Bridge Blog 806-A: Random speculations

Random thought: Although I always approach the Buffalo Regional with high anticipation, it doesn’t reward me very well. This year may well have been the high water mark. Let’s go to the history books and see what’s happened in previous years.

2005 – 2.73 (all red points).

2006 – 1.94 (includes 1.59 gold).

2007 – 5.44 (all red).

2008 – 12.70 (6.81 gold, including 5.32 from that Swiss teams game I played with Paula Kotowski).

2009 – 4.15 (all red).

2010 – 7.59 (all red).

2011 – 6.97 (1.87 gold). I needed to play the Niagara Falls Regional later that year to reach the 25 gold I needed for my overdue Life Master status, which simultaneously became Bronze and Silver Life Master.

2012 – 12.12 (9.37 gold from a second-place finish in the knock-outs).

2013 – 4.59 (all red).

This year? All those bits and pieces of master points seem to add up to 9.77 (2.64 of them gold), my third-best Buffalo Regional.

Random question: Was Sunday’s 45-table Swiss team game as big as previous years or was attendance down? Let’s take a look. In June 2013, there were 48 tables. In October 2012, the count was 67 tables. In October 2011, it was 56 tables. In October 2010, it was 62. Also 62 in October 2009. In June 2008, it was 59.