The Top Bidders for Set 2022-12

This was perhaps the hardest set of the year, with the highest-ranked member of the panel recording a score of only 75/80, and less than half of the panel scoring in the 70s. Congratulation are therefore due to the three co-winners this month (including Alexander, who not only matched his winning score from last month but also won the annual competition), on their score of 79/80.

Alexander Cook (spade7) de Sydney, Australie

Bob B Oudreau (bonafide57) from United States and,

Hanoi Rondon (hanoi5) from Santiago, Chile

Alexander has been playing competitive bridge for around 20 years. He is a versatile bidder, playing four systems with four partners - Standard American, 2-over-1, a strong club variant based on the original Polish Club; and Standard Modern Precision. He is in the running to win the Australian Bridge Magazine bidding forum and he is the winner of the 2022 BBO annual competition.

Hanoi Rondón is a bridge teacher who has been in love with the game from the moment he discovered his first bridge article in a newspaper some 27 years ago. Originally from Venezuela, he currently lives in Chile. He teaches bridge online and has a YouTube channel called ‘Bridge Entretenido’. After finishing second in the 2021 annual competition, he again placed in the Top 10 in 2022.

Also on the Décembre 'Roll of Honour':

With a score of 78/80:

Stephen Merriman (smerriman) de Nouvelle-Zélande

and, with a score of 77/80:

Peter Law (petelaw) from Broadtairs, Kent, England and,

Bob Gorsey (bibgorsey) from United States

The average score this month was 46.84, down from up from 48.52 last month. For the third month in a row, we again topped 3,000 entries this month.

With more than 3,000 entries this month, you need to score 68/80 or more to make the Décembre leader-board, and honourable mentions go to all of those who managed that:

The 2022 Annual Competition Winners

You need a running total of 495 (an average of 55 of more) to make the annual competition leader-board. Congratulations on scoring consistently well throughout the year to everyone who makes the leader-board!

We have three new competitors on the podium this year.

Alexander, who tied for the lead in the monthly competition with 79/80 in both of the last two months this year, ensures that none of the chasing pack can catch him, and he is the worthy winner of the 2022 annual competition. Alexander would also have led the pack if all 12 scores counted, totaling 863 (an impressive average of 71.9/80), just ahead of Francois, whose total of 860 means that he averaged 71.7. Indeed, it is a testament to the high quality of bidders entering this competition that three other players (Dave, Hanoi and Ian) also averaged 70/80 or higher over the 12 months.

The Top 10 all average more than 70/80 counting just their best nine scores. Particular kudos to Douglas, who makes the Top 10 despite missing two months.

With 70/80 this month, the front-runner throughout much of the year, Francois, does enough to hold on to second place, whilst Peter Law, who has twice scored a perfect 80/80 in the competition, leapfrogs those just ahead of him to claim the last place on the podium. Bad luck to last year’s bronze medalist, Dave, who misses a second podium finish by just one point.

It is worth noting that all of the top three from the 2021 competition finished in the top seven this year, along with Ian, who again just misses out, finishing in sixth place for the second consecutive year (actually up to fifth equal this year). Douglas also records a second consecutive Top 10 finish. Having been the leading North American last year, he is the leading USA player, with Canadian Ian the other North American in the Top 10.

Truly a worldwide competition, the Top 10 includes two North Americans, three Europeans, two Asians, two from Oceania, and one from South America. Come on Africa – if we can get an African into the Top 10 next year, we will then be truly global, covering all six occupied continents.

I suspect that all of the Top 10 will be competing for the top spots again in 2023. With more than 3,500 entries each month towards the back end of this year, perhaps there will be even more players who will join them to contest the 2023 title.