A plea from an intermediate player

[PaulH]

If you are an expert. Ignore this you know.

If you are really an advanced player, move on, GO , you can beat us most of the time.

Ah, some advanced players are still here. They want to know why us Inters aren't becoming their mailable partners of choice.

I have placed on the podium of a national event (my team consisted of 1 World Class player, 1 Expert+, 1 Expert and me).

I have won a regional event (2 World Class players and us 2 intermediates)

After that wins get numerous.

If you want to talk money rubber bridge - then I'll call myself an expert!

 

Please please please stop calling yourself an advanced player until you can claim at least 3 of the following

 

1) You don't mis-count any suit (oops so many Adv's mis-count even trumps)

2) You have placed on the podium in a tournament (even if its only against family members)

3) If you left your off-line bridge club you would expect their results to deteriorate

4) You don't learn anything in listening to Shep talk to beginners for ten minutes.

5) Your head is never constricted by a normal doorway

6) You apologize to your beginner or intermediate partner when you make a mistake even if you think they won't notice.

7) You are better than my partner (NO CHANCE - NOT EVEN FRED OR ZIA OR THOSE CLEVER MECKWHATSIT PEOPLE)

 

Sorry to rant but "advanced" players from whom I can learn nothing but "I'm glad I'm not like that" annoy me. "EXPERTS" who are not are much much easier to spot (except when they are advanced players who wish to be dis-associated with the "advancy crew"

 

As a side note - we all wish we could play like Fred BUT has anyone realized how we are all trying to be too clever with opening leads and the relative success of beginners with finding the right answer?

[whereagles]

1) You don't mis-count any suit (oops so many Adv's mis-count even trumps)

Just 1 thing: good counting requires concentration. An expert *will* miscount if he's relaxed/tired :D

[Mr. Dodgy]

Paul, IMO you are entitled to rate yourself as Advanced or higher on the basis of the accomplishments you list and the BBO guidelines for self-rating. Take them with a grain of salt - people like to think they may be better than they really are.

 

The guidelines are a little vague, and I'm not at all sure most players on BBO even know they exist.

 

Intermediate is defined as something like 'average BBO Player', and the only ratings below Intermediate are seemingly intended for those who have played for under a year.

 

Somehow I reckon self-rating of 'Weak', isn't likely to get a lot of votes, though it may be appropriate in many cases.

 

Advanced suits you as it is essentially 'consistently win minor tournaments'.

 

Remember that there are undoubtedly individuals sho will rate themselves mistakenly or ignorantly or outright fraudulently as Advanced and Expert who do not deserve to according to these guidelines.

 

I can't get to the help page (http://www.bridgebase.com/help/3/topics/topiclist/text/x it's down?) to confirm these definitions 100%

[Vilgan]

heh, in my experience.. those rating themselves advanced are usually much more accurate in their self rating than those rating themselves expert. It might be a bit inflated, but frequently the self rated "advanced" are stronger than the self rated "experts".

 

It seems like advanced= know what I'm doing, have learned a lot, sometimes play very well, have done well in some f2f events.

 

expert = anything from someone who thinks 1nt 2c is natural to a damn good player.

 

Eric