Bridge Blog 1055: Buffalo Regional Tournament Day 5

      The upcoming multi-million-dollar transformation of the Adam’s Mark Hotel into the Buffalo Grand Hotel can’t happen soon enough.

      Let’s not even consider the patched carpeting and the general worn-out aspect of the place. Other evidence of deterioration is beginning to reach an alarming level.

      For instance, during the last two days of the Buffalo Spooktacular Regional Tournament, all four urinals have been inoperable in the men’s room opposite the Erie Ballroom, where most of the play is taking place. Nevertheless, this feels like some sort of an improvement. Before that, as they were breaking down, the floor was flooded.

      The heating and air conditioning in the Erie Ballroom has temperature-sensitive players either bundling up or shedding clothing. Complaints were met with the explanation that the hotel had been notified, but nothing could be done.

     The pizza provided by the hotel to the tournament for lunchtime snacking ranks among the worst in town. Opt for the dining room and, unless you’re lucky, like me and Thursday partner David Colligan, you’ll wait so long for attention that you’ll give up and leave, like Barbara Sadkin and her party did while we were there Thursday.

     Today there was table talk about the reason fire trucks showed up at the hotel a couple days ago. Some kids got stuck in the elevator on the sixth floor.

     And then, just as we’re preparing to bid the final hand in Saturday’s afternoon session, the fire alarm sounds, interspersed with a message advising everyone in the building to head outside. It’s drizzling. The fire trucks come back. Like many others, I give up and leave.

     Not that it’s worth hanging around for our scores. Those will show up on the Internet. Bob Forster and I bottomed out in the morning as we got used to one another – a 39.17% game, lowest overall in the two-session pairs. We improve in the afternoon, but not enough. Our 47.96% places us 12th out of 17 North-South partnerships. To earn points, we need at least 55%.

     All that’s left now is Swiss teams on Sunday. Hope the hotel hangs together long enough for us to finish the game.