WWTBAM Bored

It seems that a whole bunch of people want to see some basketball games being played at the Sprint Center so I'll be spending the Spring Nationals commuting back and forth across the Missouri River. Tomorrow's event will be the Lebhar IMP Pairs. I don't have high hopes, in large part because IMP Pairs is a format I truly loathe, but there aren't many national events I can play at this tournament so I'm holding my nose and signing on the dotted line. --Bob

Good luck, Bobby!

Two below-average sessions have us out of the event and playing regional pairs today. Can't blame the format, though. We had our chances and just didn't play well enough. --Bob

I didn't realize that Kansas City had such a problem with air quality. I just opened my window and the air is filled with these swirling white flakes. There's really no escaping them. Apparently, the phenomenon is so common that the locals have a name for it. The front desk tells me they call it "snow." I guess they named it after the character on Game of Thrones. You know, the one who spent much of the show stuck in and around the Wall.

Anyway, there's no help for it. If I want to play today, I'll just have to soldier through the stuff. Wish me luck! --Bob

A pair of good but not great sessions resulted in 8th overall, 3rd in X, good for 9.65 points. That's a much better start than I managed at my last Nationals. Four more days of regional pair events before I get another shot at an NABC+ event, but now I'm switching to my San Diego partner. I'm hoping for a string of good results. --Bob

Change of plans. When the best pair in a major metropolitan area asks you to join their team, the answer is yes. We played a regional Swiss, finishing in a tie for 6th through 8th, good for 8.53 master points and a cumulative total of 18.18 points.

I think we made a good first impression. We played a team of Polish international stars in the first round and blitzed them, helped along by bidding and making a doubled slam at our table while our teammates went down one at their table for a 16 IMP gain. Our teammates asked us to play a compact knockout with them tomorrow so that's what we're going to do. --Bob

Bob78164 wrote:Change of plans. When the best pair in a major metropolitan area asks you to join their team, the answer is yes. We played a regional Swiss, finishing in a tie for 6th through 8th, good for 8.53 master points and a cumulative total of 18.18 points.

I think we made a good first impression. We played a team of Polish international stars in the first round and blitzed them, helped along by bidding and making a doubled slam at our table while our teammates went down one at their table for a 16 IMP gain. Our teammates asked us to play a compact knockout with them tomorrow so that's what we're going to do. --Bob

A score correction just came in, moving another team ahead of us. We're now tied for 7th through 9th, for 7.56 master points and a cumulative total of 17.21 points. --Bob

Played with the same teammates in the top bracket of the Compact Knockout. We won, good for 23.73 master points and a tournament total of 40.94. Regional pairs tomorrow unless something unexpected arises. --Bob

Holy cow! My partner for Friday and Saturday spent Sunday and Monday winning a national event, the Golder Flight B North American Pairs. --Bob

Since everyone else is too shy to ask the all important question, I guess I will:

Spoiler

where did you go for barbeque

?

Appa23 wrote:Since everyone else is too shy to ask the all important question, I guess I will:

Spoiler

where did you go for barbeque

?

Jack's Stack yesterday. Today I treated myself to a steak dinner at Anton's to celebrate yesterday's win. --Bob

Our first session today was barely above average so we got nothing this afternoon. Our second session, though, was pretty good, lifting us to 12th overall, which paid 4.80 master points. My cumulative total for the tournament is now 45.74 master points. --Bob

Bob78164 wrote:

Appa23 wrote:Since everyone else is too shy to ask the all important question, I guess I will:

Spoiler

where did you go for barbeque

?

Jack's Stack yesterday. Today I treated myself to a steak dinner at Anton's to celebrate yesterday's win. --Bob

They catered my rehearsal dinner.

My MIL got on an Oklahoma Joe's kick a few years back.

If you get the chance, the Negro League baseball museum is very interesting.

Appa23 wrote:

Bob78164 wrote:

Appa23 wrote:Since everyone else is too shy to ask the all important question, I guess I will:

Spoiler

where did you go for barbeque

?

Jack's Stack yesterday. Today I treated myself to a steak dinner at Anton's to celebrate yesterday's win. --Bob

They catered my rehearsal dinner.

My MIL got on an Oklahoma Joe's kick a few years back.

If you get the chance, the Negro League baseball museum is very interesting.

Thanks for the suggestion. I rarely do any sightseeing during a tournament, but knowing the option is there can't hurt. --Bob

Had a truly dreadful first session yesterday, the worst I've had with anyone in a couple of years. Recovered to barely scratch in the evening session, scoring 0.80 points for the day, bringing my cumulative total for the tournament up to 46.54 master points.

Today, my quest for platinum points finally resumes with the Silidor Open Pairs. --Bob

I didn't think our first session was at all good, but it scored surprisingly (to me) well, earning us 1.47 platinum points. Our second session was a bit below average but our overall game was comfortably above 51%. They're qualifying more than half the field, so I'm pretty confident we made the cut and will get to play in the second (and last) day of the Silidor Open Pairs.

Cumulative total for the tournament to date: 48.01 points. --Bob

Bob78164 wrote:Today, my quest for platinum points finally resumes with the Silidor Open Pairs. --Bob

Is the tournament sponsored by Hogwarts?

jarnon wrote:

Bob78164 wrote:Today, my quest for platinum points finally resumes with the Silidor Open Pairs. --Bob

Is the tournament sponsored by Hogwarts?

Isn't Silidor in Middle Earth?

We had a bad first session but recovered for a decent score in the evening. No overalls, but another section scratch added 2.50 platinum points to my total, bringing my haul for the tournament to 50.51 master points. That achieves my first goal for the trip.

My remaining goals are to hit the overalls in a national event and to get to 75 points. Tomorrow I'll be playing the first day of the national Fast Pairs in an effort to do both. --Bob

Our first session was slightly below average but our second was comfortably above average, so we qualified 43rd for the second day, out of 78 qualifiers. That added another 1.66 platinum points to my total, bringing me to 52.13 master points for the tournament.

I'm not certain, but with an original entry of 136 pairs, I think the event pays 34 overall places so making my first overalls in an NABC+ event will be a challenge and getting to 75 points for the tournament will be a very difficult row to hoe. --Bob

Two below-average sessions had us completely out of the money so I conclude my tournament with 52.13 master points.

Next weekend I hope to earn the right to represent my District in Toronto in Flight A of the Grand National Teams competition. --Bob

And now I'm home. --Bob