    | In the morning session in Sartell, Dan Ganter [Maple Grove] and Tom Bedford [St Paul] came in 1st overall with a 65.29% game. They were followed closely by two pairs, Cindy Carlson [St Cloud] and Judy Knutson [St Cloud], who had a 64.70% game, and a 64.63% game earned by Victoria Jacobson [Oakdale] and Mark Bender [Roseville]. After the lunch break, the afternoon session found hometown locals Bev Berg [Waite Park] and Ken Kappes [Waite Park] winning with a 62.40% outing. They were followed by the eventual overall winners on the day, David and Huldah, who scored a 59.45% game in the afternoon. Tables at the tournament were down, but only by -4.4%. Last fall, 34 full tables played, with 32½ showing up on Saturday. Despite the slightly lower table count, the fun was off the charts (which is what one wants in such an event). Plus, in this day and age, 65 to 70 bridge players for each 749er session on Saturday is a win no matter how you look at it. Connie Nelson [Avon] put together a terrific summary of the day's events (and awards) and that summary is available by clicking on the lower left image - or you can just click here to read all about it. |
  | One thing about Minnesota, and the bridge community in this state, is that our bridge community has been doing relatively well. Over the past several years, we've had less player loss (as a percentage of players) than the ACBL overall, and our club tables have been on the rise. As a whole, Minnesota's year-over-year membership figure is down -2.4% compared to the 3rd quarter of 2025. That's far better than the ACBL's -8.1%. Unit 103's membership is down -5.2%, with Unit 178's actually increasing a bit at +1.4%. So relatively speaking, we're still doing better than the ACBL overall (which is always good) - but there is also always room for improvement. Help stem the tide by reaching out to players who have left the game - or help mentor those players who are new to it. Be welcoming at the table (and not unpleasant). Change it up at the club (innovative games can be fun). Everyone needs to make the effort to keep this game going - and keep Minnesota's bridge community doing better than average. (Hopefully much better.) |
 PREVIOUSLY: Last year's tournament champion at the St Cloud FallFEST today was Wendy Hennes [Sartell], who is eligible to play today. Can she keep the crown for another year? We'll know later tonight. The St Cloud NLM Sectional is open to all players below 749 masterpoints, so play in a session (or both) today and have some fun at the bridge table! |
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 The Rochester DBC held a tailgate party for their 749ers this week; club President Harlan Wickre [Rochester] fired up the smoker, and players brought all kinds of Midwestern tailgate food to celebrate nothing more than a Thursday afternoon bridge game. What a great reason to have a tailgate party! |
   | It should be quite a crowd on BBO next weekend, as D14 has qualified 1,128 players to play in the NAP Finals this year. That is an increase of +3.2% over 2025's NAP qualifiers in D14, and this year the increase in players was led by Unit 184 (up +37.5%) and Unit 216 (up 36.8%). As players earn more masterpoints each year, they "graduate" to the next flight, and we've seen a bonus of +13.2% in the Open Flight qualifiers here in 2026. There were a lot of players hovering around 2,500-3,000 masterpoints this past year, and most of those graduated to the Flight A qualification (that would be 3,000 to 6,000 masterpoints). . .Flight A has seen a huge jump of +20.3% from one year ago. Even the Flight C qualifiers (under 750 masterpoints) saw a bump of +3.8% this year (with 581 qualified players)! What it all means is that you could see as many as 282 tables in the online D14 Finals next weekend. Of course we're not going to see that level of participation (these directors will have plenty going on as it is), but with an increase of players over last year, the right promotion, and 1,128 eligible participants, Keith should have a terrific turnout next weekend. Not only do players who do well get lots and LOTS of gold points in the NAP Finals, the winners in each flight get a stipend for their travel to the spring NABC in 2027 - and they'll be representing D14 (and very possibly Minnesota) at the NABC in Dallas next March. Of course, you've got to enter to play to win - and regardless of how you finish it should be a lot of fun. |
 If we could just skip over the winter months for a minute here, and talk about the big thaw coming in the spring of 2027, the Rochester DBC is planning to have their sectional at St Luke's Episcopal Church once again. It's a familiar schedule, with pair/team games and 749er pairs - plus their "patented" hospitality at the church, which (let's face it) is a fan favorite. You'll see more of this flyer when we get closer to spring, but it's great to be able to plan down the road, and especially when we can kind of gloss over that snow and cold that's coming. |
 The chart on your left has a look at the average tables per I/N regional for the past four years. Back in 2023, the ACBL averaged more than 109 tables per I/N regional - now it's under 77. We will see if this makes a difference next year as the new payout program goes into effect. But given the masterpoint inflation everywhere else (and the reduction in payout at I/N regionals because of the limited masterpoint rating), we're curious if a payout of 100% gold would really be so far fetched. . .however an improvement is an improvement and we'll take what we can get. If next year's average table count doesn't come up from the current 2026 level, the ACBL would be smart to move to 100% gold. |
Sectional Sat October 10 St Cloud  | Sectional October 22-24 St Paul  | Sectional November 4-6 Duluth  | Sectional November 6-7 Plymouth  | Sectional December 10-13 Roseville  | Sectional Feb 3-6 Roseville  |
