Bridge Psych

 Bridge is the Chess of cards. Since the pandemic, I have become not only an avid player but an on-line addict of it. My computer and I, BFFs now, are joined at the knee. And Bridge is part of the reason.  I play with real people whose identities are hidden behind the most remarkable selection of nom de plumes ever. Some "handles" are very exotic. Then again, since the golden ring of the anonymity of the anonymous abides, who knows? Bridge is a long learning journey. When I began the game decades ago, my partner suffered arduous sessions trying to quell his embarrassment with the other two avid players. Our work friends who played the game every lunch hour with my husband, gradually changed our socializing card game evenings to an eat-in gourmet dining club. And I was the reason why. I had no card memory at all. . But I didn't give up. I went to Bridge classes. The Bridge master had us display the hands and he went about trying to unravel for us the mysteries of the game. Unfortunately, he got into scoring games and conventions of Bridge and lost me. I quit. Those of you "out there" will becoming impatient that someone like me could be so, shall we say, slow. I couldn't fathom what the point of all these complications were in a mere card game. I used to play Gin Rummy. As to the scoring of Bridge, that was an unfathomable to me. Remembering what was played was seemingly an impossibility. I can't remember my SIN.  But when I no longer had to play with real people at a table, I discovered on-line Bridge and finally, I could relax enough to actually begin to see what was going on with these big handfuls of cards, suits, bidding, scoring, plotting and playing. Like almost any sport, Bridge requires a lot of practice. Practicing on people you know, is not the best idea. Feelings are involved because Bridge involves personality and psychology. When the people in your face aspect, was removed, I flew into the game with fervor. Now, I can determine during the first round of bidding, who has what. I can "read" what a delay in a player's move means. When the first cards are laid down, I know who has what in their hand. Or almost. I can guess who is a planner working out the entire game to come or the one who wings it. I know who is a whiz at play, who is The Thinker, who is the nasty fasty, who is the schemer, who is the dare-devil, who is the plodder, who is the bad loser, who is the renegade. Yes, they're all there. I learned who I am as a Bridge player as well. Good or bad, I fly by the seat of my pants. But sometimes I Kamikaze. I worry not about the total score. I just want to play each hand the best I can and as fast as I can. There is nothing more maddening than playing with someone who takes an eon to put down a card even when there is only one to go. Aha! I see you have had the displeasure of that type, too. I do not get into a tizzy about how-to-score. Being in a group like that, makes me itchy. I take chances. So I have six low cards, king high, sure I am going to step up and bid just in case my partner has those biggies. Rules go hang. Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't. I will bid my hand, no matter how far behind my score is. I love Bridge and playing it, not worrying about anything else but having the fun of the game.