Bridge Blog 818: Belated Buffalo Winter Sectional Wrap-Up

I saw so little of the Buffalo Winter Sectional Tournament Jan. 23 to 25 – just two morning pairs games – and earned so little in the way of points that it drifted right out of my brain. But it’s worth noting for a couple reasons, high-scoring reasons.

First of all, the leading master point winner, Bud Seidenberg, took home more points than I recall anyone doing at a recent Buffalo sectional – 32.32. 

When he won in the 32.5-table Friday morning pairs game, he collected 9.85 points. When he came in second in the 25.5-table Friday afternoon pairs, he got another 6.19. He was second again in the 27.5-table Saturday morning pairs for 6.53 points. And on Sunday, in the 23-table Swiss team competition, he was part of the winning team, collecting another 9.08.

At the St. Catharines, Ont., sectional Friday, Feb. 6, Saleh Fetouh pointed out that their winning Swiss team had won 92% of the possible International Match Points – 193 out of 210 – but that the ACBL’s Bridge Bulletin magazine will not recognize it the way it recognizes pairs that have games of 75% or better. Unfair, he said. I agree.

Meanwhile, back to Bud Seidenberg’s 32.32 points and a historical review of top point winners in Buffalo sectionals. 

At the fall sectional back in September, there were more tables – 164 to 156 – but fewer overall points awarded – 552.12 vs. 646.48. The point winner, Kathy Pollock, had just 15.67. Seidenberg was second with 12.79. In the spring sectional, point champ Chris Urbanek had only 16.17 (Seidenberg second again with 14.87). Point winner of last year’s winter sectional, which had only 132 tables, was Davis Heussler with a mere 13.70 (Seidenberg was 28th with 4.66).

Fall 2013 – 173 tables, Jay Levy, 17.96.

Spring 2013 – 139 tables, Saleh Fetouh, 21.66.

Winter 2013 – 151 tables, Saleh Fetouh, 19.04.

Fall 2012 – 129 tables, Jay Levy, 17.90.

Spring 2012 – 137 tables, Chris Urbanek, 20.34.

Winter 2012 – 133 tables, Saleh Fetouh, 20.58.

Fall 2011 – 137 tables, Saleh Fetouh, 23.68.

Spring 2011 – 153 tables, Ranald Davidson (North York, Ont.), 18.05.

Winter 2011 – 117 tables, Jay Levy, 17.93.

Fall 2010 – 139 tables, Jim Mathis, 27.33.

Spring 2010 – 145 tables, Dan Gerstman, 18.89.

Winter 2010 – 122 tables, Bud Seidenberg and Jay Levy (tie), 17.79.

Fall 2009 – 159 tables. Chris Urbanek, 16.78.

Spring 2009 – 124 tables. Martin Hunter (Mississauga, Ont), 13.59.

Winter 2009 – 127 tables. Jim Mathis, 21.39.

Even the guy with the second-most points this year, Jay Costello, outdistanced most of the winners for the past six years. Partnered with Bud Seidenberg on Friday, he wound up with 25.82. Third was Saleh Fetouh with 20.41, which is still better than half the winners since 2009.

Me? My measly 1.03 made me 120th out of the 162 players who got points.