The 8 finalists for the Bermuda Bowl … my Guess
I know I have been on a blogging slowdown. I have been busier than usual with work but mostly I have been playing an online role playing game called RIFT. This has been going on for several months and it takes a lot of time.
We are heading for Sarasota tomorrow and will be there or on the road for three weeks. I know that I will be back blogging when the world championships are on. I wouldn’t miss that. At Master Point Press we have been busy getting more ebooks online and getting more vendors signed up to sell them. I will be writing more about that soon.
Ray and I do plan to play bridge in Sarasota while we are there but I don’t think we are quite ready to become the scourge of the In Between Club yet. So if you see me at the club please come over and say hello. But the main focus of this visit is to buy furniture. I am not very good at this. I remember when I was seventeen and I was tested and told that I had a bad problem with spatial visualization. I was much better at just about everything else. I also have problems with colors and patterns. When we buy something it takes me a few days to decide if I actually like it. Fortunately Ray is much better than me and we have a plan to get some help with our shopping.
I think of all the wonderful new things in the bridge world. The Internet and technology has changed things so fast. But the excitement of a world championship hasn’t changed at all. The scoring is faster and better and the results are available deal by deal on Swan Bridge. You can watch matches on BBO and hear commentary, now with voice. I am not sure that is an innovation I am ready for but I can always turn my speakers off.
The 22 teams playing the Bermuda Bowl play a complete round robin to get the field down to eight teams. Here is my pick for the top eight… I am interested in yours too.
Last time in Shanghai the final 8 for the Bermuda Bowl were: USA 1, Australia, Sweden, Netherlands, Norway, China, South Africa and Italy
From Europe:
Italy
NPC: Maria Teresa LAVAZZA
Coach: Massimo ORTENSI (Italy)
Longtime partnerships, serious professional players and romantic sounding names.
Poland
NPC: Wojtek SIWIEC
They have innovative ideas on bidding systems and also on card play. They also have names that are going to be hard for we North Americans to pronounce.
So far Polish club versus Italian club systems
I am going to go out on a very small limb with
Israel
NPC: Joseph ENGEL
They have been doing very well in bridge events and I think they could make the final eight.
With home team advantage I expect the Netherlands to pull it off:
Netherlands
NPC: Eric LAURANT
Coach: Anton MAAS
From North America
USA 1
NPC: Jan MARTEL (U.S.A.)
Coach: Kit WOOLSEY (U.S.A.)
These are all really good players. Martel and Stansby are one of my favorite pairs.
USA 2
NPC: Curtis CHEEK
Are these young men ready for prime time? After watching them play in the trials I think they are.
China
NPC: Gang CHEN (China)
Precision clubs takes them to the round of eight. I don’t think they are going further than that though.
So who gets the last spot. Brazil? Sweden? Bulgaria? Brazil? Canada? Egypt?
Icleand
NPC: Jafet OLAFSSON
I have no strong reason to pick Iceland but after having their banks collapse they need some cheering up. Besides I think most of the population plays bridge in the winter. All my friends seem to be going their on vacation and they love it.
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Nice picks Linda.
I think bridgeblogging should run a contest to pick the final 8 and the 3 medal winners.
Thanks for the links for all the players.
Dear Linda:
A few days after you set out for Sarasota, we will be leaving for Heldhoven for, as Bobby calls it, “The Old Geezer’s Tournament” (Seniors). You can be assured as long as my computer works, I will be blogging.
It came to mind, with your concerns about Sarasota, you may be able to find an inexpensive decorator (who will also be able to get you discounted furniture) and kill two birds with one stone. I know you have so much responsibilities with all your enterprises, it may be a good idea to check it out and leave the headaches to someone else. That’s how I furnished my home in Penn Valley while Norman was alive and it worked out incredibly. Good luck and have a nice trip.
Cheers,
Judy
We did use a decorator to help us. We hvae bought most of the furniture and things will be arriving over the next week. We still have to sort out painting and also the most fun part … a bit of art!