All of the Minnesota players (there's five of them) in the 0-10K Swiss Teams will move on to tomorrow's final two sessions. The top 12 of 16 teams advanced, and local players played on teams that wound up in 2nd place and 9th place. Well done!  All of the results from the St Louis MO NABC can be found by clicking here. PREVIOUSLY: The headline at the break today: Patti Stuhlman [Minneapolis] and Kurt Schaeffer [Lakeville] are within striking distance of winning the Senior Mixed Pairs. Their 55.40% game this morning won their section and dropped them just two spots to 6th place overall of the 78 remaining pairs. It's a great result. Jackson Wahl [Minneapolis] and Sarah Wahl [Minneapolis] have joined Paul Gutterman [Eagan] and Charles Carroll [St Paul] in the 0-10K Swiss Teams. They're in 12th place of 16 teams, with lots of time to rebound this afternoon. Here's a look at how they're doing so far:  One nice thing about these bridge contests is that you cannot keep good players down. Although Tom Grue [Apple Valley] had a disappointing afternoon yesterday, he and Joe Grue are back in form, placing 3rd overall (of 97!) in the Open Pairs event today. They had a really nice 65.67% game. Also in today's Open Pairs would be Keith Connolly [St Paul] and Rebecca Anspach [St Paul] in 29th place at the break (with a 52.89% game) and Paul Meerschaert [Long Lake] playing with David Collins [Fridley] and having a 52.46% game for 33rd place so far. And Joseph Carter [Eagan] played in a side game this morning to pick up 1.20 red points. |   |
73.00% Jackson Wahl + Fay Debellis, Bridge Center of St Paul, 2/22 72.59% John Miller + Thomas Knier, Bridge Center of St Paul, 2/14 71.07% John Selden + Tom Buttweiler, St Cloud DBC, 2/22 70.67% Tony Ames + Joe Koester, Metro BC, 2/5 70.37% Ed Prosser + Greg Caucutt, Rochester DBC, 2/16 70.00% Richard Matthews + Jane Matthews, St Cloud DBC, 2/23 LIMITED/MIXED MASTERPOINT GAMES: 80.42% Percy Kruse + Nancy Herrick, Spades and Company, 2/27 75.46% Jackson Wahl + Megan Murphy, BCSP Mentor Game, 2/26 72.50% Sarah Wahl + Kristen Young, West Metro Social Duplicate, 2/13 71.43% Georgia Prosser + Connie Falkenstein, Rochester DBC, 2/9 70.85% Jane Matthews + Richard Matthews, St Cloud BC, 2/2 70.83% Win Anderson + Alex Warzecha, St Cloud BC, 2/9 70.55% Connie Falkenstein + Gary Falkenstein, Rochester DBC, 2/5 |  |
The defending champions in the Lebhar IMP Pairs, Paul Meerschaert [Long Lake] and David Collins [Fridley], won't be defending their title tomorrow, as they failed to qualify to go on. They finished in 138th place. Tom Grue [Apple Valley] also took quite a tumble in the afternoon session, dropping from 18th to 108th - he also will be entering a new event tomorrow. Paul Gutterman [Eagan] and Charles Carroll [St Paul] picked up another 8.15 gold points playing in the Bracketed Round Robin teams (bracket 2) and finishing 3rd on the day. Kerry Hanlon [Cass Lake] came in 8th place overall of the 56 pairs playing in the Open Pairs today and that's good for 11.86 gold points. And Randy Okubo [St Paul] is at the tournament. He played in the Bracketed Round Robin teams (bracket 1) and finished 6th of 7. Tomorrow is another day. PREVIOUSLY: The promo table for the upcoming NABC here in Minneapolis is up and running in St Louis; Patti Stuhlman [Minneapolis] isn't just playing cards at the Spring NABC this week, she's also in charge of getting those players familiar with what's coming up in July. A special shout-out to Patti and the promo crew in St Louis the next ten days, as they're both playing hard and working hard to make our summer NABC a success. Minnesota players are faring pretty well to start things off Friday. Last seen exiting the NAP, Patti Stuhlman [Minneapolis] and Kurt Schaeffer [Lakeville] entered the Senior Mixed Pairs today. Through the first of two sessions today they had a 60.58% game - yowza. That's good for 7th place overall out of 126 pairs. Can they keep it up this afternoon? Last year, an incredible 4th session comeback allowed Paul Meerschaert [Long Lake] and David Collins [Fridley] to win the Lebhar IMP Pairs. They've entered the contest in St Louis as the defending champions for this event, and after one session they find themselves in 63rd place overall out of 199 pairs competing. Also playing in the Lebhar IMP Pairs would be Tom Grue [Apple Valley], playing with Joe Grue [New York NY] and having a better score after one round. . .Tom is in 18th place overall. Kerry Hanlon [Cass Lake] is playing in the Open Pairs on this Friday. Kerry had a 59.99% game in the first session to be in the 11th position of 56 pairs at the break. The teams competition on this Friday won't get posted until later this evening, and those results will be available after dinner. But things are look good for the Gophers so far. |    |
