Bridge Game Disaster
This is a guest post by Mikey
(This post is really designed for anyone who plays bridge. For those that do not, as you would with a newspaper bridge column, simply pass over this post as it is likely to read like gobbledegook. )
The game of bridge is a fascinating game. Anybody who plays the game can recount fabulous hands that have played where as declarer they made a contract by perfect play. As well as recounting the great hands, most players can also recall their worst disasters. Having a bridge game disaster when playing for money is not just a painful financial experience but also an embarrassing one not least because how seething with anger your partner can be for your mistake even if they are too polite to express what they really think about your inexcusable action.
My worst disaster occurred in a late night partnership rubber bridge game at the St. John’s Wood Bridge Club. My partner is used to playing at a much higher stakes game than I am and my opponents were the man who runs the club and an experienced club player. I knew I was the weak link in the game and I was to find out exactly how weak.
In a game when my partner and I were vulnerable, my right hand opponent opened 1 no trump. I had 4 points and a shape of 3 spades, 5 hearts, 3 diamonds and a doubleton club. My points were the king of spades and the Jack of hearts. Naturally, I pass. My left hand opponent bid 2 clubs (Stayman).My partner then doubles which I realise is a lead directing double. My right hand opponent redoubles. This left me in a quandary. I knew I could pass as my partner could correct, but I thought I would give him the opportunity to be aware of my long suit and as such I bid 2 hearts. My left hand opponent doubles, my partner redoubles, my right hand opponent passes, and now to me.
I did not think and I should have done. I simply passed. Wrong, wrong, wrong and wrong. My partner’s redouble was a rescue bid, it informed me to bid any other suit apart from hearts as he saw a heart contract failing with a massive penalty. My pass was simply dreadful. My left hand opponent led and the horrors of my error would become quickly known to me. My partner grimaced but controlled his anger and left me to stew in the problems of my own making. The dummy came down with not many points and a singleton deuce of hearts. Not only did the opponents have a lot more points than we did, but they also had more trumps.
I shall spare the details of the play, but the summation is that my opponents took their winners, cross-ruffed me and over ruffed me. I only ended up making one trick. I was off 7 tricks in a vulnerable redoubled contract. This was not just a massive penalty, it was a redoubled massive penalty. I had to jot down 4,000 points against me on the scorecard. I shall never forget the sad and sorry experience.
There is not a bridge player out there who has not had a disaster at some stage in their playing career. I have recounted this story to other bridge players in the vague hope that I would locate someone who has had a disaster at least as bad if not worse than mine. I have heard of a good few disasters but none quite as points painful as the one I suffered.
In the event that you play bridge, please let me know your worst disaster, it may not be a bad as mine, but I should like to hear it in any event.
Comments
| 1 December, 2008, 10:26 pm |
“My partner then doubles which I realise is a lead directing double.”
Not after a No-trump and Stayman it isn’t, if- as you say- your partner is a good player. He may have had good clubs and have been offering to sacrifice in clubs: if yours are tolerable pre-empt high.
Five hearts isn’t a long suit- not long enough to mention in a four-point hand. Your opponents have the points; all you can do is leave your partner to it and- possibly back him if your hands match.
| 1 December, 2008, 10:52 pm |
Roger,
There was a bit of debate about my bid of 2 Hearts. On balance, I agree with you that I should have passed. His clubs were reasonable, but I do not think I was massively wrong to bid my hearts. That was probably an error but I do not think it was an enormous one. I have discussed this hand with others, including some good players and it is was not universal by the good players that the two heart bid was wrong. The redouble by the opener suggested that the opener had clubs sitting over my partners. what is universal is that my pass over my partners redouble was simply disgusting. In any event, it was a horrendous hand and I am not excusing myself.
What about yourself? You must have had a disaster at some stage. You may not have gone down for 4,000 points , but surely there are some hands you would rather forget but can’t?
| 2 December, 2008, 10:52 am |
Very good players can get away with things just because they are very good players and people don’t realise they’ve made mistakes.
My own most embarassing experience was bidding to Seven Spades which would have been cold if our opponents hadn’t had the ace of spades. My partner and I were so excited by our match (eleven spades between us) and our other cards that it never occurred to either of us that we hadn’t cue-bid the ace.
| 3 December, 2008, 6:19 pm |
gobbledegook
My husband and I took a trip on the QM2 last year. We are fond of cruises, but stand out somewhat because we are both under 40.
One evening, we wandered into an empty conference room and found a series of flip charts containing baffling diagrams and meaningless words. I’d just completed a physics diploma and my husband programs using hard-core Perl, yet none of it made any sense to us.
Eventually we worked out that it was something to do with bridge.
What struck us was that we’d had a conversation with our shipmates that morning along these lines:
Them: “What do you do?”
Him: “Computers.”
Them: “Oh, computers! I’ve never been able to understand how they work! Too complicated for me!”
Hmm.
| 3 December, 2008, 10:00 pm |
Mrs Trellis,
You are correct, there is a lot of unfathomable terminology in bridge to the non-player. It is not a simple game, but very well worthwhile learning. Given you like cruises, you and Mr. Trellis should take up the opportunity next time you are on a cruise and take some lessons. From my understanding, they have very good instructors.
| 20 December, 2008, 3:47 pm |
many years ago as a relative beginner ,my partner a guru on all things complicated persuaded me to try byzantine blackwood (dont try it)-so I DID - SOON AFTERWARDS IT CAME UP AND I PROUDLY BID FOUR NO TRUMPS AND BACK CAME AN ANSWER TELLING ME WE HELD ALL THE NECESSARY ACES AND KINGS SO I BID SEVEN NO TRUMPS, DOUBLED IN A VOICE OF THUNDER (BEFORE SILENT BIDDING)-IT WAS A FRIENDLY PLACE SO I ASKED WHY THE PERSON HAD DOUBLED ME AND WAS TOLD THAT ALL THE CARDS MY PARTNER CLAIMED WERE IN FACT HELD BY MY LEFT HAND OPPONENT -happy days ,not for money !
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