  There was a five-way tie for the title of Rambling River Champion this year, with Rajiv Kapadia [Mankato], your director and host of the tournament, tied for 1st place with Norrie Thomas [Plymouth], Terry Beckman [Brooklyn Park], Jackson Wahl [Minneapolis], and Sarah Wahl [Minneapolis]. Each of these five players earned 5.50 points to earn a share of the crown. Your top ten masterpoint winners from the tournament are listed just above, and you can get all the results from the Mankato Sectional by clicking here. |
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  Norrie Thomas [Plymouth], Terry Beckman [Brooklyn Park], Jackson Wahl [Minneapolis], and Sarah Wahl [Minneapolis] rode into town on Sunday morning, played 24 boards in Mankato, and never lost even one IMP during the entire game. Of the 24 boards they played, 4 were "pushes", with 20 boards as positive scores. If you've ever heard of a team playing 24 boards without losing a single IMP in a Board-A-Match, we'd like to hear about it. And even if it has happened in a Minnesota BAM game (or anywhere else for that matter), this is incredibly impressive. It serves as a real reminder that if you ever run into these four gunslingers at the bridge table, remember that they mean business. |
 This foursome has been playing and earning masterpoints in the teams games at Seaside this week, and while we're missing them at our local clubs, we're glad to see they're having fun (and at what is a very popular regional, too). Given their 3-0 record so far in the Team League, it doesn't sound like they have too many misunderstandings to iron out - here's hoping they are just having fun spending some time at the bridge table. |
 
| This move is the result of a few different factors, but the primary reason is the aggressive push the St Cloud club makes to engage and encourage newer players. Their uber-friendly atmosphere, along with a zest for games of all sorts (the Kory Solarz Knockdown, as one example), has really paid off over the past couple of years. They've made no secret of their overall plan that's succeeded, and bridge clubs across North America could learn a thing or two from how they've grown. Club tables in Edina haven't slipped a lot in 2026, just -3.8% over the first nine months of 2025. But that is enough to allow St Cloud to bypass them as the second largest bridge club in Minnesota. With just a few months left in this year, it's going to be Unit 103's St Paul Bridge Center as the undisputed #1 club for tables, followed by St Cloud, Edina, and Rochester. Next year could be a completely different story, but one thing is for sure - that story has yet to be written. |
 On day 1, it was Bob Sigafus [Maple Grove] and Cathy Sigafus [Maple Grove] who came in 1st in the morning with their 59.52% game; after the lunch break, it was Rajiv Kapadia [Mankato] and partner David Juberien [St Clair] taking the field with a 61.81% game. There'll be a Swiss teams event today in Mankato, and that's a couple of sessions that can help make up some of the tables missing from day one - but they'll be hard-pressed to come up with 33 total tables from last year when the bidding boxes are put away later this afternoon. This is looking to be quite the trend that's taking shape in the post-NABC era here in Minnesota; a trend which hopefully won't keep up when we get to the Autumn Harvest Sectional in a few weeks. |
   Now, Minnesota's monthly September table data shows this drop in player participation wasn't just limited to the aforementioned regional. Clubs across Minnesota also saw their table counts fall in September, off -1.1% over last September's table count. The majority of Minnesota's bridge clubs saw smaller crowds in September, with only Duluth, Northfield, and the Spades club in Plymouth showing an increase in September tables. September 2025 had 901½ tables in play, while this month statewide we saw only 892. Considering the string of positive year-over-year monthly increases we've had, this would be no time to panic, as one month does not a significant trend make. Plus, if this drop in tables is all due to the NABC this past summer, there may be another month or two before players get back to their regular habits. We will see what October brings. Minnesota's clubs have been on a really good track the past few years, and while it's true that really good track won't last forever - we're hoping it lasts just a little bit longer. |
| They'll have two games during the day for silver points, and feature the St Cloud club's legendary hospitality. The flyer is just to your left - click on it to open it in a new window and check it out. More information is also available on the website of the St Cloud Bridge Club, and you can find that site by clicking here. |
   | District 14 includes several other states, as North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa are all a part of D14. But the D14 Grand National Teams competition so far has been 100% Minnesota clubs and players. Not one club in any of these other states ran a GNT qualifying game during September. Of course, none of these other twenty-six active clubs in D14 needs to run any GNT qualifying games, as the D14 policy for years now has been to allow anyone to "buy-in" to the D14 finals for $20. That policy has become a great disincentive for clubs to run GNT games, IOHO, and it's unfortunate for their players who are missing out on opportunities for the teams play that has gotten so popular everywhere. Back to Minnesota, the month of October typically sees a bit of a dip in GNT games available to players, as this is Jane Johnson Club Appreciation Month. During October, a club appreciation team game pays 5% gold dust - and clubs are likely to cash in on that payout for players. But there are still some GNT games available out there across Minnesota's clubs - check with your club manager or director to see if and when they're running GNT games this month. In addition to qualifying for the GNT, they pay big, BIG masterpoints (½ red and ½ black). Then look for many, many more options as GNT team games return to the schedule for most Minnesota clubs once we get to November. |
