Cretu wins the evening

A game of broken contracts — 36 of them around the table, and scores from 110 all the way down to 65.

Mara closes out the table, with 65 points. "Last one buys the coffee" — as they say at the table. 3 hands in a row: Mara broke the contract each time while everyone else made theirs. Mara was ahead of Denisa right up to the last hand.

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

Barladeanu took second with 79 points — a fine evening, but the gods of whist were busy elsewhere. In the seven-card hand on the way down: Barladeanu called 2, took 6, and Cretu and Mara were left out in the cold.

Cretu took the game with 110 points and a 31-point cushion — never really in doubt. In the last of the closing eights: Cretu called 0, took 4, and Mara was left out in the cold. And that despite a slip in the very last hand.

Congratulations to all — see you at the next table!