How to Avoid Chasing Losses in Bridge
by Jude Goodwin
Bridge is a game of skill, strategy, and patience, where players rely on their experience, communication, and judgment to succeed. However, for many, one of the most difficult challenges in the game is managing the emotional rollercoaster that comes with the highs and lows of competition. I personally find this one of the biggest challenges of the game.
You’re going to win, and you’re going to lose, and your skill level will determine how this balances out in the long run. However, chasing losses, or the tendency to make impulsive decisions in an attempt to recover lost points, is a common pitfall in bridge. To maintain a steady hand at the table, here are some crucial tips to help players avoid chasing losses and play bridge with a clear, focused mindset.
Understand the Nature of Bridge
One of the first steps to avoiding the temptation to chase losses in bridge is understanding that it is a long-term game. Unlike many games or activities where the results are determined quickly, bridge is a game of many rounds, hands, and decisions, each of which builds toward a cumulative outcome. A single bad hand or round does not define the entire session or determine the ultimate result.
Whether you’re playing in person or online, bridge is a game of strategy and skill that requires a measured approach, no matter where you play.
Good players learn to focus on making strategic decisions rather than attempting to recover from a perceived setback. By recognizing that bridge is a marathon, not a sprint, you can take a more measured approach and avoid the impulsiveness that comes with chasing losses.
Don’t Make Assumptions
When playing duplicate bridge, each hand you play is graded against how everyone sitting in your direction played that hand. So the first thing to consider is the fact that if you had trouble with those cards, it’s very likely other players had that same trouble.
Let’s say you are in 4S and are set 1 trick. You might think this is a terrible result, and so you take a risk on the next hand to recover. But then you check your scores at the end of the night and see that not only did most players get set 1 trick, but some got set 2 tricks. This ‘terrible hand’ was in fact a better than average result! Unfortunately, the risk you took on the following hand was not duplicated by other players and you received a bottom score.
Scoring at duplicate can seem complicated, but in essence, each hand will score a top (best score in the room or close to it), a bottom (worst score in the room or close to it) or average (average plus or average minus),
One of the things I used to do to avoid ‘chasing loses’ is to keep a running estimate on my personal scorecard. I do this simply, by placing a plus, minus, or zero next to each score. This way, I have a visual estimate of how my game is going. If I think a hand was a bottom I put a zero by it. If I think it was a top, I put a plus by it. Then as the game proceeds, I ‘cancel’ things out. A plus cancels out a zero. A top board will cancel out a bottom board and you’ll be back to average!
Habits like this can also help a player keep their mind in the game, and emotions in control.
These days the type of scoring devices used at clubs and tournaments, often a BridgeMate, can help by showing you right away what other players score on the same hand.
Immediate Results: When the scoring device is set to show immediate results, players at your table can see the score for that hand and how it compares to others who have already played it. This way you’ll know right away if it was a bad result, or if it’s not clear. Towards the end of the session, when most players have played the hand, you can get a pretty accurate idea of how your result will score.
Cumulative Rankings: Alternatively, some tournaments might display overall rankings or percentages on the device after each round or at the end of a session. So for example, if you have a 72% on a hand, that’s pretty good.
Privacy for Larger Events: To avoid influencing play, some tournaments limit the visibility of broader results until the session is over. At World Bridge Championship events, for example, electronic scoring devices like Bridgemates or similar systems are typically used, but the way results are shared with players during these events is more controlled compared to club games or regional tournaments. Scores are entered after each board, and the data is transmitted instantly to the tournament directors and scoring system. Players often do not see running results during the session to prevent any undue influence on play. Keeping the running scores private maintains the integrity of the competition. Results may only be shown at the end of the session or after the entire match concludes.
Practice Patience and Self-Control
Bridge is a game that rewards patience and careful thinking. Losing a hand doesn’t mean you’ve made a fatal mistake or that your chances of winning are over. In fact, many professional players emphasize the importance of mental endurance.
