Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Bridge Blog 762: Faith restored

Ordinarily, I have only one or two bad games in a row with Wednesday partner Celine Murray and we certainly had those last week – that 41.67% last Wednesday, which nevertheless earned us almost half a point in the last extra-point game of April, and a thoroughly dismal 38.89% on Thursday, dead last all the way.
Paired up with her again on Tuesday, the downward spiral continued – 37.04%, dead last again. We both contributed mightily to the misery. I gave away extra tricks by not taking Aces. Celine plowed ahead with unsupportable bids. We had four bottom boards and two tied for bottom.
But in the midst of our misery, there were bright spots. “How did you ever make that slam?” more than one player asked when the game was over. “Celine,” I said. She bid and made 6 Hearts on a hand where everyone else stopped at game and made one overtrick. It was one of our two top boards.
Brightness prevailed for our regular rendezvous on Wednesday. This time we had six top boards and only one bottom on our way to a 61.89% game. It might have been even better if it weren’t for a long bidding hesitation by Celine, which resulted in a director call and may or may not have cost us another top board. (We got an average minus instead.)
Even so, it wouldn’t have improved on our first place finish East-West. And it wouldn’t have given us any more than the 0.70 of a point that we won. So, no complaints. My faith in Celine is restored. And that 1,700-point milestone is even closer. 1,697.77!

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