  | Your discount should be automatically applied when you log on to Entry Express; choose an event in which to play, enter your player number (and your partner), and you should see the discount applied to your entry fee. Kudos to the ACBL for getting this automatic discount program online in time for the Summer NABC. There are additional players that will see a special discount, even a FREE play when using Entry Express. For example, ten lucky players at Unit 103's Winter Tournament this past winter won a free entry to a session at the NABC, and St Cloud's Granite City Sectional also provided some free entries during their tournament this month. Click on the image to your left to be taken to the Entry Express website, and start buying those entries! We'll see you in about ten days at the NABC. |
 | The ACBL's Entry Express gets going tomorrow at noon. When you logon to Entry Express (that link is here), and enter an event, you'll see the price for the event posted. It will include your free play, along with any other discounts that you might have coming to you. As in the example to your left:  The cost for a two-session Open Pairs is $64 each. The cost for a free play winner will show $22 for that individual, not $64. The first session is FREE on Unit 103 - that's a discount of $32. Then you'll also get $10 off your second session because you are a member of the host District of the NABC, D14. So with the first session FREE, the second session is $32 minus the D14 discount of $10. Your final cost is only $22. |
 | In the Twin Cities Metro area, the Woodbury Bridge Club will be open during the NABC with their regular schedule. Northfield will also hold their normal bridge schedule during the two weeks of the NABC. Detroit Lakes, Duluth, Rochester, and Mankato will all be available for bridge games (check their calendar in a post dated June 20 for the latest). St Cloud will be shut down for the 11 days of the NABC. Whether you're at the NABC every day, or a few days, or not at all, the important thing is to get out there to a bridge table, play cards, and have fun. |
    | Open Sectional tables for the year through May 31st have come in at 29,065; this is an +11.5% increase in tables through last year's first five months - and the highest total since the great re-opening in 2021. Of course, the future of duplicate bridge lies in the advancing players, and here also we're seeing a good bump or two. I/N Sectional tables through May 31st are 1,754, or an increase of +5.9% over last year during the same period. Even I/N Regional tables, at 1,309 so far, are beating last year's Jan 1-May 31 combined tables of 1,244 (or +5.2%). And Open Regionals, where the 29,300 open regional tables have been in play so far this year, are up +1.1% from last year's 28,975 through May 31st. Imagine that number if we were able to have held the Gopher Regional this year! Will it make a difference in July when the NABC comes to Minneapolis? That's yet to be determined, but then that is the nature of reading tea leaves. There are no guarantees here - but from a position of the potential for July turnout, the turnout elsewhere across the ACBL so far this year could be considerably worse than it has been - and the fact that it is not is a great position from which to start when we're talking about hosting an upcoming NABC. |
 | PREVIOUSLY: This year, the 4th of July falls on a Saturday. Most Minnesota bridge clubs don't hold a Saturday bridge game, so at least for this year, fewer local players are likely to miss their bridge fix. But there are two opportunities to support a local club on Saturdays - and you'll have those opportunities to play on Saturday the 4th. The Bridge Center of St Paul is open for business on Saturdays, where the Edina club holds a game Saturday afternoon. Also, the Rochester Bridge Club has an online event at 7pm Saturdays. Barring a special event that's not on the calendar, those would be your two options to play on Independence Day this year. So who is open? Outside of the online Rochester club game and the Edina game in Roseville, you're on your own. Of course, there are always robots - and other bridge players online that may be looking for a game. But locally, this upcoming holiday weekend will be mostly about family, friends, fireworks, and America's 250th. |
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Hotel rooms are still available. Call the Hilton 612-376-1000, the Hyatt 612-370-1234, or the Hilton Garden Inn 612-339-6633 to make reservations. If you need a partner, contact Annie Schaeffer at 612-987-8607 or hawkeyeannie67@gmail.com. Today we're providing information about Entry Express, parking, transportation, and restaurants. ENTRY EXPRESS Entry Express is the online system used to buy advance entries for many events at NABCs. One person completes the purchase for a partnership or an entire team, and confirmation emails are sent to all of the players on the entry. Note: Players should have an active, paid-up membership to use Entry Express to purchase an entry. Players with lapsed memberships are encouraged to renew their membership in advance at https://my.acbl.org/membership/renewal. How to Use Entry Express: 1. Go to the ACBL website, locate the Tournament section, and open Entry Express. The following information and tutorials are provided: * ACBL Entry Express Information * ACBL Member Tournament Portal 2. Sign in with your ACBL member account. 3. Select the current NABC and choose the event you want to enter. Note: The games are titled generically, without personally named games—for example, Saturday Morning Side Pairs or Top-Flight Swiss. 4. Enter your partner's or teammates' information. Note: It shortens the process if you know each person's ACBL number when you buy the entry. Masterpoint totals are not required. 5. Pay with a credit or debit card. The entry transactions are cashless, and all major credit cards are accepted. 