Bridge Director

Amazingly, I passed the exam to become a certified bridge director.  Very much like becoming a life master, becoming a bridge director is more than a piece of paper saying I are one.  Now I have to learn how to direct.  I think it will be a work in progress for a while.

Lady in Waiting

Nope; the title doesn't refer to the infamous two diamonds waiting bid over two clubs.  I'm talking about waiting to hear about the results of a test.  After studying for about two months and sleeping with four books about directing bridge games, with husband/partner banished to the guest room (joking), I took the test to become a director last Saturday.  The ancient game of bridge uses the ancient technique of paper and pencil, mail in the test, and get the results by mail in several weeks.  Sigh.  I'm more of an instant gratification girl; take it online and get an immediate score but, sadly, ACBL is not that advanced.

Studying for the exam was an experience.  I thought learning the ins and outs of the Jacoby 2NT convention was difficult.  Piece of cake compared with memorizing the five things that happen with an initial lead out of turn.  Being somewhat dyslexic (as in I can't tell left from right or east from west), learning what the penalty is for bids out of turn,  depending on where the designated bidder sits, was an almost insurmountable challenge.  I'm still not sure I have it correctly programmed in my head even after several director/friends have patiently explained the differences to me. 

I was going to take the test secretly in case I failed; then no one would know.  There are no secrets in the bridge community.  Everyone knows and everyone says, "It's open book - how hard can it be?" Well, the problem is, one must understand the book, apply principles and figure stuff out.  The law book itself is a master work of legalese.  Among the committee members of whiz bang bridge players who codified the laws, sat one of the smartest, if not the smartest, kid in my small high school class of 100 people.  What are the odds?  The kid who immediately understood the concept of n space in physics ends up writing bridge laws.  I should have known it wouldn't be easy.

I took the test so that I could back up our regular director in our small neighborhood sanctioned games which happen a few times a month.  I didn't plan to direct in the big club games but who knows?  Maybe I'll get brave enough to do one or two if, by some miracle, I actually passed the thing.

Still waiting.