 |
There are several Minnesota games next week that are for ⅓ red points (scroll down on this webpage to check the calendars for March), and any time pigmented points are offered at the club level, you should take advantage of it. Red points are usually awarded at regional tournaments or in special games at your club (like the North American Pairs or Grand National Teams games) - but next week these red points are available for the regular ol' club game you know and love. Check with your club manager or director, and if not already participating, it's not too late. |  |
Elsewhere at the NABC, David Collins [Fridley] and Terry Beckman [Brooklyn Park] rebounded from getting bounced from the NAP yesterday with a nice 58.36% game in the first session of the Top-Flight pairs today. That put them in 8th place out of 65, and with a 58.80% game this afternoon landed them in 5th place out of 64 pairs to win 12.17 gold points. More players from Minnesota are expected to attend the NABC this weekend. |  |
Both sessions of the qualifying round in the North American Pairs today have been played. Barry Purrington [Eagan] and Vern Swing [Minneapolis] scored a 50.16% game this evening, and finished 29th out of the 67 pairs; the top 28 qualify, so unless there is some scoring error that moves them up a spot, they're out of the running for the Finals tomorrow (but just barely). David Collins [Fridley] and Terry Beckman [Brooklyn Park] came back with a 43.08% game this evening, also missing the cut and out of tomorrow's finals. On the "A" Flight side, Paul Gutterman [Eagan] and Charles Carroll [St Paul] scored a 53.02% game after the break and finished 23rd in their competition. That's good enough to play in tomorrow's finals, and we wish them well! The other Flight "A" pair from Minnesota, Patti Stuhlman [Minneapolis] and Kurt Schaeffer [Lakeville], came away with a 42.93% game this evening and did not qualify to go on. This is what's known as the toughest of crowds, though, and all four pairs should be quite proud of their efforts. IN-BETWEEN SESSIONS UPDATE: One of two sessions in the qualifying portion of this NAP competition has been played; there are two Minnesota pairs in each of the Superflight and Flight "A" competition. In the Superflight competition, Barry Purrington [Eagan] and Vern Swing [Minneapolis] had a 52.16% game in session one today; that is good for 23rd place of 67 pairs in the Superflight with another qualifying session this evening. David Collins [Fridley] and Terry Beckman [Brooklyn Park] are also in St Louis MO today, playing and scoring a 42.91% game in the first session. In the Flight "A" group, Paul Gutterman [Eagan] and Charles Carroll [St Paul] scored a 49.18% game this afternoon. That's good for 30th place at the break (out of 58 pairs). Patti Stuhlman [Minneapolis] and Kurt Schaeffer [Lakeville] had a 44.23% game this afternoon and will try to regroup at the break. Once again this year, D14 competitors are overwhelmingly Minnesotans, with 100% of the D14 players today from our state (8 for 8). PREVIOUSLY: While the main events for this NABC don't get started until tomorrow, there are some tables out today and bridge players playing at them. The kickoff for the Spring NABC in St Louis MO has two flights of the North American Pairs facing off. Today it's two qualifying sessions of play for the Superflight and the Flight "A" players - with those that qualify moving on to the final two sessions tomorrow. (The Flight "B" and Flight "C" players take to the table the last two days of this tournament.) There always seem to be more Minnesota players than any other state representing D14 at the National level in these competitions, and this year is no exception. Your pairs that are playing today are listed to your right - and we'll have updates as they come in this evening and later tonight. Best of luck to all who are playing. |   |