6. Save or print your confirmation email. Your entry will be in the Entry Express system when you arrive at the tournament. Timing: For the 2026 Summer NABC, Entry Express opens at noon on June 29th. Advance entries can usually be purchased until 8:00 am on the day of play. For multi-day events, entries are purchased one day at a time. If you advance to the next day's play, you, your partner, or your teammate may purchase the entry for the new day. Why Use Entry Express? Faster registration when you arrive. District 14 members receive a $10 discount per person per session. Players with fewer than 5 masterpoints are eligible for free entries for the 299er game on Friday, July 10th, and the Bridge Plus games on Saturday and Sunday, July 11th and 12th. For these games, advance entries are not required. Just go to the playing site and receive your entry from the director selling entries for the event you want to enter. For events that are not free, 0-5 players may use Entry Express to buy advance entries. Guest members may play through Monday, July 13th, but not after that. The ACBL recommends that guest members upgrade to a regular membership. PARKING The following are two parking apps you can use to view parking options and costs: SpotHero.com ParkWhiz.com Further parking information is available [by clicking here]. TRANSPORTATION [Click here] for information about downtown transportation. RESTAURANTS Players will receive a restaurant guide in their registration packet. Three locations within the Convention Center offer lunch. INTERMEDIATE/NEWCOMER (I/N) RECEPTION There will be a reception for all I/N players on Tuesday, July 14th, in Room 205, between the morning and afternoon sessions. Reservations are not required. FINAL NOTE: This is likely to be our final correspondence before the tournament, and I hope to see you all there. Play well and Good Luck! --The Summer 2026 NABC PR Committee |
 | Playing cards at your local bridge club will be the perfect way to stay cool. While most outdoor activities (golf, tennis, etc.) will be downright dangerous for seniors due to the heat (and likely the particulate matter in the atmosphere associated with this heat wave), your air-conditioned bridge club will provide a cool spot to hang out. Who knows, the cards could be hot? This former weathercaster is forecasting local bridge games next week that might be a little larger than normal. Watch for the National Weather Service to issue Excessive Heat alerts as we get closer to the weekend. And whatever your plans, plan ahead and stay safe! |
  | PREVIOUSLY: Each year the ACBL partners with the Alzheimer's Association to raise funds for finding a cure of this horrible disease. And each year, Minnesota players step up to make donations through club games (and other fundraising) during the third week of June. One Minnesota club has been on the ACBL's Top 40 list of fundraising each year (actually, #41 last year), and that's the Rochester DBC. Once again this year, the Rochester club showed their very generous nature, as Rochester DBC players raised (so far) $8,092 this past week to donate to the fund to "End Alz." Whether they make the Top 40 list or not this year isn't nearly as important as the making of a donation, and of course every dollar and every amount that's donated (large or small) helps the cause. Although the ACBL's week with the Alzheimer's Association has ended, it's not too late to make a contribution - you can do so by clicking here. Next year, hopefully there will be a cure found for Alzheimer's, but if not, Minnesota players across the state will once again make the effort to help "End Alz" for good. |
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  | The chart to your left breaks down the numbers by runs published by the ACBL. The far right column is the oldest (or first) run of the computer, based on what are known as "player memos" (this is a player who sends a note saying "hey, I think this guy is cheating" or something to that effect). Each column then going to the left is a more recent run of the computer. Highlighted is the "percent of total Reds", where a "Red" is a player that's busted for cheating. You'll note that percentage number has gotten much smaller since the initial couple of computer runs, once the ACBL worked through all of the player memos and then got into the average bridge-playing population. Overall, the rate of cheaters is still at 3.57% so far; that's expected to drop a bit further as the final players are entered into the computer. . .but we were originally told the rate of cheating players would settle in around 2.50%, and that really looks unlikely right now. There is no word on when the final numbers will be published. |
  | Earlier this year, and in a couple of previous Bridge Blog posts, there was some concern that closing for ten days during the NABC would impact metro area clubs that closed for the tournament. Certainly missing out on ten days of card fees would have an impact on a club's bottom line, especially when it is during the peak summer season. And clubs that are closing for the NABC have been successful in getting money from their respective Minnesota bridge units to cover expected losses. But what wasn't taken into account was the bump in tables preceding the tournament, as players get their game more finely tuned. Look at the last twelve weeks across Minnesota's bridge clubs, and you'll see that overall, tables are up +15.6% compared to one year ago during the same period (March 30th to June 21st). That's an outstanding increase! The chart to your left shows the weekly overall change for local clubs (this is only club play, and does not include any tournament tables). There is not one week in the past twelve that had a decrease in overall club tables. The lower chart to your left shows the twelve-week period comparison by club, by unit, and by geographic area. All of Minnesota's clubs (with the exception of Northfield and Mankato) have seen an increase in table count over last year during the same period - with Unit 178 clubs +25.7% and Unit 103 clubs +13.7%. The added $$ from card fees as Minnesota players fine-tune their bridge game ahead of the NABC will help clubs that close at least a little bit. How much of the increased table counts this spring have been solely due to the NABC? Your guess is as good as any. And whatever increase we are seeing heading up to the NABC, it's still not likely to mitigate completely the financial impact of closing for ten days. But it appears (at least for now) that when the end-of-the-year fiscal reports are issued for local clubs, the financial impact of this NABC won't be as bad as it could have been. |
