Bridge Blog 957: STaCked Against Me

The Sectional Tournament at the Clubs (STaC) should be like taking silver points from a baby. Play at your home club, have a good game, rake in the bonus points at the district level. The Airport Bridge Club even provides us with extra rakes – two STaC games every day.

So on an ideal STaC week, I’d have 12 to 14 silver point opportunities. In previous years, I would attempt all of them. But not this year. My employer, The Buffalo News, wants me an hour earlier – 4 p.m. instead of 5 – and that rules out the second game. At best, I’d show up well after 5.

Luckily, 9 out of the 12 games can be salvaged. No work Friday and Saturday. And I plead for a dispensation for Thursday, so Selina Volpatti won’t have to come over from Canada for just one session.

Plus – to diminish our STaC expectations further – nobody wins all the time. Even if you scratch on a club level in a STaC game, it usually takes 60% or better to break into those fat bonus points.

And one final reality check – STaC history. I managed 9.74 back in December, but I played 13 games. My best STaC ever was last June – 11.57. So let’s set a reasonable goal – two-thirds of last December. 6.5 or so.