Bridge Blog 976: Buffalo Fall Sectional Day 1

         I can't find my wallet. I had it last night at work, but it's not in yesterday's pants this morning and I have no time to look for it. Is this a bad dream?

         No driver's license. No credit cards. No health care cards. No folding cash that isn't Canadian in my drawer at home.

         At least there's enough change to get an iced coffee at Tipico. At least I get out to the Main-Transit Fire Hall in Amherst without getting killed or caught. At least there's still room at the far end of the parking lot. I've never seen so many cars at a sectional tournament. Inside, 39½ tables for the morning session.

Partner Pawan Matta, bless her soul, has paid our entry fees and is loaning me $20 for lunch at the food truck outside.

         

Pawan 

           As for bridge, we hit a couple early bumps in the road. The biggest bump comes in the first round against Raj Puri and Rajat Basu when she pushes me to slam with a hand that doesn't quite justify it and I compound the error by going for 6 No Trump, which goes down three, instead of Hearts, which would be down one. Correct that one and we'd be over 50%. We finish with 49.56%, 10th out of 15 North-Souths. Here's that hand. 

 North (me):      A 6 3 A J 9 Q 10 7 6 4 A J

 West:    Q 8 7 4 10 6 K J 5 Q 8 7 2

 East:    J 5 2 8 5 4 3 2 K 10 6 5 4

 South (Pawan)      K 10 9 K Q 7 3 2 A 9 8 9 3

         We face all three of the day's big winners in two-board rounds in the morning. We're 53% against overall champs Jay Levy and Fred Yellen, 42% against runners-up Martha and John Welte and 9% against C strat leaders Jim Lanzo and Beena Deshmukh, who are one of only two pairs who jump to a 4 Spade contract and get a top board. My Saturday partner, Selina Volpatti, is there with her priest friend, Chris Kulig. We're 61.9% against them.

         North-South in the morning, East-West in the afternoon. Pawan is flagging. She stumbles on a slam contract that she admits she should have made. I'm growing cautious and don't push to game a couple times when it should have been the obvious move.  

Even so, we do better. An even 53%. Eighth in the B strat. 0.31 of a silver point. Selina and Chris Kulig are in the other section and register 53.92%, which puts them first in the C strat. They get 1.20 points.