  | Ann Lockhart [St Paul] is within 100 masterpoints of taking the next Diamond Life Master status in Minnesota, and the last few years she's picked up about 100 masterpoints each of those years. At her current rate of playing, that would put her crossing the finish line sometime mid-2027. On the other hand, the #7 player on the board is Maurice Evans [Willmar], has been picking up more than 440 masterpoints per year (on average). That would have him achieving his DLM status mid-late 2027. And there are plenty of players between these two who will be acquiring points as well. PLUS - who shows up at the NABC? You won't have a better chance to score big masterpoints than during the 11-day period in July in Minneapolis this summer. Players that do should get a nice bump in their MP totals. The bottom line is not to count anyone out - and at this point, with no prohibitive favorite in this race, it might be a good thing nobody's taking any bets. |
 | Your top 25 tournament masterpoint earners are listed to your left. There's no change in the top three spots on the list after the sectional in Sauk Rapids, as Terry Beckman [Brooklyn Park] holds onto the lead. Jackson Wahl [Minneapolis] remains in second place, with Sarah Wahl [Minneapolis] in third. Charlie Carroll [St Paul] moved up a few spots into fourth place, and Barry Purrington [Eagan] moved up one to fifth. Several tournaments are on the way after the NABC - and things can still get jumbled up pretty well heading through 2026. But all eyes now are on the NABC - and how all these players do on the national stage. |
   | 24 bridge players signed up to play 3 boards each with different partners around the room, all playing a standardized 2/1 card. Quite fun! It started with a pot-luck; and it ended with 33 boards in the book, so these players got their $$ worth. If you failed to swing in St Paul on Saturday, watch for the individual game next quarter - you can sign up on the BCSP website here. |
 | Several of the players on this watch list to your left will very likely become Life Masters at the NABC in July, and that's assuming they're planning on playing. (But of course they'll plan to play, as it's going to be great fun.) Best of luck to all of them in their quest! |
 | First, the "meh" news, and that is that overall, our tournament tables are down from last year by -38.1%. That's because we did not hold the Gopher Regional in 2026, which is easily the largest tournament by far on the Minnesota schedule. Last year through the end of June, we had 1,508 total tournament tables - and this year, so far, we've seen 933 in action. It's unlikely that we'll make up almost 600 tables with the second half of the year, but that's just how it is when you don't have the big one. Second, the good news. If you take out the Gopher Regional tables from the past two years, this 933 tables we've had at tournaments so far in 2026 is well above last year's tournament table count - and the year before that. The 933 tables is +20.7% more than 2025's 773 tables during the same period; and it's +10.4% more than the 845 sectional tables that we had in 2024 from January 1st to June 30th. So the appetite for tournament play remains strong in Minnesota, despite not having the Gopher Regional this year. It should bode well for the upcoming NABC in July. We'll see if it does. |
Here is a look at club calendars for the month that have been issued as of press time.        |
Focusing on bridge education, as well as providing for club games (and more), the Roseville club has been awarded 501(c)3 status - meaning you can make a donation to the club that's tax-deductible (as allowed by law). Most bridge players are looking for a write-off each tax year, and here's a great way to put that money to use - which will ultimately help the game down the road. Club manager Kimberly Hayward [Bayport] has provided us with this announcement:
--Kimberly Hayward |
  | The "Bad Beat Jackpot" was won this week by Barbara Kelley [Edina] and Kathryn Kelley [Minneapolis], who had a lovely 70.24% game at Spades and Company in Friday morning's 8-table game. It's a great result, and of course they should be really pleased with their game! But it wasn't enough to come in first place - as that went to Thomas Hoblit [Eden Prairie] and Joyce Hatch [Minnetonka], who had a 76.19% game in the same event. So what do they win? Apparently, nothing but the recognition of having done so well and still coming up a bit short. But we're a big proponent of having a bad beat jackpot for this very situation, as there should be some sort of door prize (or cash prize?) for a pair that does so well - and still doesn't win the game. Spades and Company might be the very place to start such a program. In any event - here is a tip o' the hat to Barbara and Kathryn, as we're pretty sure the next time they have a 70%+ game they'll be standing on the winner's podium. |
Two months from now, there's a one-day NLM 749er Sectional in Rochester, followed by the annual Bridge Center of St Paul's Summer Silver Sectional for 749ers. (Life masters are allowed to play in Roseville in August at this tournament, provided they have under 750 masterpoints.) September brings the only regional in Minnesota this year, as Rochester hosts the Med City Regional, and then in October another one-day NLM event in St Cloud, followed by the Autumn Harvest Sectional in St Paul. You might think there aren't enough partners to fill all these tournament dates, but somehow Minnesota players are able to manage! |
N A B C July 9-19 Minneapolis  | Sectional August 13 Rochester  | Sectional August 27-29 Roseville  | REGIONAL Sept 14-19 Rochester  | Sectional Oct 10 St Cloud  | Sectional Oct 23-25 St Paul  |
 | Since the beginning of the year, a look at the weekly 6-week rolling average of tables per Minnesota bridge game, 2026 has seen a nice bump in attendance most of the weeks. (There was a period in April when there was not much change from 2025's tables per game, but attendance has since taken off once again.) Now, with the NABC on the way, a lot of local players are fine tuning their game in advance of the big tournament next month. (The first two weeks of club play here in Minnesota during June this year found 542 tables in play. That's an increase of +15.6% over the first two weeks of June in 2025.) Will all of this extra playing right now create some sort of hangover once we get to August in the form of a few players taking some time off from the table? Hard to say. But for now, while not every game in the state is growing, the vast majority are, and that's another good sign for bridge. |
