11 Signs You Might Be a Bridge Player
by Katie Coopersmith © Great Bridge Links
If you have any of these symptoms you are at risk of being a bridge player. If you have more than 7, we suggest you immediately arrange a meetup with at least 3 other bridge players.
1. When you hear the word “dummy,” it doesn’t sound like an insult to you.
“Trump” has a pretty different meaning, too…
2. You always plan your next vacation based on where the best bridge tournaments are.
London? Honolulu? Nah, not if there isn’t a game to be played there…
A week long tournament in Lynnwood, Washington? Sure!
3. You can’t remember your friends’ kids’ names or what you had for breakfast this morning…but last month’s hands are still fresh in your mind and you can rattle them off on demand.
Those brain benefits are worth it!
4. You have to fight hard to suppress the urge to scream at anyone who tells you bridge is “just a game”.
It’s not a game, it’s a lifestyle!
5. You’ve got a better poker face than Bill Clinton.
Hiding your glee when your partner makes a bid you like can be tough, and so can masking your disappointment when they make the wrong move, but you’ve got it down…you’re the master of the stone-face!
6. You’ve accidentally yelled “Director!” when someone cuts you off in traffic or makes a nasty comment to you at the supermarket.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could have a director play the referee role in our everyday lives?
7. All of your friends are bridge players…and you’re not mad about it!
It makes dinner parties so much more fun…and what’s a Saturday afternoon without a game at the bridge club?!
8. Your shelves are packed to the helm with The Bridge World and Eddie Kantar.
What better activity could there be to fill your non-bridge-playing hours than improving your game through reading?
9. You fight more with your partner than you do with your spouse.
Unless – God forbid – your partner is your spouse!
10. You have many strong opinions on play etiquette.
You can’t abide by anyone who makes gratuitous comments, puts their pen to the bidding pad without knowing what they’re going to bid, or doesn’t claim as declarer when the outcome is obvious.
11. And finally…there’s nothing you’d rather do than play bridge!
It’s a great way to spend your retirement…and your vacations, weekends, evenings, and holidays.
DISCLAIMER: The results of this self-test are not intended to constitute a diagnosis of ‘bridge player’ and should be used solely as a guide to understanding your bridge playing and social and family issues involved with it. The information provided here cannot substitute for a full evaluation by a bridge director or teacher.