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2 SATURDAY: The 2024 Spring NABC will be fortunate to break 6,600 tables by tomorrow night; with just the two days to go, Louisville KY would have to produce 1,419 tables to match the overall total at New Orleans LA one year ago. That would mean this last weekend would need to see 141.6% of the last weekend tables from a year ago, and that's clearly not going to happen. Today the Flight "B" and "C" of the North American pairs gets going, as well as the Jacoby Open Swiss and NABC Fast pairs - so there's lots of bridge yet to be had. Of course big table counts are always great, but nobody is having anything but a good time at this tournament (so far!), which is much more important.
One trend that might be a bit worrisome would be the decline in Gold Rush tables this year. It's a successive trend since the re-opening two years ago in Reno, where the number of Gold Rush tables at this NABC declined from last year in New Orleans (off -13.3%) - which also declined from the previous year in Reno (off -11.6%). It's one more thing to watch.
AFTERNOON UPDATE: The NAP "B" and "C" flights showing nice growth from one year ago, with the "B" Flight at 86 tables in play today (up +16.2%) and the "C" Flight at 78 tables (up +39.2%) from 2 SATURDAY last year). Mid-Flight pairs also strong with 38 tables (from 14 tables last year, or up +171.4%). EVENING UPDATE: There was a new event this year, the Women's Swiss, with 36 tables; the Jacoby Open Swiss is not new but saw 234 tables in play today (that's up 52 from last year or +28.6%). For the day, a CTC of 102.1%, brightest in five days now.
2 THURSDAY: You're looking at the 4th consecutive day at the Louisville KY NABC where the comparative table count to last year's same day at the same tournament will be in the mid-80 percent range. There was one bright spot for today, that's the 0-2,500 Pairs. 52 tables in play today in that event betters the 38 tables to kick it off last year (up +36.8%). Everything else - weaker this afternoon. The Silodor Open pairs has seen 250 tables in play (vs 284 last year, or off -12.0%); the Smith Women's pairs with 76 tables (vs 95.5 last year, or off -20.4%); the bracketed teams today totalled 124 tables (vs 188 tables last year, or off -34.0%); and the Gold Rush coming in with 50 tables today (vs 68 one year ago, off -26.5%). After what started off as a promising tournament in terms of growth from New Orleans LA last year, these past four days are showing that it'll be up to the second weekend of this tournament to bring table counts back.
WEDNESDAY: Once again some schedule changes at this NABC make apples-to-apples comparisons a bit tricky, but here goes. Last year in New Orleans LA there was no Mid-Flight pairs on Wednesday - but that was added to the schedule here in Louisville KY. The result is that last year, 156 tables of Open pairs were held; this year, 159 tables were in play (98 tables in the Open, 61 in the Mid-Flight). Gold Rush pairs were off a bit today, with 56 tables (vs 68 tables last year on Wednesday, or -17.6%). Today is also the day for some NABC events to wrap up (the Rockwell Mixed Pairs, 0-10K Knockout Teams, 0-2500 Swiss Teams) before tomorrow's start of the Silodor Open Pairs, Women's Pairs, and 0-2500 Pairs. Bracketed teams are underway and will be posted in a few hours. Today will once again be a much smaller crowd than there was one year ago on Wednesday - full table counts coming with an evening update.
TUESDAY: 3,039.5 tables so far through six days in Louisville KY; the ACBL has finally come out with a table count of their own, it's 3,015.5. Why the 24-table discrepancy? There's one event (the 0-10K KO) that has its bracket posted, but no results; so those 24 tables were played yesterday, even if the results aren't posted in time to be included in their number. On to Tuesday!
The trend of this tournament has been one of slowing down compared to previous NABCs after a very strong first weekend. Whether that trend will continue or not may be revealed with the Rockwell Mixed Pairs, which gets underway today. Last year, 300 tables were in play the 1st day of the Mixed Pairs, which made it the largest event of the 2022 Spring NABC. The 0-2500 Swiss Teams gets going today also, however that event fell from 60 tables on day 1 in 2022 to just 36 tables in 2023. We'll know in less than 12 hours what direction this NABC is going - but whatever the case, Tuesday has historically been the most-attended and had the highest daily table count of the entire 12 days. AFTERNOON UPDATE: The Rockwell Mixed Pairs falling to 262 tables today (down -12.7%). This will not be the best attended day of this tournament, nor will it make it to last year's 850 tables in play. Open pairs off slightly at 78 tables (down 2 from last year, or -2.5%) and the Gold Rush pairs down big (49 tables, from 78 last year on Tuesday, or off -37.2%). The Top Flight Swiss and Bracketed "B" team tables today are yet to be reported, but they can't possibly amount to 300 tables - or can they? EVENING UPDATE: No, they won't come in at 300 tables, but there were 140 tables of the teams in play today.
MONDAY: Today's tables at the Louisville KY NABC look to be the lowest daily CTC to last year of the tournament so far; the Vanderbilt KO got underway, with 60 teams (same as last year, or +0.0%). And the Mid-Flight pairs did well today, with 68 tables in play (vs 50 one year ago, or up +36.0%). But the Open pairs today had just 88 tables (vs 102 one year ago, or -13.7%) and the Gold Rush pairs at 54 tables was 10 fewer tables than on this day in New Orleans (down -15.6%).