    | The Rochester club opted to take their summer party this year and celebrate Sue's graduation (or rather, retirement) from the head position at their club; a dinner and party was held in her honor over at Charlie's restaurant in Northwest Rochester. (Side note: If you've played at a Rochester tournament, you know this nearby family-style restaurant has terrific food). A few photos of the event are to your left. Effective July 1st, Ed Prosser [Rochester] will be taking over as the club manager in Rochester. We're hoping as the new manager Ed can bring us better cards, altho that might be an expectation just a bit unrealistic. We're grateful to both of them for their commitment to keep bridge thriving. Sue's tenure as Club Manager in Rochester will end at the end of this month, but you'll have a chance to greet her in person while at the NABC. In addition to chasing some NABC points in July, it will be "Sue Greenberg Day" on Wednesday, July 15th - so she'll be honored there as well. |
 | But that's not all - Spades will get more exposure to players of all experience levels during the week of June 29th, when the Edina Senior Center closes for its annual deep-cleaning and maintenance work. This year those week's games will also be moved to the Plymouth location - so your bridge-playing schedule can continue uninterrupted. Keith Thompson [St Paul] has thoughtfully provided all the details, saying "Spades fills the void!" You can read all about it by clicking here. |
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JAN: As well as relieved. BRIDGE BLOG: But also happy, right? JAN: Yes - every time someone congratulated me my big smile took awhile to fade. BRIDGE BLOG: It's nice to get it at your own club - especially during a tournament. JAN: I wanted to get it here at home. It was more exciting having friends and club members around saying, “congratulations.” Two years ago at the Toronto NABC I got all the rest of the gold I needed but still had to get silver. I had hoped to get it at last year’s NLM tournament in the Spring, then again at the Granite City Sectional in the summer and again at this year’s NLM. I was relieved to finally get the little bit of silver I needed to go over the top. BRIDGE BLOG: Tell us how you're planning to celebrate. JAN: Our club always has a celebration for members' milestones - there will be three of us to celebrate very soon. It will involve a delicious cake from Costco. BRIDGE BLOG: Those Costco cakes are delicious. Some of the people with whom you are going to be sharing that cake with must have helped you along the way at some point. JAN: Yes, Gloria Mize, Al Brink, Joan Jacobson were helpful early on. John Koch gave Thursday night lessons a few years ago (he’s doing them again). Roger Melaas also had lessons for newcomers. He sometimes asked more experienced players like myself to help out. One of the best ways to learn is to teach and I learned a lot doing that. Dave Hanson has been a good mentor for the past few years. We had planned for him to be my partner when I got LM but that didn’t work out. Connie Nelson and Jim Schnepf offer Tuesday morning lessons that are very helpful. Kathy Stadher, Sandra Johnson, Theresa Kornwolf are great partners who have helped elevate my game. Just about everyone in the club played a part. BRIDGE BLOG: What's next for Jan - hard-charging new Life Master or going back to knitting? JAN: (Laughs.) It's hard to say. There's a part of me that thinks I can take a break now, but I really do enjoy the game and the friends I have so I doubt that I will. BRIDGE BLOG: There are plenty of players out there who are not yet at the point of having gotten their Life Master - what would you like to tell them? JAN: Keep playing! Read the Bridge Bulletin, attend lessons whenever you can, and don't be afraid to play with better players. BRIDGE BLOG: Nice. Enjoy that cake! |
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| Kyra Helmbold [Minneapolis]. Kyra has all of her pigmented points to become a Life Master; she needs only 4.76 masterpoints of any color to get to 500.00 and become a Life Master. It would be great for Kyra to get this rank achievement at the NABC, but quite frankly, she seems to earn masterpoints just by waking up in the morning, so we expect her to be the next Minnesota player to cross the line well before mid-July. Lynn Schnettler [St Cloud]. Lynn is working on the "old school" Life Master figures of needing 300 overall points (which she has), 50 silver (yep), and 50 red/gold (almost!), so she's 4.81 gold points from becoming a LM. . .and is scheduled to play at the NABC.
Valerie Broughton [Minneapolis]. Valerie has her red and silver points, but she's shy of 11.88 masterpoints - 7.62 of those must be gold. If Valerie is playing at the NABC, she'll have lots of opportunities to pick up the 7.19 gold points or the 11.88 total needed to become a Life Master. John Munson [La Crescent] and Janet Munson [La Crescent]. This husband and wife duo have their red and silver points, and are well over 500 masterpoints total. John needs 14.71 gold points to cross the line, and Janet needs 10.72 gold points to get her Life Master status. The NABC will be the perfect place for these two to cross the line together. (And what a fun ride back to La Crescent that would be!) Marcia Figus [Shoreview]. Marcia has over 1,000 masterpoints, but she needs 10.94 gold points to become a Life Master. The NABC is just a few miles away for Marcia, so we're hoping she plans to play and hopefully get those 10.94 gold points while the big tournament is in town. Rodney Morlock [Stewartville]. Rod has his red and silver points, and he's another player who earned his 500 total masterpoint qualification some time ago. He's 2.50 gold points out from becoming a Life Master, but if he can get away from the farm to play at the NABC for even one day, this goal is within his reach at the NABC.
Richard Trachy [Golden Valley]. Richard has his black and silver points, they're not a problem for him. But his gold/red point total is shy of what he needs to become a Life Master by 12.36 points. Of those 12.36, 2.59 must be gold - and if Richard plays at the NABC, he has an excellent chance to get them.
Rick Gavin [Eagan]. Rick has his red, black, and silver points, but he's 16.67 gold points shy of his Life Master status. Two or three days at the NABC, and we might be ordering him a cake to celebrate.
