“I heard that now you’re dating one of a pair of twins,” I said to Cy the Cynic. “Do you have trouble telling them apart?”
“It’s not hard,” Cy said with a sly smile. “Karen has a birthmark on her left leg. Kevin has a beard.”
Today’s West must have felt confident with this information in hand. Against four spades, East took the ace of hearts and led a diamond, and West’s king won. West then led a second diamond, and East was sure West had the ace for his raise to game. So East ruffed, took the jack of hearts and led a third diamond. West won but had no safe exit. He led a trump, and South won, drew trumps, took the ace of hearts and threw his last heart on the good diamond.
East’s play was a bit rash. He can beat the contract if he leads a second heart after he ruffs the third diamond. South can ruff in dummy and discard his last heart on the good diamond, but dummy can’t reach his fifth heart to pitch it. East gets a heart and two diamonds.
Today’s West was in trouble from the start. He had to lead a second heart. If East then takes the queen and leads a third heart, West ruffs high, but South overruffs and gets a trump promotion. If East leads a low heart, South takes the ace, draws trumps, cashes the ace of hearts and discards his heart on the good diamond. East can’t gain by ruffing, and South makes his game.
West’s best chance was to lead a trump at Trick Two. Then, even if East gets in later, the defenders will cash three diamonds and a heart.
Cy had Karen and Kevin’s distinguishing features down pat, but the West player may need a little more practice in observation to avoid trouble at the bridge table. In the game of bridge, paying attention to every detail can make all the difference between success and failure.
Just like in bridge, in life, it’s important to pay attention to the details. Sometimes, we may think we have everything under control, but a small oversight can lead to unwanted consequences. It’s important to always be observant and attentive, especially in relationships.
Dating one of a pair of twins may seem like a unique situation, but it’s not uncommon. In fact, many people have found themselves in a similar predicament. However, just like in bridge, it’s important to not make assumptions or rely solely on physical attributes to tell the twins apart. Each person is unique and should be treated as such.
In the case of Karen and Kevin, it may seem like an easy task to tell them apart based on their birthmark and beard. But what about their personalities, interests, and values? These are the true defining characteristics of a person and should not be overlooked.
Similarly, in relationships, it’s important to get to know the person for who they are, not just for their physical appearance. It’s easy to get caught up in superficial traits, but what truly matters is the connection and understanding between two people.
Going back to the game of bridge, we can see how important it is to not make assumptions and to pay attention to every detail. The same applies to relationships. Don’t assume you know everything about someone just because you share a physical resemblance. Take the time to truly get to know them, and you may be surprised by what you discover.
In conclusion, the game of bridge teaches us to be observant and never make assumptions. This lesson can be applied to various aspects of life, including relationships. So next time you find yourself in a situation like Cy the Cynic, remember to pay attention to the details and get to know the person beyond their physical appearance. You never know what you may find.