The flyer is just to your right - click on it to enlarge it and open it in a new window, or you can also click here. There is a new club opening up in the West Metro, as Spades and Company starts operating within the next couple of weeks. They have a "soft opening" with a couple of classes and a couple of games starting March 5th, with the Grand Opening happening in June. That celebration includes a two-day 999er tournament, and the flyer is also to your right. Click on it or click here to read more about it. We're sure to hear more about Spades and Company once they get going in their new location. |   |
  |
"Strongly encouraged" during this year, and "mandatory" as of January 1, 2027, NABC and local Regional tournament players must be current, paid members - no more Guest Memberships for regionals or NABCs. Sectional tournament players must have an ACBL player number (guest membership, paid, or lapsed). There's an exemption for Novice Games, where players can still participate with a Guest Membership. All of these details are in the latest email, which you can check out by clicking on the image to your right. |  |
The Sarasota FL Regional wrapped up on Saturday, and with it were quite a few familiar faces from around Minnesota clubs that were among the 562 masterpoint winners in Florida this week. All their tournament results (and everyone else's) can be found by clicking here. |  |
-- Scott |  |
The US Embassy in Mexico has instructed US residents to shelter-in-place for now, and we've talked to some of these Minnesota players who are doing exactly that. They're safe at the moment and hoping to get back to Minnesota some time midweek (maybe Wednesday). Other Minnesota players may have gotten on a plane Saturday and be back already, and as you can see from the media here (H/T: Marc A) some are still stuck at the airport property today. In any event, there are several Minnesota players who are expected to remain in Mexico for the next few days. Here is hoping for safe travels for all. |  |
 |
NOTE that there is a deadline to sign up for this D14 GNT Final. Peggy would like to get all your information by Saturday March 7. Historically, Minnesota has outshone every other state in the district, let's keep that going for another year this time around! |    |
Zooming in on Minnesota, the entirety of Minnesota's increase since 2024 is due to the St Cloud Bridge Club, whose table count during this period more than doubled (from 129.5 to 274.0) since two years ago. (Whatever is in the water there, we're looking into bottling it.) Detroit Lakes doesn't run games in January, and Minnetonka wasn't here two years ago, so comparisons there aren't available. But for everyone else, Duluth, Rochester, and Woodbury showed gains since 2024. Northfield, Mankato, Edina, Maple Grove, Roseville, and the Minn Grand Slam Club all saw a decline in tables, with some clubs more seriously than others. Overall though, it's an increase in Minnesota club tables of +9.5% from two years ago. Can we keep up the decent numbers? It's hard to say for sure, but it's a good start to 2026, and don't forget you can do your part by getting a partner and supporting your local club. |   |
The Public Relations arm of the local NABC efforts is currently operating at "full steam ahead". The meeting this week included a review of Wednesday's larger parent NABC Committee meeting in Roseville, but the focus here was more about the monthly Pianola blasts to the bridge-playing public. Monthly topics for these Pianola blasts that players can expect to see highlighted were scheduled as follows:  February: Geared to Non-Life Masters and newer players March: Benefits for all players as well as additional benefits for D14 players, information on the discounts available using Entry Express, highlights of "why you should come and play", and info on the Meet Minneapolis giveaways to bridge players April: Topics TBD May: An appeal for volunteers to help with the tournament, along with details of the third and final May Fundraising Week for clubs June: Transportation and parking details, how to use Entry Express (which should then be open), where to have lunch July: A recap and summary of previous Pianola blast items to reinforce familiarity and timely reminders of what and how to do things required a week before the NABC gets goingThese volunteers - like all volunteers involved with the upcoming NABC - are working hard to promote our city and tournament. The recent political upheaval has not made their job any easier; we're grateful for the efforts these volunteers are making. The next meeting for the NABC PR Committee was scheduled and is planned online for Wednesday March 18th. |  |