1 SUNDAY: More data points are needed for a clear trend, but looking at the post-dinner table counts in the evening sessions at this NABC, one might come to the conclusion that there's more to do in Reno or New Orleans at night than there is in Louisville.
(Through two nights, 7:30p Side Game tables are up +97.1% compared to the first two nights one year ago, and up +23.2% compared to the first two nights in Reno.) IN-BETWEEN SESSIONS UPDATE: Have the brakes been applied? The Silver Ribbon Pairs (in its new start date) has held its own (168 tables today vs 161 one year ago), but everything else having a tough time making up for the Lebhar IMP pairs that started on 1 SUNDAY last year - this year, that event is already over. It looks as though it will be difficult to get to the 748 tables in play today to keep up with the first four days of the NABC. With just a couple of side games, one 299er game, and the Gold Rush Swiss yet to be reported, there would need to be 158 combined tables in these unreported events just to keep pace. Look for an update tonight. EVENING UPDATE: Today's 634 tables (so far, with the post-dinner side game yet to come) are just 95.0% of last year's 1 SUNDAY tables; that is the weakest showing of this NABC so far (but still - not bad). One of the weaker events today was the 2-session Swiss teams. Overall, the three-flighted two-session event produced 188 tables of bridge - that is down -32.9% from last year.
1 SATURDAY: More schedule changes for this NABC today, with the introduction of the NABC+ Open pairs (4 sessions, 2 qualifying); the Mid-Flight Pairs for 1 SATURDAY were eliminated for 2024; and the 0-10000 Swiss Teams event previously had started on 1 FRIDAY. This year, it's starting a day later. The NABC+ Open is doing well in its first outing with 130 tables in play today; there's a regular Open pairs event (that's just two sessions, today only) which also is doing well (86 tables, that's exactly the 86 tables they had last year). The Gold Rush today also exceeding last year's 1 SATURDAY tables (64 today, vs 44 last year, or +45.4%). No team events posted at the break - but look for an update this evening.
AFTERNOON UPDATE: So when you're looking at table counts for this NABC, you may do better to look at the overall tables each day as opposed to the individual events. Two reasons why: 1)some of these events have been moved to different start days during the tournament - so they are competing (or not) with other events they did not previously. And 2)brand new events, which are being very well attended, are taking tables away from existing NABC events. In other words, the Kay Platinum Pairs here at Louisville KY will end up with 183.5 tables - that's down -18.4% from last year. The Lebhar IMP pairs this year down -31.4%. Typically that would indicate a disastrous day at the tournament - but two new events that started with these two NABC+ events did fantastic (the NABC+ Open, with 130 new tables, and the Senior Mixed Pairs, with 185 new tables). Fewer schedule changes take place the second half of this tournament - but for now, don't be surprised if a few of these long-standing events look as though they're shedding all kinds of tables. Instead, keep an eye on the daily table totals.
1 FRIDAY: A schedule change for this NABC; the start of the Lebhar IMP pairs and the start of the Tritt Silver Ribbon Pairs got swapped. The IMP pairs gets going today (instead of Sunday) - and the Silver Ribbon Pairs normally kicking off on 1 FRIDAY has been moved to a 1 SUNDAY start. There's also a Senior Mixed pairs that starts today - a new event for the post-COVID Spring NABC. The Senior Mixed pairs is a hit, with 121 tables in play today. It comes at the expense of the Platinum Pairs (105 tables today, down 28 from one year ago or -21.1%), the IMP pairs (201 tables today vs 288 on the 1st day one year ago or -30.2%) and possibly the bracketed teams (down 26 tables from last year's 1 Friday or -27.1%). Still, when you look at a combination of all these events through the 1st session today, the 317 1st session tables for today is up from last year's 1 Friday 1st session (260 tables then); tables at the break are still up +22.4%.
There are still a couple of side games today, along with a 299er session this afternoon - but already the tables in play today (618 so far) exceed last year's 616 on 1 Friday, so look for another good number (above 100%!) for today's CTC.
1 THURSDAY: The very first event on the full schedule has been posted, the morning session pairs - and the 56.5 tables is up +13.0% to 2023's same event.
Overall on the first day of the full schedule, 222.5 tables were in play - that's 103.0% of last year's 1 THURSDAY tables in New Orleans LA; the Flight A NAP tables were the same (28) as the past two years, but the Charity game tables today were a bit higher (194.5 tables vs 187 one year ago). Still a nice start to this tournament.
1 WEDNESDAY: The NAP Flight A crowd kicks things off in Louisville KY today, with sessions at 12p and 5p. First results will be between sessions, when the first round of qualifying gets posted. UPDATE: 72 tables in play on day 1 with the NAP Flight A crowd; that is up 2 tables from last year. The 1st of the 12 days is in the positive column, and next up is the full schedule tomorrow.
T-MINUS 2 DAYS: Finally, we've gotten to NABC week. The tournament in Louisville KY gets started on Wednesday with the Flight "A" North American Pairs. The full schedule starts Thursday.