Megan Murphy [St Paul]. Megan is another player who has their red, silver, and black points, but she needs gold to become a Life Master. In fact, she needs a little more gold than most on this list of who we are watching, to the tune of 11.62 gold points. Lately, she's playing with a pretty stellar partner, Jackson Wahl [Minneapolis], and they're doing great as a partnership. With or without Jackson, playing at the NABC is well within the reach of Megan to get those gold points. (Possibly a little easier playing with him.)
Susan West [Golden Valley]. Susan can pick up her Life Master rank at the NABC by coming home with 12.68 masterpoints - and only 8.02 of those need to be gold. She's got her silver, red, and black points. But wait, there's more: Cass Weil [Minneapolis] needs 10.38 gold points to become a Life Master. Joe Carter [Eagan] needs 34.11 gold/red points, of which 24.10 must be gold. Tom Sneed [Plymouth] needs 24.38 gold points to cross the line. If he doesn't become a LM at the NABC, he can be sure to set himself up to get it shortly afterwards. David Klevan [St Paul] needs 9.18 of any red/gold combination to become a Life Master - again, this is doable at an NABC like the one we're having in July, so keep an eye on him. Wendy Hennes [Sartell] needs 13.29 gold points. Joanne Long [Rochester] needs 28.93 gold points. And finally, a dark horse candidate, who needs 92.93 masterpoints to become a Life Master, of which 6.77 must be any combination of red/gold. If there is anyone who can climb this mountain in mid-July, it's Xintao He [Rochester].
NOTE that there are plenty of other Minnesota players who could really outperform at the NABC and surprise a lot of people by getting their LM - but these players are just a few that we're keeping an eye on as we look to who might be getting that celebratory cake when the NABC leaves town. All of the masterpoint information above is as of the date of this post. Lots can happen between now and the NABC! |
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NANCY: All of the above, but mostly relieved. BRIDGE BLOG: You and a lot of your St Cloud teammates do a lot of traveling, so it was nice to get your LM right here at home. Had you thought it would happen here at your local club? Or were you thinking maybe somewhere else? NANCY: My husband and I winter in Texas. When we left Minnesota last fall, I [was] 19 silver points [away from my LM]. Scott Krupke said if I could get my remaining balance to less than 10 silver points, he would help me get [what I needed] at the St Cloud Sectional. My husband and I ended up getting 16 silver points this winter, so I knew Scott would hold true to his promise. BRIDGE BLOG: So the pressure was on Scott - interesting strategy! And it appears to have paid off. Our most recent couple of life masters crossed the line playing with a first-time partner - have you played with Scott often? NANCY: I play with Scott two Mondays a month during the summer. BRIDGE BLOG: That's great - with everything else he does for your club, I guess we can add this to the list. NANCY: [And] he's been a great mentor to me over the years. BRIDGE BLOG: We've had one recently-minted Life Master take a trip overseas to celebrate, and one take a trip to the local bar to celebrate, how have you celebrated this milestone? NANCY: We celebrated with our bridge family and friends [Friday night] after the tournament. We always have a gathering Friday evening at somebody’s house to bond and that was a great place to celebrate. BRIDGE BLOG: That weekly gathering is such a great way to connect with your fellow players, we're surprised more clubs don't do that. Among that group must be a few people to thank for encouraging you on your bridge journey. Are there any teachers or players in particular that you would like to recognize for the positive impact they've had on your game? NANCY: I have many people to thank for my journey to life master. At the top of the list are Kory Solarz, Roger Melaas, Scott Krupke, [and] my husband George (and many others in the club who have encouraged me along the way). Roger Melaas was instrumental with his Tuesday afternoon bridge lessons at Liberty Bank. Kory Solarz was kind enough to take me under his wing and play with me as a regular partner in the Bridge Club for several years before he passed away. And Scott Krupke picked up where Kory left off and encouraged me to play in tournaments to get my gold and silver points. My husband, George has also been instrumental in my journey, especially in the last couple years since he retired. We have done many tournaments together earning gold and silver points, and he has been extremely supportive along the way. BRIDGE BLOG: You have a great outlook on this game; it sounds like you're going to continue playing and having fun. Will we see you at the upcoming NABC? NANCY: Absolutely! I will continue playing as much as always because I love the game. It is great for the mind, especially as we start aging. Now I will focus on helping my husband, George, on his journey to life master. BRIDGE BLOG: What advice would you give George and the other players out there who are not yet LMs? NANCY: Get as many mentors as possible. Stay focused and don’t get discouraged. It takes hard work. You get out of bridge what you put into it. BRIDGE BLOG: All excellent recommendations. Thanks for chatting with us, and congratulations again. NANCY: Thanks! |
