Thursday, July 06, 2006

King Cup epilogue

Back home and been through the polyclinic for the usual post-travel check-up.

Day 1: 5-0, + 298 (4th place)
Slight improvement over last year. The only major difference was that I avoid Nigel Richards this year (actually delayed it until Round 6, so kena sic!) while I met him in Round 5 last years hence the 4-1, +100, 14th place finishing on Day 1.
Beat: Prakash, Odette, Chatchawin, Akegapun, Marut

Day 2: 3-5, - 160 (22nd place)
one extra game, one extra win. I delayed the matchup with Nigel and Atiruth so ouch! And the follow up just had to be a table filled with my cab mates: Andy, Aaron and Alpha. Being the non-A male on that table, I lost to Andy and Aaron to drop even further. Then I hit the speed demon, called Alastair Richards. Lucky for me, his last rack was FJLSX and I stuck him with the FX to overcome a 42 points deficit. The horrible thing was that he left me with two minutes to figure out the endgame. Then I lost to Daniel Srichawala after he hit me with FUrMENTY which I had never seen before (apparently it also has an angram....BAH!). So sit down for rematch with Marut, nuff said, he lost again (why doesn't this happen to me more often). Another game with Thien T and I settled the day with a so-so record.
Last year was also iffy: 2-5, - 121, 38th place

Day 3: 5-2, + 134 (10th place)
Whee, I love charging up the standings. Wish everyday was like Day 1 and Day 3.
so started out with stupid losses to Apirat and Sompong. Then John Lam gave away his game to me. Then I picked up wins over Michael Tang, Apirat (rematch!), Marlon Prudencio (a bingo-bango-bongo looks nice) before finishing off Nawapadol S (thanks to a 122 point ZEROING thru his WALKER).
I also did well last year going 5-3, + 20 (26th place) They key now being my positioning.

Day 4: 1-6, - 296 (40th place)
Why me! Why me! This is so freaking unfair. Even last year wasn't so bad when I maintained. I don't need anymore meltdown like this in my life. Not after Penang Open.
So down I go to Jakkrit, Tony, Marlon, Karen Richards, Chatchawin, Arun Methaseth before I salvaged a game from Ishtiaq Chishty.
I just wish that I could replicate last year's Day 4 where I went 4-3, + 28, 24 position. (Even that would have given me 6th hypothetically)

AAARGH!
Well, there's causeway anyway later this year and King Cup next year.

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