I recently started playing again (after a 15 year gap) and was surprised how quickly it came back to me. Anyone interested in a virtual game? Casual games on bridgebase.com are free, and we can set up our own.
It’s been much longer for me. Me and my brothers and my dad used to play it a lot when I was a kid. But we used to get into a lot of family fights over it too. I always thought they were the friendly kind of family fights that I was later nostalgic for, but two of my brothers disagreed and thought they were the kinds of fights that made them not like us as much, so they refused to play after about 1998. So I guess I haven’t played again for about 23 years or so.
About 15 years for me. I’d be interested in a game if scheduling allows but be warned I’m used to UK bidding systems (4-card majors, mostly).
There’s another way?
In the civilized world we bid 5 card majors. 4 only if a secondary bid.
I like constructing virtual bridges.
But as far as bidding goes, I stopped at Euchre. I loved Euchre. I heard Bridge is the same but better, but never found a proper teacher.
Probably about 25 years for me.
I used to play in a weekly duplicate game, but that was 10 years ago. I play occasionally, and like to read about it. I’d be happy to play sometime if folks are interested. I play basic 2/1 or basic Standard American Yellow Card, but I can adapt. Also, important note, I’m not very good.
I’m not that great either.
So can we set up myself, CF_Kane, Timemaster_Tim, and rho21?
The only challenge is going to be time zones. I can do after 8pm Eastern time most days, but any earlier runs into work or toddler bedtime.
I thought of that since the game can’t exactly be played by email or async. This may not be such a good idea after all.
We’re on Pacific, and since you’re talking about after 5 for me, that’s Wife Time, unless we played much later.
And 8pm ET would be 1am in the UK, which is well past my bedtime. Probably best to wait and see if enough Americans show up to make up a four. (I guess the ideal would be 4 from Europe, 4 from America and we could play some async duplicate.)
Not sure how you can guarantee the same hands to both teams. Plus we barely have 4, let alone 8 :)
I actually co-authored a cryptography paper about a way to do that, if the groups were playing in person. Online it would have to be a feature of the software.
But as you say, not enough players.
Yeah, a time that can be agreeable to all might be a problem. I would say after 11pm ET and sometimes as early as 10pm ET would work for me. My bridge education consisted of random snippets of conventions taught informally so I am not familiar with specific styles that are used. My education on card playing and defending is even more spotty. I’ve never played duplicate, only contract.
10 PM ET would work for me. Can we get two others?
Starting in July I could probably join in. I’ve been thinking of playing again. Obligatory caveats: last played in 2007, was never that good, etc. :)
Where are you located?
I’m near Chicago, so the times you all are proposing would theoretically work.
I’m curious whether you guys ever got a game off the ground. I’ve been messing around on the site @Sonoftgb mentioned, bridgebase.com, which I guess is the most popular place to play and earn ACBL master points. Last I played seriously was 30 years ago, when a friend and I entered and did well in a duplicate tournament. But now there’s this whole new 2/1 bidding thing, which actually does make more sense to me than the old Standard American system I was trained to use.
I doubt I’ll get serious about bridge again. It’s so important to have a partner you enjoy playing with. I used to play with a couple college roomies. One is better than me, and I’m not sure I’d ever be comfortable being his partner on an ongoing basis, as I always feel like the junior partner. The other is more on my level, but we’ve sorta drifted apart over the years.
Incidentally, I taught a couple friends how to play way back then. One of them I really would enjoy partnering with. But they now partner together on bridgebase and each have a few hundred masters points. I have zero. The circle is now complete: now they are the masters!