[keylime]

Just read that Jeff Meckstroth has eclipsed Paul Soloway for the highest number of masterpoints earned in ACBL competition. The number is staggering: 65,566.69.

The question now becomes - can he break 100,000?

[Phil]

Easily.

[PeterGill]

Bobby Richman just passed 10,000 Australian masterpoints - the first person ever to do so- so the Australian Bridge Federation introduced a new category Platinum Grand Master of 10,000+ just for Bobby.

There's a true story about Bobby growing up in America. Bobby's mother nagged Bobby to have a few games with the son of a friend of hers. Bobby ignored his mother, as any good son would, and didn't find out until later that Mrs Meckstroth's son Jeff would have been worth having a game with.

[the hog]

PeterGill, on Mar 15 2010, 03:54 PM, said:

Bobby Richman just passed 10,000 Australian masterpoints - the first person ever to do so- so the Australian Bridge Federation introduced a new category Platinum Grand Master of 10,000+ just for Bobby.

There's a true story about Bobby growing up in America. Bobby's mother nagged Bobby to have a few games with the son of a friend of hers. Bobby ignored his mother, as any good son would, and didn't find out until later that Mrs Meckstroth's son Jeff would have been worth having a game with.

Jeff might have learned something.

[Gerben42]

I'd be surprised if he cared about this... After all experts don't care about masterpoints.

But I agree, Meckstroth is one of the all-time greats of the game. After all, the only big titles missing are European championships in which Americans are not playing

Especially the way Meckstroth-Rodwell once won the world open pairs championship was impressive. I wouldn't be surprised if they are the first pair to get a 2nd win together (Chagas won it twice with different partners, Fantunes got close with 1st and 3rd).

If you want to know about 100K masterpoints, I sincerely hope Jeff will still have a long healthy life ahead of him.

[Vampyr]

It is too bad that masterpoints cannot be "adjusted for inflation", and reflect the fact that all of the masterpoints Meckstroth has earned since Soloway's death, and all of those that he will earn in future, are much easier to come by than most of the points earned by Soloway.

[rogerclee]

Vampyr, on Mar 15 2010, 09:56 PM, said:

It is too bad that masterpoints cannot be "adjusted for inflation", and reflect the fact that all of the masterpoints Meckstroth has earned since Soloway's death, and all of those that he will earn in future, are much easier to come by than most of the points earned by Soloway.

lol

[aguahombre]

Vampyr, on Mar 15 2010, 10:56 PM, said:

It is too bad that masterpoints cannot be "adjusted for inflation", and reflect the fact that all of the masterpoints Meckstroth has earned since Soloway's death, and all of those that he will earn in future, are much easier to come by than most of the points earned by Soloway.

ok, so YOU get em. Sounds like the old Roger Maris vs. Babe Ruth debate. I think the quality of the competition might have improved also, and believe Jeff deserves all acolades (ur right, I don't know how to spell it).

the fact remains: He has done it. No one else has. And steroids were not invoved.

[Tomi2]

Gerben42, on Mar 15 2010, 05:19 PM, said:

I'd be surprised if he cared about this... After all experts don't care about masterpoints.

But I agree, Meckstroth is one of the all-time greats of the game. After all, the only big titles missing are European championships in which Americans are not playing

Especially the way Meckstroth-Rodwell once won the world open pairs championship was impressive. I wouldn't be surprised if they are the first pair to get a 2nd win together (Chagas won it twice with different partners, Fantunes got close with 1st and 3rd).

If you want to know about 100K masterpoints, I sincerely hope Jeff will still have a long healthy life ahead of him.

have to disappoint you:

Meck-Rodwell are European Champions! (Menton 2003)
but they will not play open pairs together in Philly

[glen]

With some hesitation, it was Meck vs. Miles in today's bulletin on page 6:

http://www.acbl.org/...tins/2010/01/5/

btw congrads to the Barts (page 1)

[billw55]

Quote

specially the way Meckstroth-Rodwell once won the world open pairs championship was impressive. I wouldn't be surprised if they are the first pair to get a 2nd win together (Chagas won it twice with different partners, Fantunes got close with 1st and 3rd).

Interesting that this has never been done. This seems to suggest that the luck factor, however small, is greater than the skill difference among the best players in the world.

Or is it just that once a pair has won it, they don't tend to enter together again?

[jjbrr]

billw55, on Mar 16 2010, 09:27 AM, said:

Quote

specially the way Meckstroth-Rodwell once won the world open pairs championship was impressive. I wouldn't be surprised if they are the first pair to get a 2nd win together (Chagas won it twice with different partners, Fantunes got close with 1st and 3rd).

Interesting that this has never been done. This seems to suggest that the luck factor, however small, is greater than the skill difference among the best players in the world.

Or is it just that once a pair has won it, they don't tend to enter together again?

luck factor.

[PeterGill]

Jack Zhao (2006 World Pairs winner) and Pepsi (1998 winner) both say that luck is a big factor. The long term absence of Meckstroth - Rodwell from the World Pairs also makes the event easier for other pairs to win. Meckwell last played the World Pairs in 1986, winning. In 1982 they came 6th. In 2006, 2002 and 1998 Meckstroth played with Perry Johnson, coming 20th, 19th and 8th in huge fields. In 1990 and 1994, I'm fairly confident that Meckstroth didn't play in the event.