If you have triskaidekaphobia then abandon all thoughts of being a bridgeplayer. The game of bridge demands little in the way of investment, but it does require the ability to count up to 13. Everything revolves around that number. Each player is dealt 13 random cards, there are 13 cards in each suit, there are 13 tricks available and most evaluations of playing strength revolve around 13 as a key number.
All the game requires at the outset is a pack of cards and lots of time. Also the presence of three others interested in learning, or preferably three players who dont mind suffering the errors of a beginner. The game originated when railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt tired of whist and introduced a Russian variation known as biritsch in the early 20th century. Bridge is a corruption of biritsch, but whatever the pronunciation, the game caught on like wildfire between the wars.
And lets say that it requires a little more effort than Solitaire bridge requires logical thinking and unadulterated concentration. This game is easiest learnt when you watch people playing the game and try and understand each hand on the table, says Jeroo Mango, an international bridge player. I learnt by watching my father play bridge. If your parents didnt play, sitting around and kibitzing a high-standard game is an excellent way to start. Once youve got an idea of whats going on, start playing. Subir Roy, an international player says, Participation in a game is the best way to learn this mind sport.
More From This Section
If youre dying to take on Zia Mahmood and Co, start by buying books and software programs to simulate real-life situations. Youll also need a partner with whom you use a regular bidding system so that you speak an intelligible language plus lots of practice.
But if all you want is light entertainment, try rubber bridge. You can play at home or at many clubs. Rubber bridge is fun and could help you win some money. Early on, however, youll end up paying for your sessions, since the others will be more experienced players.
For the serious enthusiast, there are many tournaments. Mumbai, Delhi and Calcutta all offer at least one pairs and one team tournament with open participation every week. Entry fees are not high and participation can run into the hundreds.
To work your way up to the national and international ladder, start by participating in local events. There is a master point system which is applicable worldwide. If you garner enough master points you get invitations at reduced fees in larger events. If you emigrate to the USA with sufficient MPs, you could even make a living coaching bridge aspirants and partnering them.
In Mumbai the weekly pairs event every weekend are sponsored mainly by Bombay Sports Bridge Association. If you do consistently well at these local events, then an interested party or company might invite you to join a team in various tournaments. Today industrial houses like Tolani, Ruia, Telojian Tea Company, HCL and Ingersoll-Rand have their own teams. Jaggi Shivdasani-Santanu Ghosh, probably the best known Indian pair, have played all over the world on retainership.
Bridge players come from all walks of life. While some are intellectuals, most tend to be intelligent rather than intellectual. In the words of world champ Terence Reese, All top-class bridge players have first class minds but not all first-class minds are top-class bridgeplayers. Gandhiji commented apropos bridge: Karma is the hand you are dealt and Dharma is what you do with it.
But bridge can arouse violent passions. Many players have assaulted foolish partners. And if your spouse or significant other doesnt play, he or she is likely to resent the time you (mis)spend. There is an element of real danger. In 1933, Myrette Bennett of Oklahoma shot her husband after a game of rubber bridge when he misplayed a hand and subsequently taunted her. The jury acquitted Ms Bennett on grounds of justifiable homicide!