You Bid Three With Those Points?

Back in another time in a galaxy evidently far far away from reality I played duplicate bridge; was fortunate enough to have good teachers and partners, and traveled to several states in search of the elusive master points that are used to establish your place in the bridge world pecking order.

I absolutely loved to play and I got to be pretty good at it for a few years, and then life stepped in and said that's enough of that, and I had to quit playing.

When I first moved to Oklahoma, I played a couple of times but couldn't seem to find a partner that I thought I would enjoy playing with, so I didn't pursue it.  Time passed, and about 3 years ago I played a couple of games, and got kind of interested, but that didn't pan out so I had not played again until last month when one of my old bridge partners came to town.  We didn't do very well, but it sure did rev up my "bridge playing" need.

My daughter Summer texted me (we do better if we don't talk to each other in person, lol) and told me she had an old friend she had run across that used to play bridge and thought the two of us might enjoy playing.  Would I be interested?

Sure

Ok, John (the friend) comes over Thursday night to "discuss" our bridge game.  When you are playing duplicate bridge, it is a little more complicated than regular bridge, and there are lots of rules and conventions, etc, that can "enhance" or "screw up" your bridge game big time.

We agreed to see if we can play together and made plans to play last Saturday afternoon.   I have quite a few Master Points so we have to play in a higher category than he would if he was playing with someone on his level.  That sounds conceited, but I didn't make the rules.  He said he wouldn't mind playing at a higher level, and I assured him I didn't play real well because I had forgotten a bunch and had no memory.

Oh, I also have no tact at all anymore, never had much, but none at all now it seems.

Ok.  Scene set......

We are playing along and seem to be doing ok.   I bid by the seat of my pants and gut instinct a lot because I do have good card sense most of the time.

We have a couple of missteps, my bidding, his defense, I point out my own really stupid mistakes and the ones he hasn't played long enough to correct, lol. He takes it all very well.

Add to this "trying to be a good partner and have some patience" and "keep from screwing up", I have this horrible, raging headache from hell that is making me dizzy and nauseous, and I am so not really together.

Up comes a hand that he opens, I make a bid, he makes another bid (which he has to do under the conventions we are using) and I make the bid of 3 hearts.  It goes pass, pass, pass.

His hand comes down, I take one look at it and say
I can't believe you bid three hearts with that!
Perry, I didn't bid three hearts, you did!
Oh, lol, good thing I made contract,  isn't it!

You probably had to have been there to appreciate the humor?

Did we do well? no
Is there a promise of having a good partnership?  yes
Are we going to play again?  yes  
This coming weekend.

Pray for John.

Me, I don't think it will help at all, unless you pray that I am in this galaxy and in the state of Oklahoma next weekend when the games are going on, lol.

Will let you know how it goes.