Bridge Blog 580: Bonus days

How about a point a day in club points this month in addition to those 3.78 silver points that came my way over the weekend in the Buffalo Fall Sectional Tournament? Could be done, especially after Monday’s game at the Airport Bridge Club, where Wednesday partner Celine Murray and I came in first in our direction, second overall and first overall in the B strat with a 59.57% game. It not only earned us 1.59 more black points, but it also lifted me into first place in the club’s monthly series race for Monday, which meant another 0.78 of a point. After 24 days, 23.96 Ace of Clubs points.

After the seven-table morning session Tuesday, it’s still 23.96 club points. With Celine again, I’m closer to brain dead than brilliant. I miss the implications of her Diamond lead after we’ve been bidding Hearts on the opening hand. (Yes, a singleton, and declarer Paula Kotowski allows me to win with my King, not taking the trick with the Ace in the dummy like she could have.) I cash the Ace-King in my five-card Heart suit and lead a third one, figuring Celine would ruff it (she's played 3-2). Wrong. I should have given her the Diamond ruff. So the contract succeeds, when it could have been down one.  Not the worst outcome, it’s a middle board, but it could’ve been above average.

Then on the next hand, I revoke and catch it before the next trick gets played, causing a director call and a stir at the table, but not a penalty. We keep misfiring all morning, with the exception of the down five doubled vulnerable score we hung on one unfortunate opposing pair. That didn’t keep us from coming in behind them – last overall with 39.21%.

In the afternoon five-table Howell game, we seem to be stuck in the same rut. I give Jacqueline and Sharon Chang a ruff and sluff, allowing them to make an extra trick. Celine goes down three on a hand we should have left to the opponents. But both of these turn out to be middle boards. We’re surprised to see ourselves among the leaders when the preliminary scores go up. Final tally is 52.78%, third overall, another 0.98 point. Total now is 24.94. But wait! Make that 25-plus. My Tuesday afternoon wins this month will be giving me another club series bonus.