   |    | With the three-day Granite City Sectional tournament coming to a close for another year, another outstanding event was put on by the St Cloud Bridge Club. First, a word on table counts, with this important reminder: a successful tournament is not defined by the number of tables that it has, but rather the fun that is had while playing - and there was a lot of fun that was had this week in Sauk Rapids. Generally, the more tables you have, the more players that have said fun, so that's always a nice bonus, as this year's table count of 142 was above last year's turnout (up +3.3%). Sautrday saw the 2-session pairs event, with extra masterpoints (and the extra $1/player benefitting both the Minnesota Bridge Education Foundation and Stand Down). These two charities received a healthy check from Connie Nelson [Avon], the tournament chair, as was presented to Barb Zipoy [Bloomington] and Bob Behrens of St Cloud Stand Down. (Connie says "this is [her] favorite part of the tournament!") Oh! There was also some bridge on the last day in Sauk Rapids: In the open pairs, 21½ tables of players competed in the morning session, with the top 3 pairs at the break all from out of state. A really nice 71.86% result was scored by Michael McNamara [Horace ND] and Slywia McNamara [Horace ND], followed by a terrific 68.16% effort by Linda Webb [Fargo ND] and newly-minted Diamond Life Master Frank Knier [Fargo ND]. Vernon Evans [Redfield SD] and Maurice Evans [Willmar] came in 3rd. After lunch, the 20-table session was won by Ann House [Edina] and Barb Zipoy [Bloomington], who scored a 63.35% game to lead the pack. They edged out Terry Beckman [Brooklyn Park] and John Koch [St Cloud], who came up with a 61.11% game after lunch. The McNamaras came in 3rd overall in the afternoon session, but their 60.92% game was easily enough for them to take 1st overall, pick up 13.13 silver points, and be the big champs of the 3-day tournament. This tournament was a great tune-up for the upcoming NABC in a few weeks, and in addition to the usual suspects, a shout-out to the entire St Cloud Bridge Club for putting on such a great event. |
 | A half-dozen Minnesota players did make the trip south to get some gold points while those gold points were available. Gary Falkenstein [Rochester] and Connie Falkenstein [Rochester] took the top spot in Thursday's Gold Rush, earning 4.13 gold points. Xintao He [Rochester] and John Jentzer [Rochester] also made a visit to Waterloo, finishing 7th out of 16 pairs in the Friday Open Pairs to earn 3.53 gold points. Then, just yesterday, Xintao and John were joined in the Swiss Teams event by Joyce Lewis [Rochester] and Mike Salscheider [Rochester], where they came in 3rd of 8 tables for an additional 3.64 gold points. You can find all the results from the Waterloo IA Regional by clicking here. |
 | Of course there was all kinds of bridge, today, as well, in Sauk Rapids. Larry Uttley [Duluth] and Warren Nelson [Cloquet] had a 64.58% game in the morning's open pairs to take 1st place and 7.79 masterpoints. This was a really tough crowd this morning, as the next seven pairs were separated by less than one single board. The 499ers played among 6 tables, with a tie for first place this morning. Charlie Maternus [Waite Park] and John Selden [Richmond] and the pair of Arlyce Anderson [North Mankato] and Joyce Helmer [Mankato] each had a 59.72% game to come in 1st place. After the lunch break, Warren and Larry came in 1st once again - although we have yet to see the afternoon session scored online yet. We'll have an update once those results are posted. |
 | Now it's Jan who holds the record for shortest-period-ever-of-being-the-star-of-the-show, as only 24 hours later Nancy Schnepf [Sartell] got the 0.98 silver she needed to become - yes - Minnesota's Newest Life Master. Will it last? You might be surprised to find that Nancy's title won't last long either, as yet another Minnesota player is about to become a Life Master very, very shortly. Enjoy it while it lasts! Congratulations to Nancy and well done! |
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    | Another milestone was reached by a not-quite-local-but-we-sure-see-him-a-lot-at-these-things, as Frank Knier [Fargo ND] became a Diamond Life Master today. He was flanked by his two brothers, Dan and Tom, and how great to have achieved this rank in their company! Ok, now onto the bridge: The 19-table morning open session saw a monster game from Sarah Wahl [Minneapolis] and Charles Carroll [St Paul]. Charlie had an incredibly impressive month of May at the bridge table (see next post just below), and June is just as hot for Charlie as he and Sarah had a 69.86% game this morning for 8.28 masterpoints. Not to be outdone by the Open players, the 499ers had their own outstanding pair result in the morning, with Charlie Maternus [Waite Park] and John Selden [Richmond] having a 70.54% game among the 8-table crowd. After the lunch break, another 19-table session in the afternoon, with Jackson Wahl [Minneapolis] and Megan Murphy [St Paul] taking top honors with a terrific 66.94% game. They just eked out the win over last year's defending tournament champions, Terry Beckman [Brooklyn Park] and John Koch [St Cloud], who turned in a 65.69% score in the second session. Seven tables of 499ers stuck around to play later in the day, and it was a pair from "down south" that took 1st place overall among the 499ers. Arlyce Anderson [North Mankato] and Joyce Helmer [Mankato] scored a 67.50% game to come in first. Masterpoint totals are to your left through day 1. REMINDER that the ACBL's masterpoint page on the tournament website of ACBLlive does not have the correct masterpoint awards coming to players. With these pair/team contests, you only get the higher award of the two you've earned - not both. There had been some concern when scheduling this tournament that it might be too close to the NABC, but judging by day 1 turnout, there was nothing to worry about. Lots of players are capitalizing on the chance to fine tune their game before the July NABC. |
  | The Crown Prince of Clubs (second place) this month is Xintao He [Rochester], followed by the Duke, Andy Caranicas [St Paul]. Your Top 10 masterpoint earners at the club are located to your left. This month, however, it is King Charles I that sits on the throne. The month of June is already underway, and you'll have lots of chances to play and dethrone this month's king - but remember: if you come at the King, you better not overbid. |
 | The emphasis on the last e-mail blast that will be sent to bridge players was decided to include the details of the instructions for the Entry Express, how to upgrade your membership so guest memberships can play beyond the first weekend, and more. Watch for the latest update in your email inbox - and now we're just waiting for July to arrive. |
