Remember – The 2 Bridge memory aids you first heard here, Finale Part 3

I had this rather curious dream:

I was playing Bridge and was a sea – I couldn’t remember any of the cards being played. More of a nightmare really… and my head was swimming and I felt dazed and panicked.

I was then given a tip by one of my opponents of all things:
He stood and proclaimed to the room “Beginning, middle and end…!”
I was so irritated by this meaningless outburst of advice and turn to look at my opponent – This is what stared back at me:

Those eyes are enough to put anyone off their Bridge game!

(To find out what happened next in my dream, your have to read the end of the post)

There is a very good reason why people still read Aristotle’s ‘Poetics’ (listen to the ‘Poetics’ radio podcast here – 27th January), which was written in the 4th century B.C., during their study course work on how to write Hollywood style film scripts.

One feature that Aristotle mentions is the need of good storytelling to have a compelling beginning middle and end… Hence the 3 act structure that, I have been reliably informed, dictates the form for ALL Hollywood films – Humans are hotwired to respond to certain event processes in the telling of a story.

Appreciating this will help you memorise card play. Instead of thinking of card play as 13 tricks of ‘interminable’ length and complexity, think of the card play as having a beginning, middle and end.

If you habitually think of the first 4 tricks as constituting the beginning then you will be able to recall that sequence of play more easily because you will understand it CONTEXTUALLY.

Similarly, make an effort to consciously delineate the last 4 tricks played from the middle phase.

Seeing the card play in distinctive separate chunks will help you develop techniques that will enable you to recall all of the game play.

As declarer, you may be used to being told to wait and to think after the lead is made and dummy goes down – e.g. count the losers/winners, evaluate card distribution from bidding, work out the card value distributions from the lead card, plan your play etc.

However, you can also develop the habit of thinking about your first 4 tricks. Their objective is to set up the middle phase of play where you may wish to prepare a long suit, to throw losers, to locate a missing high card etc.

Sure, you may lose the first 2 tricks to Ace, King leads, but your card play set up is still determined by the following 4 tricks.

Thinking like this will get you in the habit of seeing card play patterns in each phase of play – patterns that will enable you to memorise the play without much effort.

So, how can you help yourself get into the habit of thinking about the beginning middle and end?

The only reason why most people look at their collection of won and lost cards on the table before them, is to count their tricks to remind themselves how many are required for the contract.

However, these dead cards on the table can be a useful memory aid. Whichever way you decide to chunk the game-play in your mind, after each important phase of play, make the habit of looking down at the collection of cards you have accrued as won or lost tricks on the table. They describe a pattern. For example | | | – - – | | tells you, phase 1 won, won, won lost; phase 2 lost, lost, won, won etc. The pattern of winning and losing tricks will help you remember the exact card play of the won and lost tricks – particularly key game-plays tricks in each phase. Couple that knowledge with your game-play plan and you have created a more memorable mind-map of the entire deal.

Finally, something I know you are dying to know…

What happened at the end of the dream?

My partner Plato played brilliantly as usual by displaying such good judgement (a tip he gleaned from Aristotle last week!) and saved the day – thus humiliating Aristotle no end…