REBECCA ROOD'S MAILBAG.........

Dear Rebecca,
Every week I end up playing duplicate bridge with people who condemn me to endless run of below average scores , and a national ranking well below my status of a top class player.
It seems to me that I am the poor unfortunate victim of clueless partners , wretched bad luck and cheating opponents.
Am I cursed  ?  Persecuted ?   Paranoid ?  Or what ?

Yours in despair ,
                     Riley Downe

Dear Riley,
Your plight is no different from that of many other bridge players who have the misfortune to partner those who fall short of the grade. And yes , whenever you end up with a rabbit as a partner , your misery will be compounded by foul luck and unethical practices ,  which always come to the aid of undeserving opponents. That it is the way things work out. That's life ! 
Nevertheless , why allow bad results to ruin your game. The real joy and pleasure one gets from bridge is in the participation, never the outcome.
As it happens my father was a good bridge player and was quite at ease with the fact he rarely got above 40%. He always knew that his contribution was a score around 65% , while his partner's input rarely exceeded 20 %. Moreover ,  his real pleasure was in allocating and apportioning blame after the duplicate was over. In this respect he was a true expert.
So why not learn to accept the harsh realities of life at the bridge table , and always convert a poor partnership performance into a personal and magnificent triumph. 

Yours grounded as ever,
                      Rebecca Rood