bilingual
Alert. Double. Endplay. Finesse.  The lexicon and metaphor of bridge make their way into my conversations far, far away from the table. Driving to the ballpark, George gets busy behind the wheel and I feel compelled to alert (helpfully, of course). It entertains me no end to make the bridge analogy in, say, conversations about parenting. Do you use the language of bridge in other areas of your life? Do non-bridge players get it?
I’m working on a particularly difficult passage this week; the entire manuscript is pushing toward a major in-game confrontation. We’ve all heard the funny/pathetic stories about cards (or drinks, or chairs) thrown by particularly volatile players, but those stories are usually told by spectators. Have you been witness to spectacular bad behavior at the table — an opponent going after his/her partner? Partner ever come after you?
August 28th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Uh, I think that I once witnessed a friend get so irritated with his partner, that he managed to hurl the offending board as his offending partner.
The good news? He missed his partner. The bad news? He managed to nab the current president of the ACBL?
The ironic part? I think that the intended target happens to be the husband of someone we know all too well…….. :)!
August 29th, 2007 at 6:03 am
Wait, wait. I’m not the only one who’s wanted to hurl something at him?!
It surprises me that for all the stories people seem to have about seeing somebody go ballistic, almost nobody can describe actually being at the table with a partner/opponent going nuts. (Or not going nuts but acting out …)
August 29th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Actually, I have seen other instances of people “going ballistic.” Many years ago, I witnessed a client attempting to win the McKinney Race throw all the cards off the table, so irritated was he with his professional.
And - just a few months ago, teammates of mine exhibited some pretty bad actions. They had not one, but two disasters in a Swiss Team match. We lost by a moderate amount. I assure you this was NOT the first time this happened to me - and too often, my partner and I were the perps!
In any case, out in the hall, they began to argue strenuously with one another… One insisted he could not go on playing - and the other, instead of trying to calm his partner down, kept on yelling “You lost your mind; you lost your mind!” Finally, one shoved the other… And when the director said they could no longer continue in the event, my team was on the sidelines.
Funny how a theoretically intellectual, quiet game can motivate people to madness, eh, Stacy?
August 30th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
In my defense, Ron Anderson, AKA “The Hog”, who was a professional agitator, was egging me on about Claude’s play. An addendum to the board hurling was that Ron immediately called the director to say that he had seen some of the cards and could not now play the next board. So we got average- on that one as well. I think this has to go in the column.
August 31st, 2007 at 9:19 am
The mention of Ron Anderson reminded me of the only actual brawl I ever saw. It was in Toledo between Anderson and a local player. Not sure what started it, but they sure went at it. This was probably about 25 years ago.
I had a partner walk out in the middle of a club game and refuse to come back and play. It was a relative by marriage so to speak.
September 5th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
i had to call a zero tolerance penalty on Claude once, AS MY PARTNER.
Ralph had to call the director a number of times in the finals of the 2000 team trials. Drew Casen and I were on the same side of the screen.
September 7th, 2007 at 10:54 am
What fun! I just noticed today that we
can comment at this delightful site.
(Found it thru mystery book link), but
am also bridge player. I dissolved a
partnership in June due to an incident
at regional in which my pard went crazy
over bid I made, no need to discuss hand,
I was right, lol. In fact, she was still
smokin’ after 2 rounds and actually turned to opps (2 sets) and told them
about bad bids I had made before (”and
she NEVER bid spades!!”), till opps
threatened to call director. No apology,
so I quit. I am laid back, can adapt to
different styles (not too light), but not
to ugliness.
September 7th, 2007 at 10:59 am
Hate to talk too much, delete if u like,
but in 1994 at San Diego Regional, playingagainst married pair, after
intense auction by them, pard led something and declarer, who was void
played spade. I took trick (he thot
spades were trump, actually they were in
4hearts. When hhe found this out he
climbed on chair and yelled “SUSAN,
WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!!”