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Click on the flyer to your left for all of the details, and plan to have fun. (As you're probably aware, "it's the most wonderful time of the year.") |
The full name, and we should be using it, is "Jane Johnson Club Appreciation Month". Jane Johnson was the ACBL's longtime Club Department Manager until her death in 2001. When she passed away, the ACBL began what was known as the Star Club program, which asked clubs to apply for recognition based on specific criteria - and earn one, two, or three stars. Club members were asked to nominate their clubs for the annual Jane Johnson Club of the Year award. Unfortunately, the Star Club program never really took off, with less than 130 of the ACBL's 3,200 clubs participating in the early 2000s. In 2006, the criteria for recognition was simplified, but still this program was not working. So the ACBL elected to kill the Star Club program and honor Jane by renaming Club Appreciation Month each October as Jane Johnson Club Appreciation Month (the games carry this name as well). NOTE that these games don't cost your club anything extra to run and give bonus masterpoints - thus the "appreciation" reward to the clubs - and because they don't cost any more $$ you know your club will be holding them. |
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73.96% Ryan Johnson + William Anderson, Mankato DBC, 9/2 72.69% Joe Lisbon + Dan Knier, St Cloud BC, 9/24 72.50% Colin Campbell + Warren Nelson, Duluth Duplicate Bridge, 9/2 71.25% Tony Ames + Joe Koester, Spades and Company, 9/26 70.63% Mark Doucette + Maurice Evans, St Cloud BC, 9/8 70.54% Elaine Prebonich + Gregory Dorr, Woodbury DBC, 9/10 70.54% Jack Martin + Jim Brothers, Detroit Lakes DBC, 9/1 70.04% Greg Nastrom + Jerry Westby, St Cloud BC, 9/4 LIMITED MASTERPOINT GAMES: 72.92% Sarah Wahl + Jill Wroblewski, St Paul Bridge Center, 9/8 71.11% Ken Kappes + Margaret Kappes, St Cloud BC, 9/21 CHAT BRIDGE GAMES: 70.24% Sherry Enzler + Nancy Strom, St Paul Bridge Center, 9/1 |
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 What might have come as a bit of a surprise to this mostly-Minnesota squad, though, was the result at the end of the day. Sunday's Swiss teams found the foursome on your left coming in 1st overall among some pretty tough competition. Here's a look at the top four teams that finished first through fourth in Sunday's Swiss - and each team's total masterpoints:  If you've played against some of these very tough teams (and let's face it, if you're reading this then you have), you know the competition was difficult up in Fargo this weekend. Coming out on top of so many excellent teams won't always be the case, so we say "savor the moment!" These other players up in Fargo this weekend with 10,000+ masterpoints each earned those masterpoints the hard way - and for some bridge opponents, that can be a bit intimidating. It shouldn't be, as you learn the most when you play against players who are considerably more experienced than you are. And it wasn't intimidating to these four giant-slayers, as they showed you just never know how it's going to turn out until you deal out the cards and play the hands - which is one of the really terrific things about the game of bridge. |
    | The Fargo-Moorhead-Detroit Lakes market saw a considerable shift in playing this summer with a heavy tilt towards the Detroit Lakes games. Graph 1 on your left (top) shows the total number of tables in play during the playing season at DL; this year's 262 tables was not only an increase of +6.1% over last season's 247 tables, but it's the highest total number of tables in the past five years (post-COVID). That's great. The second graph (middle) on your left shows the average size of the game in DL each season. This season, DL averaged 7.07 tables per game - again, this is their highest TPG average in the post-COVID era. It's also an increase over last season's TPG average of +8.9%. Finally - a look at market share of the Fargo-Moorhead-DL tables. Just since last year, DL's market share of club bridge tables shot from 58.7% to 65.8% of the total tables in this market. That's due not just to the increase in seasonal tables at DL, but Fargo's total tables dropped from 174 to 136 during the 19-week period (plunging -21.8%). Perhaps "Minnesota Nice" has something to do with it - Fargo's clubs have a bit of a reputation for the rough-and-tumble days of old. Or maybe it's the new management of the DL club (as the previous club manager resigned at the end of 2025's season). Possibly it's something else entirely. But whatever the reason (or reasons), DL's season this year was insanely successful - and makes us think they might have taken the dock out just a little early this year. We'll see what next May brings up at the lake in 2027. |
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   | Prior to the game, Scott's direction for the future included pushing forward building on the club's current success - and looking at negotiating an extension on the club's lease at their current playing site. Here is some of the recap from Jim Schnepf [Avon]:
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 A plan was devised to have a surprise birthday party including (of course!) a game of bridge. The hijinks were hatched a few weeks ago, thanks to several covert discussions and a few double-agents. A "TOP-SECRET"-headlined email to members of the club was issued one week prior to the event, and the plan included some decorating late Thursday evening after the club had closed. As it turned out, there was a Team League match held after the regular game Thursday, and although Kimberly would normally have exited the premises around 5:15pm, she stayed a few extra hours Thursday to kibitz while the decorators cooled their heels in the parking lot. No matter! The next morning when Kimberly showed up to play cards, the surprise was hatched. Kim was sufficiently surprised, the players had a great time with the game and the treats, and with 14(!) tables of players having shown up to wish her well on this momentous occasion, we're sure she felt the love. Happy Birthday to Kimberly!      |
