Mini McKenney District 20 Winners 2022

This month we feature the 2022 D20 MiniMcKenney winners from 20-1000 points:

20 to 50 Philip Rowberg, Chico CA 42
50 to 100 Steve Weinstein, Vancouver WA 105
100 to 200 Ernest Ludington, Salem OR 117
200 to 300 Stephen Jackson, Salem OR 117 (Pictured Above)
300 to 500 Michelle Nordyke, Honolulu HI 168
500 to 1000 Gary Haynie, Kailua HI 308

The 50 to 100 category winner for 2022 is Steve Weinstein. Here’s his bridge story: “I played bridge for 12 years until I graduated college. I started with family relatives and also played on weekends with classmates. Goren’s Contract Bridge Complete was the best known bridge book at the time.

After that I did not play again until 2019 at the Vancouver Bridge Club (VBC).

During the pandemic I had time to look into as much as I could from the many years of bridge books.Larry Cohen covers bidding and play, Eddie Kantars books on defense along with bidding and declarer play, Mike Lawrence on many topics, David Bird, Seagram, Audrey Grant, William Root on declarer play and defense and who, with Pavlicek, also covers conventions extensively. There are many others with great info.Books specifically for 2 over 1 by Mike Lawrence, Hardy, Larry Cohen, Audrey Grant, Steve Bruno, and Paul Thurston. There are also websites from Larry Cohen and Karen Walker I’ve found helpful.

For the past year I’ve played mostly with Art Silvas at the VBC.”

The winner of the 200-300 point category, Stephen Jackson shared this description of his bridge journey: “I have played social bridge most of my life, but began ACBL play when I retired in 2017, with my wife Susan as my primary partner and supporter. I was diagnosed with cancer the week ACBL shut down live play due to Covid, and we did not play for 8 months during treatment. We discovered on-line play in October 2020, which was a big lift to our sanity while we were largely house bound. Most of my Masterpoints in the past two years have come from on-line play, as ongoing chemo leaves me immuno-compromised and reduces my stamina. With Covid abating, we are attempting to play live at least once a week, primarily at the Salem/Keizer club. I wish to thank all of the clubs up and down the Willamette valley for continuing to offer on-line games, which allow me to continue to actively participate.”

The winner of the 300-500 point category is Honolulu player Michelle Nordyke. She said “In July 2018, I began learning bridge from Patrick Brown. As in-person opportunities were limited in Honolulu, I obtained the majority of my MP’s from BBO in 2022. During that time, I participated in my first two NABCs, which were held in Reno and Pheonix.

My husband, Tom, is my favorite partner, although he is not a bridge player due to his preference for being outdoors and aversion to being told what to do. Nonetheless, he fully supports my passion for bridge and my “bridge forever, housework whenever” mantra.

For all beginners and players like me-humble pie never runs out. There is always room for improvement.”

Last, not least – our winner for the 500-1000 point category is Gary Haynie. “I first learned bridge some 55 years ago, playing party bridge with friends and duplicate at the Valley View Bridge Studio in Dallas – at the same time the Dallas Aces were being formed. I had the great fortune to sit at a table with Oswald Jacoby (after graduation from the Novice Room). As I remember (and who can dispute it) my wife at the time and I broke even on the three boards we played with Oswald and his wife.

After a 43 year break from bridge I was visiting my sister in Arroyo Grande, CA in June 2019. She helps run a 2-3 table game of party bridge a couple of days a week. I asked if I could visit and kibitz one day, and as it turned out, one lady couldn’t make it, so I played. First hand, my sister and I bid and made 6 hearts. The hook was firmly set!! When I came home to Kailua, I called Ron of the Kailua DBC and asked if I could play without seriously embarrassing myself. He said he had a guy that was always showing up without a partner and had been playing seriously for about a year. Bill Stevenson and I have been partners ever since, and he has shown me a number of web sites and on-line teachers that have helped immensely.

Most of my mini-McKenney points have been earned through lots play, two nationals, every f2f game I can get to, and lots of BBO virtual games – playing with Bill and Michelle Nordyke, mostly. I am a great believer in Eddie Kantar’s famous statement that you have to play bridge a lot to get good at it – I’m trying to play a lot!”