Anyone who has played bridge knows how quickly emotions can come into play. A single mistake, by you or your partner, can change the tone at the table in an instant.
My name is Samantha Punch and I am Professor of Sociology at the University of Stirling in Scotland. For the past decade I have been researching bridge, leading the academic project Bridge: A MindSport for All (BAMSA). This work has explored a wide range of topics including bridge and wellbeing, motivations, gender, online bridge, youth bridge, professional players, and promotion of the game. In this series, I would like to share some of these findings, starting with a closer look at emotions in bridge.
At the top levels, bridge is often played in emotionally charged settings. In speaking with 52 international-level players from the USA and Europe, aged between 17 and 78, a clear picture emerges. Managing emotions is a central part of performance. While sports psychology has traditionally focused more on physical activities, it is becoming increasingly relevant for mindsports like bridge. Because bridge is played in partnerships and is a game of mistakes, emotions can run high. Learning to manage them can improve both results and relationships, and these are skills that often carry over into everyday life.
Players describe a wide range of emotional experiences at the table, from excitement and joy to frustration, anger, and disappointment. Losing, of course, is something players face more often than winning. Fiona Brown, who plays for England, points out that losing tends to stay with us longer than winning:
"Winning is the best feeling ever and you get really elated, and it’s just awesome. But it doesn’t last as long as the effects of losing, so that’s the downside of losing, that I feel so crap for such a long time after."
Some players report being more annoyed at their own mistakes than their partner’s, while others feel greater frustration when a partner plays poorly, especially if mistakes go unacknowledged. These reactions are familiar to most of us, regardless of level.
At the same time, players recognize that emotions can be detrimental during play and need to be controlled. Unlike physical sports, there is little opportunity to release emotion during a game, and frustration can easily lead to further errors. Many players talk about the need to manage their own emotions not just for themselves, but for the benefit of their partner. Over time, they also learn to read their partner’s emotional state and respond accordingly. Even so, many top players admit that emotional control remains one of their greatest challenges.
Many players talk about the need to practice keeping their emotions in check by self-consciously reminding themselves to stay calm and not show any reaction when things are going badly. It includes being aware of their negative facial expressions and body language, which can reveal their frustration. They work hard at trying to maintain a neutral demeanour at the table. They know that being sympathetic and encouraging towards their partner, rather than showing irritation, can go a long way to improving their results.
Discussions away from the table, whether between partners or with a coach, can help. These conversations encourage reflection and often strengthen partnerships. The complexity of emotional experience in bridge can lead to better self-management and improved social interaction, both at the table and beyond. In this sense, managing emotions in bridge is not just about better results, but about developing skills that apply more broadly.
BAMSA’s research highlights that emotions are present before, during, and after play. Players must cooperate with their partner while competing against opponents, which creates a dynamic where emotions are sometimes hidden and sometimes expressed. What works for one partnership may not work for another, and finding the right balance is part of the challenge.
Most players agree that emotions can interfere with good bridge, yet managing them is far from easy. It is something we all continue to work on. In the end, learning to handle those moments when frustration or irritation starts to creep in is not just part of improving at bridge, but part of what makes the game such a rich and human experience.
In the next article, we will look at other coping strategies and interpersonal skills that players use to help them get the best out of themselves and their partnership.
Further Reading
Punch, S. and Russell, Z. (2022) Playing with Emotions: Emotional Complexity in the Social World of Elite Tournament Bridge, Emotions and Society.
https://doi.org/10.1332/263169021X16420048324097
Punch, S. with Rees, T. (2024) The Art of Becoming a Top Bridge Player, Master Point Press.
https://masterpointpress.com/the-art-of-becoming-a-top-bridge-player
About the Author
Samantha Punch is Professor of Sociology at the University of Stirling in Scotland. She leads the Bridge: A MindSport for All (BAMSA) research project (https://bridgemindsport.org/), which explores the social, non-technical, and cultural aspects of bridge, including wellbeing, partnerships, and player development.
Good article so valid!
The issue I had to deal with recently is STRESS. Even knowing I was experiencing it at a fairly high level did not help me too much. Not issues with partner but just the situation. Perhaps I am not alone?
wonderful article. how u manage ur emotions in bridge is truly a mirror into so many other aspects of life. how often we forget that it's only a game, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for perfection.
You play for long enough, you tend to get less and less emotional. The thrill of winning after playing for a decade is just not the same as winning the very first game you play or the very first regional knock out. Having 5MP being paired with a partner with 5k and winning bracket two was memorable. These days even winning an open doesn't quite bring the same joy.
If you want to do anything well you have to be good at taking valid criticism and if you think the criticism is unjustified you should explain your line of reasoning and debate it in a rational 3rd person manner, not take it personally. Otherwise you'll never improve.
Like wise when I play with a begginer I tend to be very gentel on the criticism or when partner is clearly already in a bad mood. When they're visibly stressed, better just not criticize at all. Talk about the hands over lunch. If partner is good they've probably already caught 80% of the mistakes you've spotted.
Quote Culbertson
Cherish your partner he is your only friend
Great Article. Loved the read.
My game is vastly superior when I'm playing on BBO (casual) than in-person at one of the local clubs. The impersonality of the online game allows me to make more calm, informed and informing bids especially. With no humans breathing near me and the layout of the hand as condensed as it is online, I can dispassionately make decisions and moves that often are "just right." Transferring that sense of safety and invisibility to the game in a room with PEOPLE is a massive challenge, thanks in part to my personal psyche, definitely traceable to early childhood development (or lack of it!). I strive to play with only advanced or expert players online; it's so frustrating to have a good hand and a partner who's incapable of intelligently responding. I totally get off on accurate communications between my partner and myself. My exasperation with uninformed players often leads to my making comments that veer toward criticism rather than education. I try hard to "keep a lid on it," but by the same token I notice that even matter-of-fact expression by me is taken as "rude" more often than not. I just love it when my attempts at educating are embraced and valued. One thing that makes me really angry is self-proclaimed "experts" coming to the "casual" table and acting out their megalomaniacal fantasies. "Psyche" bids and such. Disruptive and insulting behavior!
My motto is: make it difficult for the oppnents however makeit easy for thr partner
VERY GOOD AND USEFUL.BUT HOWMANY CAN PRACTISE?
At life master level
I have seen friendships permanently disappear
Good article
Excellent article will read the attached "further reading "and look forward to the next article
Many thanks