[Al_U_Card]

C'mon fess'up! It'll only hurt for a while.... If you said "Other" you have to describe it for us.

[inquiry]

Other...

Cheap, easy, fun, are all nice. But truth be told, I prefer to hold the cards in my hand. I play on line because, I have a hell of a commute. I carpool to work, and carpool home because traffic without HOV lanes is unbearable. The same traffic means by the time I get home, I lack the time to turn around, and go back out.

As a carpooler (I am a rider not a driver, but at least I am not a "slug-er".. if you don't know what a slug is you don't live near Washington DC ), I am not free to head home "early" so I can get turned around and back out easily.

Also, another other. I love the fact that the hands are stored on my computer. Every horrible bid, card play, for later study. Learning from your mistakes is the very best way to improve.

Ben

[pigpenz]

i dont have to look at my opps and they dont have to look at me

[csdenmark]

I live in remote area, approx. 300 km away from our capital Copenhagen. I live in rural area with an elderly population. Here it is rather difficult to find friends for what I am interested of.

I really enjoy the international community and especially I am very grateful for the many invitations to visit bridgefriends(approx. 1 a week) all over the world but mostly from Italy and USA. I am so very sorry that my poor health conditions forces me to decline all.

I enjoy exchange of information and a nice debate with friends(opera and politics are the most frequent topics) - and BBO is just perfect for that but I still have some of my friends from ZONE.

I enjoy very much to be informed by the young asians about their struggles for a decent living in countries where such is more difficult than in Denmark. I normally don't play bridge with those young and nice persons - but we often have a long and nice talk. Very, very interesting.

Last but not least - here on 'Island of Mors' I will be completely unable to find partners for strong systems. Difficult too on BBO but makeable.

http://bridgefiles.n...on/cshomeen.htm

[whereagles]

I don't play online much. Prefer live stuff

[Free]

I like to kibitz, I like to test certain things with f2f partners, I like my online friends,... 'Other', since there are soo many reasons to play online

[awm]

As a recent college graduate, I have friends and bridge partners from many different regions. Playing online is a good way to keep in touch, and also to practice for the occasional competition at a national tournament or the like.

[Double !]

I love this game but have no time to play live. Here I can play when I wish and for as long as I wish. I have learned so much from so many people from the forum. I always knew that there were major gaps in my skills but couldn't find the help I needed. Playing online and following up on various references as well as feedback and responses from forum members, even when I have come off looking like an idiot, have been very helpful. I also live in an area where there are many potential places to play f2f, but everyone has established, long-term relationships or partnerships. The number of available potential partners is limited, but I don't anticipate being able to play live much for several more years, so online allows me to get back into the game.
I also play online because of the many friends I think I've made (I never confuse cyberspace for the real world), because of the wealth of information available, because of the chance to discuss ideas and and learn from better players, because I can play at my own pace, and because I can "brb" whenever I need to (get food, quickly take care of something, etc.) And, most importantly, if it weren't for BBO & Fred et. al., I probably still wouldn't have resumed playing. I guess I'm hooked again, dammit!!! lolololol

[Rain]

I chose Cheap, easy, fun.

I started learning bridge online, and was really crappy, but of course thought I was good. So I went to school and played, and got thoroughly demoralised and abused by a couple of know-it-alls. So I returned online where one's anonymity is an enveloping comfort-shield. This is especially true for BBO where we have a fine abuse department. Hehe

Its also a lot easier not to have to make the effort to find a real club and go out or whatever. Think of the potential! Interaction with thousands of other players, which bridge club gives you that? Plus free! Yep, this sums it all up.

[keylime]

I chose the practice new treatments stuff. It's very positive.

[macaw]

I was introduced to duplicate bridge at a pro/am bridge tournament in Portland, Oregon; that was the first time I heard that Blackwood was a 'convention' and that there were other conventions. I was hooked!! But working full time, plus commuting over an hour a day each way, there was really no time to play live, and then I discovered online bridge. I learned how to play online, and was even more hooked. Now I live in rural Montana and there are no opportunities to play live bridge without driving for many hours.

