Paul Cronin

World class player! – world class ethics?

 I played today on BBO against what were apparently an “expert” and a “novice”. As I usually do, I looked up the rating of both on “BBO Skill” and discovered that the “expert” was rated as a “world class player”, and the “novice” was rated as an “expert”. Curious about the novice charade, I asked for the reason, and the world class player said that he had asked his partner to list himself as a novice. My partner was rated as “Advanced-“. During one of the early hands, I opened the bidding and the world class player overcalled 1S on what turned out to be xx in spades. His partner bid two hearts, alerted as an invitational spade raise, and the world class player bid 4H-which made. Can anybody explain what satisfaction a world class player could possibly get by psyching against lesser players? Can anybody explain how a world class player wouldn’t know that you just don’t do that? Sure, sure – we can just click off and find another game and not worry about this – but I can’t – the “ethics” of it really bother me. Unrelated to the above, maybe, is another hand where the “novice” opened 1S, I overcalled 2C, and the WCP doubled. My partner passed, and the “novice” bid 4H with xxx in hearts – saying after the contract made that “it just felt right”.  Hmm……….


2 Comments

Judy Kay-WolffJuly 8th, 2013 at 4:20 am

Paul:

Nothing shocks me anymore. It is really a joke how these newbies consider themselves ‘world class players’ to begin with. I always say one or two swallows does not a summer make. Play twenty-years and win a few world championships and then come back and apply for the job.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark — just as the facade on your internet game. To me what happened is despicable. Do they really think it is funny? If so, they have sick senses of humor. What has happened to our once-wonderful game????????????????

By the way, were they playing on side by side computers? Sounds that way or something
tantamount to that.

My sympathy!

Judy

Steven GaynorJuly 8th, 2013 at 8:38 pm

I understand that the owners of BBO want to hear about this kind of play so they can get rid of it. I encourage you to contact them and report the players involved.

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