[EugeneLS]

...on BBO (social areas) even when it's obvious what should be bid or played.

Some will argue that it's mainly due to poor internet connections. Others, that the player is being constantly distracted e.g. children, phone calls...

I have a different theory. Are there any scribblers amongst us?

[jillybean]

Yes, and we have a few of them in live games too.
By the time they finally pull a card, I have forgotten what we are playing.

[pescetom]

 jillybean, on 2026-October-10, 07:49, said:

Yes, and we have a few of them in live games too.
By the time they finally pull a card, I have forgotten what we are playing.

I'm the last person to exalt the dubious virtues of f2f over electronic play, let alone distinguish it as "live" (?), but you can at least stop this happening both as opponent and TD. They have a duty to maintain tempo and nobody has a right to memory aids, be it a piece of paper or a phone.

[EugeneLS]

I sometimes type "too slow" in the chat line, but I don't really like doing that.

I believe most tournaments on BBO are timed anyway - certainly the Acol one I've been playing is. I don't know what happens if a table overruns the time limit: perhaps the TD can award an adjustment - as happens in f2f bridge.

[jillybean]

EugeneLS, on 2026-October-11, 01:56, said:

I sometimes type "too slow" in the chat line, but I don't really like doing that.

I believe most tournaments on BBO are timed anyway - certainly the Acol one I've been playing is. I don't know what happens if a table overruns the time limit: perhaps the TD can award an adjustment - as happens in f2f bridge.

Where are you playing f2f?

[mycroft]

I'd not want to say "too slow" either. That's a value judgement, not a statement of fact, and implies that your values are of more validity than the opponents'. I would have to be very careful in my reply to that, especially if it's the second hand of three and we've blitzed through the first, but this time I have to take 10-15 (or 30) seconds to decide what to do - but we have 12 minutes to play the last 5 tricks of this board and the next one, and you can see the clock as well as I can.

"Please watch the time"; "we're running behind"; "your bid, North" (in case they didn't notice they were dealer); and the like are much better.

If you're just playing socially, then you can decide if the table is too slow for you, as you can decide it's too weak for you, or too friendly for you, or too OBM for you, or ...

In a tournament, there's a director (and yes, when the clock runs out, unlike F2F, said director is allowed and encouraged to assign a result based on the auction and play so far). But strangely enough, the director is just as likely to point out "there's 12 minutes on the clock for this decision and the last board, you're not late" as the person thinking is.

[EugeneLS]

jillybean, on 2026-October-11, 06:01, said:

Where are you playing f2f?

I'm not playing f2f anymore - back trouble makes travelling a pain.

I used to play at an EBU-accredited club some miles from my home in SE England. With Covid, they switched to online on BBO - but I didn't play much then. When live sessions resumed I went back to playing f2f - but alas! my best partner suddenly died and I lost my mojo after that.

At length, a few weeks ago, I re-discovered my mojo on BBO. Which is why I'm staying - for now!

But I still wish some players would speed up.

[EugeneLS]

mycroft, on 2026-October-11, 10:53, said:

I'd not want to say "too slow" either. That's a value judgement, not a statement of fact, and implies that your values are of more validity than the opponents'.

Good point.

[jillybean]

EugeneLS, on 2026-October-12, 04:40, said:

I'm not playing f2f anymore - back trouble makes travelling a pain.

I used to play at an EBU-accredited club some miles from my home in SE England. With Covid, they switched to online on BBO - but I didn't play much then. When live sessions resumed I went back to playing f2f - but alas! my best partner suddenly died and I lost my mojo after that.

At length, a few weeks ago, I re-discovered my mojo on BBO. Which is why I'm staying - for now!

But I still wish some players would speed up.

I am so sorry to hear you lost your favorite partner. I'm glad to hear that you are back at the table.

If we are talking about online play, the possible reasons for slow play are endless. Here's what Claude has to say.
The genuine reasons

Slow or unstable internet. Lag makes a player look slow when it's really the connection.
A dropped connection can freeze a table until they reconnect.
Small screens or unfamiliar software. Finding the right card or bid on a phone, or on a new site such as BBO or RealBridge, takes time.
Misclicks and recovery. Players hesitate before clicking, or have to ask for an undo after tapping the wrong card.
Alerting and explaining. Typing an alert or an explanation of a bid takes longer than saying it aloud.
Hard decisions. A tricky bid or a difficult declarer play takes time, just as it would face to face.
Interruptions at home. A doorbell, a phone call, a pet on the keyboard or a visitor will stall a player.
Multitasking. Some players are in several games at once, or have a second window open.
Slow typing. Chat, alerts and director calls all take longer for slower typists.
Waiting on the director. A table can stall while someone sorts out a ruling or a technical glitch.
Time zone fatigue. Late-night games can leave players tired and slow.

The funny ones

"My cat is standing on the mouse again."
Went to make a cup of tea mid-hand, and the kettle won.
Is playing at four tables and has forgotten which one they're at.
Finding the right card in a fan that looks nothing like a real one.
Is thinking about what to say in the chat box, not what to bid.
The bidding box is "somewhere around here", but which button is Double?
Spent a full minute deciding the 2♣ bid was alertable.
Is replying to messages from three different people about three different games.
Has frozen the screen with a coffee-spilled keyboard.
Is still trying to remember whose turn it is.
Is waiting for a better hand to arrive in the next deal, as if the deal could be postponed.