[jdonn]

mikeh, on Dec 18 2007, 01:50 AM, said:

But this goes to show why, in my view, experts tend to state that there are a lot of mistakes being made, while less-skilled players think that experts make almost no errors.

The better I've gotten over time, the more errors I've thought I make. I used to think I made almost none, which looking back now game at a time that I was quite a lousy player

[blackshoe]

I suspect that the things that marks moving out of beginner status is the ability to recognize at least some of one's errors.

[dburn]

mikeh, on Dec 18 2007, 01:50 AM, said:

I posted a hand earlier today in the B/I section: the play in 4♠, after RHO opened 1♦.

North

K   A  Q  x
10 J  10  x
     9  9
     x  x
     x

South
A  10  -  A
J   x   -  K
9  x   -  x
8       -  x
7
6

After a low diamond, the 10 forces the K and you ruff. The best line, as posted by jdonn, is to cash one top club. cross to dummy, play a club to hand and then ruff a club with the trump K, then a diamond ruff and ruff the last club with the 10, thus guarding against RHO holding a stiff club (leading the 2nd club from dummy so he ruffs air if he ruffs) and also guarding against RHO holding 2 clubs and overruffing the 10 on the first round.

I neglected to lead the second club from dummy. So I made an error, but an error that few players would spot. In my defence, had RHO played a club honour on the 1st round, I am sure I would have woken up, and the odds of LHO not leading a club from QJ10xxx seems low.

But this goes to show why, in my view, experts tend to state that there are a lot of mistakes being made, while less-skilled players think that experts make almost no errors.

I think many players would not even see the need to ruff clubs in dummy, preferring to try to establish hearts, while those who do play for ruffs will often ruff with the 10 on the first ruff (altho this is almost certainly risk-free even if rho can overruff and return a trump... I leave the analysis to those interested)

Not sure about this crossing to dummy business. The only card you can do that with is the ace of hearts. If East has a singleton club (the only reason for crossing to dummy in the first place), then he may ruff the second club anyway and play three more hearts from an original 2=4=6=1 distribution, leaving you unable to make the contract if West began with three spades to the queen.

Of course, this implies that West did not lead his low singleton heart at trick one, which is unlikely. But so is a 6-1 club break. Moreover, if East began with ♥KQx and a singleton club, he may ruff the second club, cash two hearts, and exit with any diamond, leaving you to guess whether he began with 4=3=5=1 or 3=3=6=1.

It seems better on the whole to cash the second club at trick three - even if East ruffs, he is somewhat endplayed at that point, and your chances of making the contract are still very good.

Now, does crossing to the ace of hearts constitute an error? I think I had better leave that to the experts.

[jdeegan]

Just a note to put BBO self ratings in perspective - and I greatly favor BBO's decision to self rate - as opposed to OK Bridge's Lehman ratings which, imo, ruin their club.

I am more than happy to proudly rate myself an Advanced player. There is clearly a tier of players who are better than I am, but who fall short of being world class.

For whatever reason, one of the BBO workers analyzed six months of my hands on BBO. My play was almost entirely in indies with pick up partners. Evidently, my results were better than 70% of those who self-rated themselves as Experts and (I am assuming) played under similar conditions.

I don't mean to criticize these 70%. Many BBO players come from odd corners of the world where it is hard to make such evaluations based on local or even regional bridge events. If you have won the last four club tournaments in Plovdiv, Bulgaria (not a small place by any means), it is obvious you must be something, and Expert sounds about right.

One of the great things about Bridge and the internet is that we are creating a world community of like-minded individuals. In three to five years we will be texting away using real-time translation software. In five to ten we will be jabbering away at each other using translation voice. "Ping, you idiot, how could you bid 3♠ with that piece of s**t!"

[CSGibson]

One thing that is beign ignored is why people overrate themselves. I know that I've been tempted to move my rating from advanced to expert, even though I do not believe myself to be an expert, usually for one of the following reasons:

1) I played against/know a self-rated expert and thought myself a better player for xyz reason. The theory being "if they're an expert, than I'm definitely one". (Although in all fairness I'm sure some of these are legit experts who aren't playing at their best, or sober, or taking it seriously, or whatever).

2) I am almost always playing in pick-up games where I don't know the individuals. It's easier to pick up a better class of unknown partner if I self-rate as an expert than if I self-rate as advanced.

3) I want to play against the best competition, because that is what I believe will get me to become a better bridge player. There are a number of locked expert only tables that I would love to sit for a session in, but will not be accepted because I self-rate as advanced.

I'm probably not alone in thinking this way, which is probably why there are a number of fringe experts.

[brianshark]

I just mark myself as private and let me bridge speak for itself. Expert only games will often accept privates if there is something intelligent on the profile that might suggest a competent player, or rather a lack of content on the profile that would suggest a novice.

[adhoc3]

Here's a quick survey:

There're 36 stars right now logged-in BBO, of which 13 of them do not rate themself (private), 7 of them claim as World Class, 12 experts, 3 Advanced and 1 Beginner!

The beginner is a Japanese. So we can see more issues involved here, nation, culture, race..... shall we tolerate difference as much as we can:)

[slothy]

As Christmas is on the blurred horizon, and i want to write something before my liver starts decomposing those alcohol molecules,

can i just make one suggestion :-

Who really, really gives a lump of faeces as to HOW we rank ourselves?

Who really, really gives a lump of faeces as to WHY we rank ourselves the way we do.

• If someone self-indulgently judges himself as a World Class / Expert player, does it affect you?
  
• If someone self-effacingly judges herself as a beginner or an intermediate and is really better, does it affect you?
  
• If someone decides NOT to rank himself at all [eg private], do we need to read any ulterior motive into why she decided to do so, and make a judgement ourselves on that basis?

I come on here to enjoy myself and play the best bridge i can, at the same time hopefully making the experience more than just a (virtual) bridge game. I certainly dont judge the experience by looking at their profile before, during or after the game.

Maybe it is about time we all did the same.

On that note

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Alex

ps not apologising for mixing up my pronouns in 3rd list item