zasanya Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 What causes you to suck at bridge and keeps you from being the best? For me I think it is lack of focus (at bridge tournaments there are a lot of distractions, social and otherwise), and too much ego.What makes you think you suck at Bridge?What makes you think you are not one of the best if not the best?Is it perhaps subject for another thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickRW Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 What causes you to suck at bridge and keeps you from being the best? For me I think it is lack of focus (at bridge tournaments there are a lot of distractions, social and otherwise), and too much ego.What makes you think you suck at Bridge?What makes you think you are not one of the best if not the best?Is it perhaps subject for another thread? Well, now you're potentially getting philosophic. I see in your profile you're from or reside in India - I'm sure you can say something useful or at least interesting... My observation of people who are good at something which most find difficult (bridge or otherwise) is that they, apart from posessing natural talent, 1. Work/study/train hard2. Pay attention to the smallest detail3. If they're really good, are not afraid to share their knowledge. This gives rise to a comfortable, but at the same time commanding presence - at the table in the case of bridge of course. Such people give the impression of being in control and always having adequate time. Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apollo81 Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 1. Lack of focus. For whatever reason this seems to happen way less in IMP events than at MPs. 2. Slow double dummy analysis, which has been a result of playing less since the end of 2004. The effect of this is that I declare complex hands much more slowly, and sometimes worse (see 1) than I used to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zasanya Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 What causes you to suck at bridge and keeps you from being the best? For me I think it is lack of focus (at bridge tournaments there are a lot of distractions, social and otherwise), and too much ego.What makes you think you suck at Bridge?What makes you think you are not one of the best if not the best?Is it perhaps subject for another thread? Well, now you're potentially getting philosophic. I see in your profile you're from or reside in India - I'm sure you can say something useful or at least interesting...Thanks for your subtle hint that my question was philosophic AND 'not useful' AND not interesting. :P .Actually I was really curious to know why Jlall whom I have kibbitzed many times and whose comments I read with great interest should think he'sucks'at Bridge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeh Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 What causes you to suck at bridge and keeps you from being the best? For me I think it is lack of focus (at bridge tournaments there are a lot of distractions, social and otherwise), and too much ego.What makes you think you suck at Bridge?What makes you think you are not one of the best if not the best?Is it perhaps subject for another thread? Well, now you're potentially getting philosophic. I see in your profile you're from or reside in India - I'm sure you can say something useful or at least interesting...Thanks for your subtle hint that my question was philosophic AND 'not useful' AND not interesting. :P . Actually I was really curious to know why Jlall whom I have kibbitzed many times and whose comments I read with great interest should think he'sucks'at Bridge? Everything is relative, but 'every player sucks at bridge' to some degree.... while I am sure that Justin has many hands of which he is proud, I suspect that the ones that he spends most time ruminating about are the ones where he could/should have done better. The better you are, the higher your expectations of self become. I recently lost the Canadian Team Trials (The CNTC), and the only hands I remember fron the sets my partner and I played in the finals are the ones we screwed up. Put another way: if you are capable of recognizing an error that you have made, you are bound to think that you shouldn't have made that error. So you 'suck'.. you made an error that you should have avoided. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickRW Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 Thanks for your subtle hint that my question was philosophic AND 'not useful' AND not interesting. :P .Actually I was really curious to know why Jlall whom I have kibbitzed many times and whose comments I read with great interest should think he'sucks'at Bridge? I was implying it was potentially philosophic. However, I wasn't implying disinterest, quite the reverse in fact. The mind set of a person who thinks they suck when they either don't or only suck less than they imagine is an extremely interesting topic. I was hoping you might comment further. Clearly I misread you as you misread me. No hard feelings... Nick P.S. Unlike one or two, sarcasm is not my style - I don't tend to say things and mean something else. If I say another might have something interesting to say, I mean it. I concede my statement was capable of the reverse interpretation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jlall Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 What causes you to suck at bridge and keeps you from being the best? For me I think it is lack of focus (at bridge tournaments there are a lot of distractions, social and otherwise), and too much ego.What makes you think you suck at Bridge?What makes you think you are not one of the best if not the best?Is it perhaps subject for another thread? Well, now you're