      |
But they'd like to keep this effort going, and this week they are giving away a FREE one-session NABC entry to one lucky player on Friday evening. (This particular free play has a value of not more than $25). They just issued an all-call yesterday afternoon that if you'd like to play in this game later tonight, that you RSVP by sending an email to mgscbridgeclub-at-gmail-dot-com. They'll guarantee a partner and of course there are cards involved, so you know it's a good time. |
To your right, from the left, would be Tom Owens [Woodbury], Jennifer Rowland [Golden Valley], Jan Peterson [St Paul], Diane Alshouse [St Paul], Kaye Stennes [Maplewood], and Gary Rowland [Golden Valley]. Although we've yet to see photographic proof, these bridge players are playing with Lou Tesler [Eden Prairie], Weston Cutter [Mendota Heights], Marc Ashton [Excelsior], and Jill Wroblewski [Minneapolis] también presente. Day 1 of this Sectional saw three Minnesota pairs take the top three 299er spots - all the results from this tournament in Mexico can be found by clicking here. Perhaps they could bring back some warmer weather when they return next week? |  |
| Patti: The t-shirts are here! These shirts (blog post below) will be sold for $20; you can give cash for a t-shirt or write a check to 2026 Summer NABC. Get your order filled through Dave Gustafson; if the committee runs out, they'll buy more. Cindy: Patti and Cindy met with Tyler Boike of Meet Minneapolis last week; he is totally "on board" with us and will do what he can to help. This will include some promotional tickets (Twins, restaurant discounts, sweepstakes for hotel rooms, etc.). Meet Minneapolis will have maps available and help for restaurant reservations. Tyler is expected to put out a single page restaurant guide, highlighting those by the Convention Center. Barry: The local fundraising committee has raised just over $45,000. When requesting a t-shirt, make the check out to 2026 Summer NABC and not Barry. The t-shirts are "available in any color as long as it is blue". Patti: PR Committee report (as Warren Nelson [Cloquet] was buried under 11" of snow today). This month's Pianola blast email to players is focused on Non-Life Master players. Future monthly topics will include information on parking, the benefits you get as a D14 member, how to use Entry Express, and lunch - where to have lunch? Mike: Putting together a restaurant guide; the ACBL will issue a similar guide independent of their other promotional materials. Anne: Kurt is making a document so that volunteers will know when to come and how long they'll be there. For partnerships, at NABCs players generally find their own partners. Patti: There will be separate gifts for registration and section tops. Details TBA. We'll have a bag for all these things, and have decided against having it be a canvas bag. Also of note - a piano at the Convention Center to showcase bridge players and their talent would cost $1000/day. We're not doing that. This meeting adjourned at 3:05pm. The next meeting is expected to be the first week of May, which will be a walk-through of the Convention Center area. A huge shout-out goes out to these volunteers who are working so hard to make this NABC in our own backyard a success! |  |
The ACBL is still expecting to have screened all ACBL members by the time summer rolls around, and the percentage of "red" players has dropped quite a bit since the program started. Overall so far, the number of players who have cheated online comes to 4.71% of all ACBL online bridge players, but the ACBL maintains that this figure should settle down to a bit less than 3.50% of all online players when they have finished looking at everyone by the end of spring. Just this week, another 87 players who admitted to cheating online had their suspension/probation information posted on the ACBL's Ethics and Discipline page. None of the 87 cases posted this week are from Minnesota. As of this blog post, 0.14% of Unit 103's members [1] are on the "Not In Good Standing" list, with 0.94% of Unit 178's members [5] on the same list. There is no indication that all Minnesota players have been screened, but even if there are more local players to go, the fact that our figures are far, far below the ACBL's overall average is a very, very good thing. Rules have recently been softened for players found cheating, allowing them to play in club games under certain circumstances, forgiving their cheating if done only during 2020 and 2021, and letting them be more involved with club activities. More on all of that can be found by checking out the ACBL's Ethics and Discipline page on their website - and you can find that by clicking here. Look for an updated EDGAR report from the ACBL following the Spring NABC in St Louis MO later this month. |   |
