A couple of weeks ago, I posted some etiquette suggestions specifically for online playing. Several of them addressed slow play, aka the bane of BBO. (see for example the October 2020 editorial in ACBL’s Bridge Bulletin). Scroll down the right sidebar to read them.
Left unmentioned was a very important aspect of online play: claiming in a timely fashion, as soon as the conclusion of the deal is obvious. This is not only courteous for your opponents and partner, it shows you actually know what you’re doing. Opps can also concede under the same circumstances but they often cannot be sure that their partner does not hold a winning card, so it’s usually up to declarer to make the call.
The title of this post is actually taken from an article by District 18’s Advocate in which he argues the case convincingly.
Here are a couple of his tips for online players:
- Playing online, saving time is very important, so always claim or concede as early as possible. Your cyber opponents and your partner expect you to click the “Claim” button as soon as you know the likely result, even in cases where there may be a chance for an overtrick.
- If you’re playing against beginners or known skeptics, it may save time to actually play out a few extra tricks before you make your “obvious” claim. Choose a point where the end position will be clear and simple and, best, all the trumps have been drawn.
- Don’t insult your opponents’ intelligence by running an Idiot Squeeze, where you have an obvious-to-everyone loser, but you play out all 13 tricks in the hope that the defenders will make a bonehead discard or, even less sportsmanlike, that one will revoke. Accept that they aren’t going to pitch their ace and just concede the trick. You may need the time for a tougher problem on the next board.
- Never play out all the tricks when you know you have the rest. This is actually a violation of bridge proprieties. According to Law 74, a player should refrain from “prolonging play unnecessarily (as in playing on although he knows that all the tricks are surely his) for the purpose of disconcerting an opponent”.