Failure to Communicate
Defending in bridge presents a unique challenge as defenders must effectively communicate with the cards they play to find the right defense. While teachers give lessons on the how, why, and when of defensive signaling, applying these teachings at the bridge table proves daunting for many students.
Bridge students are typically playing with other bridge students. Defensive signaling is new to both players. Hurdles encountered by students include:
- forgeting to signal or using the wrong signal
- not paying attention to a signal
- recognizing a signal, but not taking the time to consider how to use the information
These lapses create "noise" in the partnership's communication, hindering the ability to find the right defense. Playing lessons with a mentor/teacher removes noise from one side of the partnership’s defensive communication. This allows students to focus on their signaling, and their interpretation of the mentor/teacher's
signals. It is important to remind students that the teacher/mentor will be giving them accurate dependable signals, and the teacher/mentor will be watching their signals and will be defending accordingly.
For newer students, the focus could be on just the attitude signal. If the student has familiarity with count signals and/or suit preference signals, it is advantageous to expand the scope of the playing lesson to include those signals as well.
The playing lesson is approached with a growth mindset, the belief that skills can improve with effort. During the play, the student and the teacher note hands for discussion. It is best to review the hands immediately after the game when the hands are fresh in the player’s mind. Teachers can cultivate a growth mindset by praising the
process rather than the result. Don’t tell a student “you were smart to encourage when I led the ♠King.” Praising a trait can lead to a fixed mindset. Instead, praise the process by saying “I liked how you recognized that my ♠King lead showed the Queen, and that your ♠Jack was a fitting honor. You understood that attitude signals
apply. I appreciate that you took the care to clearly encourage spades by playing your highest spot card. Your attitude signal told me it was safe to continue spades, helping us find the right defense.”
Mistakes should be viewed as learning opportunities. For example, if the student encouraged with the ♥10 on the lead of the Queen, the teacher can praise the process by saying “I liked that you recognized your ♥Ace as a fitting honor, and knew to encourage so we can finesse dummy’s King.” The teacher can then discuss the importance of signaling with affordable cards. Encouraging with the 8 rather than the 10 allows dummy’s King to be profitably finessed. Praising incremental progress reinforces the effort to improve. Praising the process encourages a growth mindset, accelerating learning and increasing resiliency.
Playing lessons eliminate half the “noise” in the defensive signaling conversation, allowing students to focus on their own signaling and interpretation of signals. This positions students to ovecome the “failure to communicate.”