But David Collins [Fridley] had a terrific four days in Roseville to lead the pack after one tournament. And yet, there's so much bridge yet to be held! Whether you are attempting to put a dent in David's masterpoint lead or just a dent in your own need for silver points, your next opportunity for some silver is coming up in about four weeks at Unit 178's Aquatennial Sectional. We've yet to get a flyer for this tournament (tick tock), but will post it just as soon as it is issued and approved for distribution. As far as the masterpoint totals across Minnesota's tournament players, stay tuned for updates. |  |
To your right are a few photos from the event, with the top row showcasing some of the players for the big game this month - and the bottom row [left] some of the same players (only slightly enhanced in the spirit of the festival) and on the right, the Queen along with Rex, King of the Carnival, who both organized the whole party-like atmosphere for the game. (What, exactly, these players had to do to get their beads, we did not ask.) |    |
 |
The cost is $20.00; checks should be made out to "2026 Summer NABC". Patti Stuhlman [Minneapolis] and Dave Gustafson [St Paul] would be your contacts to score one of these really nice NABC T-shirts. They come in sizes S-M-L-XL-XXL-XXXL, and Patti tells us if there is a run on the clothing and the NABC PR Committee runs out, they'll order more of them. It's terrific advertising for those out-of-town tournaments and part of a nice fundraising effort to boot. Most important? This t-shirt will look great on you. |  |
Remember your first Bridge Tournament? An NABC is loads more fun! Partners are easy to get. There are many more people playing the game, many more events to play in, and you will have the opportunity to meet, talk to and compete against people from all over the country and the world! If you have never been to an NABC, here is your chance. This summer, from July 9th to the 19th at the Minneapolis Convention Center, you have the opportunity to attend our own NABC. - Entries are Free for players with 0-5 points on Friday, July 10th, in the 299er Pairs. (299ers are those with fewer than 300 masterpoints.) You are eligible to play in this event if you have a Guest Membership, which can be obtained at acbl.org/membership/. - Free lessons will be offered in the Intermediate/Newcomer (I/N) playing area on Saturday and Sunday mornings, July 11th and 12th, at 8 a.m. The lessons will be followed by a free 12-deal pair game for those with fewer than 20 masterpoints (Saturday Bridge Plus and Sunday Bridge Plus). - Celebrity Speakers (World Class Players) will enlighten with free 45-minute talks before the morning and afternoon sessions all week from Friday to Friday. - A free reception will be held between sessions on Saturday, July 11th, to welcome all newcomers and players in the I/N and Gold Rush games. - There is a special 0-20 game, the Robert Crosby Memorial, on Monday morning, July 13th. You may play in this event with a Guest Membership. The folks at the Partnership Desk can help you find a partner for any event, so plan to attend, and invite your friends! Under 21 (Youth) and 21-25 (Junior) Players Entries are free for Youth and Junior players who enter NABC, Regional, Gold Rush, I/N, or any evening event. Entries for NABC+ and Premier NABC+ events are offered at a reduced rate. Hotel Reservations Reservations are open at all three host hotels: the Minneapolis Hilton, the Minneapolis Hyatt Regency, and the Minneapolis Sheraton Downtown Convention Center Hotel. For help, the ACBL's Official NABC Housing Bureau is available Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. (Eastern) by calling toll-free at 855-956-0776. See You Next Month! -- Summer NABC PR Committee |
