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Snow birds are beginning their migration, heading for their bridge clubs, the largest one in Austin at the Senior Center. Duplicate Bridge is played on Tuesday and Wednesday each week, starting at 11:30 a.m.

Tuesdays winners  with 4 1/2 tables playing were the following: 

First: Vandy Newman and Ron Peters

Second: Bill Momsen and Larry Crowe

Third: Barb and Orrin Roisen

Fourth: Gail Schmidt and Millie Siever

Fifth: Teresa Baldus and Harriet Oldenberg

Wednesday winners, with six full tables playing, were the following:

First: Barb and Orrin Roisen

Second: Gail Schmidt and Dave Ring

Third: Tom Flaherty and Stan Schultz

Fourth: Bonnie Fritz and Loren Cleland

Fifth: Barb Rofshus and Paul Hanson

Sixth: Caroline Higgins and Connie Johnson

Players  come from Austin, Albert Lea, Mason City, Northwood and Rose Creek, ranging mostly, if not all, of people in their 70s through high 90s. 

A few players are considered experts; yet all admit to “still learning.”

An article in the ACBL magazine titled Lessons Learned, by Michael Berkowitzs mentions the art of declarers concepts, in  bidding he says ‘count your winners and losers, analyze the opening lead, watch the signals from the opponents, count the missing suit, assess the trump split  and especially consider the opponents bidding or not and count their points.  Our experts do all of that  and most of us try to emulate them.  Bottom line is that is what keeps the older generation coming back to duplicate bridge plus we are big on Common Sense.