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Keep Your Head in the Game
As a famous early twentieth-century chess player
once said: "It's not enough to be a good player; you must also play
well."
Let's just talk about an easy way to improve your
game:
Concentrate!
That means:
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Don't let a perceived bad result hurt you.
Everyone makes mistakes, but winners learn to forget them quickly.
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Don't teach your partner (and don't be taught).
Leave it outside and talk after the session is over.
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Every hand is a separate problem. Develop
a routine you go through to clear your mind as you pick up each new deal.
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Think about the bidding. What does it tell
you about each hand's strength and distribution?
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Count HCP and distribution to form pictures, or
at least candidate pictures of each hand. Hint: there are 40 HCP in
the deck and 13 cards in each suit.
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Even bad hands are important. Help partner
out with signalling.
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Do not get too happy about results. The
next hand is coming up.
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Chatting to the opponents, partner, director,
cell phone, are all distractions. Let it wait until afterwards!
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As dummy, do not follow the play too closely.
Use it as a welcome break to regain some energy.
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