Greg plays with several different partners during the month, so this really has been a community-led effort, but the milestone came Saturday night while playing with Jan Morris [Rochester] as his partner in an online game. Next up for Greg is making his next rank achievement of crossing the line at 10,000 masterpoints, and we will be here for it. One would expect that a milestone such as this deserves a party, and there is one in the works - we will be here for that as well. |          |
For starters, it's a mentor game. So both newer and advancing players will get the benefit of playing with a more experienced player, and experienced players will have the opportunity to "pay it forward" by encouraging less experienced players at the table. Then there's a fundraising-through-participation component of the event, where your entry fee will go towards purchasing more BridgeMates for the club. Now the #2 club in Minnesota, St Cloud is hoping to hold their tournaments each year completely self-sufficient. The net profits for this game will go to purchasing a couple dozen BridgeMates (and you know those BridgeMates will get some use). And then there is the food. Cards are cards everywhere, but bridge players play for the chow. Next Sunday, St Cloud is planning a terrific brunch (including a mimosa, perhaps, or three for your opponents). All of the information is listed to your right - click on the image to open it in a new window and get all the "deets", or just click here. There is more than one good cause involved here, and that is the absolute best kind of bridge. |  |
|
Partners are provided, but as these lessons aren't capacity-controlled, why not bring a friend along? |  |
But don't take our word for it. Here is a look at the other ACBL districts and what their plans are for this year's GNT District Finals. |  |
 |
Janice Feye-Stukas [Edina] Diane Henry [Minneapolis] Sharon Jewett [Minnetonka] Elise Kist [Eden Prairie] Pat Mahoney [Golden Valley] Kathy McNulty [Minnetonka] Kristine Mortensen [Minneapolis] Kay Ness [Plymouth] Tom Philipich [Plymouth] Donna Roper [Bloomington] |
Keep in mind, Joe did all this AND played in the Unit 103 Winter Sectional in Roseville, picking up even MORE masterpoints there. But for our list of the King of Clubs, there are no tournament or online points allowed. Only Minnesota's local club play counts here. Will Joe make it 3-for-3 next month? It might seem like he just has to show up - but you can make the effort to try and knock him off the throne! |  |
 |
Click on the image to your right or you can click here to open the list in a new window for perusing or printing. |  |
Winners along with the top three finishers in each category of the Mini-McKenney and Ace of Clubs awards will have a free entry to Unit 103's Annual Awards Luncheon and Game at the Bridge Center of St Paul on Sunday, May 3. Click on the image to your right or just click here to open the list in a new window for perusing or printing. Tomorrow - your winners from Unit 178. |  |
The 176.5 tables in play this past weekend was off 9.5 tables from last year, or about -4.6%. Having played 8 sessions of bridge, that comes to slightly more than one table of cards per session - which seems like it could be worse, but it can always be better! The next big tournament will be also over in St Paul, which will be the Aquatennial Sectional (having been moved this year from July to March). |  |
|
But there might be a red flag out to the southwest, where South Dakota's average of 10.4 tables per week to start 2026 is down -18.1% year-over-year. That's a steep drop, and remember the floor for a bridge game isn't zero tables per session - it's two tables. So if this rather significant drop in Y-O-Y tables keeps up, bridge in South Dakota could be in real trouble. The local impact (here) is that fewer South Dakota players would be available to play in Minnesota tournaments - or maybe a sanctioned game in Pipestone is ready to take over? In any event it's very early in the year; one never knows when someone will step up to open a new club or start teaching to bring in new members, etc. It's happened here in Minnesota, and it could happen in South Dakota. But this is something we'll be watching - and for the sake of bridge everywhere, hoping for the best. |  |
