Players kibitz for various reasons from just passing time, to making the session a learning experience. Teachers can kibitz students and students can kibitz teachers. Some like to kibitz potential partners to see if they would be compatable while others wonder why they were soundly trounced by a pair and want to see how the pair does against someone else. Whatever may be your particular reason for kibitzing, it's an enjoyable and permanent feature of bridge and used by almost all players from the raw beginner to the highest level World Class player.
So let's get started with some different ways to find a fun table to kibitz.
Under the heading Play or Watch Bridge, click Help me find a game. You can click on Take me to an interesting table found under the section Watch Bridge and let us decide which we think you'd like to watch. Clicking this option will typically take you immediately to a table with "Star" players.
But you may want to make your own choice from the tables we have declared interesting, in which case you will click on the line, List interesting tables. You will now be shown a list of tables that will most likely contain Star players or players with a high BridgeBase points rating and you can decide for yourself which one looks like the most fun to watch.
Suppose, though, that you're not really interested in watching high level players, but instead just want to join a table with regular players. Under the heading "Play Bridge," click on the line "List all tables." You can now choose from several options including tables in the two clubs, the Main Bridge Club or the Relaxed Bridge Club, all clubs both public and private, all tournaments and all team matches. Play Bridge for Money is on this list but kibitzing isn't allowed in our Money games.
So, you've asked for all tables to be shown, and given a list from which to choose. Let's choose Tournaments for an example. When you click on Tournaments you will want to choose the Running option from the list. By clicking on Join from the selected tournament you will be taken to the game area and will find if you can kibitz. Many of our BridgeBase points tournaments do not allow kibitzers except perhaps for the last round. So having no luck in finding a tournament to kibitz, you may decide to kibitz a Team Match and will click on that from the List all tables heading.
From the Team Match heading you will click on Watch a Team Match. Now instead of showing all the team matches, you will only be shown those team matches where kibitzers are allowed. This screen shows you the Host of the match and under the heading Kibitzers how many are watching that match. And you can choose now which one is interesting to you.
Now, if you don't find anything interesting in the team play area, you can click the back button until you get to the list under List all tables again and choose, for instance, the Main Bridge Club. This will be a much larger list. And here you will see some different options. Some tables may have a 'lock' on them. This means that although you are allowed to ask to join, you must have permission from the table host. Clicking on Join in this instance will send a message to the host of the table that you want to kibitz and he can accept or reject the request.
You may also see a slashed circle under the Kibitzers column. This universal symbol for 'stay out' means the same thing here. Kibitzers are not allowed. Of course, if neither a lock or a slashed circle is shown, then kibitzers are welcome and you can watch by clicking on the Join button under that heading. To view other kibitzers at the table click on Who's Online and then click the Kibitzers tab on the far right. The list of others enjoying the same table with you will appear on the right hand side of the screen in alphabetical order.