Bridge Club of East Aurora Wednesday morning – Open game. Dan Clark and Dave Larcom, 57.40%; Carl and Jan Hasselback, 54.17%; Joanne LaFay and Linda Zittel, 53.69%; Joe and Ann Williams, 51.17%; Jim Lanzo and Eugene Giorginin, 49.54%.

Non-sanctioned clubs

Amherst Senior Center Friday afternoon – North-south, George Mayers and Shirley Cassety, 56.3%; Ellen Lochead and Joan Stankiewicz, 55.7%; east-west, Mary and Jim Atwood, 70%; Dan Blatz and Will Brick, 54%.

Unit 116 Master Point Leaders for Play in All Venues

Jan. 1, 2026, to Sept. 30, 2026

0-5 Points – Alex Ivanov, 5.18; Jane Arnold, 1.65; Kathy Pyjas, 0.58; Mike Segal, 0.42; Barbara Burns, 0.20; Jeanne Vilz, 0.18; Elaine Rinfrette, 0.08; Cathy Hetzler, 0.04.

5-20 Points –Susan Mann Dolce, 14.08; Mike Rupp, 8.85; Amy Licata, 5.82; Bob Rupp, 4.90; Maureen Piasecki, 4.50; Joan Warren, 3.54; Ann Bonte, 2.92; Fran Holmes, 2,32; John Brennan, 1.71; Pat Wolcott, 0.77; Amber Dixon, 0.72; David Taylor, 0.54.

20-50 Points – Julie Mitchell, 60.43; Bill Kross, 8.07; Gini Sicignano, 6.89; Devon Marlette, 5.96; Tony Girasole, 4.41.

50-100 Points – Susan Burns, 11.21; Molly Morris, 9.81; Mike Metzger, 7.95; Anne Slater, 7.45; Frank Riordan, 6.94; Kathleen Voigt, 5.80; Susan Cardamone, 5.38; Mary Berlow, 4.94; Elaine Idzik, 4.14; Jo Ann Smith, 2.79; (tie) Cherry Searle, Nancy Deneen, 1.32; Pepe Justicia-Linde, 0.53.

100-200 Points – Brian Fleming, 52.45; Mike Meacham, 50.15; Jack Fuller, 35.82; Candace Graser, 14.06; Ilene Rothman, 13.70; Jim Hassett, 11.70; Cynthia Tashjian, 11.60; Dennis Daly, 11.42; Carol Licata, 9.61; Maria Schory, 9.33; Pam Righter, 6.46; Maureen Cancilla, 6.30; Amy Habib, 5.14; John Houghtaling, 3.78; Donna Starnes, 2.71; Joan Ciszak, 1.62; Jim Greno, 1.51; Betsy Greno, 0.97.

200-300 Points – Ethan Xie, 23.26; Betty DeFeo, 6.16; Laura Houghtaling, 3.78.

300-500 Points – Maria Amlani, 52.64; David Schott, 51.64; Joanne Nover, 38.56; Ruth Nawotniak, 27.99; Carl Hasselback, 14.42; Audrey Ray, 13.99; (tie) Maryann Szafran, Agi Maisel, 13.11; Stuart Caswell, 9.19; Linda Milch, 9.13; David Whitt, 6.63; Judy Zeckhauser, 5 even; Eugene Giorgini, 3.22; Kusum Phadke, 1.36. 

500-1,000 Points – Larry Himelein, 69.90; Sushil Amlani, 50.38; Jo Nasoff-Finton, 50.09; Terry Hamovitch, 48.25; Bram Hamovitch, 48.21; Linda Zittel, 43.70; Joyce Frayer, 39.07; Sharon Wilcox, 37.99; Pat Haynes, 31.21; Martha Townson, 29.44; Andrei Reinhorn, 27.74; Mary Terrana, 23.21; Gordon Crone, 22.19; Richard McGowan, 21.34; Ruth Wurster, 19.33; Paula Rosen, 16.83; Jim McClure, 15.29; Jan Hasselback, 14.42; Ed Harman, 9.53; Wilson McClaren, 9.03; Donna Pottle, 9 even; Barbara Landree, 7.18; Florence Boyd, 7.17; Dave Larcom, 6.33; Jeff Bender, 4.50; Henry Chudy, 3.62; Brian Universal, 3.45; Dan Clark, 3.41; Diana Smith, 2.80; Ed Drozen, 1.70.

1,000-1,500 Points – Vic Bergsten, 48.04; Paul Zittel, 41.49; Bert Feasley, 41.47; Mary Ball, 39.40; Ed Morgan, 30.58; Larry Abate, 30.50; Joanne LaFay, 28.26; Terry Fraas, 24.70; (tie) Jim Easton, Marilyn Wortzman, 21.19; Betty Metz, 15.31; Adrian Figliotti, 12.23; Judie Bailey, 10.93; Cathy Majewski, 7.60; Bill Rich, 2.05.

1,500-2,500 Points –Jim Lanzo, 122.12; David Colligan, 85.90; Kamil Bishara, 62.26; Howard Foster, 50.59; Paula Kotowski, 48.73; Rajat Basu, 34.52; Tova Reinhorn, 31.91; Joyce Greenspan, 22.04; Walt Olszewski, 22 even; Nancy Kessler, 19.68; Sandi England, 16.30; John Bava, 7.96; Martin Pieterse, 7.61; Bill Finkelstein, 6.63; Judy Kaprove, 5.44; Barbara Pieterse, 4.79; Sue Bergman, 1.69.

2,500-3,500 Points – Fred Yellen, 31.52; Art Morth, 23.62; Dale Anderson, 23.60; Elaine Kurasiewicz, 1.54.

3,500-5,000 Points – Linda Burroughsford, 214.55; John Ziemer, 123.28; Judy Graf, 74.28; Donna Steffan, 61.19; Martha Welte, 44.07; Bill Rushmore, 22.25; Chongmin Zhang, 6.69; Brian Meyer, 4.81; Mike Silverman, 3.59; Allen Beroza, 2.70; Barbara Libby, 1.03.

More than 5,000 Points – Saleh Fetouh, 750.16; Davis Heussler, 319.98; Dian Petrov, 233.90; Mike Ryan, 152.88; Dan Gerstman, 130.96; Jay Levy, 108.70; Chris Urbanek, 81.68; Jay Costello, 76.57; Bud Seidenberg, 71.29; Kathy Pollock, 27.35; Glenn Milgrim, 27.04.

A Gold Life Master with more than 3,000 master points, Dale Anderson has compiled notes on duplicate bridge activities locally since he began playing in competition more than 20 years ago. He also comments on his bridge adventures on his pages here at blogger.com. You can call or text him at 716-860-2305. Email is dahotwings@aol.com.