[jdonn]

I played at the club today. After one round I was having a supposedly pleasant conversation with RHO, an older lady with a thick southern (USA) accent, when this exchange occured:

Both of us: Where are you from, oh my third cousin twice removed is from there, blah blah blah blah.
RHO: By the way, if I hadn't covered your ten of hearts on the last hand would I have taken another trick?
Me: Well I would have done this then this then this and made one less trick. So yes you would have although if I could see your hand I could break even. [preparing to explain how...]
RHO quite indignantly: How dare you talk about looking into my hand young man! [she then walks off in a huff]
My thought bubble: I love bridge clubs sooooo much....

[kayin801]

jdonn, on Jun 5 2010, 08:21 PM, said:

I played at the club today. After one round I was having a supposedly pleasant conversation with RHO, an older lady with a thick southern (USA) accent, when this exchange occured:

Both of us: Where are you from, oh my third cousin twice removed is from there, blah blah blah blah.
RHO: By the way, if I hadn't covered your ten of hearts on the last hand would I have taken another trick?
Me: Well I would have done this then this then this and made one less trick. So yes you would have although if I could see your hand I could break even. [preparing to explain how...]
RHO quite indignantly: How dare you talk about looking into my hand young man! [she then walks off in a huff]
My thought bubble: I love bridge clubs sooooo much....

Well that'll teach you to stare at a lady's hand. For shame.


I play big club with my regular partner, which, playing at a regional last weekend, led to this exchange:

My partner: His 1♣ opening promises 16 or more points and says nothing else about his hand.
Me: His 2♦ response promises blahblahblah.
My RHO: Is that even legal?! I'm going to ask the director after this hand!

[matmat]

*smile*
no.
have a good evening!

[Phil]

You should have stole her purse.

That way you'd live up to her expectations about you.

[Free]

LOL

[helene_t]

At a small club in Amsterdam, Shogi and I met two ladies.

LHO: This is my mother she is 93 years old
Me: I see.
LHO: And she still plays bridge!
Me: Very good!
LHO: And her mind is still working!
LHO: That is pretty good for someone her age, don't you think?
Me: (Looking at RHO, concerned if the situation embarrasses her but she doesn't seem to pay attention).

Shogi opens 2♠.
RHO: This is strong I suppose?
Me: No, it is weak.
RHO: What? How can it be weak? A 2-opening must be strong, mustn't it?
Me: Well that's a matter of agreement. We play weak two openings.
RHO: Weak 2-openings? Never heard about it.
LHO: That is just another one of those weird ideas of the modern youth. Don't mind them, mum.
RHO: Young people are strange.
LHO: And rude, too.

After the round:
Me: Thank you very much both, and good luck.
RHO: Yes, thank you too. It was a pleasure to play against you.
Me: Quite pleasant considering that we are so young and rude, wasn't it?
LHO (laughed).

[ggwhiz]

My partner psyched against 2 lol's at a regional, they screamed for the Director, got no recourse and screamed again for a recorder slip.

They then demanded "WHAT'S YOUR NAME?" and he gave them mine.

Now THAT will test your poker face.

[JoAnneM]

My partner and sat played against two fairly young pros at a recent Nabc in a one session Swiss
They did not reply to our greetings, acknowledge results at the end of a hand, compare scores, or say goodbye. Some reputations are perpetuated and earned, although lately, thankfully, they have been the exception. I just think it is unfortunate to deal in generalities like this, unless it makes you feel really good.

[Echognome]

ggwhiz, on Jun 7 2010, 09:42 AM, said:

My partner psyched against 2 lol's at a regional, they screamed for the Director, got no recourse and screamed again for a recorder slip.

They then demanded "WHAT'S YOUR NAME?" and he gave them mine.

Now THAT will test your poker face.

Just give them the wrong name. If they find out, just say you psyched.

[dicklont]

helene_t, on Jun 7 2010, 12:59 PM, said:

[snip]
Me: Thank you very much both, and good luck.
RHO: Yes, thank you too. It was a pleasure to play against you.
Me: Quite pleasant considering that we are so young and rude, wasn't it?
LHO (laughed).

Are you an angel Helene?
Or did a heavy win in that round make you so friendly?

[Gerben42]

Quote

[snip]
Me: Thank you very much both, and good luck.
RHO: Yes, thank you too. It was a pleasure to play against you.
Me: Quite pleasant considering that we are so young and rude, wasn't it?
LHO (laughed).

