muggle

Except it is the harsh truth for every mind-event in the world, from poker, to math, to video games. It is a hard fact that goes way beyond cultural sexism or expectations. If anyone, male or female, is naturally talented at an activity they will naturally strive to excel. I've heard 2 biological explanations that make sense to me: 1) Men focus, women multitask (I know someone quoted this from Auken/Armin book). I saw this demonstrated a science documentary many years ago. They had test subjects listen to multiple voices at the same time. Men could pick out a single voice, whereas women could not. This was attributed to back during our hunter/gatherer days, where men had to focus and ignore all distractions to hunt, while women did work around the 'homestead' but were also always subconsciously listening for their children. 2) Women's intelligence profile are more centered around the norm (higher and narrow peak), men's are flatter and more spread. I read this as the explanation of why girls do better in school than boys, even after correcting for girls being better behaved. Boys having a flatter and wider IQ profile means more boys are at both the extreme high end and extreme low. I'm not expert on this, or bridge, so maybe I'm repeating nonsense. Feel free to correct me.

Congrats to the winners -- it was exciting bridge and great show all around. As far as personal statements, I totally agree they should be left at home or for a more appropriate venue. Everyone is a guest, in a neutral arena of unity and friendly competition. So it should be treated as neutral ground where bridge is the only business of the day. Leave home troubles at home. Allowing outside issues to intrude is a real slippery slope that will only lead to more problems. I know in the recent World Cyber Games in Seattle (international video game competition) there was a physical confrontation between Chinese team and some Taiwan gamers because one of them wrapped himself in the Taiwan flag instead of the IOC Chinese Taipei one. Yeah, video gamers are young adult males, but most people who are serious about certain issues, when they hear or see what are fighting words to them, it is no different in setting them off. So it is just in bad taste. I watch and play bridge to get away from the troubles of the everyday world.

BBOTV has really added value to the experience, letting me watch both rooms at the same time. Of course the 12 hour time difference has been killer. I'll watch the 1st session and usually fall asleep midway through the 2nd session. - 1. How was the internet connectivity from Shanghai? Excellent My connection to BBO has been rock steady. - 2. How was the quality of the operators? Excellent - 5. 6 tables per session we had. Was that satisfactory? Excellent - 6. How did you like the commentary? Excellent - 7. Should we continue with multiple languages? Yes Sure. Why not. No skin off my back. Maybe add a way to 'gag' particular commentators per session so foreign language doesn't show up, but still run multiple languages in the same room.

I hope Jack team writes up a post mortem. Have the other bridge programs really closed the gap? It can only be good for computer bridge, encourage and push more authors.

Well, according to daily bulletin 2, an Ireland segment was scheduled for broadcast by one of the other internet vugraph sites for round 4. http://www.worldbridge.org/bulletin/07_2%2.../pdf/bul_02.pdf WBF could make it much easier to see a centralized list of online vugraph schedules and information, instead of only from the pdf daily bulletins. They are online, we're all online.

This works too b) test b[COLOR=black])[/COLOR] test

somewhat related. in normal bbo, when kibitzing, the chat button at the bottom of the window defaults to 'Chat to room', I think its better to default it to 'chat to kibitzers', just like when you start a chat by just typing away. This sometimes leads to accidents when newer bbo users kibbing end up saying something to the table unintentionally

How will the carryover work? For the life of me I can't find anywhere.

another low priority request... a way to turn off the 800x600 resolution check before bbo will launch. i often have my laptop screen rotated (when I'm lying in bed), so the screen resolution is 768x1280. BBO runs fine at this resolution even if a bit of the side edge is hidden off screen. it's not difficult to work around. i launch bbo at 1280x768 and then rotate the screen. another way it to run my rotated resolution at virtual 960x1280.

big congrats to Fred and the rest of the BB/BBO gang You've done a bangup job over the years. Clearly a labor of love from the beginning. You've babied and nurtured it, and its grown and grown and grown. Now you've brought in the finest gurus to help guide it to the promise land (whatever it turns out to be). :)

I think you should add link from the gibware.com and bridgebaseonline.com and online.bridgebase.com page back to the home www.bridgebase.com page and software and deal of the week http://www.bridgebase.com/bbiindex.html I was just browsing around and felt like looking at some of the very old "Deal of the Week" and was surprised there is no link from bridgebaseonline.com / online.bridgebase.com page to the old web software pages and main www.bridgebase.com page. Maybe I missed something obvious (other than typing it into the address window)...

great idea. And for those without mic/headphones, try your local $.99 store. I bought a nice one at a $.99 store, and it sounds great!

I like this book: How the Experts Win at Bridge Author: Hall, Burt & Lynn Rose-Hall This book represents the best thinking and philosophy of the experts on every aspect of the game. Principles that have made so many partnerships successful are divulged here. (from www.ACBL.org) I always go through it after being away from the game for many months/years. It is written by a couple who returned to bridge after decades away from the game. It is pretty much a summary of most of the "modern" practices used by experts. The style they advocate is a bit aggressive for my taste, but you get in one easy to read book a nicely organized summary of the topics covered and philosophies espoused by the most popular bridge writers of today. From there you'll have a better idea of what other books you might want to get. And you'll know basically what your tournament bridge opponents are trying to do to you at the table.

First, improve your declarer play. I recommend the book, Bill Root's "How to Play a Bridge Hand". And, of course, Fred Gitelmans' Bridge Master software, and How to Play Bridge tutorials. If you are an average player or better, taking the anti-field action is a losing tactic. The way the math works, in matchpoints, if you make the inferior anti-field, bid that is successful 49% of the time, and everyone else makes the field bid, which works out 51% of the time, you will end up with a top 49% of the time, and a bottom 51% of the time, and end up with a net 49% score. In your case, until you feel more confident about your declarer play, I suggest being somewhat conservative with your bidding. Be really solid with your bids, don't make borderline bids, and pass if it is one of the logical choices. My team of non-lifemasters once beat one of the top seeds in a unit KO (a flight A+ team) in a 24-board unit knockout event this way -- they bid aggressively, like they are suppose to in IMPs, and I swung a bunch of +6 imps our way by being conservative. When they went down in games at the other table, I was cleaning up with +90s and +140s.

very nice.