Elk Point, South Dakota 15:04 12March 2014 by GS Jade Barrett, CsbNews correspondent Lily Tomlin
” I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework” – Lily Tomlin
Over the years I have grown convinced that developing players need to build their own notes in order to truly comprehend the bidding methods they employ. While there is a company standard format that our Great American Bridge Tour trainers, teaches and coaches recommend, I recognize that there are alternatives that work better than ours for some participants. As long as the system and the conventions that comprise it are both readable and logically structured, I am content with the effort.
We do require that certain notations, symbols and abbreviations are consistent, so we do provide our athletes a chart to follow. Here are a few of our basics:
M = Major
m = minor
1RF = One Round Force
FG = Forcing to Game
-> = Relay
Trsf = Transfer
X = Double
XX = Redouble
T/O = Take Out
For Example
->3C
would translate to
Relay to 3 Clubs
Relay to 3
TrsfH
would translate to
Transfer to Hearts
Transfer to
4cM
would translate to
Four card Major
Learning these simple notations help players to understand how to read bridge shorthand when they see it on convention cards or the notes that other athletes have made. By doing everything we can to help remove the mystery of the different dialogs of the game, we improve the comfort level of these newer players.
We then send them home with bidding sequences to interpret, and hands to create sequences for themselves. It is not enough to know what a transfer is, a player must learn how to use it to their maximum benefit.
Fluency requires the ability to think in a specific language, our goal is to provide the best opportunity for that to happen.
Learning these simple notations help players to understand how to read bridge shorthand when they see it on convention cards or the notes that other athletes have made. By doing everything we can to help remove the mystery of the different dialogs of the game, we improve the comfort level of these newer players.