Erin Berry Rookie-Master

So for the first time in over 6 years, I ventured out to a local bridge club. What finally dragged me out was the Erin Berry Rookie-Master game. I competed in a rookie-master game maybe 7 years ago, and remembered it being a lot of fun. Rookie-Master games are a great opportunity, they're not overly competetive, everyone is extremely friendly, and it's a great opportunity to play with a very good player.

All of which meant that, unlike a lot of my earlier club experiences, I wasn't very nervous at all.

My expectations for the game were pretty meagre. I really just wanted to get out and have fun. I was far more concerned about how it would FEEL to play in a club, especially given my long absence, than with how I would perform. Naturally, I wanted to play well. Actually, playing well was far more important to me than actually scoring well.

I'll try to post on some of the hands later (I'm hoping they'll release the hand analysis online - I forgot to grab one). The very first two hands that I played were barnstormers, and they set the stage for a very good evening. We defended a lot, and I was pleased to be told "good defense" on more than one occasion.

One thing that I did find is that even 21 hands was a lot for me. Playing online like I do, I will often only play 4 or 5 hands before logging off. I was definitely tiring towards the end of the session.

Beyond that, what really stood out for me was my awareness. My partner was unbelievable - she always seemed to know what I held (or needed to hold) on the last few tricks, and could analyze what contracts should and should not make after the hand, based on her recollection of the play. While I wasn't up to that impressive level, I found myself to be far more aware, especially on defense, than I can ever remember being in that environment. There were definitely hands where I knew what cards I needed to keep at the end, and what suits were too dangerous to lead away from, based on discards and play. It wasn't perfect, but it probably kept me from making a few rookie mistakes along the way. All in all, this made me very happy.

Afterwards, my partner complimented me on my card sense. This really made me happy, because I've often heard the concept of "card sense" be praised in developing players, and I had never really visualized the label being applied to me before. That compliment alone made the evening completely worthwhile.

When the scores were posted, the 73% game didn't hurt either!

For me, though, the legacy of this event will likely be about a great deal more than one good score. By returning to an environment that I hadn't visited in years, I was able to perceive just how much my game has evolved since then. While the evidence across the table tells me that I have a long way to go before I arrive, even at the club level, I am so happy about the confidence and sense of progress that I felt last night.

While I've always dreamed of being a really good player, last night was maybe the first time that I've really seen the path to get myself there.