Congratulation, advancing Street Smart Bridge thrill seekers –  in our 6th installment here we wrap-up by considering the ins and outs of C.I.A. – Counting, Inferences, Algorithms, being aware (of ourselves and others), the ecosystem and its environmental factors, the Seven Deadly Sins as enumerated by the Dallas Aces international Bridge team winning the Bermuda Bowl, the Bridge Proprieties (including etiquette and ethics), as well as how to be and evaluate sound partnerships.

Counting goes far beyond the High Card Points held in our 13 cards.  What did the opponents bid, what inferences can we make about their calls/plays/tempo/mannerisms/gestures?  What does the lead tell us? And how about the 2nd and 3rd hand play?  And how is the trick-by-trick Bridge story unfolding, including the attendant attitude, count and suit direction plays by the defenders?

But wait, there’s far, far more to Bridge than this!  After all, we all have egos, different communication styles, give occasional “tells” and more.  Yes, sometimes we all are at at a loss to concentrate, fall victim of fatigue and/or become fixated elsewhere (redirection, as a magician would proclaim).  Hopefully you “live in the now” and appreciate the joy of experiencing the current moment and avoid the temptation to be seduced by the past or future.  Better yet, strive to achieve your partnership’s best result, not some lofty (and repeatedly unattainable) best result possible.

And since fabric of Bridge partnerships are interwoven with our emotional side, it pays to consider attitude swings, positive and negative swings, the psyche of assertive and passive players, empathy/intimidation/conciliatory relationships, confidence/confusion/fear, the “X Factor,” partners biased in either substance or form.

Speaking about Bridge environmental factors, we identify the “top 10” attributes for Street Smart Bridge Players and how they affect and lead to our success.  Of course, no Bridge discussion is complete without discussing competition, vulnerability and attendant risk/reward relationships.

Finally, addressing ACBL laws 72-75, we summarize some of the highlights of the dos and don’ts, including etiquette, ethics – what’s kosher, according to Hoyle… or not!

In total, this 128 minute lesson is chalk full of pithy discussions and scenarios along with lots of bidding and animated card play with stimulating commentary.

Ready, Aim, FIRE – on with the show…

Part 1 – Introduction to being Street Smart, playing two defender hands – 32:32 minutes of video
Free, Premium, ULTRA, Part 2 The Emotional side to Bridge – 27:39 minutes of video
Premium and ULTRA Members click here to view Part 3 on Bridge Environmental Factors, Risk/Reward strategies and tactics as well as being an effective competitor – 38:27 minutes of video
Premium and ULTRA Members click here to view Part 4 on the Laws: Proprieties, Ethics, Etiquette, find and evaluating sound partnerships – 18:16 minutes of video

And best yet, here at BridgeHands all of our Bridge hands are full of commentary (regardless of who is the declarer and defender) and analysis on hand evaluation, bidding and animated card play.   As always, our hand discussion offers a refreshingly rare glimpse of Bridge inside the minds of all four players at the table as play progresses, bid by bid, card by card.  Visitors are welcome to view the Part 1 series of our video lesson with nuances that will lead to quick and sound bidding without guesswork.  Those with the Free BridgeHands  membership may also watch Part 2 where we play more hands with provocative play tips and strategies, as well as way to improve skills by critiquing student players. As a Premium and ULTRA member, you are welcome to enjoy the entire four-part lesson segments with lots of hands, plus an opportunity to view future shows during your membership subscription period.   And as always, be sure to check out the hundreds of hours of videos in our archive that is growing by leaps and bounds, by clicking “Index to Videos” on the navigation above or simply click this link.

Bridge Teachers – you may download your personal copy of our copyrighted video lesson here:

Social Lesson 19 – Day 6, Part 1

Social Lesson 19 – Day 6, Part 2

Social Lesson 19 – Day 6, Part 3

Social Lesson 19 – Day 6, Part 4

Happy Trails,

BridgeHands