Susie Leo

Intermediate/Newcomer Coordinator

Observations from Seaside

 Here are a few takeaways from attending the Oregon Coast Regional at Seaside. I was surrounded by hundreds of bridge players and was able to observe them in action. I hope these thoughts will be helpful to you.

• Always be nice to your partner. I observed that most of my opponents were indeed courteous. Those partnerships were truly fun to play against and they tended to make one another better bridge players.
• Some expert players say that the more you trust your partner, the better they will play. So, when partner makes a crazy bid, trust that they had a reason and maybe ask them to help you understand.
• Playing bridge at our own clubs is a great foundation for our games. We build community and learn from our more experienced bridge friends. But there is more to this bridge wonderland!
• Playing at tournaments, whether they are small sectionals or bigger regionals, can awaken new joy and excitement for what is possible with you and your partners.
• If you have not played in a tournament, I encourage you to at least try one and see how it goes. You may say, “I didn’t like it and will never do that again.” But you also might say, “What took me so long to have this much fun!”

Happy playing to you all.

Susie Leo

District 20 I/N Coordinator