   | This month's Rochester Med City Regional, which just wrapped up its third consecutive year of providing pigmented masterpoints to bridge players, also shed some players compared to 2025. This year's 213 players at the regional were down from last year's 237 participating players - or down by 9.7%. As a result, the 302 tables in play was off last year's total tables by 62 (or -17.0%). But it's not all bad news. The teams tables in Rochester rocketed from 37.9% of all tables at the week-long event to 46.4% this year - that's much more in line with the ACBL's 50.4% average of team tables to total tables at their regionals this year. And the Gold Rush total (104 tables) was 34.4% of everyone at the tournament. That's the highest share of Gold Rush tables of any D14 tournament since the great re-opening in 2021. (The 2025 Des Moines Regional was close behind Rochester with 34.1% of their tables in the Gold Rush.) While Open players failed to show up, it could have been much, much worse. There's no question that it's better to have a 13-table Gold Rush at your regional with a 5-table Open game - if the alternative is a 5-table Gold Rush and a 13-table Open game. Advancing players and team players showed up to Rochester, and in big numbers, so among the lower overall table counts, there are some successes to be found. PLUS there were four new Life Masters during the tournament! They'll tell you they had a great time, regardless of any table count, and that is what matters most. |
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 Terry Beckman [Brooklyn Park] sat out the regional in Rochester, so it's no surprise that the tournament champions of that event zoomed past him into 1st and 2nd place for the year so far. Jackson Wahl [Minneapolis] leads all Minnesota players on the list with 175.30 masterpoints earned in our local tournaments (keeping in mind this does not count the 150+ he won at the NABC). Sarah Wahl [Minneapolis] is now second on the list, with 157.73 masterpoints through September. The next opportunity for Minnesota players of all stripes will be the Mankato Rambling River Sectional in a week and a half - then it's the Harvest Sectional being held at Unit 103's St Paul Bridge Center late October. Lots more masterpoints are on the way, and a lot more moving up (and some moving down) is likely to take place on this list before everything falls into place mid-December. |
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  | Among the non-Life Masters, it was Gary Falkenstein [Rochester] who was our NLM Tournament Champ in 2026 - he picked up 14.13 gold points over five days. Just as with the overall tournament champion race, in the NLM hunt Gary barely came in 1st overall, with the dynamic duo of Earlene Wickre [Rochester] and Harlan Wickre [Wickre] less than a single masterpoint behind Gary. Overall, there were 1,968.44 gold points shoveled out the door in Rochester to 214 different players. All of the masterpoints and the winners at this tournament can be found by clicking here, but there can be only one (or two) players atop the field. Congratulations to Jackson, Sarah, and Gary for their tournament performances (and at this rate, the Wahls might need to add on a separate trophy room to the house). 
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Sectional Sat October 10 St Cloud | Sectional October 22-24 St Paul | Sectional November 4-6 Duluth | Sectional November 6-7 Plymouth | Sectional December 10-13 Roseville | Sectional Feb 3-6 Roseville |
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 In the non-Life Master category, Gary Falkenstein [Rochester] is less than a masterpoint ahead of Earlene Wickre [Rochester] and Harlan Wickre [Rochester]. His lead with one day to go is 0.87 masterpoints. Fourth place in the NLM Tournament Champion race is Connie Falkenstein [Rochester]. who is 0.93 off the lead for the title. All business gets settled today - and then it is on to the awards presentation. This tournament has a history of tight races, and just last year it was Carole Miner [Rochester] who earned 78.31 masterpoints to eke out the crown by only 0.04 masterpoints over Sveinn Eiriksson's 78.27. (Close enough for a mandatory recount!) |
  | At the Med City Regional on Friday, the 8-table open pairs game was won by Paul Meerschaert [Long Lake] and Sandy Fisher [Long Lake], who tied for second in the morning with their 59.52% game and followed that up with a 58.63% game post-lunch to come in 1st overall and pick up 14.88 gold points. They just eked out Ann House [Minneapolis] and Barb Zipoy [Bloomington], who came in 2nd overall and earned 11.16 gold points. In the Gold Rush on Friday, it was Barb Lennington [Rochester] and Dennis Schulte [Woodbury] who took the crown, with their winning 58.33% game in the morning, followed by a 59.57% afternoon game. They earned 4.13 gold points on the day. |
| Rod entered the tournament needing 2.51 gold points to become a LM, and he got that - and more - on the first day that he played (Thursday). With partner Al Larson [Rochester] and teammates Steve He [Rochester] and Jerry Rosenblad [Stewartville], Rod earned 5.27 gold points in the teams play on Thursday. More from Rod is on the way when we catch up with him at the tournament. |