potentially getting philosophic. I see in your profile you're from or reside in India - I'm sure you can say something useful or at least interesting...Thanks for your subtle hint that my question was philosophic AND 'not useful' AND not interesting. :) .Actually I was really curious to know why Jlall whom I have kibbitzed many times and whose comments I read with great interest should think he'sucks'at Bridge? Well, tbh I was at a bar with Joe and I was like "I've been playing really bad lately [which is true, relatively speaking], I wonder why I suck" and he said "Not everyone can be Joe Grue" lol. But I was really thinking about the reasons that I have not been playing my A game lately because for a while I was really in the zone, and I want to go back to that state. Anyways, sucking was maybe a poor word choice, but I have not been playing great bridge and I can just tell with the way my thinking is at the table, it's less clear and less sharp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barmar Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 What causes you to suck at bridge and keeps you from being the best? For me I think it is lack of focus (at bridge tournaments there are a lot of distractions, social and otherwise), and too much ego.What makes you think you suck at Bridge?What makes you think you are not one of the best if not the best?Is it perhaps subject for another thread? Well, now you're potentially getting philosophic. I see in your profile you're from or reside in India - I'm sure you can say something useful or at least interesting...Thanks for your subtle hint that my question was philosophic AND 'not useful' AND not interesting. :) .Actually I was really curious to know why Jlall whom I have kibbitzed many times and whose comments I read with great interest should think he'sucks'at Bridge? Well, tbh I was at a bar with Joe and I was like "I've been playing really bad lately [which is true, relatively speaking], I wonder why I suck" and he said "Not everyone can be Joe Grue" lol. But I was really thinking about the reasons that I have not been playing my A game lately because for a while I was really in the zone, and I want to go back to that state. Anyways, sucking was maybe a poor word choice, but I have not been playing great bridge and I can just tell with the way my thinking is at the table, it's less clear and less sharp. Everything's relative. Many of us would give plenty to be able to play Justin's B game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pclayton Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 Frankly its healthy to think you suck. If you think you are better than everyone, you can stop working on your game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winstonm Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 Perhaps you have answered your own question: Well, tbh I was at a bar with Joe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoAnneM Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Maybe you need to define "suck at bridge". I think it is safe to say that most kitchen table bridge players don't use a lot of the conventions that an average duplicate bridge player uses. So once you have become a duplicate player or an advanced money bridge players you have probably become a better player than most kitchen table players. And I am using huge generalizations. Then once you start comparing yourself to duplicate players what criteria do you use? Masterpoints? I have more points than 142,000 members of the ACBL but I am only a SLM so lots of you would probably say I "suck at bridge" but at my local club I am the mentor to several players. Or how about the online players who don't have the points but have become really good by playing endless games. They know the conventions, the plays, etc, they are just anonymous and don't have the reputations. What I am saying is that you don't have to be in the pro ranks to be a "non-sucker at bridge". Lots of you are already there, they just don't want you to know it. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerclee Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Then once you start comparing yourself to duplicate players what criteria do you use? Masterpoints? No. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickRW Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 ...But I was really thinking about the reasons that I have not been playing my A game lately because for a while I was really in the zone, and I want to go back to that state. Anyways, sucking was maybe a poor word choice, but I have not been playing great bridge and I can just tell with the way my thinking is at the table, it's less clear and less sharp. Well, I would guess something changed. We don't know what that was, so you won't find the answer here - and you don't need to answer here either coz we don't really need to know - but you need to answer for yourself. Anyhow, my money is on something changed, something happened - it could be at the table - it could be away from it - and you need to look for it just before you noticed the "less clear" state. My two cents of amateur sports psychology... Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matmat Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Maybe you need to define "suck at bridge". I think it is safe to say that most kitchen table bridge players don't use a lot of the conventions that an average duplicate bridge player uses. So once you have become a duplicate player or an advanced money bridge players you have probably become a better player than most kitchen table players. And I am using huge generalizations. Then once you start comparing yourself to duplicate players what criteria do you use? Masterpoints? I have more points than 142,000 members of the ACBL but I am only a SLM so lots of you would probably say I "suck at bridge" but at my local club I am the mentor to several players. Or how about the online players who don't have the points but have become really good by playing endless games. They know the conventions, the plays, etc, they are just anonymous and don't have the reputations. What I am saying is that you don't have to be in the pro ranks to be a "non-sucker at bridge". Lots of you are already there, they just don't want you to know it. ;) I think if you suck at bridge, you know you suck. To me the definition is based on honest self-evaluation. When I look at a session i've played and can point to a laundry list of elementary mistakes i have made. I can safely wallow in my suckitude. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jillybean Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 For all of the above reasons (minus the alcohol) I suck at this game but then sometimes I rock and both are what keeps me coming back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoAnneM Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Sucking one day and rocking another day is a good mix. I don't think we should worry about it, just have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zasanya Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Thanks for your subtle hint that my question was philosophic AND 'not useful' AND not interesting. :D .Actually I was really curious to know why Jlall whom I have kibbitzed many times and whose comments I read with great interest should think he'sucks'at Bridge? I was implying it was potentially philosophic. However, I wasn't implying disinterest, quite the reverse in fact. The mind set of a person who thinks they suck when they either don't or only suck less than they imagine is an extremely interesting topic. I was hoping you might comment further. Clearly I misread you as you misread me. No hard feelings... Nick P.S. Unlike one or two, sarcasm is not my style - I don't tend to say things and mean something else. If I say another might have something interesting to say, I mean it. I concede my statement was capable of the reverse interpretation. My apologies for misreading you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Codo Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 I only suck at bridge when I choose my partners because they all suck at the table. Could be the only explanation for my years of missing success. I am perfect. Well seriously there are the same problems anybody has and the main problem is that I am tired too quick. I think that I should stop working on bidding, carding and play and start with jogging, swimming and biking. This will make it easier to concentrate longer and will be much better for my game then learning anything about the double squeeze. I just analyszed the latest German Team Championship. Over 168 boards my partnership could have earned around 220 imps more when we had just made no easy mistakes (mistake we find ourself in the post mortem) in the hands that really count. Okay, it is impossible to avoid all easy mistakes, it happens to the best. But if we find a way to stop sucking at bridge, we will improve much more then we would from a wonderful bidding or carding system or a well played compound squeeze. It would be just less sexy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianshark Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Winning is sexy so do whatever it takes to win. Even if it seems mundane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
han Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Justin I'm not going to say that you are too harsh on yourself because obviously you know your own game better than I do. But a couple months ago you were playing absolutely fantastic bridge. If you are really unhappy about how you have been playing lately then I am confident that you will come out of it stronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
y66 Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Okay, you suck. Now what? How do you increase confidence, concentration, focus and visualization skills? How do you get back in the zone (your zone)? Dr. Grue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vilgan Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Eh? I don't think most of the posters in this thread *actually* suck at bridge. Those who suck tend to be those who don't expend the effort to get better by doing things like perusing the BBO forums. I just figured the title was a play off of the book with the similar (same?) name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
y66 Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Denial is a good strategy. :( In his mind, I don't think Jack Nicklaus has ever missed a key putt. He refuses to remember the ones that didn't go in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArcLight Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 >Those who suck tend to be those who don't expend the effort to get better by doing things like perusing the BBO forums LOL :( Some expert (I think at Freds level or above,I don't remember who - maybe Hamman) said you should spend 1/3 of your bridge time studying. First reading, then as you improve, reviwing your play. Look at your mistakes, keep trac k of them. Are you making the same types of mistakes? I would suck A LOT less if I was a proficient counter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helene_t Posted June 10, 2008 Report Share Posted June 10, 2008 Those who suck tend to be those who don't expend the effort to get better by doing things like perusing the BBO forums. Yes, everyone outside of BBF suck. Finally something we can all agree on :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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