So This is Your First
Tournament
by Evelyn
Thompson
Well, its almost the weekend now and that first
tournament is here. Think you're pretty good and can take them all,
huh? Yeah, I remember that feeling at my first one. There was only
one problem..... I had NO idea of what to expect. Talk about a yokel
from the sticks.....
I thought I was pretty good and that I stood a
fair chance of doing well. I had told my mom just before the
tournament that I wasn't sure WHAT to expect when I got there. I
didn't know if there would be 5 boards set up or MAYBE 10. I thought
there MIGHT be 50 to 100 people there. I wish you could have seen my
face when I walked into the ballroom and there were 40 boards side by
side taking up 3 1/2 walls!
Well, I could live with that ( sorta ) but when
everyone started getting there..... boy, I almost died !! There were
over 350 people playing. Then I started to think that just MAYBE I
was in a little deeper than I thought. Then things got underway. it
was blind draw doubles 501.
It was my partner's first tournament too. Well, we
knew that we were in trouble when our first opponent got up and threw
a ton. I really don't remember what we threw but it wasn't EVEN close
to that. My sister had come to watch me play and she went to the
restroom real quick. When she got back she asked how it was going. I
had to tell her that it was almost the end of the SECOND game and
about that time, they took out a ton one finish ( for the SECOND
time!).
Well, there is always Saturday, you know. I
entered everything, including open singles 501. Well, here came the
boards. Then I heard "Andy Green, Evelyn Thompson board such and
such". When I got to the board I asked Andy if he wanted me to just
give up now. SOMEHOW I won the diddle. I threw a ton 31 or some such
silly number on my throw. Andy answered with a ton 40. All I could
think of was " he thinks I know what I'm doing !!!" Well, I talked
myself out of that game pretty quick with that attitude.
Ladies singles 501 came. " Evelyn Thompson, Sandy
Reitan board blah blah."
OH, NO , NOT AGAIN !!! Well, needless to say THAT
game didn't last long either.
But, then came Sunday. Ladies blind draw 501. I
heard "Evelyn Thompson and Nancy Kenny, Sharon Toliver and who ever
board such and such. " I'm thinking " Oh, no, ANOTHER pro!!!" Well,
little did I know who MY partner was.... Nancy was rated in the top
15 at the time. Well, with A LOT of help from Nancy and some lucky
shots of my own, we won and I threw the winning shot on the last
game. I don't remember how we did after that, but it was
fun.
So, its your first tournament...... Well, you
can't really do any worse than I did with the draws I got. So, just
relax, kick back, ENJOY yourselt These tournaments are fun for us and
you'll get to see some of the pros play. Talk to them, The ones I
know are super and they are always glad to give advice to the new
players. Don't be afraid to talk to them ( oh, look, its Lorri
Verrier. Oh, I just COULDN'T talk to HER!). Have a good time and
remember..... even the pros can get beat people like you and
me.
Evelyn
