What does online bridge mean to me?
Bridge has long has held an elitist reputation as a rich man’s game.
Given that you just need 4 like minded people and a pack of cards, this reputation for the game mystified me. Online bridge gave me an opportunity to play a variety of tournaments at all levels from club to nationals. This became an invaluable tool to try out my skills against people from all parts of the world.
As Covid disappears and live bridge comes into action, my mind has been beset with mixed feelings. While I welcome the opportunity to get to know the people behind the BBO IDs, there is a part of me that longs for online bridge.
Live tourneys seem to be out of reach requiring investment of time and money. The rich playing field has given away to deserted lands. While concerns of ethics remain over online. I believe in the inventiveness of mankind. Where there is a will, there will be a way.
There could be hybrid systems requiring people to play from a central location in the city under monitoring such that entire community can participate without having to travel to distant locations. I strongly believe that as the game becomes more accessible it’s popularity will grow. While the live format has its indubitable pluses and charm, it does cut down accessibility and enthusiasm.
I sincerely hope that more is done to make the game accessible. Online bridge will lead to increased popularity and reach of the game.
Being providers of online bridge, our bias towards that platform is definite. However, we welcome articles and or comments to this article in favor of live bridge or online bridge and we promise to publish the same without any bias towards any sides. Eds.
Nice article. I agree with the author. For bridge to grow and develop, we need to put our heads together and find a way to leverage the strengths of online as well as live bridge. There is no reason to believe that the (primarily ethical) issues with online bridge will not be resolved. So it is important for all bridge administrators to recognise this and find a way to combine the two.
Totally agree !!
Both modes can and will Coexist . The target audience and the takers will vary . Also , both modules might need to modify their programme and schedules .
Online bridge is a great engine for game’s popularity and general awareness . It’s a very handy platform for basic bridge education and for training . However ftf bridge is a soul and a pulse of the game as a whole and should remain so .
Great
Online became more popular,no doubt at all.
But slowly slowly live bridge is starting,but as u rightly pointed out,it us time consuming,as well as monetory also.
But i prefer mix version,few live and few online
Nicely written article and relevant at this point in time as Bridge returns to Face 2 Face mode. I second her views as to the reservations on ethical part of Online Bridge. Online would be of great relevance and value from a different perspective. Online classes, Online library and repository of Bridge materials, Online practice sessions, Online meet and chat with Gurus of the game, Online Bridge problems / quizzes, et al. Of course, there could be some Organisers who may prefer Online platform, as it would reach a wider audience and could bring in more participation.
Organizers preferring an online platform doesn’t mean anything.
At the end, it will be the player finding some events more convenient to play online rather than another, physical event.
Online bridge is great
We can play from anywhere in the world and make friends. This is one more plus point besides playing bridge . Keep it up and enjoy.
I agree with Priya’s views . I think I have played a lot more bridge, undergone a lot more trainings and have learnt a lot more during the last 2 years when we were online . Surprisingly, have also made many more bridge playing friends.
Hence we should not be blind to the fact that the online model was quite successful and probably allowed many more people to play the game we all love.
The face to face tournaments, excludes a large playing population who cannot take the time off to go to the tourneys . These include working professionals, students and many women players. There is also a question of costs besides time.
While there maybe some issues with regard to unethical practices , one should not throw the baby with the bathwater, but instead work out ways to ensure that we have both types in the tournament calendar.
The big advantage during the last 2 years has been a large number of senior (age) players who were totally averse to playing online have joined the bandwagon.
Lets us keep an open mind and work towards a hybrid model for the future!
Thanks for the really long response.
I think you should write your thoughts in a separate article.
Would you please?
Thanks in advance
Nice article. Both are bound to coexist.
Online bridge is great for people who can’t travel to various places for participating in various tournaments and also for people who are friends across the globe to play in casual games of tournaments. Offline bridge is great for people who want to travel and socialize face to face with people and enjoy the game. My humble request will be to encourage both the formats. Thanks.
ON LINE BRIDGE HAS DONE A LOT TO BRIDGE FRATERNITY DURING THE PANDEMIC.FINDING THE WAY TO STOP UNETHICAL
PRACTICES IS A DILEMMA BUT WHEN RESOLVED FULLY WITH THE CONTRIBUTION OF ALL IT IS HIGHLY WELCOMED AND
NEED BE RATED EQUIVALENT TO LIVE BRIDGE AS REGARDS RANKING PTS/MASTER PTS.
BRIDGE FRATERNITY IS GETTING OLDER ,PHYSICAL TRAVEL BY ANY MEANS IS NOT SO COMFORTABLE LIKE ON LINE BRIDGE
AT THEIR HOME/CONVENIENCE