[Trumpace]

Lately I have been playing bridge only on BBO in the hand diagram mode.

Yesterday I tried playing in a f2f game and had a hard time concentrating and was unable to think normally...(perhaps i got too used to the hand diagram mode!)

Is it just me or did anyone else have a similar experience?

[ArtK78]

On those occasions when I play live bridge (less and less frequently as time goes on) it takes a short period of time to get used to holding real cards and using bidding boxes instead of a mouse.

[Codo]

The only (but big) problem for me is, that I am not allow to look again at the last trick to watch the spot cards again.

[goobers]

Codo, on Jan 24 2008, 02:10 AM, said:

The only (but big) problem for me is, that I am not allow to look again at the last trick to watch the spot cards again.

I agree with that; I hover over every last trick, and it's become a real crutch.

[Tola18]

Yes, one must focus and concentrate. Not only on the exact spot, but also on the exact colour. I saw the followed colour, but did they follow suit??

I have glasses, and thus I dont see very broad. On the computer I see all cards in one glance, but in f2f I must turn the head and look after...

[lexlogan]

I guess I haven't played enough online to have this problem, but I've had a similar experience on those occassions when bidding boxes weren't available -- it's hard to adjust to bidding verbally!

[the hog]

"I have glasses, and thus I dont see very broad"

I don't see too many broads these days, mores the pity.

[pclayton]

This is a problem for me too. A week ago Tuesday after not playing F2F for about a month I revoked on the first hand. Revoked! First time in 5 years.

Watching a screen is a different sensation than watching cards. I have a similar issue when I don't play F2F and I'm reading bridge books constantly.

It doesn't take long to get back into the rhythm of F2F. Take a board out and play a couple of practice hands with your pard or teammates. This really works nicely.

[JanM]

One thing that helps is to play online in the mode that has pictures of cards instead of nice neat letters and numbers (I think that's what you mean by hand diagram?). In fact, when Chip noticed I was playing in the diagram mode, because that's always how I watch Vugraph, he said that he thought it was important for me to use the card picture mode when I was playing, if I wanted it to be useful practice for f2f bridge .

[rbforster]

And here I thought from the title this would be a discussion of the merits of online bridge (or the failings of offline bridge).

...and now back to your previously scheduled discussion of how not to revoke IRL.

[rogerclee]

I don't think this is true for me. In fact, I think I am a much better live player than online player. I find it hard to stare at a screen for a long time while keeping up my concentration.

[CSGibson]

I'm much better at criticizing partner in F2F because they can't look at the hand diagram and know that I'm talking nonsense; they have to remember it on their own if they want to refute me.

[jdonn]

I play much better in person since I find it difficult to focus online, due to many distractions. In person I am always just focused on bridge. However I still think online bridge helps my live bridge tremendously because even if I'm not playing too seriously online it helps me avoid getting rusty, which would definitely happen otherwise.

[beatrix45]

jdonn, on Jan 24 2008, 08:48 PM, said:

I play much better in person since I find it difficult to focus online, due to many distractions. In person I am always just focused on bridge. However I still think online bridge helps my live bridge tremendously because even if I'm not playing too seriously online it helps me avoid getting rusty, which would definitely happen otherwise.

In 2000 an old friend asked me to play in a live event - a two session regional open pairs of about 75 tables in Austin, Texas. It was my first live event in three years, and probably my second or third in ten years - I was not rusty at card play because of BBO and old pard and I had been bidding the same way since 1965.

It was giggles for sure with four revokes, one lead out of turn and one other incident involving a director call, the details of which escape me, all this just on the last 26 board session. Afterwards, I decided to check the scores to provide some humor for the two hour drive back to Dallas.

EGAD, second overall after blowing major bundles of matchpoints on six out of 26 hands. Maybe it was the peals of maniacal laughter accompanying the remaining 20 that did it. Bridge can be tons of fun when its your day.

[finally17]

I'm far less prone to mistakes in real life bridge...playing online I have music going, or some website is being read, or the tv is on in the background, or I might even be on the phone (I won't make the phone calls, but I do answer them and will only rarely hang up because I'm playing).

There's plenty of distractions. Real life bridge eliminates them...there are plenty of benefits to online bridge but I still prefer real life bridge...

[hrothgar]

last real tournament I bid out of turn twice and lead out of turn twice...

No revokes thankfully

[firmit]

I bid out of turn in my last tourney too - I had to make myself a routine of always saying who the declarer was.

However, this was more due to little sleep and - uhm - yeah - you know ( see avatar ). I learned to play bridge online a few years ago. I found it hard to getting used to bidding boxes and actually holding cards. Now it's the opposite. I am much more concentrated holding real cards.

I would suggest people get out of their favorite seat, away from the computer, and enjoy themselves socially at the club rather than only online. This is actually a problem where I live - a lot of good players don't bother coming to the club. They get their "fix" elsewhere.

[junyi_zhu]

Trumpace, on Jan 23 2008, 08:55 PM, said:

Lately I have been playing bridge only on BBO in the hand diagram mode.

Yesterday I tried playing in a f2f game and had a hard time concentrating and was unable to think normally...(perhaps i got too used to the hand diagram mode!)

Is it just me or did anyone else have a similar experience?

I tend not to turn over my cards in real play unless I have 100% seen opponents cards. Some really turn over their cards way too fast to follow. hehe. Still, the concentration level is usually the best on line for me, cause in real tournaments, there are so many players, people sometimes walking, chatting, and sometimes, you have an angry partner or opponents or both that you have to face...