A Coup For You

In reading the thoughtful and insightful comments from Stacy Jacobs, I stopped to ponder the changes in the attitude toward bridge professionals. Take a look at her excellent observations about a rude situation, and view it as background for these thoughts.

In over forty years of playing bridge as an ACBL member I have observed different eras of professionalism in bridge. For much of this time, the official posture was that there was something undesirable about getting a “playing lesson” from a pro.

There was a period when there was a (completely unenforceable) rule requiring professionals to register with the ACBL. There was a total lack of recognition of the realities.

People choose partners for many reasons, including many partnerships where the players are of unequal skill. There are romantic reasons, ties of friendship, and similar motives. Some players are promoting a system and want a good partner. Some players simply want to teach, and enjoy having a young protege. Some players see a duty to play with promising younger players, even though that might not be the best way to win the particular event in which they are playing. Perhaps there is a compatible partner with limited financial resources to attend tournaments.

And yes, there are some who simply want to win masterpoints, and hire a pro to help them do that. They also learn. Who can say the exact mix of motivation?

Thirty years ago the professional dates were made quietly, picking up people who hovered around the partnership desk.

Things changed. Many good players who might have become professionals themselves like the idea that it is possible for those with special talent to earn a living this way. These players support professionalism in an indirect way. They may sign on as a partnership on a team where a player is a pro, with little or no compensation. It is a simple decision about whether the proposed addition to their team is strong, as strong as they might get otherwise. We sometimes do this, although our traditional role is to be the blockers and trippers, fighting the big guys.

There is another, quieter, way to support professionals. We follow a rule that I call the “respect rule.” If a professional treats my partnership with dignity and respect, we respond in kind. Basically this means not embarrassing the pro at the table, even when we see that the pro made a mistake. It is not our place to comment. Many other strong amateur players quietly follow the same procedure, and most pros seem to understand this. Those who do not are taking a big risk.

To summarize, the game has changed. Many players who are not professionals like the basic concept of professionalism. It would be different if there were a pro tour. Despite various efforts on this front, it remains a dream. Bob Hamman has argued that bidding systems need to be simple, so that the casual player can follow the auction, the judgment, and appreciate the play. Maybe someday.

One of the objectives of “A Coup” is discussing how experienced amateurs can best compete against the pros. As we prepare for the coming USBF Team Trials, this question is at the forefront of our thinking. We cannot have the same extensive system that Meckwell uses. We also cannot just go with Stayman and Blackwood. There is a necessary balance, reflecting the fact that we all have regular jobs and can devote only limited time to developing and practicing methods. Remembering what we are doing and executing with our “A Game” is more important than system.

There are several amateur Chicago-based teams competing. Twenty-two teams are fighting for nine spots in the round of 16, joining those teams that are pre-seeded into the late rounds. Another team featuring Chicagoans, George Jacobs’ squad, won the trials last year, so they already have a berth.

Returning to Stacy’s article, I was struck by the very personal nature of the relationships that developed over the years. I doubt that many players really understand this, so it is nice to have the inside look. The professional teammates are like close business associates where there is an ongoing personal and social relationship. We should not be surprised at this, but I suspect that it is a revelation to many.

The top teams all have a sponsor now. It is difficult to assemble an amateur team that can compete. Several of my friends who do not need compensation choose to play on these teams because they are the best opportunities. None of the top teams can succeed unless the sponsor is also a talented player. Some of them play four-handed. There are frequent accounts of matches where the sponsor entered the key segment of the match and contributed to a big segment.

Most of those from Chicago watch the VuGraph matches and cheer the results achieved by George and Stacy, enjoying the success of our friends. We still fight hard when we play against them!

It is also a vicarious thrill for many players who wish they could play on such a team.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 30th, 2007 at 11:23 pm and is filed under Our Game. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.