Redemption

Julie and I emerged from the bowels of STaC week with a good game on Monday night. We needed this boost--while our love for bridge had remained stable during the past horrendous week, the positive view that we were learning from our mistakes had taken a hit. It was good to redeem ourselves with one of our best games to date.

I hesitate to confess this, but I only played one hand. Hmm, I wonder if that had something to do with our good score? On the plus side, the hand I did play was a top board. I opened 4 diamonds, vulnerable with 6 points and 9 diamonds. (6 points was probably the average number of points I had all night; many times it was less.) Everyone passed, I played the hand and went down one. I knew that I could have opened 5 diamonds, but I had confidence that if my partner had any help at all that she would take us there. Turned out to be a good decision.

Overall our bidding was more aggressive. I responded with few points (given my hands, a necessary move if I wanted to participate at all). For example, my partner opened 1 club. I had maybe 2 points in my hand and only 1 club; fearful of stranding my partner in a club contract with possibly 4 trump, I bid my best suit. Partner responded in another suit, I passed, and she went down but we got a good board. I can remember when I would have passed that opening club, thinking that I didn't have enough points to bid. Another time, I doubled a suit contract with few points but 5 of the opponents' trump. They went down and we got a good board.

Surveying our Monday night opponents, it was apparent that there were fewer A players in the field than were visible during STaC week. Also, the hands were not computer generated (although there exists some controversy if those hands are totally random or designed to be devilish). Still, it was good to feel like we were back in the game--just in time for Swiss Teams on Thursday and the GR Sectional next week!