Playing from the Partnership Desk (or playing online through platforms like BBO) can mean an instant connection with card players you’ve never met before – and never interacted with or developed a feel for before you’re set to join forces in a game.
Bridge is a game of mutual understanding, partnership playing and combined efforts.
How do you connect with a player you’ve never met? Perhaps more importantly, how do you work to get yourselves in sync from the first bid or card?
First Bid or Play? That’s Your First Impression
If it’s the first bid or card laid down for your partnership, see it as a first introduction and first impression.
Bidding and playing are authorized ways to communicate information (and thinking about what bids and plays tell you about the game and your partner’s hand) is what you have to go on in the middle of a fresh partnership.
It’s Like Keeping Time
Back in my guitar-playing days, I shared the stage with many artists I had just met, playing songs I had just heard about. It involves a mixture of improvisation, guesswork and keeping time – plus the occasional moment of getting lost and finding your way back. Today, I view bridge games with entirely new partners the same way.
Just like getting on stage, there’s a rhythm to the song – and a feel to each game.
If all the non-musicians can forgive the comparison, counting cards is like keeping time.
Knowing what cards have been played (and are still hidden in the hands of you and your partner) is like the drummer following the bassist.
If you lose your place, find the rhythm: Count the cards and see what you and your partner have. Then see what you’re going to do with it.
Talk About It
Away from the game, you might have a few minutes or moments to speak to your partner before the start of the game or before one has ended. (For obvious reasons, in-game conversations might be considered a violation of rules!)
Getting a chance to talk can give you a better feel for your new bridge partner and their style. Conversational style can reveal a lot about someone’s playing style, even without the need to ask: Aggressive, talkative, knowledgeable about the game or a novice – a few minutes of back-and-forth conversation can help to point this out.
One Bad Game? Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad…
It’s normal for the first game of a new partnership to go slightly skew: Don’t be surprised if you and your newest bridge partner don’t develop a proper feel for one another’s bids and plays right away – this is common when people from different ages, backgrounds, bridge schools and conventions get together to play the same game.
If the first game means you’re still trying to get used to how the other one plays, there’s usually still the “best out of three” rule of the average rubber bridge game that might save you.
Play another game together if the first one didn’t go so well: The second will almost always be an improvement on the last.