Ana, from start to finish

An evening with a bit of everything, except contracts kept: 39 slips at the table and scores from 84 down to 68.

Ana takes the game with 84 points and goes home happy. In front from the first of the opening eights to the end, and nobody got close enough to worry about. 2 hands in a row: only Ana slipped, while the rest said it and did it. The cards were kind to everyone but Ana.

Runner-up sounds good — gold sounded better. Elena, with 70 points. Elena got past Mihai at the very last hand. In the third of the closing eights: Elena said 3, scooped 7, and 3 others were left counting the pieces.

Mihai rounds out the podium with 69 points. Bronze still counts as a medal. In the last of the opening eights: Mihai called 4, took 8, and Elena and Luis were left out in the cold. Mihai was ahead of Elena right up to the last hand.

Last place: Luis, with 68 points. The place above was a single point away. After the seven-card hand on the way up, Luis was 3rd and dreaming of the podium — but the last hands had other plans.

Well played everyone — and especially Ana!