       | We don't see Stephen often enough at our local clubs, as he is primarily an online player. Over the past 12 months, he's played 274 games of bridge, with 266 of those (97.1%) online. Somehow, it doesn't seem right that his cleaning lady or garbage hauler gets to see him so much more than we do - but the 8 in-person games he's played have all been "big games" (such as Unit 103's Award party last month). That means you should expect to see him at the NABC in July (if not before) - and when you run across him, be sure to congratulate him on crossing the 5,000-masterpoint mark. |
 | What is not exclusive in any manner, shape, or form, will be the fun and trouble at the table that everyone will enjoy playing this week in Sauk Rapids. They put on a good show in Sauk Rapids, and whether you get a ton of silver points over the three-day tournament or just a fraction of a point playing one day, you'll be very glad that you showed up. (They'll be glad, too, and we hear they have extra tables on standby just in case.) Click on the flyer below for more details - no RSVP required, just show up!  |
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Half a dozen Minnesota bridge clubs will hold a game tomorrow, and this week there's a good chance someone will see some severe weather during tomorrow's Wednesday bridge game. Right now the National Weather Service forecast office has most of these games under an "enhanced risk" of severe weather. As of this posting (Monday evening), it looks as though the primary threat will be strong winds and hail Wednesday afternoon, and then heading into the evening, a bigger risk of tornadoes will get going. That could change. In fact, since this morning, the NWS has expanded the orange, or "enhanced risk" area, to include St Cloud and Duluth. This is Minnesota weather, however, and anything can happen between now and tomorrow afternoon (and with our weather it frequently does). But it sure looks like somebody somewhere in Minnesota bridgeland might be heading to the basement for awhile Wednesday. And if not, there will be many more opportunities this summer for you to utilize your knowledge of where to take cover should things go bad in a hurry. |
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The Summer NABC is 4 short weeks away! We can't wait to host all your players at this great event that is so close to home. We've put together some information for you to post at your clubs and share with your bridge players: Ride sharing is a great idea -- perhaps people can meet at your club, park their car and share a ride or call Lyft or Uber to get to the Minneapolis Convention Center. There are many parking ramps and parking lots that are near the Convention Center and many are connected to the Skyway system. [Here] are two documents to print and post and share. [Transportation options, click here.] [Parking options, click here.] There are two parking apps to download to your phone and view available parking options and costs and reserve parking: SpotHero.com and ParkWhiz.com Later this month we will send information about using EntryExpress. EntryExpress opens June 29 -- people can purchase their NABC entries on-line and the $10 discount will automatically be given to players in District 14 and those staying in the Host Hotels. Please let us know if you have questions! Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Summer NABC July 9-19 at the Minneapolis Convention Center! Sincerely, Patti Stuhlman, NABC Chairperson Warren Nelson, PR Chairperson |
 | Jane was gracious enough to sit down and let us know how it started - and how it's going: |
JANE: I must admit, it was a relief to finally get there. I had been approaching it asymptotically for awhile. BB: Okay, there is a word that we have not heard used to describe this journey before, and, you know, we're going to have to look that up, just to be sure. JANE: (Smiles.) BB: It's always interesting when players play with regular partners for years, and then when the big moment comes, here's someone across the table with whom you're not that familiar. From what we could tell, it looked like this was the first time you had played with Frank. JANE: I had never met Frank before, but we just clicked. BB: Our most recent Life Masters celebrated in wildly different ways, with one heading to Morocco and one heading to a manhattan or two. How are you planning to celebrate crossing your Life Master threshold? JANE: No plans yet. BB: New LMs all have a good story or two to share, whether it's a favorite tournament or a board or bidding sequence that went horribly awry - or maybe playing against Bill Gates at some time - is there a story or two that comes to mind for you when you look back at this journey? JANE: My sister is a Ruby Life Master and I love playing with her when I visit her in Louisiana. I always seem to have a good game then. A couple of years ago, players from her club invited me to join their team at the Houston Regional because with my meager points I could keep them out of the top bracket. BB: We've seen your photo in their Regional Bulletin, so it sounds like that strategy was perfect! JANE: We had a fabulous time, and took first twice. Lots of gold - and I learned I could play with the big kids. BB: Everyone has partners and teachers that influenced and encouraged their play - you must have had some people that helped you get to this point. Is there anyone you'd want to single out and say "thanks" to? JANE: The teachers and players in the basement of the old Twin City Bridge Center game me a good start. I want to thank my regular partners over the years: Jim Muecke, Rolf Hubmayr, Thorwald Hansen, and Sharon Hoffman, along with my sister Jean Kiesel. Also my friends at the Acadiana Duplicate Bridge Club. BB: When players become a LM, some slow down quite a bit while others keep charging forward. You don't just play bridge, of course, you're also active in Unit 178 as the Unit Secretary. What do you see going forward in Jane's bridge playing future? JANE: Well, I'm leaving the Unit 178 board at the end of this month, but I'll continue to do the monthly email news. BB: So pulling back a little bit - that is totally understandable. But we'll still see you at the bridge table!? JANE: I will certainly keep playing regularly. BB: Finally, what advice would you give to non-Life Masters that are not quite there yet. As they work towards that goal, would you tell them? JANE: [I would tell them] what I try to remind myself each time [I play]: relax, have fun, and trust your partner. I'm still working on it. |
