How to improve mental strength at the table?

[a***@yahoo.co.uk]

Over the last 18 months, I have seen a significant deterioration in my bridge results, and it is hampering my enjoyment of the game. Several times in a session I make what I think is a sound move based on logical inference only to end up being punished for it over and over again. I have tried a couple of strategies to address this, firstly try to get games with strong players and see if they can identify anything I am consistently doing wrong. Secondly, look at the boards I did badly on and think whether I missed something at the table, or whether the opponents did something different to everyone else which happened to work. The result of the former is that whilst there is always something duriung a sessioon I could have done better on any one particular hand, nothing has been said regaring my (lack) of ability, it seems to be shrugged off as randomness. In the latter case, sometimes it helps to look at a hand afterwards and sometimes I can see what I could have done differently, but much of the time, even if there was something I could have done better, I can't find a logical deduction in real time that would lead me to the optimal solution. I feel like I am facing an unsolvable problem, which is leaving me frequently frustrated and going home at the end feeling low. There must be a cause and effect somewhere but I can't find it. The last resort is to find another hobby, but I would prefer first to see if there is a way to prevent the constant poor results getting to me so much (such as stone dead last in a not particularly special county event a couple of weeks ago, and yet another sub-50% score at the local club yesterday evening). Any ideas would be welcome.

[Fred.]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
Over the last 18 months, I have seen a significant deterioration in my bridge results, and it is hampering my enjoyment of the game. Several times in a session I make what I think is a sound move based on logical inference only to end up being punished for it over and over again. I have tried a couple of strategies to address this, firstly try to get games with strong players and see if they can identify anything I am consistently doing wrong. Secondly, look at the boards I did badly on and think whether I missed something at the table, or whether the opponents did something different to everyone else which happened to work. The result of the former is that whilst there is always something duriung a sessioon I could have done better on any one particular hand, nothing has been said regaring my (lack) of ability, it seems to be shrugged off as randomness. In the latter case, sometimes it helps to look at a hand afterwards and sometimes I can see what I could have done differently, but much of the time, even if there was something I could have done better, I can't find a logical deduction in real time that would lead me to the optimal solution. I feel like I am facing an unsolvable problem, which is leaving me frequently frustrated and going home at the end feeling low. There must be a cause and effect somewhere but I can't find it. The last resort is to find another hobby, but I would prefer first to see if there is a way to prevent the constant poor results getting to me so much (such as stone dead last in a not particularly special county event a couple of weeks ago, and yet another sub-50% score at the local club yesterday evening). Any ideas would be welcome.

Assuming a Normal distribution half of all bridge players get below average
results. Yet most of them seem to be enjoying the game. If you feel you need a certain level of results to enjoy the game, it is becoming an obsession
rather than a hobby.

My suggestion is that for the next several club games you go with the
goals of enjoying the contest and enjoying meeting the other players.
Allow yourself to note and appreciate the things you do well, but don't
bother to look at the results. It's nice to use good results to polish
up your ego, but since bridge is hobby for you, not a profession, good
results are not vital to you and you should not dwell on bad ones. Keep
in mind that it easily possible to make a statistically correct decision
and get a bad result when players lacking your insight get lucky.

I also suspect you are pushing logic too hard. My background is mathematics,
analytical philosophy, and computer science, yet I think logic is often
overrated. It is a better tool for verification than it is for discovery.
My approach is to try to assemble a picture of what is going on in the hand,
keeping the chains of logic very short, and allowing intuition equal weight.
I find I'm more relaxed and play better than if I try to reason the whole
thing out. After all, a small seeming error in chain of logic can get one
to the exact opposite of the truth.

Fred.

[Jeff Miller]

I would prefer first to see if there is a way to prevent the constant poor results ... Any ideas would be welcome.

If you are serious about improving your game, I suggest you embark on a campaign of reading bridge books. Many are targeted at intermediate players looking to improve their game, which is where it sounds like you might be. These books can help you learn to concentrate your thought processes on the most important features of each hand.

Since many of the books focus on one aspect of bidding, declarer play, or defense, it might help if you would see whether your bad results fall especially in particular areas.

[Bertel Lund Hansen]

Post by Jeff Miller
If you are serious about improving your game, I suggest you
embark on a campaign of reading bridge books.

How about some physical exercise instead - or as a supplement?

[Mick Heins]

Post by Jeff Miller

I would prefer first to see if there is a way to prevent the constant poor results ... Any ideas would be welcome.

If you are serious about improving your game, I suggest you embark
on a campaign of reading bridge books. Many are targeted at
intermediate players looking to improve their game, which is where
it sounds like you might be. These books can help you learn to
concentrate your thought processes on the most important features of
each hand.
Since many of the books focus on one aspect of bidding, declarer
play, or defense, it might help if you would see whether your bad
results fall especially in particular areas.

I second this.

Also, most people overlook one of the most effective areas you can
improve at -- being a good partner. I think this is the secret weapon
of many players -- they get the best out of the partner they have and
they bid and defend in such a way as to not present partner with too
many problems. It is a partnership game.

