Master Mayrose

My Aunt Mayrose is proud to say she is a “Life Master”. Yes, a Life Master of the card game, ‘bridge’. Aunt Mayrose has been playing the age-old card game since she learned it while my Uncle Earl was in the military. Wanting to learn the game, I recently tagged along to one of her bridge games.

She belongs to more than one club. Members range in age from 19 to 99. While youngsters learn the game each year, bridge is dominated mostly by older adults.

True, Aunt Mayrose spent the better part of one afternoon introducing me to the game.

Perhaps some people are just not meant to play bridge.

Before we begin, she explains, “In order to make the most of your hands, you will probably have to play them through more than once.“

I raise my arms in the air, “Sorry, I only brought one set of hands.” She was not amused.

A standard deck of cards is used: Ace (high) through 2 (low). There are four players, each pair forming a partnership. Partners sit opposite each other. A game is won by scoring 100 points, earned by taking tricks during the hand.

Sounded simple so far.

Aunt Mayrose leaned over and said, “The auction begins once players have had a chance to study their cards.” I was more than a tad confused. Were we playing cards or having an auction?

Terms like clear suit, long suit, follow suit, major suit, minor suit, plain suit, side suit, short suit and void suit were used all afternoon. I wondered why they were so worried about suits when most of these ladies were wearing sundresses.

My Aunt Mayrose spoke right up and said, “First, lead the king of spades from the dummy and follow suit.” What a remark.

Obvious to me: I was the dummy of the group not the lady to my left.

“Take the early tricks in the short hand and the later tricks in the long hand,” Aunt Mayrose says. Who’s the dummy now? I look down at both of my hands: they are the same.

I should have known that the afternoon was a wash-out from the start. First they call each other by positions. South, West, North and East. I am quite certain that I was sitting northwest all afternoon.

Nancee Harrison is a past columnist for the Greene County Daily World. Visit www.blondeladywithdarkroots.com or email her at blondelasywithdarkroots@gmail.com or send comments to Nancee, Daily World, box 129 Linton IN 47441.