The Gold Rush on Thursday found a familiar pair winning 1st overall, with Earlene Wickre [Rochester] and Harlan Wickre [Rochester] having a somewhat mediocre 47.67% game in the morning - but whatever we had for lunch, we're having that again, as they played a 71.00% game in the afternoon to top everyone in the Gold Rush. Taking the silver in the Gold Rush on Thursday was the pair of Jim Bier [Oronoco] and Tom Grigoleit [Rochester]. Another strong day for teams play at the Med City Regional, with 14 teams and two brackets playing for the gold. In the top bracket, Bob Balderson [Eden Prairie], Cindy Balderson [Eden Prairie], Sarah Wahl [Minneapolis], Carole Miner [Rochester, and Jackson Wahl [Minneapolis], took 1st place overall for 15.00 gold points. The lower bracket saw Kent Dalzell [Rochester], Connie Falkenstein [Rochester], Gary Falkenstein [Rochester], and Matt Belau [Rochester] coming out on top of the eight teams there to win 8.03 gold points each. You can find all of the masterpoint awards for the 186 players that have earned them (so far) by clicking here; and the results of this tournament in detail can be found by clicking here. |
 Through the first half of the week last year, the open pairs events made up 29.7% of the tables in Rochester. This year, only 19.8% of the tables have been in the open pairs - but the teams events have seen a sharp increase in table share of this regional. From 34.1% of the total tables last year to 42.1% of the total tables here in 2026. The Gold Rush does terrific at this Rochester Regional, and that's the case this year with 13 tables on Wednesday, producing another two new Life Masters (see the post just below). . .but this year, this tournament is all about the teams. And with the ACBL's average of 50.4% of all regional tables at a tournament in the teams event, there is still some room to grow. |
John and Janet were on our "Life Master watch list" prior to this tournament, as they only needed 2.58 and 1.11 gold points, respectively. Playing in the teams game on Wednesday with club friends Laurie Gabrielson [Onalaska WI] and Jeri Sebo [La Crosse WI], they came in 2nd place overall in the lower teams bracket to earn "5 gold points and a smidge" (as the D-I-C so aptly put it). If you know these two players, you know they are the nicest people you could meet at or away from the table - and it's terrific that they were able to cross the line at this tournament so close to home with friends. |
The Open pairs saw a squeaker on Wednesday, with Carole Mataya [Rochester] and Greg Caucutt [Rochester] putting together a 63.86% morning game and an overall score of 83.96, holding off Larry Uttley [Duluth] and Warren Nelson [Cloquet], won the post-lunch session with a 61.81% game. They wound up with a 82.67 overall score, good for a strong second place finish. 26 teams tables on Wednesday saw two brackets of players; the top bracket was won by the top seed in the event, led by Lynne Castoldi [Minnetonka], Sveinn Eiriksson [Delray Beach FL], Mike Curley [Rockford MI] and Amir Ezion [North Miami FL]. They picked up 16.35 gold points today, just edging out the 2nd place overall team of Layne Vinje [Rochester], Sheri French [Roseville], Ed Prosser [Rochester], and Bob Roediger [Rochester]. Their 12.26 gold points was a great result in a close contest. The lower bracket of teams today found Sarah Wahl [Minneapolis], Jackson Wahl [Minneapolis], David Klevan [St Paul], and James Lair [St Paul], steamrolling the competition, winning 90 of 100 possible VPs on the day. But the bigger news might be the 2nd place team in the lower bracket, which produced two new Life Masters (see post above). Just three days left - and plenty of bridge to go. |
    |  In the Gold Rush Tuesday, it was locals Earlene Wickre [Rochester] and Harlan Wickre [Rochester], who took 1st overall among the 749ers. These two had a nice 59.23% game in the morning to win the session, followed up with a 57.29% second-place finish after lunch to take the crown and 4.13 gold points. Then there was the teams! The top place finishers today were the team of Layne Vinje [Rochester], Sheri French [Roseville], Ed Prosser [Rochester], and Bob Roediger [Rochester]. Their dominating the ten-teams on the day netted them 14.24 gold points. In second place of the ten teams was the foursome of Sarah Wahl [Minneapolis], Jackson Wahl [Minneapolis], Jill Wroblewski [Minneapolis], and Megan Murphy [St Paul]. They earned 10.68 gold points and the silver medal. More action on the way tomorrow! Masterpoint leaders through day 2 are listed just above. |
STEVE: As you noticed that I need less than three master points to make to life master. I thought I have a good chance to make it at the Rochester Regional since I planned to play all six days of the tournament. We had a very difficult start on the first day of the tournament but we gradually climbed out of the first-round hole we dug and I was pleasantly surprised that we finished 3rd with than more 8 gold points to reach this milestone on the first day of the tournament. BRIDGE BLOG: Do you have a plan for celebrating this event? STEVE: Nothing is planned yet, but bridge is a game of constant learning and challenge and it may be too early to celebrate it. BRIDGE BLOG: Right. Every new Life Master usually has a story or two to tell, playing against someone famous, or a hand that got way out of control, that sort of thing. Do you have a story or two you'd like to share? STEVE: I join[ed the] ACBL three years ago and did not have the luxury of playing against famous players. But I do have an experience to share. At 2024 Rochester Regional, I needed a partner to play and our then club manager, Sue Greenberg, graciously and bravely agreed to play with me in the open pairs event, considering that fact I did not play much competitive bridge and it was the first time I played with her (in fact that was the only time I played with her) and the tournament was the first one I went. I did not know what I was doing during the game, but at the end of the morning session, we finished 1st in the North - South direction and earned 2.63 gold points (we did not play in the afternoon session). BRIDGE BLOG: Okay, that sort of sounds like a great start for a great player! And to finish 1st in your direction with the local club manager, that's terrific. This Life Master for you came within about two years - and although you're quite accomplished as a player, you must have had some help along the way. STEVE: Yes, the