Duplicate Bridge
Competitive bridge (tournament or duplicate bridge) is a card game for those who like the challenge of real competition . All Duplicate bridge players believe there's no other worthwhile card game except bridge.
Organized Bridge. Competitive bridge is played at organized clubs and at tournaments at the local, regional, national and world levels. You can learn to play competitively at these club games and tournaments by following the advice in this series.
Competitive Bridge vs. Party Bridge. Party bridge -- social bridge or 'kitchen bridge' -- is a wonderful way to pass an enjoyable evening with friends or family. So is Duplicate - - but it's for blood, not for 'passing time'. Competitive bridge is usually played against strangers or other people you know only as bridge players, usually in commercial or other forms of organized surroundings, and supervised by a Director, who enforces rules of conduct and fair play. The competition is to see who - - which pair - - can get the best results from a set of pre-dealt hands -- thus the term 'Duplicate'.
In this way, the luck of the cards is largely removed from competitive bridge - - only skill wins. It's very intense pastime - - a Duplicate Bridge session is deathly quiet. If you are an incessant chatterbox, don't even start to play duplicate.
Duplicate sessions are usually 2 1/2 or 3 hours long, comprised of 26 to 28 hands or 'boards'. Once you start, you must finish the session. In Duplicate tournaments, two sessions per day are played. Sessions usually cost about the same as a movie, so expense shouldn't be an issue for anyone reading this page. There's no special equipment or clothes - - all you need is a deck of cards to play competitive bridge - - plus three other players, of course.
Or, if you like you can play on-line in a number of Internet-based competitive bridge environments. there, you don't even need cards or players!
Duplicate Sharpens Anyone's Game. Competition sharpens your bridge skills like you wouldn't believe. You'll become a fanatic for every trick and every opportunity to play with skilled players, and you may even give up playing with people who just follow suit while socializing or "passing time". (Except for relatives, who you are obligated to play with to keep peace in the family).
Competitive bridge isn't for everyone. In the USA there are only about 200,000 members of the national organization out of a bridge playing population believed to be about 10,000,000.
If you like the idea of becoming really good at a card game; of being able to play with and beat the best in your town, the country or even the world, read on. If you just like to play an occasional hand with your family, this series isn't for you.
Competitive bridge can become an avocation -- a lifetime fascination with a game which has few masters but many devoted slaves.
Enjoy.
(c) Robert D. McConnell, 1998 All Rights Reserved