[Douglas Newlands]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
Over the last 18 months, I have seen a significant deterioration in my bridge results, and it is hampering my enjoyment of the game. Several times in a session I make what I think is a sound move based on logical inference only to end up being punished for it over and over again. I have tried a couple of strategies to address this, firstly try to get games with strong players and see if they can identify anything I am consistently doing wrong. Secondly, look at the boards I did badly on and think whether I missed something at the table, or whether the opponents did something different to everyone else which happened to work. The result of the former is that whilst there is always something duriung a sessioon I could have done better on any one particular hand, nothing has been said regaring my (lack) of ability, it seems to be shrugged off as randomness. In the latter case, sometimes it helps to look at a hand afterwards and sometimes I can see what I could have done differently, but much of the time, even if there was something I could have done better, I can't find a logical deduction in real time that would lead me to the optimal solution. I feel like I am facing an unsolvable problem, which is leaving me frequently frustrated and going home at the end feeling low. There must be a cause and effect somewhere but I can't find it. The last resort is to find another hobby, but I would prefer first to see if there is a way to prevent the constant poor results getting to me so much (such as stone dead last in a not particularly special county event a couple of weeks ago, and yet another sub-50% score at the local club yesterday evening). Any ideas would be welcome.

The methods of improving performance used by the go-getters
in Silicon Valley are described in a book called "tools of the titans".
One of the purported methods, microdosing with laughing
Sam's dice might not help you but, at worst, it should ce

[a***@yahoo.co.uk]

Thanks for the responses so far. I can accept there are times when it is like trying to comb my hair in a hurricane, but the issue is not the occasional bad result, it is the general trend of increasing numbers of poor sessions over the last 18 months. This is too long a period to be put down to statistical randomness. The main issue is that 10 years ago, I did much better, so what seems to be happening at the moment is regression, which is bad for my self esteem, and it is not finding a reason for the regression which is frustrating. If there is a cause, it must be identifiable somehow, but I can't find it. I have read plenty of bridge books in my time which has helped me a lot get to a decent intermediate standard, it is just finding out why that standard is falling. Maybe I need to get some books that are a step up from what I have already, something aimed at intermediate/advanced level.

I do get plenty of physical exercise. Cycling a 20 mile round trip to work and cultivating an allotment with heavy clay soil are quite demanding.

It would probably help if I can avoid sitting North so I don't have to know what the result is. This will require some persuading partner to swap places.

[a***@hotmail.com]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
Over the last 18 months, I have seen a significant deterioration in my bridge results, and it is hampering my enjoyment of the game. Several times in a session I make what I think is a sound move based on logical inference only to end up being punished for it over and over again. I have tried a couple of strategies to address this, firstly try to get games with strong players and see if they can identify anything I am consistently doing wrong. Secondly, look at the boards I did badly on and think whether I missed something at the table, or whether the opponents did something different to everyone else which happened to work. The result of the former is that whilst there is always something duriung a sessioon I could have done better on any one particular hand, nothing has been said regaring my (lack) of ability, it seems to be shrugged off as randomness. In the latter case, sometimes it helps to look at a hand afterwards and sometimes I can see what I could have done differently, but much of the time, even if there was something I could have done better, I can't find a logical deduction in real time that would lead me to the optimal solution. I feel like I am facing an unsolvable problem, which is leaving me frequently frustrated and going home at the end feeling low. There must be a cause and effect somewhere but I can't find it. The last resort is to find another hobby, but I would prefer first to see if there is a way to prevent the constant poor results getting to me so much (such as stone dead last in a not particularly special county event a couple of weeks ago, and yet another sub-50% score at the local club yesterday evening). Any ideas would be welcome.

Without any reference points there is nothing to suggest cause and effect. You might deal with your focus. For instance, what in your life is more important during bridge events. If there are such monsters then maybe your gray cells are working over there- rather than manipulating aces and kings.

axman

[Steve Willner]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
Over the last 18 months, I have seen a significant deterioration in my bridge results,

If I had a formula to fix this, I'd be winning lots of events.

One thing you might try is identifying boards where in retrospect you
are confident you made a mistake. (Ignore boards where someone did
something weird or a reasonable action worked badly.) Try to
reconstruct your thinking at the table. Did you fail to consider the
correct action? Consider it and then reject it? Were you distracted?
Sleepy? Confused? If you see a pattern, you can think how to work to
change it.

[C***@msn.com]

Post by a***@yahoo.co.uk
Over the last 18 months, I have seen a significant deterioration in my bridge results, and it is hampering my enjoyment of the game. Several times in a session I make what I think is a sound move based on logical inference only to end up being punished for it over and over again. I have tried a couple of strategies to address this, firstly try to get games with strong players and see if they can identify anything I am consistently doing wrong. Secondly, look at the boards I did badly on and think whether I missed something at the table, or whether the opponents did something different to everyone else which happened to work. The result of the former is that whilst there is always something duriung a sessioon I could have done better on any one particular hand, nothing has been said regaring my (lack) of ability, it seems to be shrugged off as randomness. In the latter case, sometimes it helps to look at a hand afterwards and sometimes I can see what I could have done differently, but much of the time, even if there was something I could have done better, I can't find a logical deduction in real time that would lead me to the optimal solution. I feel like I am facing an unsolvable problem, which is leaving me frequently frustrated and going home at the end feeling low. There must be a cause and effect somewhere but I can't find it. The last resort is to find another hobby, but I would prefer first to see if there is a way to prevent the constant poor results getting to me so much (such as stone dead last in a not particularly special county event a couple of weeks ago, and yet another sub-50% score at the local club yesterday evening). Any ideas would be welcome.

I had the same problem about 10 years ago, I found that I wasn't paying attention to spot cards, but instead just internally saying that he led a heart back at trick 3 or whatever, more from laziness then anything else. No idea if this is a solution for you, but my game picked up probably over a board a session when I started focusing more on the exact cards my opponents played which then leads to why did they play that card instead of another. Hope that helps, good luck!