Master Point Press Sponsors the Canadian Open Team headed to Bali

Master Point Press has often sponsored Canadian bridge teams. This year the Canadian Open Team was a clear choice for our sponsorship and we discussed it with them early on before their playoff with Mexico. They rightly said – wait until after the playoff. However, we never thought it would be such a close thing.  As we understand it the Open Team won by a single IMP! I sympathize with the valiant Mexicans but hey – go Canada.

The Canadian Open Team includes Judy Gartaganis and Nicholas Gartaganis, Paul Thurston and Jeff Smith, Darren Wolpert and Daniel Korbel with Hazel Wolpert (NPC),

There are several notable things about this relatively young and dynamic team. First Paul Thurston is a Master Point Press author and the bridge columnist for a Canadian newspaper, the National Post. Paul wrote 25 Steps to Learning 2/1. This is an outstanding book (an ABTA Book of the Year)  for the many people who play a standard system and want to learn 2/1. We are still waiting for Paul’s next book on Advanced 2/1. Paul has been working on it we understand and we hope Bali does not get in the way of completion because we continually get requests for that book. Paul has also written Bridge at the Breakfast Table, a collection of his National Post columns.  Both books are available in ebook form at popular online booksellers and at www.ebooksbridge.com. Paul and his partner Jeff Smith practice often on BBO and I have had the pleasure of being their opponent from time to time. They are tough opponents, so watch out world!

Also amazing when you look at the teams going to Bali is the Wolpert effect. Hazel Wolpert is captain of the Open Team. Hazel is a well-known bridge teacher and owner of a very successful Toronto bridge club. I have played on a women’s team with Hazel that had a surprise win in the CWTC some years ago and then went to the World Championships in Istanbul. My son Colin used to play with her sons Gavin and Darren. Now both of her sons are playing in Bali. Gavin is on one of the US Open Teams and Darren is on the Canadian team. Wow – what an achievement for the Wolpert family. Hazel, you must be just bursting with pride.

Judy Gartaganis and Nicholas Gartaganis have been stars of Canadian bridge for years. Nick was the playing captain of the Canadian team that had a terrific win at the bridge IOC event in Salt Lake City in 2000 – beating Poland, Italy and the USA to take the gold medal. Judy couldn’t play because it was men only (not an Open event) and there is a funny picture of her with the team wearing a moustache. (She did get to play on our women’s team in Salt Lake, and I ended up as NPC, but that’s another story.)

Daniel Korbel is a young bridge professional. Daniel was recently featured in this article in a local Waterloo Ontario newspaper The Record.com, Bridge pro unveils his secrets as a hired gun. There is a spiffy picture of Daniel in the article, don’t miss it.

It is great that Canada has such a terrific mix of young players and experienced older players taking on the world.

All the staff of Master Point Press wishes all of you the best of luck in Bali. We will be cheering for you.