Weekly Hand Analysis - February 14, 2022 - Glenna Shanahan - How can you improve your bridge playing?

 Question 1:  What steps should a person in the Monday Morning Bridge group take to improve their bridge game? 

Question 2 follows Question 1. 

Question 2:  How do you know when you are improving?  I took this quote from a youth bridge website:

‘ Outcomes are your scores. Unfortunately, scores have a randomness factor. You can play a hand well and get a bad score. You can also play a hand poorly and get a good one. You can even play flawlessly for a whole session and get a mediocre score, or play mixed and get a great one.’

Based on this randomness how does one know they are improving?

Glenna:

Monday Morning Players,

  Think most if not all players need to make the same adjustments, changes, challenges if they are  improve. You cannot remain in the same position at anything in life and expect to get better. Ralph took over Monday morning bridge as it was failing and soon to be nonexistent and look at what he has been able to do. Hope all of you thank Ralph weekly because you would not have Monday bridge without him.

  But to improve, you need  to challenge yourself—play In his Wednesday morning 199er game. Almost every time you play with someone new, they are going to make suggestions or ideas of things they’ve learned and want to share their knowledge with you. It’s new ideas to ponder.

  I am proud of our bridge home for so many different reasons, but you need to know we have one of the best well rounded bridge library of most of the world’s bridge clubs. Borrow a book on play of the hand or defense and you’ll be amazed at the new ideas. Then try them one at a time.

   I tend to “preach” on things I’m passionate about, BUT, I promise this is true: Do not learn 25 of the latest conventions: Learn what is invitational and what is forcing. Learn to bid 6-card minors before a 4-card Major.  Some teachers give players the worst advice ever—do not mis-bid your hand in order to bid a Major—the Major will still be able to be bid after you show a 5 or 6-card minor. It’s not a case of missing a chance forever! 

  This step is the hardest for us to hurdle: You MUST play with better players. People are afraid of being criticized or of looking foolish, BUT, you have to step up and watch what the better, more experienced players bid, play and how they defend. If you play up and a player makes a comment, take it as a helpful suggestion and not as a criticism. Also, remember that sometimes people sound more gruff than they mean to so give them the benefit of the doubt and try not to feel crushed. I have been there my friends and have cried one or two times in my bridge career, but used it as a challenge that I could do it and I worked hard to achieve it.

  Question 2 is easy for me:  When you know very little, you don’t know you could do better. You KNOW when you see that you just made a mistake, you have improved!!!!! Do not watch scores, they are not valid, it’s more like luck when you get little gifts or people don’t bid their games, etc.   

Hope this helps,

Glenna