Fortunately, it doesn't matter I can, and do, play or kibitz bridge every day online, and I still love it as much as the first time I played duplicate at a pro/am tournament.

[FrancesHinden]

I don't.

[hrothgar]

I don't like wearing pants and too many people objected when I showed up at torunaments in my undies

[jillybean]

I'm not sure if this is a good post to follow


I have a family and simply can not go out on a regular basis to a bridge club, I am looking forward to the time when I can join a club. I went to night school 5years ago to learn the bridge basics then played a funny card game on yahoo for a while before finding BBO.

The benefits – so many!
How else could I play & learn with “experts”, Stars even, run tournaments and kibitz the Bermuda Bowl.

[Chamaco]

The reason why I like to play online bridge is not listed in the options.

Main reason is that it is hard to find an enjoyable partner in clubs game , at least for a non-expert.

Usually, good partners are taken, and the remaining are:
- either unwilling to agree anything more than "15-17 NT, 4 card major, RKCB, etc"
- or, they are quite unpleasant persons at the table, always criticizing pard's choices (with hindsight, of course), and many times takeing unilateral decisions ven whenthey do not have the elements to do so.

Playing online is great for progressing players because it gives a chance to play with anyone: sometimes you even happen to play with really good pards, and, quite often, they accept to play with you because the formula of online bridge allows them to do it only for few boards.

If instead, they were obliged to play a whole MP topurney with a patzer (22-25 bds), that would be too long, they would not get a chance to "disconnect" as it happens on BBO.


This should make people think: I have seen many people complaining of the lack of people in bridge club, and try to come out with the solution for this.

But the main key is NOT that much teaching to more people, BUT RATHER *making sure that when beginners come to the club, good players are willing to partner them*, basically welcoming them to the club so they can feel at ease and come back.

Oterwise, the natural reaction of a normal person will be: "why should I continue a game that is already hard in itself and moreover noone wants to play with me?"
---------------------------------------

And, of course, I like the social thing.

[42]

I chose "others" and here are my reasons:
- no improvement for me at the local club: I know all my opps too well, expert players are rare
- I am too tired to play a night at my local club when I work, I cannot easily fall asleep when I played a tourney, and next day I must be fit
- it is not important what I wear, how I look, how old I am or whatever
- I am independent of time: whenever I want to play, I can
- my favourite bridgepartners and -friends do not live in my hometown and on BBO we can meet, play and chat. And I am really happy and thankful that so many good players play with me
- I like the many friends at BBO from all over the world
- the features on BBO are great (i.e. partnership bidding which is really helpful for practising before a major f2f event)

I am sure there are more reasons, those were the obvious
Caren

[joker_gib]

I almost never play online with players that I don't know.

I really much prefer to have the cards in my hands and I think I play better in live.

The thing I like the most on BBO in vugraph which is actually a great feature !!

Alain

[Fluffy]

I play bridge because I find nothing better to do. I play online because ... ( edited uday)

[badderzboy]

Why do I enjoy online bridge

As a general rule it's a friendlier place to play than clubs f2f especially in BIL

It's a great place to play 10-12 hands in a spare hour when nothing on the google-box..

I was seriously ill last year and the 3 months laid up BBO was a godsend even to just watch!

It's a good way to understand other bidding systems and see different points of view.

It can be v.interesting to watch world class players, great for learning but also who prove that anyone can make a mistake they just make far fewer (makes me feel human again) and that there's rarely a right or a wrong just better odds and technique.

It's great socially so you can meet people around the world - I've played with 3 players from 3 other continents where else can u do that.

A fantastic place to learn and to review old hands you played at will.

Finally it allows u to shout at your partner as loud as you want and he can't hear you

[luis]

Fluffy, on Aug 3 2005, 11:33 AM, said:

I play bridge because I find nothing better to do. I play online because I don't like (ui) people (or very few of them).

Fluffy, You will be welcome in Argentina language won't be an issue, wanna migrate? :-)