There's also another tournament that's expected to be scheduled in June, to coincide with the opening of Spades & Company (see the post just below), and we'll keep an eye out for that info also. The "tournament circuit" is a busy one in 2026 for Minnesota! Too busy? Maybe - but if the alternative is too few tournaments for Minnesota players, too many to choose from is not the worst thing for local players. |  |
Sectional March 26-28 St Paul  | Sectional Sat April 11 St Cloud  | Sectional April 16-18 Rochester  | Sectional May 20-24 Roseville  | Sectional June 4 Rochester  | Sectional June 11-13 St Cloud  |
Interestingly enough, seven of the eight winners during the tournament are all Non-Life Masters - which is awesome! Here are your winners: Grant Duffrin [Roseville] Richard Day [Shoreview] Tom Bedford [St Paul] Joan Lossing [Woodbury] Fay Debellis [North Oaks] Maclore Christensen [St Paul] Connie Dalzell [Rochester] Jill Wroblewski [Minneapolis]And the two drawn at the conclusion of the tournament from the total of the almost 200 players that showed up to play cards this weekend: Robert Cyza [Minneapolis] Jerry Rosenblad [Stewartville] | |
But February is the last month for you to qualify at your local club. Check with your local club director or club manager for when these games are scheduled, and play in them! (Plus, if you've already qualified, it's a terrific way to get tons of red and black points.) Through five months of GNT qualifying, there's no question that Minnesota is the Midwest's leader in participation and qualifiers. Last month (January), Minnesota was the only state in D14 to run any Grand National Team games, and just two clubs (Rochester and Bridge Center of St Paul) ran GNT qualifiers. And since September 1st when qualifying began, Minnesota is responsible for 88.0% of all D14 GNT tables. That's 88.0% of the GNT tables, even though Minnesota's total club tables are only 42.5% of the Midwest's total tables. [Ed.: Insert recommendation for in-person GNT D14 Finals here.] Have you qualified to play in the GNT D14 Finals online in March? Frankly, it matters not, as D14 has made it so anyone can ignore GNT qualifying games and pay a $25 buy-in at the last minute to play if you haven't qualified. But the list of Minnesota D14 qualifiers (by Unit) can be found by clicking here. |
   |
Even so, digger deeper shows the trend towards more tables isn't universal across the state. The big winners this month are St Cloud (up +48.6%) and Duluth (up +45.8%), with Woodbury (up +9.9%) the only other club that's shown positive growth year-over-year. The Minnetonka club had 18 tables in January vs 0 last year, that's also positive growth (although dividing by zero does make the Y-O-Y comparison impossible). For everyone else, January was a bit of a drag. The two clubs that fell the most from January of 2025 were Northfield (-27.3%) and Mankato (-28.2%), with the remainder of the Metro area clubs off slightly. In terms of nominal tables, St Cloud has passed Edina and is now the 2nd largest bridge club in the state; there's little reason to think that will change in the immediate future, but their 165 tables this past month bettered the Plymouth BC by 31 tables. Last year, they were 27 tables off the Edina crowd, so the net of +58 tables in one month (more than 2 tables a day that the club is open) once again demonstrates the efforts they are making in the Granite City are paying off big. February is here, and we'll see what the shortest month of the year brings to Minnesota clubs. Don't forget this month is your last chance to play in a GNT game and possibly represent Minnesota (and D14) at our NABC in July. |    |
The West Metro Social Duplicate games which have been held at the Marsh in Minnetonka will be moving to their new location in Plymouth next month. You can find directions to the new club by clicking here. Norrie emailed the following:
-- Norrie |    |
 |
In today's competition, Kurt Schaeffer [Lakeville] and David Collins [Fridley] won the Open Pairs with a 62.82% game in the morning session and a 62.44% game in the afternoon. They picked up 14.00 silver points. The 499ers Pairs was taken by Janice Dunker [Cannon Falls] and Marc Anderson [New Prague], who had a 64.70% game in the morning and a 52.10% game in the afternoon. They picked up 3.28 silver points for the day - not a bad day at the office. Your masterpoint leaders for this tournament are to your right. All of the masterpoint winners and all results from the Winter Sectional Tournament can be found by clicking here. |    |