Winners versus Losers

[dboxley]

I've been thinking lately about my personal bridge hero, Bob Hamman. He certainly has won a bunch of stuff. Is he really that much better than other really really top players who haven't won alot? Has he just gotten onto better teams (perhaps by virtue of him not playing professionally)?

 

Since when does Bob Hamman not play professionally? I remember a hand against him and an obvious client at matchpoints over 25 years ago. I was in a shaky 3C which happened to make, playing with a partner who, like me, was inexperienced. When the hand was over he said in a not very friendly tone "Well, you brought that one in, didn't you?" He then handed me the score slip to sign, he had recorded 3C down one, -50. Of course I pointed out the discrepancy and he corrected it.

[sathyab]

One thing I've noticed is that there are some whose goal seems primarily to avoid blame. In other words, they don't want to make any bid or play that potentially could cost them the match. This may seem the same as trying to win the match... but it really is not. Some of the habits I'm referring to include:

 

1. Avoiding any "risky" bids or plays, even though they might win, because they could also lead to an embarrassing result.

2. Leaving hard decisions to partner whenever possible (i.e. "do something intelligent doubles"), even if partner's odds of getting it right are not particularly good.

3. Failing to overrule partner even in situations where overruling is percentage (i.e. don't pull partner's penalty doubles ever).

4. Being quick to criticize partner in order to preemptively assign blame whenever any bad result is attained.

 

These sorts of behaviors seem common to lower-echelon professionals (i.e. players who compete in all the big events but never seem to do all that well in them). Arguments can be made that acting in this way helps a professional's job security even if it doesn't help his results. With that said, there are plenty of amateur players who do these things also... but you almost never see this kind of behavior from the Bob Hammans of the world.

 

Certainly there are some top players who are nasty to their opponents and some who are pleasant... but I can't think of any who are nasty to partner, and I think that is one key to success in this game.

 

Excellent observations. One reason why even good players develop these habits is that the issue of accountability is more serious in a team game than a pairs game, even you are not a Pro. You don't want to lose the match at your table, even more than you don't want to be the one who ruined your prospects in a Pairs game. How to deal with failure fairly is a very difficult issue at every level, individual, pair and especially team. I have a feeling sucsessful players deal with this differently than the rest of us.

[Fluffy]

About avoiding blame, I had one of those in China 2008, and it very well could had cost us qualifying.

 

(1♣)-1♥-(pass)-1♠

(pass)

 

 

I had a very strong 4♠-5♥ hand but the simple notion of playing in 2♣ made me very scared. My club holding made 4♣ bid totally poinless so it was out as well, in the end I bid 4♠ and losed 13 to the slam, not sure if even grand was avaible.

[dboxley]

Since when does Bob Hamman not play professionally? I remember a hand against him and an obvious client at matchpoints over 25 years ago. I was in a shaky 3C which happened to make, playing with a partner who, like me, was inexperienced. When the hand was over he said in a not very friendly tone "Well, you brought that one in, didn't you?" He then handed me the score slip to sign, he had recorded 3C down one, -50. Of course I pointed out the discrepancy and he corrected it.

 

 

After giving this some thought, I realize that Justin was probably referring to team games where Bob Hamman may not play professionally.

[dustinst22]

After giving this some thought, I realize that Justin was probably referring to team games where Bob Hamman may not play professionally.

 

Really? He isn't paid by Nickell?

[awm]

Perhaps what is meant is that Bob Hamman doesn't play bridge full-time nor is bridge his primary income. This means he rarely ends up playing with weak partners/teammates/opponents.

 

I'd be shocked if he isn't paid to play on the Nickell team.

[Phil]

LOL exactly. There is hardly a nexus between a professional player's wealth and whether or not he gets paid to play.

[JLOGIC]

He was not paid by Nickell. However, Nickell is the biggest investor in his company. Likewise, he is not paid by Warren Buffett when he has played with him, however Berkshire Hathaway did underwrite a Pepsi win a billion that was too big for bobs company SCA, making SCA the middle man. Likely that would never have happened without the bridge relationship. It seems like it can be very beneficial to your business/networking if you are the best bridge player in the world and play bridge with extremely rich/powerful business people.

 

When Hamman and Wolff were on the Cayne team, same thing, Cayne was a big investor in SCA.

 

Dboxley, you mention that you played against Bob 25 years ago when he was playing pro...that is a long time ago. I don't think I ever said he has never played professionally. I think Bob also founded his company about 25 years ago. That said, I know he has played professionally in the last 25 years multiple times (eg, the seniors on the Lynch team), if that makes you a professional bridge player then ok but if bridge is not your primary source of income and you rarely get paid from playing then I do not consider you a professional bridge player (especially if you have been CEO of your company for 20+ years).

[dboxley]

He was not paid by Nickell. However, Nickell is the biggest investor in his company. Likewise, he is not paid by Warren Buffett when he has played with him, however Berkshire Hathaway did underwrite a Pepsi win a billion that was too big for bobs company SCA, making SCA the middle man. Likely that would never have happened without the bridge relationship. It seems like it can be very beneficial to your business/networking if you are the best bridge player in the world and play bridge with extremely rich/powerful business people.

 

When Hamman and Wolff were on the Cayne team, same thing, Cayne was a big investor in SCA.

 

Dboxley, you mention that you played against Bob 25 years ago when he was playing pro...that is a long time ago. I don't think I ever said he has never played professionally. I think Bob also founded his company about 25 years ago. That said, I know he has played professionally in the last 25 years multiple times (eg, the seniors on the Lynch team), if that makes you a professional bridge player then ok but if bridge is not your primary source of income and you rarely get paid from playing then I do not consider you a professional bridge player (especially if you have been CEO of your company for 20+ years).

 

This has turned into a discussion in semantics, playing professionally and being a bridge professional are obviously two different things. If I misunderstood your post then I apologize.