Rochester Duplicate Bridge Club is a very welcoming club, and it is the first club (and the only club) I played in and am still playing in - and many good players are willing to offer help. Among those players, the first one I want to acknowledge is John Jentzer. He is a much more experienced bridge player and knows many conventions. From the first few times we played between late August and the end of October of 2023, he recognized that I need to learn the modern 2/1 system. He recommended a book by Audrey Grant before he went back to Utah for winter months in November. We started to play again in late May of 2024 when he came back to Rochester for the summer months and suggested me to learn a new convention after a week or two of playing. By the end of November 2024, he presented me a binder of all conventions he recommended and we agreed to play. With his help and mentoring, I made good progress on my bridge playing. The second player I want to acknowledge is Jerry Rosenblad. The first time I played with him was the last club game of 2024. One of his regular partners went to South for the winter months and he asked me to play with him. The first game went well and we have been playing regularly since. After each game, particularly if we did not do well, we went over some hands (even we did not play as partner) on the phone and discussed what mistakes we made (mostly by me). I learned many lessons from him. BRIDGE BLOG: What advice would you give to some of these up-and-coming players who are not yet Life Masters, but are working towards that goal? STEVE: I do not have advice, but I do have some suggestions: 1) Find a better player as your partner if you can, ask questions and discuss any mistake you make. 2)Read some books on bridge playing from experts. 3)Play more at tournaments. We are lucky to have many tournaments year around within driving distance and should take advantage of these opportunities. BRIDGE BLOG: Good suggestions, all of them - and congratulations again Steve, we will see you at the bridge table. STEVE: Thank you. PREVIOUSLY: In the "that-really-did-not-take-long-at-all" department, the Rochester Med City Regional crowned Minnesota's newest Life Master on day 1 of the tournament. Congratulations to Steve He [Rochester], who went into this tournament needing 2.87 points of any color to cross the line! Steve earned 8.77 gold points on Monday, coming 3rd overall in the teams competition and playing with Jerry Rosenblad [Stewartville], Joyce Lewis [Rochester], and Mike Salscheider [Rochester] to earn the gold and cross the line. We've sent Steve the new Life Master questions - and we'll post his answers to this newfound stardom when he gets back to us. |
In the 11-table Gold Rush today, it was Georgia Prosser [Rochester] and Marc Anderson [New Prague] who took 1st place overall and earned 4.36 gold points. They tied for 1st in the morning with Roger Andre [Edina] and Joe Carter [Eagan], having a 57.87% game, and then in the afternoon their 3rd place finish of 59.59% was enough to carry them to the title. Among the Open players, a 60.68% game by Barry Purrington [Eagan] and Dave Collins [Fridley] was tops in the morning, but after lunch it was Carole Mataya [Rochester] and Greg Caucutt [Rochester] with their 65.83% game which took them to 1st place overall among the open crowd and earning 10.94 gold points on the day. The team of Lynne Castoldi [Minnetonka], Sveinn Eiriksson [Delray Beach FL], Mike Curley [Rockford MI] and Amir Ezion [North Miami FL] topped all 11 teams today for 15.59 gold points. They were followed by Bob Balderson [Eden Prairie], Cindy Balderson [Eden Prairie], Sarah Wahl [Minneapolis], and Jackson Wahl [Minneapolis], who earned 11.69 gold points for their 2nd place finish. All of the results from this tournament can be found by clicking here, and your masterpoint leaders through day 1 (and really everyone who earned some scratch on Monday) can be found by clicking here. |
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 | One reason for this recent development could be the recent hack of the ACBL's database. Everything from your birthday to your phone number to your personal address, etc., was recently obtained by bad faith actors, and has likely been sold out on the open market. It's why easy targets (like the ACBL) get hacked in the first place. (Another reason they get hacked is for ransom, but we've heard nothing about the ACBL paying to get their computers back running.) It's unfortunate - but it's part of life now, and a trade-off for having the convenience of email and a phone (apparently). Remember if you don't recognize an email or a phone message, don't open it and certainly don't click on any links associated with it. Your best best is just to delete it. |
Scott Krupke [Little Falls] will provide his annual "State of the Club" speech at the St Cloud Bridge Club's annual Harvest Moon Festival on Monday, September 21. This event features dinner at 5pm, followed by Scott's update (including future plans for the club), and then a game of bridge at 6pm. NOTE that the regularly-scheduled Monday afternoon game next Monday is not taking place. But the Harvest Moon Festival game will have separate Open and 299er sections, so everyone should plan to get in on the action. They'll want to have enough chow for the masses, so be sure to let them know you are coming - you can sign up at the club and find more information about this annual fun-fest by clicking here. |
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  | Jerry played in only nine games at the Rochester club, but coming in 1st overall six times out of nine and averaging a red hot 61.40% in August helped him earn 27.59 masterpoints. Any other month and he'd be wearing the crown - but this time around that's only good enough for third place. Terry played in 22 face-to-face games this past month (21 pairs games and 1 home-style pairs), averaging 57.90% and earning 28.28 masterpoints. But Joe played in two more games than Terry, 24 Minnesota club games in August, and averaged 56.74% to pick up 28.92 masterpoints. That was what it took to come in 1st among Minnesota players this month and earn the title of "King of Clubs." Has there been a closer 1-2-3 among Minnesota players for a whole month's worth of club masterpoints? Not since we've started keeping track a few years ago. We'll see what September brings - but your King of Clubs this time around is Joe Koester, who's something of a familiar face once again on the throne. |
