Online bridge feels calm and polite. We sit at home. No one is looking at us. No one sees our face. It looks peaceful. But if we are honest, we do not always behave the same way online as we do at a real bridge table.
After many hours on BBO, I started to notice some small habits. They are not dramatic. They are very human. And I think many of us share them.
The first habit is clicking too fast when we are annoyed. I know this moment well. Partner misdefends a board, or the opponents preempt again, or I just had a bad result. The next board comes, I look at my cards, and they are not great. But somehow I still bid quickly, without thinking enough.
We might open a little light, raise a bit too high, or even double because it feels like time to fight back. At a live table, we would probably slow down. We might feel partner watching us and take a second to think. Online, it is just us and the mouse. One click and the bid is already on the screen.
I also have this bad habit. When I see many honors, I feel excited. I open quickly without counting properly. After the auction is finished, I suddenly notice I have one or two points less than I imagined. Or the hand is full of queens and jacks but no real strength. At that moment I can only smile at myself and hope the hand behaves better than it deserves.
The second habit is taking a long time when we are unsure. Now we have a difficult decision, maybe between game and part score, or pass and double, or whether to finesse or play safe. Online, there is no one staring at us, so we allow ourselves more time.
Sometimes we are not even thinking clearly. We are just hoping the answer will become obvious if we wait long enough. I have done this many times. I look at the screen. I count the points again. I imagine every possible layout. After three minutes, I still do not know. In the end I choose something and hope.
On BBO, nobody really pressures me. I have never been replaced or called for thinking too long. The pressure is only in my own head. I want to make the right decision. I want to avoid another bad board. But unlimited time does not always give better decisions. Sometimes it only gives more doubt.
The third habit is checking the hand record to confirm we were right. Be honest. After a board finishes, what is the first thing you do? Very often, I click on the hand record. Not because I want to learn, at least not immediately. First, I want to see if I was correct.
We look to see if partner really had that extra point, or if the finesse was always losing, or if the opponents were just lucky. When the hand record supports us, we feel calm. We knew it. When it does not, we usually close it quickly and move on. Of course, the hand record is a very useful learning tool, and BBO makes it easy to check. But sometimes we use it more like a small court of justice. We just want proof that we were reasonable.
The fourth habit is saying just one more board. Online bridge has no closing time. No one turns off the lights. We lose two boards and say we will stop after the next one. We win one and now we want to continue because we are back on track.
Just one more board becomes five more boards. Suddenly it is late at night. We look at the clock and feel surprised.
This is not a serious problem. It simply shows how much we love the game. Bridge online is always available. That is a beautiful thing. But it also means we need to control ourselves a little.
None of these habits make us bad players. I think they just show we are human and we care about the result. Online bridge gives us comfort and freedom, but it also shows our emotions very clearly. I still do these things sometimes.
What about you? Do you click too fast when you are annoyed? Do you say just one more board and then play five more? If you do, then we are probably the same kind of bridge lover.
Please share your bridge habits in the comments below.
About the Author
Ari is part of the BBO team and works on the weekly and monthly newsletters. He reads all the stories you send in, and plays bridge every day.
We have a foursome which plays online once a week. We change partners every week. Since playing online, my defense has improved.
Hi Ari
An excellent post. I identify with most of what you say- however I only play with robots. I find that the bots play quickly and I then also play quickly. And I also say just one more game until I can’t concentrate any more.
HI,
I enjoyed your mail.
I have several times been ejected for no reason.
Hi Ari. I started playing bridge about a decade before Bridgebase was released. Learn how to play and then compete in some tournaments (with humans). I still do (play on a real table and with humans). I recognize all the habits that you mentioned in your article, I guess it happens to most of us (when playing bridge online). The thing is, when you play with real people whether it just for a practice or on a tournament your mind will switch. You'll be more careful and calm and composed offline. People will jsut ask quickly bout the bidding or a lead or such like. Rude people exist in a real world as well but you could anticipate them properly, other people in the room will notice what going on, LOL. Yes, sometimes I hope I can be as calm online as I do offline.
Two points: I would like to see, in each player's profile, how often they boot other players. Then I could avoid those tables. Also, I'd like to see BBO set up a "fast room" for those who like really fast play.
Good idea.l would like to see both of your points implimented.
Plus, players who pop in, bid 7NT,then leave the table should be banned.
Good article
Have been playing on BBO ever since Covid. A regular group of 13. The beginners and intermediate's have advanced. Most bad habits have been corrected!
Most of us do to like the casual boards, the erratic and late scores and the subsequent IMP scoring
My regular partner and I now play the advanced Board and MPs. We find these bot challenging and representative of skill
When we play unknowns, the experience is not satisfying in most instances. While we persist in playing for at least an hour, many just log on and off randomly. That is a bad habit
reight all yours comments
Many online have no profile making it difficult to bid. Also many can be quite rude to partners and opposition which I’m afraid I report as abuse. My worst habit 🙉
Me encanta jugar, aunque me falta mucho por aprender.
Cada vez me ajusto más al juego en la mesa y creo que voy aprendiendo.
No tengo en cuenta los insultos de algunos y juego muy tranquila.
Me encanta jugar, aunque me falta mucho por aprender.
Cada vez me ajusto más al juego en la mesa y creo que voy aprendiendo.
No tengo en cuenta los insultos de algunos y juego muy tranquila.
