Connie Nelson is back in Minnesota - and not only writing up a storm but playing up a storm - ON LINE!
Read all about it - and - join in the fun!
On April 15, we offered our first ever St. Cloud Club game online. (Thank you, Kim Hayward, for directing.) Three tables signed up, and it felt great to be back playing with old friends. The Chat lines were filled with “hellos” – as well as playful trash talk.
I know most of us would prefer to play face to face at our Clubs, but - for some - the online version of play is providing a reasonable alternative. David Hanson said, “Playing bridge online while enjoying a nice glass of wine … sublime!” (Did you just write a poem, David?)
Wayne Reynolds added, “I would go totally stir crazy if it wasn’t for on-line bridge.”
One pair of our “advancing” St. Cloud players has been playing quite a bit. This week alone, they played on Monday, twice on Tuesday and once on Wednesday! I was curious what they thought:
Rhonda Rossman considers online bridge to be “a lifesaver.” She said it has kept her connected to her regular partner and other local players. She loves that “you can play – and go back and review the hands - at any time. You can do that with Club games, too, but this version shows the bidding sequence at every table. That has been a great learning tool for me!”
Her partner Liz Hammer had this to say: “I have enjoyed online bridge. It’s convenient and fun to have something to do while sequestered at home.” She went on to say: “I most love playing in the St. Cloud and St. Paul Clubs’ virtual games because I know the people and trust their bids.” However, other online games have “opened up a whole new world,” Liz said, “I find myself playing with people from around the world.” (I appreciated that statement. One hand Jim and I recently played, our two opponents were in Pakistan and Romania!)
Liz envisioned potential, longer-term implications: “We at the St. Cloud Club have a lot of people who go South for the winter – or can’t leave their homes due to mobility issues, such as hip surgeries. We have dear friends who have moved to other states to be closer to their families, such as Mary Labernik. Even after the “shelter at home” is over, we could continue to offer at least one online game a week to stay connected with these people.”
Finally, one of our most experienced players had this to say - Paul Sitz says he has played online for over 20 years. He touts certain advantages over face-to-face bridge. For instance: No one can bid or play out of turn. No one can make an insufficient bid. No one can renege. He likes that bids are self-alerted, rather than partner-alerted. This way, at least the bidder (should) know what his/her bid meant, while a partner could give honest – but misleading - information.
While many of us are struggling to simply get online, these early adapters might show us the way.
What have been your Club members’ experiences?
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