The ability to stay patient after a bad hand is a skill that separates skilled bridge players from beginners.
If you’re playing at a physical or online bridge table, it’s essential to recognize when you’re becoming frustrated or anxious. These emotions are often the triggers that lead to poor decisions and ultimately to chasing losses. The key is to focus on playing the long game—make thoughtful decisions, trust your strategy, and resist the urge to take unnecessary risks in an effort to recover lost points.
Remember, even if you have a string of bad results, there’s still plenty of time to recover in the game. As we pointed out above, tops cancel out bottoms, and the rest of the players, often referred to as ‘the field’ can easily rescue you from what you perceive as a bad game.
Take Breaks to Regain Focus
When things aren’t going well, sometimes the best option is to step away from the table, whether you’re playing in person or online. Taking a break gives your mind the opportunity to reset and refocus.
If you find yourself becoming emotionally invested in your losses, take a moment to breathe, stretch, or even step away from the game entirely for a short while. This will prevent you from impulsively continuing to chase your losses and help you come back to the game with a clearer head. Online platforms, in particular, can make it tempting to keep playing because of the convenience they offer. However, taking breaks is an important part of maintaining focus and avoiding the mental traps that lead to chasing losses.
At club and tournament games, there are many opportunities to get up and walk a bit, even if just to the washroom.
Focus on Long-Term Improvement, Not Immediate Results
Bridge is a complex game that requires time to master, and players should always keep in mind that improving their skill over the long run is far more important than immediate results.
Think of each hand you play as an opportunity to improve your game skills. Good players carry the hands with them and talk them over with their partner or friends after the game. You’d be amazed at how many different stories there can be with the same deal of cards. And some of them will be very funny. Going over hands at the end of a game is often called the ‘Post Mortem’ and some of my favourite memories from my early years playing bridge are the hilarious stories and laughter while talking over the boards from a game.
In the game of bridge at all levels you will have bad results, bad rounds, and bad days. I remember once in my early days examining a scoresheet for a tournament event and noting that the best players in the room had a below average game. It was a bit shocking at the time. We assume that once we are world class players, we’ll have winning games consistently.
World class players do win consistently over the long run. But like any game where chance has a part to play, and bridge has an element of luck just like all competitive sports, there will be unlucky results, there will be bad days. And remember, to become that bridge expert you will have needed to play thousands of hands. Think of each hand you play, each club game, each tournament, as contributing to your long-term goal of becoming expert at the game. And trust the process.
When Money is Involved
Bridge is not a money game. Most of us play for points and prestige which, to bridge players, are both valuable currency. However, money is still involved in the overall bridge experience.
When I was a young player in my 20s, I was a single mom with not a lot of household money. Taking some of that money to attend a bridge tournament, which could involve travel, hotel room and meals as well as table fees, was a big deal. So imagine how I felt when, after all that expense, I played poorly or had a series of losing games! Even having one bad result could fill me with instant despair – and guilt.
When money is involved, you need to look at your expectations, just like with any activity where finances play a role. This is also true for games outside of bridge, such as gambling. If you enjoy other activities like visiting casinos, it’s important to approach them responsibly. For instance, players in the UK looking for options outside of traditional gambling platforms might find this list of trusted non-GamStop casinos helpful for identifying reliable choices.
If you feel the need to have a winning game in order to justify the money you’ve spent, that’s going to put a lot of pressure on you and you might have the urge to chase your losses to try to recover bad results.
If I had realized in those early days that I would be playing bridge for life and that these tournament experiences were part of my education and an investment in my future in the game, I would have better understood the long-term value of spending family money. Indeed, although I never became a professional bridge player, the game supported me financially for 50 years.
Conclusion
Bridge is a game of patience, strategy, and mental discipline as well as skill. We hope these tips will help you stay calm and avoid chasing one bad board with another that’s even worse. Remember you’re there to learn and to continue to hone your skills and gain experience. The beauty of bridge is that, even after 50 years, there’s still something new to learn – about yourself and about the game.