Rod.Bias@Cutlip.Org
❻ Play up to speed. In polls to find what players’ biggest bridge pet peeve is, slow play was clearly the winner! You are given seven minutes per board, which should be plenty of time for even the toughest hands. To wait for your opponents to arrive at the table while the clock ticks is irritating … and your time to play the next round is being devoured. Equally, if not more irritating, is to be East–West and have to wait for people you are following to vacate your chairs. To stand and wait without people thinking you are watching other boards being played is awkward. Remember, no one cares how well you play, only how fast!
❼ Bid in tempo. Bidding too fast or thinking too long before bidding could send unauthorized information to your partner. If you pass too quickly, it seems you have no interest in this deal. If you pause for a long time, you probably have choices to make and can’t decide which action is best.
❽ Play in tempo. If you take too long to play a card, you send the message you have a problem. Never hesitate before playing a singleton. You have no problem, and planting the idea that you do have a problem is highly unethical.
❾ Never (ever) postmortem at the table. You can’t afford to use mental energy rehashing the past. Keep it in the past. Put aside a bad result and start fresh with the next 13 cards. Successful partnerships will discuss difficult hands and situations where something went wrong after the session and in private.
❿ Call the director. Many newcomers are afraid to call the director because they fear it makes the atmosphere unfriendly. The director’s task is to alleviate stress, actually making the event more fun. By calling, you will ensure fairness for everybody, not just you and your opponents. Duplicate bridge is a sport — the director (like a basketball referee) must touch the ball to get it back into play.