Mara, from start to finish

The cards were dealt, and so were the nerves. Here is the story.

Mara comes out on top of everyone, with 134 points. The cards were kind. In front from the fifth of the opening eights to the end, and nobody got close enough to worry about. In the two-card hand on the way up the table couldn't make up its mind about Mara: 1 chair and 1 kiss flew in within seconds 🪑💋.

Runner-up sounds good — gold sounded better. Elena, with 117 points. Elena left the robot at the wheel most of the evening and still came out respectable. Teamwork with the server.

Third, on the podium: Vyce, up there with eyes on the top step. Vyce said they'd take nothing in the fifth of the opening eights... and took some. Whist listens, then does the opposite.

Neither at the front nor at the back: Ana in 4th, with 107 points. The comfort zone. 11 good hands in a row — at one point, Ana was playing as if they could see everyone else's cards.

Neither at the front nor at the back: PaulP in 5th, with 107 points. The comfort zone. Level on points with Ana, and behind only on the tie-break. After the two-card hand on the way up, PaulP was 3rd and dreaming of the podium — but the last hands had other plans.

Mihai took last place without any nerves at all, on 78 points. In the fourth of the opening eights: Mihai called 0, took 3, and Ana was left out in the cold.

Well played everyone — and especially Mara!