Full Hands and Full Hearts
Story by brownsand (BBO: brownsand) Mom was introduced to social bridge in the e...
My beginnings in bridge were playing bid whist in the navy. After I’d been in civilian life for a few years I made friends with people that played bridge. They taught me the game the best they could. They weren’t very good players. This was in the early 70’s. I saw an ad in the paper for beginners bridge lessons at a bridge club just a few blocks from my house. I immediately signed up. The lady that taught the classes was a certified Goren bridge instructor. Her contract stated that she would only teach the approved Goren bridge course. As I recall the only approved convention was Blackwood. She shared a story about a recent duplicate game that she and her partner played. She mentioned that they were playing weak two bids. Weak two bid? What’s that? Everyone knew that opening two bids were strong! She didn’t elaborate but after class I cornered her and inquired about weak twos. It made sense.
After a few lessons I became curious about duplicate bridge. I’d never seen it played and was mystified by the mechanics. The next Sunday I went to the bridge club early and found the director preparing for the afternoon session. I introduced myself and explained that I’d like permission to observe the game. She said that I would need permission of the table, no kibitzing, and that I could only observe one hand. I readily agreed.
Soon the room began to fill with players. About 12 tables as I recall.
Just before starting time the director approached me and said, “Jack I need you to play. We’re one pair short and I don’t want to have a sit out”. I mumbled a protest about being a beginner but she reassured me it would be okay and that she’d be my partner. That wasn’t very reassuring but I reluctantly agreed.
Our competition at the first table were two teenagers. I was sitting east. North was the dealer and he opened 1 club. His partner said “alert” ( there weren’t bid boxes back then) and I looked around to see what was being alerted. Was there a fire in the building? My partner explained that I could now ask South what the bid meant. I did and it turned out the pair were playing the precision club system. He explained the bid which was a waste because it went way over my head. After that first table I managed to relax a little and as my partner was patient and understanding, I gained a smidgen of confidence.
On the very last deal I was dealt a huge hand and became declarer at 4 spades. There was a bad trump break but I managed to just scramble home. My partner had left the table to help with the scoring which was all done manually back then. I waited for her to finish so that I could thank her. She ran up to me and excitedly blurted, “Jack! We took second place!” I was stunned. She returned to her duties and the two teenagers from the first table approached me and asked how I’d played the final board of 4 spades. I don’t recall what I told them but the truth was that I had somehow stumbled on the winning line.
That was my introduction to duplicate bridge.
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When I started playing duplicate in Naples, Italy, which was the city of the famous blue team and where everybody played very,very well, I used to get so nervous that my hands would shake and my cards fall off!!!.... and of course it was a bit of a laugh; anyway the better the player the nicer he was, would pick up muy cards from the floor, without looking at them! At least that was what he said! Needless to say it was an exciting start which led me to love the game which accompanied me in all my travels and changes of life. If ever I felt low, I would run to the club, play, by this time I did manage a reasonable game, felt great, and never stopped playing.
Hi Jack:
Loved your story.
Teach me Duplicate Bridge
Dave, I love your story. a very dignified and kind way for friends to play, understanding the current needs of their friends. 30 years earlier they would have been more competitive.
Great !
My mother loved to play card games, including bridge. She taught me bridge, euchre, canasta, rummy etc when I was a kid. I am so old that the convention she taught me was Culbertson, not Goren (I'm 91). After I left home, Not many opportunities presented themselves to play with my Mother until I retired and we moved my Mother to a retirement home nearby. there she played bridge with her friends until the age of 97, and occasionally I would sit in.
I discovered they played a very modified game of bridge. One lady was in the beginnings of dementia, so by their rules it was perfectly OK to remind her of transfers or Blackwood. Scoring wasn't too important, but if you could set someone, that was a big victory. But the most egregious of their modifications was the bid "I'll mention a club". that meant you had a weak opening hand as opposed to a 1 club bid. I pointed it out to my Mother, and her reply was "dear, we all know what it means, so it's just another convention!!!!!!. But you see, they had such fun playing with each other as long as they could - and after all isn't that the desired result.
Dave, I love your story. a very dignified and kind way for friends to play, understanding the current needs of their friends. 30 years earlier they would have been more competitive.
love it!
Jack, thank you for your story! I remember that I was as much horrified as you were, when I started duplicate bridge in Poland , when I was still in the High School.
Maybe I will courage to write about it, lol.
Write your story Tad.
Comme quoi, il ne faut pas désespérer devant la difficulté de ce jeu diabolique...
I was in a beginners class where the topic of the evening was weak two bids.
At the ned of the class we had some(?) practise hands I I duly bid my 6H with few hcp.
My partner looked confused & sat there for a while & I reminded him that the class we'd had told us to pass...but the teacher walked past & told him to bid 6H!
Nasty trick - & we went down.
Love it. Certainly remember those times when there were no bidding boxes, no electronic travellers, computers, etc.
Having said that, we still go back to writing bids/scores when the computer packs up. Love bridge!
Thank you for sharing
Hahaha, I think most of us started duplicate that way. However,once experienced, never looked back