Bridge Blog 464: Masterful?

          I feel good. By this time Thursday night, I could finally be Life Master. Not just Life Master, but Silver Life Master. That’s how overdue this process has gotten. If I’m not mistaken, all our knock-out team will have to do at the Niagara Falls, Ont., Regional Tournament is win the first two rounds to get the 2.8 gold points that I need.
          And it should be a very good knock-out team. I’ll be playing with Niagara Regional Counselor Selina Volpatti, with whom I usually have a great time and do quite well. Our teammates are Mike Silverman and Helen Panza, who cleaned up at last month’s regional tournament on Grand Island and earned Life Master status.

          Do I need further encouragement? Why not? I need look no further than my fruitful games with Pawan Matta Monday and Tuesday at the Airport Bridge Club. Monday was a 48.71% game, which nevertheless gave us first in the C strat for .77 of a master point. Tuesday, though it started badly, was much improved – 55.28%, first in B North-South, 1.13 master points. For the month, that’s 4.50 points.