Do you sometimes perform magnificent plays or creatively successful bids at the table? I do. Do you sometimes make a blunder so awful, you wonder why you ever bother to show up at a bridge game? I do. Does it puzzle you that you can sometimes compete like an expert - yet other days you have trouble concentrating, as your brain seems stuck in muck? It puzzles me.
Bridge is the most all-round rewarding and fascinating mind game there is. At the same time, it has many facets and is tremendously difficult. This all contributes to its allure - and yet also causes the game to be an endeavor that one can never completely master.
When I have a great session, I am excited and happy - and go home thinking about how clever my partner and I am. When I have a poor game, I generally am frustrated and annoyed. If we've had particularly poor luck that session, I write it off as "just one of those things." If we didn't play particularly well, I vow to work harder, do my best to concentrate better in the future - and try to fergetabout the awful session.
Remind yourself how difficult this wonderful game is, for it is tough! But, when things go wrong, remember that you surely can improve the next time around. The key is to not give up. Work on the weak spots in your game. You can learn! And have fun. The more relaxed you are when you play, the easier it is to compete effectively.
By the way, the photo you see is that of Melody Bi. Melody has been competing quite effectively at the national level. Recently, she and Jim Hall were third in the Mixed Pairs! It was not that long ago, however, that Melody even learned to play bridge - and, on the Internet, no less! Melody is a great example of a player who perseveres - and then succeeds.
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