2008-02-29 02:51

Hand Evaluation – Visualization ( Thinking patterns )

PITBULLS:

Have you ever kibitzed Bridge at the World Championship level ? One thing you will notice is the pace of the game slows to a crawl. Why should that be ? These players have played millions of hands & they are experts in their hobby. They are not dim witted or otherwise mentally slow that prevents them from making a Bridge play quickly. They could play Bridge at the speed of light & probably do just fine. They could let their ego get into the way & play fast to show off their clevourness. However, they do not play fast , because they think & plan. What is going through their minds ? They are translating information like bidding into hand patterns. They are counting HCPs as they unfold. Some do this task faster than others but they all do it.

I do not like slow play & hesitations based on confusion & lack of concentration or lack of consideration for the opponents. Yet these experts are playing at a snail’s pace & treat it as routine. These experts are thinking , especially on defense. They will not make an opening lead until they have translated the bidding into a hand pattern. Their leads are primarily based on the bidding & not on suit sequences in their hand. The defender in 3^rd position will not play a card until he has a defensive plan developed. He has translated the bidding & opening lead into hand patterns , possibly counting HCP’s & tricks along the way. They will not allow the opponents to play a contract until they are ready with their plan formulated. This preparation is the cause of the diminishing pace of play . The concentration necessary to notice spot cards & plug them into patterns also slows the pace of play.

A golfer uses a driving range to build their golf skills. Club games are the “driving range” of Bridge. Playing at the club should be used to hone your Bridge skills. Here at the club is where you practice applying patterns & counting HCP’s. If you have aspirations to becoming a serious Bridge player, you do not play club games to win or see how many Bud Lites you can consume. You need to be motivated to improve your game & use club games for that purpose. Honestly, you are nowhere as good as you think you are. Being good at this game is relative to those you play against.

Relative to most club players , you are already good. Relative to sectional players , you are also superior to most. At the Regional level , you can hold your own but you will not necessary be a favourite to win. At the Nationals , CNTC & GNT finals at the higher level is where your mistakes will be glaring. Not translating Bridge information into patterns , labels you as a weak Bridge player. The choice is yours but do not think you are even close to being a good Bridge player , when you do not “think in patterns”. You build this skill thru dedicated practice so you can play at national levels & excel at your hobby. There is no other way or easy way.

On my site there are 182 articles on hand patterns ( Google search Results 1 - 10 of about 182 for patterns. (0.12 seconds) . I have emphasized this aspect of the game of Bridge for a reason. It is how you think the game of Bridge, period .