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ACBL - Glossary of Bridge Terms Rookie, masterpoints, stratified pairs -- these terms may be confusing to new members of the American Contract Bridge League. Here's a list of terms and their meanings: Masterpoints: the unit which measures bridge achievement in competition. Masterpoints are awarded at ACBL clubs and tournaments in amounts proportional to the size and classification of the event and the rating of the club or tournament. Black points: awarded at club games. Some special club games award red, gold or silver points. Red points: awarded for section placements at regional tournaments and NABCs. Also awarded at clubs for special events such as the qualifying rounds of the North American Open Pairs and the Grand National Teams. Gold points: awarded for section firsts and overall placing in regionally rated or NABC events that have no upper masterpoint restrictions. Gold points are also awarded for sectional firsts and overall placing in regional events of two or more sessions that have a masterpoint limit of 750 or more points. One gold point is awarded to section winners in the annual ACBL Instant Matchpoint Game in sections of seven or more tables. In addition, new players may now win gold points in their own NABC events: .50 gold in the National 49er Pairs at the Spring NABC, 1.50 gold in the National 199er Pairs at the Summer NABC and 1.00 gold in the National 99er Pairs at the Fall NABC (the re-mainder of the award is in red points). A major source of gold points is the Bracketed Knockout Teams. The overall awards for the top brackets are all gold while the lower brackets may receive a percentage of gold points and the remainder in red points. Silver points: awarded for sectional and overall placing at sectional tournaments. Also awarded at Sectional Tournaments at Clubs (StaC). Barry Crane Top 500 race: This trophy is pre-sented to the ACBL player who wins the most masterpoints during a calendar year. Originally the McKenney Trophy, it was put into play by William E. McKenney, ACBL executive secretary. It was known as the McKenney Trophy from 1937 to 1981. The list was expanded to include the top 500 play-ers in 1982 and called the Top 500 from 1982 to 1985. It was renamed the Baainrry Crane Top 500 in 1986. Crane, who was sl in July 1985, was ACBL's top masterpoint holder at that time and was acknowledged by his peers to be unequaled as a masterpoint winner and a matchpoint player. Mini-McKenney races: In 1974 the ACBL Board of Directors voted to recognize masterpoint achieve-ments among player below the rank of Life Master. The Bridge Bulletin recognizes leaders ACBL-wide. At the unit level, winners in each category receive rec-ognition and special medallions. All points won during a calendar year are counted in these races. Ace of Clubs contests: This competition was created in 1984 to recognize achievement at the club level. Winners are recognized at the unit level as well as ACBL-wide. Points won only at the club level -- excluding the North American Open Pairs, the Grand National Teams and Sectional Tournaments at Clubs -- are counted in these races. Masterpoint races: ACBL recognizes the players who win the most masterpoints in their categories during the calendar year. The categories include Life Master, Bronze LM, Silver LM, Gold LM, Diamond LM, Grand LM, Youth, Junior, Senior and Richmond Trophy. These are the various categories and the require-ments for each category at the beginning of a calendar year: Rookie: 0-5 masterpoints Junior Master: 5-20 points Club Master: 20-50 points Sectional Master: At least 50 points, including 5 silver Regional Master: At least 100 points, including 15 silver plus 5 red or gold NABC Master: At least 200 points, including 50 pigmented points of which 5 must be gold, 15 must be red or gold and 25 must be silver Life Master: 300-500 points Bronze Life Master: 500-1000 points Silver Life Master: 1000-2500 points Gold Life Master: 2500-5000 points Diamond Life Master: 5000-10,000 points Grand Life Master: 10,000 points and a North American Bridge Championship or its equivalent Youth: age 19 and younger Junior: age 25 and younger Sectional: points won only at sectional tournaments Senior: 55+ years, points won only in Senior events Richmond Trophy: awarded to the Canadian player who wins the most points in a calendar year.
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