 For the first time last year, teams outnumbered pairs tables ACBL-wide in these open regionals - with a split of 50.4% teams and 49.6% pairs tables. The top two 2025 regionals for teams were both in Texas; and Minnesota's two regionals last year were below the ACBL-wide average of 50.4%. Rochester's 2025 Med City Regional had an increase of overall tables by +8.4%, which is terrific considering the current trend of fewer tables across the ACBL's regionals - but their teams tables were only 38.7% of their total tables. That's well below what everyone else is playing. The 38.7% team tables last year was a bit of an improvement over 2024's Rochester team table percentage - and we'll see what takes place at the Med City Regional next week. We're a big proponent of teams play, so we're hoping for the best here. . .you'll get an update in about ten days. |
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Deborah Bacharach [St Paul] Richard Mitchell [Minneapolis]
Bill Schultz [St Paul] Lee Holschuh [St Paul] Sabin Peterson [Crystal] Jane Marconett [Hermantown] David Mussell [St Charles] Bea Melby [Scandia] Marcia Fluer [Golden Valley] |
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  | While it's true that summer doesn't officially come to a close until just after the upcoming Med City Regional this month, the unofficial end of summer (Labor Day) provides a chance to look at how local clubs did during the past 14 weeks. The calendar for 2026 provides two caveats to this dataset. First, due to the late Labor Day holiday this year, there were 15 weeks instead of 14 between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Second, we hosted the NABC. Due to the NABC hosted in Minneapolis, several clubs in the Twin Cities Metro area closed for 11 days. (That's a big chunk of summer tables around here.) To get the best apples-to-apples comparison for all Minnesota clubs, we counted the 14 of 15 weeks that NABC-closed Metro area clubs were open this year - and for the clubs that were open all 15 weeks in 2026, their 15-week table count was adjusted to 14-weeks (multiplied by .933). Here's what we found. The topline number is terrific; across Minnesota, the 3,614 tables this summer in our local clubs is 298 tables more than last summer, or an increase of +9.0%. Although having the NABC closed several Metro area clubs, their table counts were (mostly) still higher than last summer while they were open - as players got as much practice in as they could before the NABC took place. So having the NABC didn't hurt local club table counts this summer, it actually helped by quite a bit. Monthly club trends over the summer months are simply repeated here, of course, with the new bridge club in Plymouth having a great summertime table count (191 vs 52, or up +266.3%) and responsible for all of Unit 178's +16.6% year-over-year increase (without the Plymouth tables, Edina and Maple Grove combined were up all of 1½ tables this summer, or pretty much flat). Unit 103's St Paul Bridge Center was up 56 tables or 6.9%, with the biggest 103 increases at Duluth (+23.5%), St Cloud (12.3%), and Detroit Lakes (+10.2%). The Mankato (-6.7%) and Northfield (-13.6%) clubs saw the largest decline in summertime tables compared to 2025. These table counts don't include any online or tournament tables, and there's always work to be done - the good times that are currently rolling in Minnesota's bridge community won't last forever. But efforts that everyone is making at the moment are showing up in more players and more tables, and more bridge is the result. |
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| There are a number of players who are very close to getting their Life Master rank, and quite a few who just need some gold points to accomplish this feat. We're on Life Master watch for next week, as some of these Minnesota players are going to have a celebratory cake (or two) by or well before the end of the tournament. Here are the gold points that are needed for these players to become a Life Master (and gold points are all these players need): |
 | Space is limited for this special event, and Norrie Thomas [Plymouth] is the one who can answer any questions - and save you a seat at the table. Contact information and full details are available on the flyer just to your left, or you can click here. |
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REGIONAL Sep 14-19 Rochester | Sectional Oct 3-4 Mankato | Sectional Sat October 10 St Cloud | Sectional October 22-24 St Paul | Sectional November 4-6 Duluth | Sectional November 6-7 Plymouth |
  | When it comes to these qualifying NAP tables, the results are really divided - outstate tables this year fell sharply, by -24.3% (from 430 last season to 325 this year). But metro area tables saw a nice pop of +16.9% (from 436 to 509 here in 2026). The decline in NAP tables at outstate clubs is almost universal, with Detroit Lakes, St Cloud, Rochester, and Northfield all holding fewer tables from June to September in 2026. Mankato never runs any NAP tables, nor does Woodbury in the metro area. Within the Twin Cities, Edina was off by ½ table this season, but both the St Paul Bridge Center and the Maple Grove games took off nicely. Whether this is a blip in the NAP participation, the start of a trend of fewer NAP tables overall, or the result of something else, remains to be seen. The online D14 Finals are in about seven weeks - who's playing and who's not might provide a clue. |
