The Most Difficult Part of Bridge

Bridge is a complex undertaking; I hesitate to call it a "game" since it is so much more than that. The many fascinating challenges are outlined and analyzed in a myriad of books and articles that cover topics such as bidding systems, defensive strategies, the play of the hand, opening leads, and so much more. However, I have yet to read anything about the aspect of bridge that I have found to be the most demanding, which I encountered--not for the first time--last night.

I played yesterday with a new partner, since Julie has an out-of-town guest who would not appreciate her being gone for the bulk of the evening. We sat north-south, with me in the south, which in and of itself was fine. However, our table was placed so that my view consisted mostly of the wall. Since I didn't have the luxury of leaving the table to move to the next one, this meant that I didn't see anyone until they sat at our table and that they didn't see me. In fact, my own brother didn't know I was in the room until the game was almost over! Someone less social than myself may not mind this, but I like to see what's going on. I like to feel part of things, to make eye contact with people, to notice who might strangle their partner.

But this was not the main problem. The main problem was that in addition to the seating, I did not get any good cards. I had 2, 5, maybe 9 high card points in most of the hands that I held. With nothing to look at, either in the room or in my hand, I found it very hard to concentrate. The lack of stimulation lulled me into a semi-comatose state. I bid my hands, but couldn't think about stealing bids or taking sacrifices. I thought briefly about what cards my opponents might hold, but then an unbidden "what difference does it make, I don't have anything to defend with anyway" would enter my mind. The same with counting cards--I just couldn't make the effort.

I would much rather struggle to bid slam and then struggle to make it, even if I did it incorrectly and got a bottom board. Failing that, I would much rather move around the room and get energy from the group, even if I wasn't holding cards with a lot of points.

There are a lot of books that can teach me about bridge, and even a few books that can help with attitude. Until I reach the level of an A player friend who revels in playing defense no matter what cards he holds, I would benefit from a book on how to deal with the combination of both of these things.