Bridge Blog 655: Pending

Sure enough, the ACBL says my pending points for February are 17.16. And then there’s that other 0.36 from the sectional, for which they’ve already given me credit. Last February, when the Airport Bridge Club was closed due to club manager Bill Finkelstein’s health problems, I had fewer than 10 points for the month and a total of just 18 or so for the year.

Nevertheless, at 17 points a month, I’ll wind up the year with about 200. What I really want is 250 or better, which will bring Gold Life Master into view a year sooner (like maybe 2016). A step-up of some sort is in order. To that end, I’ve decided to play the double-point Swiss team game next Sunday at the Airport Club.

Meanwhile, it’s taken five days to break into the scoring column for March. Celine Murray and I couldn’t reach 40% on Friday. Saturday and Sunday were off. And Monday, with Marilyn Sultz, our 49.83% result in the ACBL Senior Pairs event was respectable, but out of the money.

After Ruth Wurster canceled so she could go bury her 94-year-old father in Nebraska, I showed up Tuesday without a partner, was paired with Bill Boardman and had a game without serious negatives until the final hand, when Bill took a flyer by bumping his weak 2 Heart opening bid to 4 Hearts. Doubled. Vulnerable. Down three. Our only bottom board. Even so, we came in third in the B strat with 51.39%. In this week of normal, non-inflated point awards, that was worth 0.32.