Bridge Blog 1054: Buffalo Regional Tournament, Day 4

     Eva Schmidt is my Friday partner and we’re playing in the two-session pairs, a group which occupies the bulk of the big ballroom in the Adam’s Mark Hotel.

     I play gingerly in the morning session, not pushing hard in the bidding, and as a result we’re on defense on 11 of our first 15 hands. At lunch break, I see that’s one of the reasons why we finish last in our 11-table section with a 39.57% score. I tell Eva that we have to be more aggressive in the afternoon.

     We are and we're rewarded. 55.45%. We’re tied for fourth overall and we’re first in the B strat. 2.52 points. And they’re GOLD! Eva needs gold for her next life master level. I wonder if this is enough to get her there.

      As for me, this brings my total for the tournament to 7.20. (Last year, I earned 16.68. In 2016, it was 15.66. In 2015, it was just 5.38. And in 2014, in the Regional at the Hamburg Fairgrounds, it was 9.77.)

     Two days to go. Saturday I’m doing pairs with a fellow from the St. Catharines game, Bob Forster, who’s always said he’s available over there if I need a partner. Let’s see if we can make it work over here.