The Duais O'Boyle... Jeroen and Coke Hero are up front.

Down in Sligo today the Duais will be decided. 147 pairs is the largest number of players I can recall playing in one pairs event in my memory. I have only been aware of Congresses and Tourneys since the late 80s.
Sorry I tell a lie ... I have been to US Nationals and some events there had 400 pairs..but those events are exceptional. To see 3000 players all manage to find their playing positions in a 10 minute period is something else. However Fergals Duais is the biggest I know of in Ireland

Here we can see Jeroen Lodewijks and Richard Elvin out the fromt in the Bright Yellow jersies.

However the peleton is bunched behind them with many experienced and capable players.

You have Sean O'Lubaigh and Martin Brady former members of the Team Shillelagh armed with their Irish fighting sticks. The Clearys from Limerick can gather in tops without anyone noticing.

The father and son O'Connors have got some good scores over the last few years. Several years back the younger O'Connor used to shout at the cards but the odds don't change. 

Maureen and Bob Pattinson are also waiting to pounce on any weakness shown by Jeroen and Coke Hero, New partnership Fitzgerald and Joyce are showing well on their first face to face outing and they are well able to play although not pairs specialists. Cummins and Noonan will be around the podium at the end of the day as they have an ability to avoid disaster and shoot lots of bunnies at the same time. Howard is a capable performer from Skerries Balbriggan area and I don't know Carroll.

Shannon and Murtagh I noted climbing the table in the 2nd session. Redmond and Gaynor the stars of Mid Leinster are regularly in the top places in National Pairs events. 

Now here is a fine card 

Now I always understood that if one had a sitout in a session they received their session percentage for those boards but at a quick glance it appears that sitout pairs are receiving their overall percentage for the sitouts and thus that is a movable feast. 95.4 is 66% of top but Jeroen had a 71% session.
However who is to doubt Fergal and the magic program.
However I think these days you are scored on boards played so a sitout should adjust to ones average score over the event. Maybe for the session prizes it adjusts to the session average.
Still its a fine session card above.

Garvey Carroll are 7th in Cavandish early sessions in Monaco

Our international  bridge players Moran Boland Hanlon McGann Carroll and last but not least Tommy Garvey are performing well so far in the Cavendish Pairs in Monaco. 

This is a major European Pairs event but lacks the top non European World Pairs this year for some reason. Gus Hansen the world champion poker player is taking part as a bridge player.

The Irish team placed about mid table in the Cavendish teams after the highs of last years 2nd placing.

Cavendish Trophy 2014

Plenty of good players in this event.

I see after 2 sessions Garvey Carroll in 7th place 

Hanlon McGann around 12th 

Moran Boland tired in session 2 and are 31st of 52.

More Sessions tomorrow 

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In the Camrose Trials the 3 favoured teams of BJ OBrien Anna Onishuk and Terry Walsh made it through to the Finals where they will face the exempted team Moran in the 4 team Finals.

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BJ OBrien has recently been seen at the partnership bidding tables much to my surprise.

On checking with him it was revealed he still detests partnership bidding but was willing to sacrifice in order to improve his bidding.

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