  | We all know someone - whether it's a loved relative or beloved former partner of the game - who is suffering from this terrible disease. Your support of these fundraising games at your local club will help get us one step closer to figuring out how to stop the disease from taking hold (and taking our friends). Check with your local club director or club manager to find out how you can donate and play. There's really no better cause for your extra bridge dollars. |
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 | Look for these NAP games to be run at your local club, where you can get big red and black masterpoints - and you might be making the trip to the 2027 Spring NABC in Dallas TX. |
    | 23½ tables of bridge players volleyed for some silver points on Friday, with this being the second Minnesota I/N tournament in as many days. The morning session found David Klevan [St Paul] and James Lair [St Paul] having a terrific 61.56% game to come in 1st overall among the 12½ tables in play. Second place went to last month's life master Kristine Verdin [St Paul] and Dianne Martucci [Robbinsdale] with their also-not-bad-at-all result of 60.05%. The 11-table afternoon session saw Richard Trachy [Golden Valley] and Janet Berry [Eden Prairie] take the top honors with their 62.03% game. Runners-up after lunch were Dan Ganter [Maple Grove] and Thomas Bedford [St Paul], who scored 57.41%. Overall, 59 players had fun getting into some trouble at the bridge table today, and there's an entire day of bridge (and silver points) yet to be played later today. The top photo on your left has the good people that put this tournament together (Keith Thompson [St Paul], Norrie, and Kimberly Hayward [Bayport]), along with today's lucky door prize winners sporting their new hats (Jane Schmidt [St Paul] and Frank Lerman [Edina]). |
    | The 9½ table morning session saw Lisa Ihrkle [Rochester] and Xintao He [Rochester] take top honors with their 63.39% game, narrowly beating Winona pair John Rethlefsen [Winona] and Chris Carroll's [Winona] 62.30% game. Never let it be said that NLMs aren't fierce competitors! After lunch, the afternoon session saw 9 tables of action, with Linda Grigoleit [Rochester] and Joanne Long [Rochester] coming out on top with their 64.58% game. The runners-up in the afternoon were Jim Muecke [Eden Prairie] and Carol Walter [Minnetonka], who scored a nice 62.80% game. There were 33 players that got some silver points on this Thursday in Rochester, with the tournament champions being Lisa Ihrkle and Xintao He! They earned 3.70 silver points for their effort today - well done! Non-Life Master players will not have to wait long to score some additional silver points, as the Spades and Company grand opening tournament gets underway today. |
| It looks like it might be perfect weather for playing bridge inside at the Sauk Rapids Government Center. A first look at the forecast for St Cloud next week calls for highs of 90° Thursday, 87° Friday, and 83° Saturday, and not the "dry" heat that's great for golf or tennis. You might be much happier inside where it's air-conditioned and it's the cards that are hot. |
  | In the past five years, seven of the top ten weeks for Minnesota's club table counts were played in the last twelve months. And already two weeks this year are in the top ten! This week is starting off as it might be the third such week in the top ten, with Monday tables across Minnesota up +15.7%, Tuesday tables up +21.3%, and Wednesday tables up +13.3% compared to the most recent 52-week average for each of those days. It's yet another sign that bridge (so far) is doing well in Minnesota. Only time will tell if this optimism about the second half of 2026 pans out for our Minnesota tables. (And if not, well, you can color us blue.) |
| The NABC is less than six weeks out now - and you can always make a donation to the local NABC fundraising effort through your local club manager or director or any Unit board member, even now that these special club fundraising weeks are done. Every dollar is welcome, which is why the NABC PR Committee is grateful to these clubs, whether they raised $1 or $1,000 for the effort. It all helps to ensure a successful (and FUN) NABC tournament in July. |
     | If you'd like to play in one of these NABC tune-up games but missed the one this past Saturday, no worries! Spades and Company will hold two more of these games, on Saturday June 13th and Saturday June 20th. More information can be found on their website, which you can find by clicking here. |
Without the Gopher Regional, Twin Cities Metro area clubs that would normally be closed for the week were only closed this past Gopher week from Wednesday to Saturday. (That's because instead of closing for the Gopher which starts on a Monday, they closed for the Bridge Center of St Paul sectional which started on a Wednesday.) Metro area clubs added 68½ tables during the Gopher week as a result of their Monday-Tuesday games. In addition, Spades and Company, Unit 178's newest club which was not around in May 2025, added 67½ tables during May. And yet that still doesn't account for all of Minnesota's local club growth this month. Year-over-year, the remaining additional 106½ table increase in club tables was due to the hard work local clubs are doing to keep bridge growing in our state. This is not a rate of increase that's likely to be repeated in the future, although that would be GREAT, but at the moment it is another very good sign when it comes to the direction of bridge in Minnesota. Finally - as one might expect, Minnesota is leading the way when it comes to monthly table growth when compared to the rest of the Midwest. During May, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and Nebraska saw increases in club tables year-over-year, with Wisconsin and North Dakota pulling back a bit. Minnesota's 242 additional May tables than one year ago is easily the majority of the 304 net additional tables across the Midwest compared to those held in May of 2025. |
| NOTE If your club is not planning to run any Alzheimer's Ass'n Fundraisers during the third week of June, you can always make a donation by clicking here. |