I also play online find me a table and I'll play with 3 unknown people and the biggest problem I have is for no reason at all I seem to get bumped and also I think a lot of the slowness is our internets are slow, after all we are playing with people all over the world so there is a connection time also I'd like to know the best way to set up A2 table game for friends and us to play together 8 of us want to play and we'd like to play 4 hands change 4 hands change 4 hands change and then change partners Any ideas on that would be helpful
It is indeed not funny at all, getting booted! Which cannot happen in real life play...So I am making notes on that player, just in case, to know who is who or what. It gets even funnier when one of these comes to play with me at my table and I ask him politely to leave, before I show him how that feels!
Funny too that most deny having done that or simply wouldn't leave...LOL!
I am strictly an instant tournament robot player and so really appreciate being able to take a long time to consider my bids and plays. I can appreciate that at a table with real players this would make me much too slow, but for me bridge is cerebral calisthenics and I enjoy taking the time to consider before doing something. Well written article Ari!
Thank you 🙂
Agree. Since I tend to stay light on thinking at the table, robot play gives me a chance to take my time and investigate a bit more before taking the plunge on a play sequence.
Occasionally, the environment is the issue. If I play at my desk, I look out into some woods. Should an interesting bird fly by, I forget everything!
I used to misclick a lot because I knew what card I was going to play and didn’t bother to see what the player before me played. Now I mostly keep my hand off the mouse.
A funny note - it was well into covid before I really internalized that I could take a bathroom break whenever I liked.
I definitely relate to
“ just one more board”. If I’m doing well, I want to continue the streak. If I’m doing poorly, I want to break the bad streak. Playing bridge is addictive. Just one board easily becomes twenty.
I am not sure what bidding system is used by other players.
there is certainly something really different in on line bridge ... when you use the option "bring me to the first available place"
You will meet often players who are there to play themselve... even if it is not the right contract ....
on the other hand the advantage of this way of playing is that you meet players from the whole world .... and you learn this way a lot of how bridge is played in these countries
You learn about systems and conventions which you did not known before ....
Taking too much time isn't viable because the other three players will call you out with a request for faster okay or a snarky memo designation such as zzzzzzz.
It would be sufficient for the BBO to set a minimum time limit for deciding both one's bid and one's play. In my opinion, 20 seconds would be sufficient to avoid being called out by the opponents. If the 20 seconds expire, the BBO will eject the player.
I think players- especially those who describe themselves as experts oradvanced seem to be more ponderous. It might be that thinking about a bid well past 5e 20 second mark may may underscore the assumption that experts are playing very thoughtfully So I like the idea of a strict time limit and expulsion from yhe game.
there already is a substitute system in place for slow play; preceded by the message xxxx player is about to be replaced, then they disappear and either another player or a robot takes their place.
I play with a friend that has eye issues. He has a magnifying glass in one hand and the other on mouse. it takes him sometime to see all the bids and also his hand. I think 40 seconds should be ample to bid not 20 seconds
The rudeness of players on line is contemptible.
I played with a friend and we were accused by 2 opponents of being “singles”. Another posted “poor play” after 4 cards, I made the slam. Heaps more abuse to myself and others.
Agreed, I was called a Moron once. I ignored that person with the contempt they deserved. Sometimes things go wrong and we need to be gracious. I believe that person has serious issues and maybe to be pitied.
Hi Ari,
Yes, I share most of your bad habits. I certainly play too fast without thinking clearly and am amazed when I have made my contract and find a hundred others have made extra.
I love playing online. I only play Acol not your American system and yes, time flies!
Regards,
Dee
Thank you.
I too have experienced these habits.
Playing on line Bridge is a Joy, a learning experience and
keeps my mind alert.
Very interesting thoughts, Ari.
We play once each week. There are 7 of us and we often swap during our 4 hour session. We all enjoy the games.
Two things annoy us. One is that as soon as one hand finishes, the next hand is dealt, giving no huge amount of time to chat through what happened. The chat box is ok, but it would be good to have a pause button, even just for half a minute or so.
The 2nd is that if the table hasn't been set up correctly, we suddenly lose someone or the computer is pushing for a player to hurry up, often then losing that player.
We play casual but sometimes feel a lot of pressure.
All that aside, we thoroughly enjoy the experiences and only wished that we'd discovered the site earlier on in lockdown. One evening each week is packed full of enjoyment. Thank you for your post.
Can't agree with you on time to think. Other players comments vary from too slow aggressively or string of zzzzzzz. Also robots tell you to play a number of times before removing the player.
As an inexperienced bridge player, I find that playing in real life, face to face, is so very different to playing on-line. The gestalt is so different, I find myself maing silly mistakes that I would avoid on-line!
Gestalt… thanks for teaching me a new word!
Ce qui me met hors de moi, c'est.d'être éjectée sans aucune raison.
Certains jouent sont grossiers, vous traitent d'imbécile. On devrait pouvoir pénaliser ces joueurs.
wright
vous avez raison. ça arrive trop souvent, mais je ne vois pas ce que pourrait faire l'administration.
There is such a thing as bridge etiquette, and it is reasonable to expect a tournament director to enforce it. Report all abusive interactions.
Yes a good story and it is me a lot of the time I need to think more before playing or bidding not afterwards - its too late then
Thank you good to know I am not the only one
A good post
Hi, Thank you