 | BRIDGE BLOG: First of all, thanks for doing this - you know, you're really too good a person for this bridge world. DAVE: (Laughs.) BRIDGE BLOG: How did it come about that you ended up volunteering for this role? Had you thought "hey, I want to do that!" or were there blackmail photos, etc? DAVE: (Still laughing.) Well, Keith Thompson [St Paul] asked me if I'd be interested in being part of this, and I thought a lot about it. I was actually up all night one night thinking about it, into the wee hours, and how I'd like to be a part of the process going forward. This is a great tournament, and it's something we all want to see keep going, and I can help with that. BRIDGE BLOG: Have you run something like this on a smaller scale, or what experience have you had putting on such an event? DAVE: I haven't had a lot of experience with this, and certainly not on this size. I'll need a lot of help, and I know there are a lot of people who have worked with Patti in the past who will be continuing in the future to ensure the tournament's success. BRIDGE BLOG: If someone wants to help out, how do they let you know? DAVE: Well, Keith is putting together the team, so they can let Keith know, or me - or they can mention that they'd like to help to, really, anyone who's been involved with the tournament in the past. There are a lot of connections here, and we're just getting things together now. . .so there will be lots of opportunities for people who want to help to let us know that. BRIDGE BLOG: You won't have a problem getting help, whether it's PR or advertising, etc., as there are volunteers in both of Minnesota's units that have worked together in the post-COVID era, and that should continue. Do you expect the 2027 Gopher to be back at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Bloomington? Patti made it sound like she's got an option for another year there. DAVE: That's one of the things we'll be looking at. We're too early in the process to name the location, but I'd like to keep it in the Twin Cities area. If we moved it north, then bridge players in the south would have too much of a drive - and if we moved it south, then bridge players in the north would have the same problem. Also, the Twin Cities is where the majority of these bridge players are located, so it makes sense to look at keeping it around here. BRIDGE BLOG: Well, we know it's super early, but we appreciate your getting involved with the Gopher and look forward to a seamless transition to the 2027 tournament. Also, of course, you can count on our help. DAVE: Thanks, it's going to be fun! |
They're allowing you to bring your own mentor (or mentee) and arrange your own partnership for this game - or you can sign up at the St Cloud Bridge club at Midtown Square and they'll do their best to hook you up. Remember that when you choose to help mentor a less experienced player, you're helping the game in general (and especially at your local club). More information can be found at the St Cloud club or on their website, accessible by clicking here. |
  | Since the beginning of the year, tables at the pre-existing clubs in the west Metro are down compared to the same period last year. The Edina games, run by Tony Ames [Minnetonka], have seen a drop of -4.4% since this year so far (1,076 to 1,029). Scott Smith [Bloomington]'s Maple Grove club tables are also down, off -11.1% year-to-date (597 in 2025 during this period, vs 531 in 2026). At Spades and Company, their special events and increasing weekly game offerings have driven their tables to 333 since January 1st of this year (up from 52 during this period in 2025). If year-over-year tables across the board in Minnesota were down, it would be more difficult to attribute the decline in Edina and Maple Grove games to the new Spades club. But bridge isn't down everywhere else; in fact, it's not down anywhere else. Not only are tables up across the rest of Minnesota, but even the rest of the Twin Cities Metro area is seeing a jump in tables during this eight-month period compared to last year of +8.0%. So there are more and more tables in play - including in the west Metro, home to Unit 178. It's unlikely that either the Edina or Maple Grove games will be driven out of business anytime soon, and whether this is good news or bad will depend on your perspective. But however this shakes out, Norrie deserves credit for starting a new club in the West Metro along with engaging newer players and getting them into the game - an effort that no other Unit 178 member was willing to undertake once the Twin City Bridge Center closed seven years ago. |
 | Her women's team has made the podium, battling for the bronze, but she's having a great time and looking quite fashionable! We'll see her in a couple of weeks at the Med City Regional in Rochester, although we only have a couple weeks to get a podium of our own. |
   | Overall, there were 1,027½ tables in play the past four weeks - up 57½ tables over last August's 970 tables. The trends within the state (and within the two bridge units) this month don't show any real surprises for August. In Unit 103, the Detroit Lakes Bridge Club (+15.3%) and Woodbury (+14.4%) showed the largest year-over-year club increase in August tables; Mankato (-9.2%) and Northfield (-9.1%) have been shrinking for some time now, and this month they continued to get a little smaller. In Unit 178, the three active clubs were up a combined +6.7% overall from last August, but once again the entirety of that increase is due to the one-year-old Plymouth club (Spades and Company). Both Edina (-4.5%) and Maple Grove (-9.7%) saw smaller crowds in August. These table counts do not include any tournament tables, even when held at one of our local clubs, and also do not include any online tables. Face-to-face bridge at your local club continues to be strong, with viable games everywhere. It won't last forever, but it's going great at the moment, and your playing helps! |
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