Elena never gave up the lead

The cards are back in the box. Here is what happened at the table.

Luis closes out the table, with 77 points. "Last one buys the coffee" — as they say at the table. Luis was ahead of Mihai right up to the last hand. 2 hands in a row: Luis broke the contract each time while everyone else made theirs.

Third, on the podium: Mihai, up there with eyes on the top step. Mihai got past Luis at the very last hand. 2 hands in a row: the whole table kept its word, only Mihai didn't — but insisted, with dignity.

Runner-up sounds good — gold sounded better. Pity, with 102 points. Pity said they'd take nothing in the six-card hand on the way up... and took some. Whist listens, then does the opposite.

Elena takes the game with 121 points and goes home happy. In front from the second of the opening eights to the end, and nobody got close enough to worry about. 9 good hands in a row — at one point, Elena was playing as if they could see everyone else's cards.

Well played everyone — and especially Elena!