Jill's Bridge Connection

Recently a newer player had an unpleasant experience at JBC. Not only his partner (whom he had never met before) was being snarly on occasion, but an opponent used the time during their round against each other to criticize several of his bids. 

When I heard about it two days later, I quote:

"Player/patrons must remember that they are an ambassador of the game, and be kind, even in adveristy, which in my view is what real winners are made of."

🥂

Newer players are frequently (and unfortunately) criticized by more experienced players in various ways, the bottom line being that more experienced players forget how hard - and how MUCH - there is to learn at the bridge table, SO much in the beginning. Bidding rules, mechanics of bidding boxes, boards, scoring, etiquette, ethics, protocol, card counting.... Lest we forget what it was like when WE were NEW!

But lately there's been a surge of inconsideration towards experienced players... kind players who could be regarded as an asset to the bridge room, great examples of leaders and pros to learn from. When they sit down to the table with a newer pair, ready to have a friendly match... instead of being welcomed, they're disappointed occasionally to be shunned before the bidding even starts. 'Oh great, we have to play against the experts!' 

When I began playing in 1997, I wanted to play against the pros. I was beaten, trampled on, demolished... but my attitude was 'I'll learn, and then I'll know how to fight fire with fire.' I don't mind losing game after game (I convinced myself 😂), eventually things will get better. And they did. Looking back, I can think of many occasions I should have felt more offended than I did, but my wheels were so busily spinning, absorbing the lessons, that it didn't occur to me to feel embarrassed or defensive. I just wanted to learn what was right, and that kept me busy...  

Today- Thanksgiving- I asked an A pair to play at the club rather than their usual online game, as I was concerned  that the game would be uncomfortabley small for those who did show up. I was so thankful when they agreed to play, and it rounded out the fifth table. No sit out for anyone. Very pleasant pair. Awesome to watch and learn from. But on more than one occasion, their opponents didn't feel thankful for their presence. They were too good. Little did the opponents know that this pair is quite capable of fouling up a bridge hand, given the chance! And A players are human... we like to do well, it stings when we goof, and we need the support of our friends and peers just as much as anyone else 🙌

Instead of focusing on the differences between ourselves and the other players in the room... let's start to focus on our commonalities. For the love of bridge 💥

This page will be used to host commonly encountered - or simply interesting - director situations and their solutions.

The first thing every player should know is...

"If any irregularity occurs at the table, the director MUST be called immediately".

- this is to ensure the players get the accurate story from the objective party (director) about how things will unfold;

- it prevents the 'senior' players at the table from adjudicating their own assessments;

- it's the best attempt to keeping the playing field as fair as is possible.

But remember... when making the yell, call:

"Director please" with an arm raised. We hate guessing where we have to go.

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Karl Hicks used to begin sessions of tournaments by announcing that anytime someone is bullying at the table, call the director... this is so much easier said than done! In fact, I only ever heard it done once, and it was a woman calling director on her husband. Yuck, they had to go home together 🤢

IF A PLAYER IS HARASSING others at the table, why is the onus on the victim to do something about it? Just like in real life... not only does the victim have to incur the injury, but then gets insulted on top of that to have to figure out how to deal with the assailant. Not fair.

What poor behaviours am I talking about?

- calling to attention a mistake - or poor choice - made by another player

- blaming another player for my poor result of a bridge hand

- criticizing my partner for making a poor defensive play - "if you'd only returned my lead Partner" HEAVY SIGH

THE GREATEST SHOW OF CHARACTER IN THE WORLD IS TO NOT POINT OUT AN OBVIOUS ERROR MADE BY PARTNER. (Eddie Kantar)

Another good one... "well played Opponent... but you wouldn't have made it if my partner wasn't so stupid." Two players knocked down with the same bowling ball.

In the early 2000's, I went through a transitional time - maybe around 2005'ish for a year or two. For several months I questioned myself why I had so much to say at the table, and why it was so significant to me when my partner made what I felt was an avoidable error. Cuz God knows I was perfect 😜. In fact... because I was NOT perfect, my judgementalism of my partners was EXTRA curious. When it finally hit home how much ego was a factor - and that bridge was a game I could NOT control or completely master - I finally started to relax. When I stopped belly aching about every little thing I didn't agree with, I could also let myself be imperfect. 

It didn't take 8 years (started bridge in 1997) for me to realize that EGO played a large part in miserable bridge games. But it took me 8 years to really FEEL it, to internalize the message.

Good bridge motto...

*Bridge is to be enjoyed, not endured*

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In a nutshell... any player at the table may summon the director... but if the call is being addressed during the playing of the hand:

- the dummy may not call attention to an irregularity (such as a revoke)...

- but can call the director once someone else has identified the problem...

- after the hand is finished the dummy now has the right to call attention to an infraction he may have caught during the playing of the hand.

Once the director reaches the table, best if only one player speaks. If more than one are speaking, the director will assign a spokesperson but will give the others a chance to speak up later if necessary.

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When I was young in bridge, I was notorious for claiming before the completion of the hand, frequently conceding one or two tricks to the opponents as I got ready to fold up the hand. On more than one occasion, my concession was faulty. For instance, if I held the ♣️K, I might have thought the ♣️A was still in an opponent's hand - but in fact they had played it 6 tricks ago. My regular partner got so frustrated with me, for doing it over and over again, and kept saying "you gave them the trick, there's nothing you can do about it now. Way to go!" 

Little did I know... had the director been called (I found out MUCH later), the director would have not let the opponents accept a trick that they were not entitiled to. If the ♣️A was gone, my king was a winner, and that was that. So historically, I am owed back a lot of tricks... retro 😃.

But the bottom line.... not one of us at the table thought fit to call the director. Did the opponents (who were accepting my gifts) know better? Hard to say. But it was not in their best interest to rock the boat, so one could hardly blame them for not stepping up to the plate. 

Lesson learned... when there is any kind of irregularity at the table, let the DIRECTOR do their job. Heavy sigh.

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Law 66 D... an excerpt:

"After play ceases, the played and unplayed cards may be inspected to settle a claim or a revoke, or the number of tricks won or lost; but no player should handle cards other than his own. If the director can no longer ascertain the facts after such a claim has been made, and only one side has mixed its cards, the director shall rule in favour of the other side."

Key points:

A - no cards should be turned up during the play of the hand until after the hand is finished...

B - no one has the right to handle another player's cards...

C - if one side still has the tricks in tact on the table while the other side has put their cards away, the director may arbitrarily rule in favour of the side whose tricks have not been scooped up. 

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