February 2022 - 6

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The view from Austin
Having just recently returned from the Austin NABC, I've decided to present
my impressions of the tournament for this month's column. As Austin was the
first North American championship to be held in two years due to the pandemic,
a review of the event is worthwhile.
The best part of Austin was simply being able to say hello to friends and coworkers
that I've not seen since the Fall NABC in 2019,
which was held in San Francisco. This was not just my
take; most attendees said it was good to hug and chat
with old friends. Throughout the tournament, it was
easy to see people having extended conversations as
they caught up with their bridge pals. There was an
unmistakable conviviality to the whole affair, and it
was pleasing to observe.
At the table, things ran smoothly. ACBL tournament
PAUL LINXWILER
editor@acbl.org
directors may have been a bit rusty after the long, enforced
absence, but you couldn't tell from the way the
event operated. And players - many of whom had only
played online bridge for the past two years - seemed to
have no trouble returning to the routines of live play.
The safety protocols required for the NABC caused
far fewer problems than were initially feared. Players
were able to use the online vaccine verification application with few problems.
The requirement to wear masks also went exceptionally well. Yes, there were
those who allowed their noses to appear late in the session, and there were
some substandard masks employed by a few, but as a group, the players took the
requirement seriously. Monitors reported only a handful of cases of players who
fussed about mask-wearing.
The COVID protocols seemed to have worked. Over the 11 days of the NABC,
only two mild cases of COVID were reported. Players who had been in contact
with those infected were notified, per ACBL's plan, but no other cases seem to
have been associated with the event. Considering that thousands of people were
present from around the world for almost two weeks, this was a success for
the League's safety protocols, and it shows that hosting NABCs is doable, even
during a pandemic.
Although Austin only had half the table count of the preceding NABC (5256
tables versus 10,373 two years ago), the ACBL was thoroughly pleased with how
everything went. And according to post-tournament surveys, the players were
overwhelmingly pleased, too.
Austin was a great success. We hope to see everyone in Reno.
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EDITOR
Paul Linxwiler
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Chip Dombrowski
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Amy Casanova
GRAPHIC DESIGN / LAYOUT
Lisa Jackson
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6 | Bridge Bulletin | February 2022
http://www.acbl.org
February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2022
