Emboldened by my three US National bridge titles in eight years, but rattled by my own bridge-slump earlier this year, I recently headed for the 15th World Bridge Series in Orlando — my first and maybe my last international bridge Olympiad.
The tournament was a roller coaster ride all the way — filled with disappointments and thrills. I discovered that I needed the mindset of a tiger and a house-cat — fearless, contemplative, patient, yet ready to pounce.
Alas, I missed the bronze medal by two places — in women’s pairs-event. I had naively set my hopes too high. Still, for an amateur like me, ending as the 5th best international pair, amongst women, is a big achievement and I am still reliving those moments.
I started playing bridge seriously eight years ago after turning 60 — most professionals start playing full-time bridge when they are much younger and have decades of experience.
The pairs-event stood out because I played 100% of the time with my professional partner and coach Debbie Rosenberg. We competed against many professional-duos. Six 7-hour days of grueling matches and preparing myself psychologically every morning was more than a full-time task. Having a tiger’s mindset at the table kept me charged up while the house-cat in me kept looking for the opportunities where I could outshine others.
Both Debbie and I were dejected after losing our respective teams-events, earlier. Fortunately, we had made plan B just days before we left from Silicon Valley for Orlando.
The next six days at the international championships turned out to be exhilarating where I got a chance to experience my full potential by playing 100% of the time as it was just Debbie and me. In teams-events I only played 50% of the time — as there are six players and only four play at a time — to avoid fatigue.
Bridge is simple but an intricate game, making it intoxicating for both experts and beginners. Brilliance and stupidity can get mixed up, making bridge-play a humbling experience.
How to play bridge is more complex, but simply speaking:
- Bridge is played by two partners from one team against two from the other team — like doubles tennis match.
- It is a game of skills as the same cards are played on other tables and results compared, taking the luck element out.
- The first part of the game involves bidding when a player only sees his own hand which is 13 out of 52 cards — one-fourth the card deck. A bid announces how many of the 13 cards when played out, can be won by one side vs the other. A final contract is reached by a pair when the other pair does not want to bid any further.
- The second part is the card-play. The goal of the card-play is to make the contract while the other side tries to defeat it. As the card-play begins, one more player’s hand gets exposed on the table.
Since every player gets to see his 13 cards and 13 more cards of the exposed hand, all one has to do is guess critical cards of one more player — and magically the fourth player’s cards get revealed.
These guesses are made by drawing conclusions from the bidding, and tracking cards as they are played out. When no other clues are present one uses probabilities of distribution of cards as outlined in bridge Encyclopedia.
Bridge experiences are unique because at times even the best players can play poorly if the mental plane is not level set. Additionally for an amateur, playing against world-class players can be nerve wrecking.
Since the beginning of this year, I had been in a slump for some inexplicable reason. I shared my worries and received valuable advice: ”It becomes impossible to play if you think opponents are being tricky.” “Everyone has bad sets.” “Disaster and success are neighbors.” One of the most charismatic players, Zia Mahmood, summed it up for me: “What’s most important is your inner self,” and “Bridge is easy if you know what to think when.”
The advice came in handy. Eventually, I concluded that no one wins while feeling inadequate. I had to develop a mindset of being fearless like a tiger, but preserve my confidence with a bit of vanity, like a house-cat. My fifth-place finish, therefore, came as a delightful surprise, marking an end of my slump.
As I contemplate my next phase, in bridge, it becomes pertinent to ask why. Mastering bridge is impossible as the learning never stops — which also applies to life in general. I’ve learned the difference between being too careful and being undisciplined, facing up to what I do and don’t know, and recognizing that skills need a strong foundation.
Bridge requires total honesty with oneself. Even though the journey can be treacherous, I hope to seek the experience of fierce competitions that can transcend me.
Barbara Tyler
Great article Vinita.
I so admire and respect what it must take to not only qualify to play in such renowned tournaments, but to focus and concentrate for such long hours in order to play this strategic and challenging game called Bridge. Way to go!!!
P.S. Say hello to Miss Lilly for me.
vinitagupta
The rewards so far have been the bridge experiences — which have mold my thinking. Thank you.
peggy zafarana
Vinita, your transparency and thorough explanation of your playing mindset is both refreshing and quite interesting. Thanks for a candid insight into this world of elite competition.
vinitagupta
It took a lot to dig into myself both to figure out the next phase in bridge but also the formula when one gets down on oneself.
raj singh
fantastic, dear vinita, and congratulations….raj
Kathie Shaw
Congratulations on your 5th place win., Vinita!
I like the suggested mindset.
vinitagupta
Thanks
Dipti
Dear Vinita,
Congratulations on your amazing accomplishment! Not only did you overcome your own sense of insecurity at your “slump,” you achieved remarkable success amongst the most elite players of the world. BTW, you’re “inner self” has always been secure…and I’ve been a big admirer of that for many years now. 🙂
Love,
Dipti
vinitagupta
When you meet the highest levels of players, you learn a lot from them. Thanks for your thoughts.
Sujata Bhalerao
Wow! Keep going! Proud of you!
Veena Jhawar
My favorite card game but I am nowhere close to your prowess.. Congratulations on being an international class player and thank you for your insight on how to play this game to win. Actually, it is good strategy to overcome most challenges in life!
vinitagupta
Bridge is a joy at any level. At very high levels, it brings you to face life, it seems. Thank you.
Debbie Rosenberg
As her coach and friend, I was extremely proud of Vinita’s performance over those six days! There were many good bids and plays, and I especially enjoyed a number of deals which demonstrated our trust in each other as as partners.
Yet my favorite moment came at the end of one of the long days of play (typically three sessions of 16 boards each, with short breaks between). We played behind screens which is slower and more physically demanding than the usual tournament play. With virtually everyone around me expressing relief that the exhausting day was finally over, Vinita casually asked what time we needed to be back for the next session. She was so focused on her bridge game that she had no idea we were done for the day, and she was ready for more. What a fighter!!
vinitagupta
Your humbleness and demeanor were exceptional to keep me positively charged.
Max Schireson
I love Zia’s “if you know what to think when” comment. If only…
I would say 5th in the world is a good way to break a slump! Congrats.
vinitagupta
That is Zia! Thanks Max.
Mihir Meghani
Great story! I played bridge in high school but not since. Fond memories. I appreciate the challenge, and excited that you have done so well. You will do even better next time.
Purnima Gupta
The focus with which Vinita plays bridge is commendable. She is the first female of Indian origin to earn national titles. The competition is fierce, is an understatement. I hope it encourages other women to enter the field of bridge and pursue other hobbies. They are as entitled to happiness as their husbands and children.
vinitagupta
Thanks. Hansa Narasimha was the first Indian origin female to win Women’s international championship.
Niraj Jain
Everyone goes through slumps, and its great to see that you have recovered from yours and come back in style – well done!