And they wonder that so few younger people take up bridge. I have experienced such situations countless times. And probably will countless more times, although I have learned to avoid such games whenever possible. I've played 20 years and in 20 more years I will still be the youngest in most bridge clubs I fear.

Luckily there are not too many like this, but as young players you will be treated like this any time you play against such people.

[neilkaz]

Next week, having learned how to be less rude to our elders, Josh will hold the same cards and this will happen.

jdonn, on Jun 5 2010, 10:21 PM, said:

I played at the club today. After one round I was having a supposedly pleasant conversation with RHO, an older lady with a thick southern (USA) accent, when this exchange occured:

Both of us: Where are you from, oh my third cousin twice removed is from there, blah blah blah blah.
RHO: By the way, if I hadn't covered your ten of hearts on the last hand would I have taken another trick?
Me: Well I would have done this then this then this and made one less trick. So yes you would have although if I could play it double dummy I could break even. [preparing to explain how...]
RHO quite indignantly: How dare you call us both dummies, young man! [she then walks off in a huff]
My thought bubble: I love bridge clubs sooooo much....

[jjbrr]

it's so nice to see young people playing bridge

[Elianna]

JoAnneM, on Jun 7 2010, 09:15 AM, said:

My partner and sat played against two fairly young pros at a recent Nabc in a one session Swiss
They did not reply to our greetings, acknowledge results at the end of a hand, compare scores, or say goodbye. Some reputations are perpetuated and earned, although lately, thankfully, they have been the exception. I just think it is unfortunate to deal in generalities like this, unless it makes you feel really good.

This happened to Adam and I at a recent tournament. We knew one player in a partnership, and not the other (new to the area, I assumed). I introduced us, and waited expectantly for this person to be introduced.....Nothing... (except crickets). At least we had fair warning for the rest of the time. And Adam and I are fairly young, younger than this person was, so it doesn't happen just as a young person to old person issue.

I don't think it was an age thing, it was an elitism thing (either deciding that we weren't worth speaking to, or else a conscious attempt at intimidation).

As to Josh's incident, I don't think it was an age thing, again. I think that it was another issue of elitism (perceived by them, this time). I would have guessed that the lady was a relative duplicate newcomer, and hadn't heard the term double dummy before. I probably would have gone and apologized to her, and explained what happened, but I'm told that I'm a pushover.

[Elianna]

jjbrr, on Jun 7 2010, 04:10 PM, said:

it's so nice to see young people playing bridge

This is the one I really hate. It's sometimes followed up by "No school today". I reply (innocently thinking that this is someone who remembers that I teach high school, since I told her several times) that I only work in the mornings, which is followed by "Oh, I thought you were still a student". It's not that I'm mad about being mistaken for a student, it's that I thought that this person remembered enough about me, because they were making personal comments, but no: They just felt like making personal comments (and usually in a judgmental tone).

[Phil]

Elianna, on Jun 7 2010, 09:21 PM, said:

It's sometimes followed up by "No school today".

When you get a little older, it will be "oh, no WORK today".

Sometimes I got to say, "Ma'am, this IS my work".

[Elianna]

Phil, on Jun 7 2010, 07:14 PM, said:

Elianna, on Jun 7 2010, 09:21 PM, said:

It's sometimes followed up by "No school today".

When you get a little older, it will be "oh, no WORK today".

Sometimes I got to say, "Ma'am, this IS my work".

Well, I'm certainly old enough that they SHOULD be saying that.

[Free]

Phil, on Jun 8 2010, 04:14 AM, said:

Elianna, on Jun 7 2010, 09:21 PM, said:

It's sometimes followed up by "No school today".

When you get a little older, it will be "oh, no WORK today".

You can retaliate and ask "no hospital today?"

[kayin801]

Free, on Jun 8 2010, 02:20 AM, said:

Phil, on Jun 8 2010, 04:14 AM, said:

Elianna, on Jun 7 2010, 09:21 PM, said:

It's sometimes followed up by "No school today".

When you get a little older, it will be "oh, no WORK today".

You can retaliate and ask "no hospital today?"

"I thought they only let people out of the nursing home on weekends."

(I would never say that but I won't say it hasn't crossed my mind)

[billw55]

jjbrr, on Jun 7 2010, 07:10 PM, said:

it's so nice to see young people playing bridge

LOL

My wife and I get this at multiple tables every time we play pairs. Also they always ask if we are college students. It is flattering the first, say, 100 times, but eventually it gets old. I bet a month of entries that they will still be asking that when our children are in college (six more years). Apparently once you are over 70 everyone under 40 looks the same.