"It's Just a Game"

Really? Those of us who are seriously "into" bridge spend hours and dollars each week at the tables, presumably trying to improve. We spend additional time in bridge classes, reading bridge books, going on bridge cruises (by far the coolest setting for bridge games) and pestering A players into telling us how we could have made the contract. Just a game?

Maybe, compared to ending famine and war, bridge is "just a game" with the "just" being justified in those cases. Is it frustrating? You bet! Is it exalting? Not often enough. As with all intermittant rewards, that is the hook. If it were exalting all of the time, the reward would be constant and the game would lose it's interest and allure. I must remember this the next time I'm beating myself up about misplaying yet another no trump hand.

I have noticed that there is a difference in people's philosophy toward bridge playing which roughly breaks into two groups. One group loves the game but plays once or twice a week; they are typically not into classes or using new techniques, love playing out the hand but use few conventions, and really enjoy the social aspect of hanging with everyone at the club.

The second group show up four or five times a week (or more). They are nuts about the game; religiously reading the "Bridge Bulletin", adding new conventions, taking any class that comes along, going over hand records after the match, and traveling to sectionals, regionals and nationals in pursuit of colored points as well as challenging play. Many of this group's close friends are "bridge friends".

The people who say that bridge is "just a game" usually fall into category number one and seem to have little understanding for those of us who fall into the fanatic category. When I get upset with myself at the table, hearing the phrase "it's just a game why are you so upset?", makes my jaw clench. I know they are trying to help and attempting to put one hand's misplay into perspective for me but let me grumble and fume. Bridge is much more than "just a game" to me. I don't know that I can adequately explain why that is so but I have to own up to the fact that the game is a very important part of my life and it matters to me how I play. Does it matter more than family and crushing world problems? Of course not; but it still does matter and that should be respected. Saying "it's just a game" tells me worlds about the speaker's philosophy but has no relevence to mine.