Ok ladies, a little good natured ribbing regarding the men's winning streak (8 months if you had forgotten) and you took it to the extreme (surprise, surprise!). A simple victory would have been fine but no, you had to have 75% of the players in the final game to increase your odds of total domination.

The opening round saw 2 tables of 3 (Beth, Debbie and Lisa at 1 and Cindy, Steve and Andy at the other) and 1 table of 4 which had Dan, Toni, Terri and John. The championship table consisted of Beth, Lisa (the "taint" entry), Terri and Andy who would battle it out for the trophy. Despite having only 1 entry the men were confident that the talents of the 2 time 2007 winner gave them more than enough weapons to continue the men's streak (easy girls, we kept our clothes on!). Club founder (and creator of the new "humiliation due to hearts" necklace) Beth, could no longer handle all the male bravado and took it as a personal challenge to win back the trophy....which she did. As she lovingly stroked the golden beauty in her arms it was rumored she mumbled under her breath "if I came every month there never would have been any streak in the first place."

Congratulations Beth on what could be the beginning of a streak of another flavor. See everyone at the lake.

ps John was recipient of the necklace of shame.

"Tainted my @&#!!! A victory is a victory!"

The great Samual Clemmons, better known as Mark Twain, once told the tale of how a young lad somehow duped a group of friends into whitewashing the fence while he sat back, relaxed and watched as they did his job. The eleven unsuspecting souls who showed up for a friendly game of hearts left Cindy's house feeling as if they were victimized by a Tom Sawyer-like trick as the "victor" for the evening couldn't even win his opening game. He did, somehow, take home the trophy. Sit back and relive the tale of a tainted victory.

Cindy was a proud championship entry from the table of Dan, Debbie and Steve K. as was Steve H. (table of John, Sue and Andy) and Lisa (table of Terri, Toni and Mark). This is where it gets interesting and ironic (interestonic ?). Mark, the proud owner of the phrase: "It would be a tainted victory if you got to the championship round with a 2nd place finish in the qualifying round", had no issue with this when the shoe was on the other foot (his!!). He didn't even hang his head in shame as he played his way to victory over the 3 deserving (?) opponents who had actually won their first games.

I have always been a believer that the goal of the first round is merely to get a seat at the championship table and Mark did this. He also won with the impressive "shoot the moon" on the last hand to squeak out a 2 point victory. Congratulations Mark on your 2nd victory of the year and your new nickname......Mark Taint.

P.S. Has anyone noticed that it has been a men's victory parade for the last 8 months? October 2006 was the last trophy taking for the fairer sex. How long can the streak continue?

May 12, 2007 - the 1st double-winner of the year

The excitement level from our last meeting had died down but word must have spread that these games were the place to be as 15 people showed up at Beth's place. We were glad that Mary showed up but disappointed when she had to leave without playing (this may have been her ploy to get a mention in this blog.....Mary?). Debbie felt she could rest on laurels from her previous victory and did not feel she needed to prove anything else regarding her heart's skill as she too elected not to play.

The 13 that actually played were Dan, Sue, Jan and Steve at one table, Toni, Lisa, Andy and Cindy at another and the dreaded 5 player table had John, Beth, Steve, Terri and Mark. The winners advancing to round 2 were Dan, Terri, Andy and the best of the rest Lisa.

Lisa and Andy feverishly gathered in points at the beginning and after the 1st 4 hands they were at 42 and 45 points respectively while Terri and Dan laid low with 8 and 9. The momentum soon began to change as Andy was determined to become the 1st repeat winner of 2007 (can he match the most wins in a year at 5?...we will have to see). While Dan and Lisa faded off from seriously challenging (Lisa's mind was still on her "dividing the meat" activity she had done earlier in the day), Terri and Andy were tied at 58 ten hands into the game. Thirty nine points on the next two hands for Terri put the game away for Andy.

There was a rumor circulating that Terri was going to file a protest trying to argue that she should be able to lead a heart despite the fact that she still had a SPADE in her hand. After a few minutes of fingers to the chest and hands flaying wildly in the air, the game continued and Andy was crowned the champ of May 2007.

Next Meeting: Cindy's on June 9th.

April 14th, 2007 - Innocence lost

Eleven players enthusiastically showed up to see the long awaited unveiling of the new bathroom that we have heard about for what seems like years. There was a buzz within the group speculating who would be the first to christen the cold, pearly-white ceramic throne. The owners were obviously quite proud and I believe I heard the comment: "It's so powerful it can suck white off rice!"

Once excitement of the new crapper had settled down, Mark took 1st place from the table of Andy, Lisa and Dan. Steve H. took Mary and Toni to school at the table of three and the other Steve beat Sue, Beth and Teri. Beth represented the best of the rest and rounded out the championship table of Mark, Steve k., and Steve H.

Although Mark had the early lead, a poorly timed hand of 20 put Steve H. in the lead for good and elevated him out of the V.V. club (Victory virgin). Many members have been in this club for years and Steve H. has now experienced the sweet taste of victory in less than a year. Realizing that her man had taken home the trophy, Teri jumped to her feet and declared he didn't need to drive home tonight......um, a little trophy polishing party maybe? Congratulations Steve H.

The club enjoys a day at the lake

March 17, 2007 - St. Patrick's Day Hearts

John and Dawn hosted 12 of us for a little St. Patrick's Day card playing. Dan, John, Sue and Lisa were at table 1; Steve, Cindy, Dawn and Andy were at table 2 while Beth, Debbie, Mark and Toni rounded out table 3.

The championship table included 1st round winners Dan, Mark and Steve as well as Cindy, occupying the 65th team in the NCAA tournament-like position of having "achieved" the honor of being the lowest scoring member of the 1st round losers. Come'on, wouldn't you rather have a chance or winning a couple NIT games then suffering a 1st round blow-out in the BIG dance?

Inspired (or possibly confused) by the basketball games on the big screen, Cindy was gobbling up the points like a woman possessed and after 6 rounds had a commanding lead with 75 points. Mark, being the gentleman that he is, discreetly pointed out that the object was to get the LEAST number of points. It was too late, however, as Mark was a man on a mission after he had seen Debbie's photo (not that photo!) on the web earlier in the evening and knew it would be a special evening if he could bring home the trophy. After all, this was the same house that Debbie had achieved her greatest heart's achievement with her shocking victory so many moons ago (calendar months, not "shoot the moons"). Nice job Mark with your 6th victory.

Next meeting: April 14th at Toni and Andy's estate

"I told you I had won!!!