Ireland Open Imps Pairs at 8pm every night on BBO. This is a good training session as well as competition. You won't leave this event without some story. 

I am still playing the Senior Camrose Trials and have some better news to report. I remain in last place after 50 of the 60 boards but have closed up somewhat on Chief Porteus and his sidekick Brave Barry. 

Only 10 boards to go so its unlikely I will finish any higher than 6th place but one never knows. 

............

A couple of years some Fermanagh person put some dye in a river in Fermanagh in an attempt to claim the source of the Shannon. Sadly the dye emerged in Cavan meaning that the Shannon rises in Fermanagh. 

In these COVID times Fermanagh has produced some more unknown things. A large amount of unknown bridge players have descended on the major Sligo & Friends event run by Fearghal O'Boyle. 

Sligo and Friends – Fast Friday – 12th March 2021 (48 Tables)

Congratulations to Finola Higgins and Tom McIntyre (the most successful online pair in the World in the last 12 months) 

Ann and Stephen Cairns are also major killers in the Sligo events and also from Fermanagh. 

Now possibly its just that the native Sligo player is not as good as its Fermanagh opponent. 

..............

I did some research and chose probably the greatest active bridge player in Dublin Mr BJ O'Brien as my choice  of comparison. 

BJ is a grandmaster owning 2100 National points or more ....and has represented Ireland multiple times in international competition  and won more national titles probably than anyone else in Ireland ... (no offence to those known as the Silver team but they don't tog out as often as BJ) 

So 538/683 = 78.5% ....3 months of BJ and his regular partners opening leads 

So 816/934 for a Fermanagh pair = 87.4% ....

The secret of good bridge ... Improve your opening leads ... 

........................

I don't know the answer but up to this I believed the Shannon rose in Cavan and that I would prefer a Fermanagh opponent than BJ and one of his favourite partners. 

However the data indicates don't play bridge  for money at Fermanagh Congress if there ever is another one. 

The Tranmers are also pretty good performers in the COVID era but I think they pick the cheap games as the numbers for Paul Tranmer don't stack up when faced with his Camrose peer opponents. I also have not checked their numbers recently as I lost interest. don't have their numbers to hand but they were good on the opening lead too.