Ionela comes back from behind

An evening with a bit of everything, except contracts kept: 41 slips at the table and scores from 117 down to 49.

Ionela finishes on 117 points, 47 above the next — the rest were playing a different game, it seems. It didn't start well — only 4th after the opening eights — but it clearly didn't end there. 7 good hands in a row — at one point, Ionela was playing as if they could see everyone else's cards.

Luis took second with 70 points — a fine evening, but the gods of whist were busy elsewhere. Luis said they'd take nothing in the second of the opening eights... and took some. Whist listens, then does the opposite.

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

The tail of the table: Mihai, with 49 points. Somebody has to hold the candle. Mihai had the table at their feet after the seven-card hand on the way down. Whist was there to remind them nothing lasts forever. In the last of the opening eights, Mihai bid 1 and took 4 — and Ionela went down with it.

Congratulations to all — see you at the next table!