[lexica]

Does anyone have ideas how best to use GIB as a teaching aid on your own? I love it - learning bidding, playing random hands, playing restricted hands, playing all sorts of championships' hands, proofing hands (enter deals and see ow GIB does)... It's fascinating! But, a more structured approach could be better, I am abs sure. So what is your experience, folks?

P.S. Title refers to a Russian gem of a book - the slogan "The salvation of the drowning is the drowning's own problem" was displayed on the wall of a Baywatch-type institution

[mishovnbg]

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Hi lexica!

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Welcome to forum ♥!

GIB like programs can't help you much, they are just death. I had a partner who now live in Canada and comes to Bulgaria to play with me at Varna's tournament. He spend many time training with GIB, but he just played worse than I remember. By the way he is very clever man, programmer, working in bank...

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Best way to learn bridge is to find right teacher, but it is so difficulte, like to find right doctor .

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Misho

[lexica]

mishovnbg, on Apr 3 2004, 04:18 AM, said:

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Hi lexica!

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Welcome to forum ♥!

GIB like programs can't help you much, they are just death. I had a partner who now live in Canada and comes to Bulgaria to play with me at Varna's tournament. He spend many time training with GIB, but he just played worse than I remember. By the way he is very clever man, programmer, working in bank...

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Best way to learn bridge is to find right teacher, but it is so difficulte, like to find right doctor .

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Misho

Thanks, Misho - would you like to be my teacher?

On a more serious note - apart from the playing, aren't there really no areas where GIB might come in useful?

[mishovnbg]

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Hi lexica!

Sorry, I tried GIB as well as MBC enough, really useless... Unlike bridge master, very helpfull program to learn to play with dummy. Yes, I know, for us, bulgarians $s are big problem .

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Not a problem to teach you, but I am not sure I am the right one - need to sacrifice too much and resist to my angry remarks...

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Misho

[slothy]

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HI Lexica & The Venerable Misho

May i extend Misho's welcome to the Forum!

Misho is right. Playing these programs doesn't really help your bridge i have found, unless you are playing pre-dealt hands designed purposefully to highlight a certain technique. I myself used it when i took up bridge and soon got frustrated with it.

When you play random hands the line of play, especially in defence, is quite extraordinary

Yet again, as Misho said, you cannot replace the human element. Having a mentor whom you respect, is obviously better than you, is patient (not of a mental institution by the way) and willing to explain your mistakes in a concise, articulate way, and of course commend you when you put into practice what you have learnt, is the greatest source of instruction and inspiration you can have.

I was VERY lucky to have been mentored by a woman called Rita Oldroyd - sadly deceased - not very tolerant but a woman of high repute and an ex-international in her prime. My bridge, my appreciation of and love for it, improved dramatically within a couple of months.

As for mentors.. My only advice is: AVOID MEN WITH BEARDS (and women with beards too i suppose - dont want to be sexist) That tuft of hair is only there to hide something

AleX

[mishovnbg]

Alex: "As for mentors.. My only advice is: AVOID MEN WITH BEARDS (and women with beards too i suppose - dont want to be sexist) That tuft of hair is only there to hide something..."

Yes, Alex, you probably already notice that most tools of enjoyment on your body are hidden by similar tufts of hair. The nature probably had reason to do that and I am really wonder why so many people try to fight against it using all conventional weapons like modified knifes and even some chemical weapons against same beauty... They will never win same war against themselfs!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Misho

[slothy]

mishovnbg, on Apr 4 2004, 09:07 AM, said:

Yes, Alex, you probably already notice that most tools of enjoyment on your body are hidden by similar tufts of hair.

Trying to work out what enjoyment you feel you can get out of your arm-pit???

[dogsbreath]

Dear Alex..
It is possible to make a loud farting noise by placing one hand in armpit and moving arm vigourously up and down .. but I dont know anyone who claims this has improved their Bridge, or impressed members of the opposite sex.
Rgds Dog

[mishovnbg]

dogsbreath, on Apr 4 2004, 04:25 PM, said:

Dear Alex..
It is possible to make a loud farting noise by placing one hand in armpit and moving arm vigourously up and down .. but I dont know anyone who claims this has improved their Bridge, or impressed members of the opposite sex.
Rgds Dog 

Dog, you need better education about ability of armpit to give pleasure in some bridge communications between partners. I can recommend you science book named "Kama sutra", where unlike in other book named "Panchatantra" you can learn about lot of magic ways to establish partnership understanding

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This suppose to be bridge site, so friends if you like to continue our discussion about above partnership communications, is probably better idea to use PM please .

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Misho

[slothy]

Dear Lexica,

I feel obliged to apologise on behalf of Misho and DoggyDog and just to make you aware that these two are not representative of the male contingent of this forum

hee hee hee hee

You came onto this forum to seek advice : you were answered by 2 men with one-track minds

I shall be going away for a couple of weeks so feel that i can say this without any fear of reprisal...

AleX

PS My advice about bearded mentors still stands. If DoggyDog is also bearded I think I would have proved my point beyond contention jajaja

[the hog]

Alex, Misho and Martin, (Dog),

I swear this is true. I once played Bridge with a one armed bridge player. He lost his arm in a motorcycle accident. Against unsuspecting opps he used to hide is cards in the armpit of his stump, look under the table,on the floor and finally pull them out with a "Ah, here they are; I was wondering where I put them". This was always worth a top or two. He also used to carry around a copy of Hemmingway's "A Farewell to Arms" until one opp told him he should rip the book in half as he had lost only one arm.