As they move up through the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) ranks, regular duplicate players face a choice. Do you play “down,” looking for weaker competition to beat up to gain MasterPoints more quickly, or do you play “up,” measuring yourself against tougher players in a field where it may … [Read more...]
Finding Honor at Honors
December 15, 2015 By Leave a Comment
It’s a small world – even in the big city. Many of my friends, acquaintances and even some enemies have probably heard me tell the story of how I, many years ago when I was a younger man, single-handedly quashed the hopes of Bulgaria to stage the Winter Olympics. At the time I was working for … [Read more...]
Those MF Hands!!!
December 2, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Like most duplicate bridge players, my partner Christine and I always try to leave Miss Fit at home – we don’t like a menage-a-trois – but every time she seems to be able to sneak into the car and come along. Misfits are a fact of life in bridge and are one of the more challenging aspects of the … [Read more...]
Silver Life
November 27, 2015 By Leave a Comment
My partner Christine achieved her Silver Life Master rank on Sunday (11-22-2015) when we won the 8-is-enough Swiss team competition at our home club, the Vero Beach Bridge Center, partnering with our friends Ann and Dick Bottelli to place first with three wins – two of them by blitzes – and just one … [Read more...]
In Between Rich and Poor
November 25, 2015 By Leave a Comment
My partner Christine and I always assumed that running a bridge game as a business is a penny-ante affair and no one really gets rich off bridge – with the possible exception of a handful of professionals who are so good they can command $200,000 annual salaries plus bonuses from their rich … [Read more...]
Intimidation
November 20, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Most experienced duplicate players have from time to time run into other players who try to gain an advantage through intimidation – obviously a big part of competitive bridge is mental and playing mind games with your opponents is all part of the game. But when it crosses the line into … [Read more...]
To the Nines
November 9, 2015 By Leave a Comment
My partner Christine and I had never enjoyed much success at bridge tournaments in knockout competitions, which offer great possibilities for winning MasterPoints in bunches. Usually we got knocked out in the first round and we would do well if we survived even one round. We turned the corner in a … [Read more...]
The Common Game
November 3, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Some duplicate bridge players still refuse to play hands from The Common Game, believing that the hands are made extra hard by an evil computer or dealing machine that won’t let you make anything. It's a myth that seems impossible to stamp out, especially among some less experienced players. Of … [Read more...]
No Reno
October 25, 2015 By Leave a Comment
Last year around this time I was able to send out a triumphant message: “New Orleans, here we come!” when my partner Christine and I placed second in the Florida District playoffs of the North American Pairs competition, Division B, thus qualifying for the nationals this past spring in New … [Read more...]
Nice guys finish last
October 20, 2015 By Leave a Comment
My partner Christine and I keep brushing up against the periphery of the world at the top of the game of bridge where the professionals rule, and frankly, the more we see and hear about it, the less we like it. This past Saturday, we ventured out to the Jacksonville Remlinger Sectional tournament … [Read more...]