V N Ramamoorthy
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Every bridge player, I am sure, has some vivid memories of his / her learning days 🙂.
It is well nigh impossible for anyone to learn this game without some one initiating you into it, I believe.
I am yet to meet an "Ekalavya" in Bridge. There will be a friend, colleague, senior, teacher / mentor or a "Self - appointed Guru" in the background, invariably, I am sure!
It was all "Hunky Dory" in your Kindergarten time. It was simple and fun to learn the basics of points, HCP, number of tricks etc.
Learning the ABCs of counting, 123 of bidding, taking loser/winner count , you could do with your Left Hand... So "Easy Peasy" , you thought!😌
Suddenly you are caught in a bad weather - from ABCs and 123 , they jump off to "L" Shapes, PQ and to the dizzying heights of XYZ 😢 and other wierd animals you have never heard of! As you are still struggling with XYZ, the vultures hover around with Gamma & Epsilon, RKCB or even EKRCB...
From simple 123 , you are roughly thrown into "Rules of 11, 15 , 18 & 20 .." Did I miss anything? Friendly people who hitherto were nice and talking in simple English, like Points, Tricks, Distribution etc. suddenly changed over to some mumbo- jumbo - like Negative doubles, Weak jump overcalls, Splinters and Cue bids 😇
Before you could say Jack Robinson, they mercilessly launched you into "Stayman, Jacoby, Michaels, Smith echo, Meck- well "! Before you could say I do, they forced DONT drown your throat!
When you simply started in a positive frame of mind, you encountered the talk of "Impossible Negative" & Double negative. When you are yet to become a Major, they stuff your face with "inverted minor, Minorwood " and what not!
You gingerly put your best foot forward and the villains want you to learn the "Waiting Bid"!
Sigh 😞😓 Enough is Enough, don't keep changing the Goal posts by Law of Total Tricks or taking the loser count!
I want to be a winner, I want to be on the podium too... Every dog has its day! A day will come when I stop wagging my tail and start barking or even biting 😂😍
Happy bridging,
Cheers
VNR
Disclaimer : All opinions are entirely those of the author and are no reflection of the views of the BridgeFromHome Team.