One of my first bridge partners was my friend Celeste, who was a regular in an informal game at a campus coffee shop. We were two of the better players in that group, but when we finally worked up the courage to try duplicate, we realized how much more we had to learn.
The college club was a bit rowdy (we were the only women there) and the worst pair in the room was twice as good as we were. We persevered, though, and started playing – and coming in last -- every week.
Some of the club’s best players finally took pity on us and asked us to play. We suspected they were making bets on who could score higher with his “new girl”, but we didn’t care. We were getting free lessons and soon had the thrill of breaking average, then winning our first masterpoints.
Our new partners helped us unlearn our coffee-shop bidding system and taught us simple conventions, but those weren’t their most valuable lessons. They also emphasized the logic behind their advice and explained the thought processes they used to make bidding and play decisions. Eventually, we stopped relying on memorized rules and started thinking like bridge players.
That should be the main goal of anyone who wants to improve. It’s worthwhile to work on specific aspects of your game – upgrading your bidding system, studying cardplay techniques – but those have a limited impact on your bridge results. You may play dozens of sessions before you get a chance to use a new bidding gadget or your knowledge of squeezes.
Developing your bridge judgment is an effort that will pay off every time you play. It involves learning how to identify potential problems and use logic – and sometimes instinct – to evaluate solutions. Success comes with experience, but there are ways to speed up your progress.
Pop psychologist Malcolm Gladwell advanced the idea that it takes 10,000 hours of study and practice to master a skill. The best way to compress that time is to learn from those who have already put in their 10,000 hours and more. There are many resources that provide insights into how successful players make decisions.
Books. Many bridge books are written in an “over-the-shoulder” style that describes the author’s thinking at every point in the bidding and play. My favorite is Play Bridge with Mike Lawrence (1983), which puts you at the table with Lawrence through every hand of a two-session pair event. Other good authors who use this approach are Terrence Reese, Frank Stewart and Larry Cohen.
Internet sites. You’ll find expert commentary in online discussion sites, including bridgewinners.com, bridgebase.com/forum and group pages on Facebook. Top players often share ideas and advice and some will even answer questions.
Bidding forums. This quiz format is featured in “It’s Your Call” in this magazine, Bridge World’s Master Solvers Club and many Unit and District newsletters. Test yourself by solving the problems, then read the article to see how your answer fared in the voting. You’ll learn the most from the comments, where experts share why they chose their bids and how they evaluated alternatives.
People. Bridge is one of the few competitive pastimes where anyone can play against experts. Take advantage of opportunities to play in open and Flight A events and don’t be afraid to ask your opponents for advice (“I’m learning. Can I ask a question?”). Most will be flattered and happy to answer. You’ll get the most helpful explanations if you ask “why” questions.
You can learn even more by partnering with a good teacher who will discuss the hands with you after the game. It doesn’t have to be a professional or even a bona fide expert. It can be an experienced player at your local club whose game you respect.
Be bold and ask for one game. You may find that
someone you considered “out of your league” is pleased that you asked and – like
the partners who mentored me and Celeste – can help you discover new thinking
strategies that improve your bridge judgment and your results.
© 2018 Karen Walker