V N Ramamoorthy
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There is an old adage "Don't forget the wood for the trees"; which talks about looking at the big picture.
If we look at the game of bridge, we tend to look at a match, forgetting at times that each match consists of a set of deals. And each deal is critical to the outcome of a match.
We therefore need to paraphrase the above and say "While looking at the woods, do not forget to look at the trees ".
"What is the big deal, anyway?"
Bridge is a duel, deal after deal. You are always vulnerable, even when you are not!
One often thinks that games and slams - bid and made - guarantee the win. But think again, 60-70% of the deals are a part game fight.
So what is the big deal?
The answer is that every deal is a big deal!
How, then, do you deal with yourselves on the table? Yes everyone plays for the pleasure of playing but if you want to win, then look sharp at every deal even if you hold an yarborough 😇
The great Alfred Sheinwold advocated "Every bid tells a story, every card tells a story "!
Dealing with stress, anger, frustration and disappointment is certainly a big deal! You have to deal with the cards served to you (whether dealt or pre - dealt) in the most efficacious way 🙂
So the next time you are at the table, make a deal ✌
Consider each and every deal as if that is going to decide your (your side's / team's) fate! Fight for every trick, every imp on every deal, deal after deal.
Just get down and deal with every deal as if your life depends on it!
Happy bridging,
Cheers
VNR
Disclaimer : All opinions are entirely those of the author and are no reflection of the views of the BridgeFromHome Team.