Sigh... An old saying is that death comes in threes... So who is next?
It's difficult for me to tell you that one of the first players I met so long ago is now gone. I met Jimmy
Rodgers perhaps 50 years ago at the Arcadia Bridge Center and soon after we became both lifelong friends and
partners. We shared a lot of laughs over the years and won a buncha masterpoints together. It was Jimmy.
Not Jim and not James... just Jimmy. He left Scotland as a young man and never lost that name... Nor his brogue! He was also
a partner to many of us - He never really developed a permanent partner, and players who came without a partner always
enjoyed the game with him. Jimmy, I know they play bridge in Heaven (Else it wouldn't be Heaven!) and I know for sure
you will be welcomed to the game. RIP dear friend, and tell your wife that now she can have you all to herself.
Jimmy was 93 years old.
My friend, Carl Lundgren... No, that's OUR friend Carl..is gone at the age of 87. Everyone will agree that he was
one of the nicest guys in the game, and it was always a pleasure to play with him. I once asked him if he played any
conventions, and he said, "A few, but mostly I tell my partners, 'If you have the points and the shape, bid what you are
supposed to!'"
I don't know much about Carl, but I wish I did. If any of you know more, please share it... drop me a text or an email,
please. I do know that he was a long-time rubber bridge player and only found our game a few years ago. Goodbye,
friend.
STRAY WORDS OF WISDOM
You will learn more by losing to good players
than you will by winning against poor players
Something Different
Perhaps 10-15 years ago John Barrow and I were partners, playing Precision. We decided te use a simple raise of
partner's opening major as a game forcing bid. Dunno where we got the idea, but imagine my surprise the other day
when a Canadian team I was kibitizing on BBO alerted a simple spade raise as game forcing!
Simple Raise is Game Force
Suppose you open either major and after a pass your partner gives you a simple raise... If that's a game forcing
call, you sure have a lot of bidding room left to explore for slam!
As I recall, the rest of the agreement is something like this:
Responder's options:
A simple raise shows an opening hand or better and is game forcinng
A jump raise is always exactly 3-card support with 10-12 HCP
A jump to game must have 4+card support and 8-12 HCP
Because some hands do not fit in those definitions, responder can bid a forcing 1NT and then raise partner's major suit.
The hand where I kbitized the Canadian team turned out to be a tie for top when they stopped at game... A lot of scores showed
that others were too high and often down one.
No name, but Peter Szecsi, who also played it with me, referred to it as GFR --- Game Forcing Raise
Roy Wilson - Emerald Life Master I am 90 yars old...
and I have played bridge more than half my life...
The lesser half I wasted.
TEXT HERE
Unit Games -- Our unit games are held twice a month, on the first
and third Sundays, at the Pasadena Bridge Club. - Game time is 12:30. Note: Open the link to the Pasadena Club Results for Unit game results.
Ed's Edifications
Ed Lechner - EdLechner@gmail.com
Ed's comments and thoughts about a 2!s contrct he kibitized.
Open the link below in the Table of Links, Ed's Newsletter (D4)
Interesting issue of District 22's Bulletin...
HIDDEN TEXT
Unit Historian:
Do you have an old photo or other memorbilia from our past that you can share with us? Please contact Mike and
let him make a copy.
Mike Marcucci
818 903-2471
nstarmgm@att.net
March, 2026
Status Change for our Members updated each month in the first week
New Members
Steven Lison
Monterey Park
Yolly Minter
Glendora
Transferred In
Carolyn Cohen
Toluca Lake
Advanced in Rank - 3
Marion Darling
Junior Master
Meera Kumar
Club Master
Carolyn Cohen
Emerald Life Master
Pasadena-San Gabriel Unit 559
Our unit is one of nine in District 23 and we are sanctioned by the American Contract Bridge League.
We have an elected board of 12 members that meets monthly and is responsible for unit games, our Holiday party
and the annual John Waken sectional.
BBO - BridgeBase Online
Pete Hollands discusses the latest software version of the BBO Robots.
Take a look:
Our unit members can play in a virtual club game set up by Mojo and Paula...
When you log on, you are at the Home screen. Click on Competitive and then click on All Tournaments.
There's a Search Box at the top, on the right. Simply type in a few letters or numbers that will help
identify what you are looking for: 23 is sufficient for District 23, and 559 is enough for Unit 559.
You can use either the abbreviated Pasa or 559 for our virtual club.
Use this link if you would like to see the convention card used by the BBO robots.
BBO has many bridge forums where you can discuss almost any aspect or topic related to bridge.
BBO has a site on YouTube where you will find both bridge discussions and explanations.
WEB PAGES AND WEB SITES Two tables of both internal and external links
1
2
3
4
a
b
c
d
e
f
A
B
C
D
1
2
3
4
5
Unit 559 Membership Report
Ranks are updated quarterly after the 7th of the month.
Unit 559 Active Members
Click the rank below for a list
Master Points
0-5
No color points needed
5-20
No color points needed
20-50+
No color points needed
Although the majority of players listed
in each rank below have fulfilled the
requirements for the title in that group,
a few have not yet met the Gold, Silver
or Red point requisite. They do have
the total number of points, however.
50+ 5+ silver points
100+ 15+ silver points
and 5+ gold points
200+ 25+ silver
and 20+ red/gold/platinum
(5 must be gold or platinum)
300+ 50+ silver
and 50+ red/gold/platinum
(25 must be gold or platinum)
500+ 75+ silver
and 100+ red/gold/platinum
(50 must be gold or platinum)
750+ Life Master with
at least 750 points
1000+ Life Master with
at least 1000 points
(200+ must be silver/red/gold/platinum)
1500+ Life Master with
at least 1500 points
(300+ must be silver/red/gold/platinum)
2500+ Life Master with
at least 2500 points
(500+ must be silver/red/gold/platinum)
3500+ Life Master with
at least 3500 points
700+ silver/red/gold/platinum (350+ must be gold or platinum)
5000+ Life Master with
at least 5000 points
1000+ silver/red/gold/platinum (500+ must be gold or platinum)
7500+ Life Master with
at least 7500 points
1500+ silver/red/gold/platinum (750+ must be gold or platinum)
10,000+ Life Master with
at least 10,000 points
2000+ silver/red/gold/platinum (1000+ must be gold or platinum)
10,000+ Life Master with
at least 10,000 points
2000+ silver/red/gold/platinum (1000+ must be gold or platinum)
Must have a victory in an eligble event
March Total Membership 329
The Number of visitors since estabshment prior
to the reset on January 16, 2026 was 1,009,500 Since January 16, 2016 --
You are Visitor Number 12452
This website was established in 1999 by Roy Wilson
Linux version 1.0.0 was introduced March 14, 1994
The First Web Site was established at CERN in 1992 by Tim Berners-Lee.
This website was built in 1999
by Roy Wilson
Mike Marcucci
