Letters to the Editor

How and Why I Play ...
When I was a teenager I used to watch my mom and dad play bridge. They both taught me the game. During my senior year at college I roomed with four roommates who all played bridge. We never took the card table down and would often play bridge during the many breaks from the studying. The five of us also ran a duplicate bridge club at St. Lawrence University.

For the next 20+ years I played bridge once or twice a year, usually with my parents. Several years ago during my annual visit I started to play with my mother at her club in Fort Myers. We played against people who played 3-4 times a week and we usually were in the top three of our section.
About a year and a half ago I made the big step during a visit from my Mom. We went to a Friday night game at the Milwaukee Bridge Center. We came in last that night but we went back several times and did much better. We also played in several Monday games in Oconomowoc and the bridge bug had bitten me again.

It has been necessary to learn the current way of playing bridge, but by reading, taking some excellent lessons from Wes, and by learning from my mistakes, I have gradually developed the confidence to compete. I have also been fortunate to have several patient bridge partners and many life masters who have been very helpful along the way.
One of my biggest thrills at the bridge table has been our first place finish in the knockouts at the Sectional in Dousman recently. We started out in a three-way competition and just beat out one opponent by one point. During the next two rounds we all played very steady bridge and we beat our opponents easily. This victory increased my masterpoint total by

almost 10%. Thanks to my teammates, Evy Schneider, Sandy Tuff and Dave Secondino.

Phil Simon

From Sandi Tuff ...
The questions I was asked were these:

Why did I come back to bridge after a fifteen year hiatus?

How did I feel after my team's win in the Dousman knockouts?
In answer to the first question, simply put, nothing else piques my interest or quenches the competitive side of my personality as a game of bridge (duplicate please!)

Also, it has been a true pleasure to meet so many interesting and wonderful people of all ages, from all walks of life. Where else could one meet so many intelligent and colorful characters but at the bridge table!

This was my first experience playing in the knockouts and I loved every minute. It was exhilarating to get through every round, compare scores, and find out whether we were still alive or dead! By 11:30 p.m. and the end of our last round, I felt as though I could have played all night. We, my teammates and I, were thrilled to win, of course. But I think we also found renewed respect for each other because we really supported each other throughout the entire match and we played as a team rather than as four individuals, each trying to shine. Thanks to my partner, Dave Secondino, and to my teammates, Phil Simon and Evie Schneider. It was a great time and I can't wait to play in the knockouts again.

Looking Back and Looking Ahead... 
My aunt and uncle taught me to

(Continued on page 170)

Time to ruff out my losers. I just finished Audrey Grant's article on page 8 and I know how!

"No double…
No trouble"

Edgar Kaplan

Bridge "suits" me fine!