Some legendary bridge partnerships were made in heaven, others were slow-roasted in hell.

You might have found your current bridge partner online, in the supermarket, at a local club event, through the Partnership Desk. However your bridge partnership came to be, it’s a fact that not all bridge partnerships are meant to be – or intended to last for more than a handful of games before they disband.

Here are a few giveaway signs that your bridge partnership might be doomed from the start.

When Skills Are Grossly Mismatched

Most successful bridge partnerships are on the same level, at least more or less, or have extremely good chemistry and co-operation at the table to make up for it when they’re not. But sometimes the skill level between bridge partners can be so grossly mismatched that one player has no idea what their partner is doing – and it leads to one misunderstanding after another.

Where you feel like the gap in skills is too vast, it might be time to shift to another partner, or to take matters into your own hands if skill level is the only issue. If your bridge partner isn’t keeping up and you’d like to keep it going, recommend a teacher or point them in the way of a good book.

When You’re the Designated Driver

A lot of bridge games are followed by celebratory parties: Sometimes before, sometimes after and sometimes at the event. This isn’t ideal and I’ve heard of a handful of cases where it became a serious problem.

If your partner has a habit of getting completely smashed at parties and club events  (or drinks on the sly from a hidden flask), it might be time for a talk.

It might also be time for an intervention and another bridge partner.

When It’s Not a Fare Partnership

Club fees, event fees and parking fees are just some of the fees a partnership will have to settle in the course of the average year. There are also travel and meal costs – plus a few others – that get added on top.

It’s not a fair (or fare) partnership if you’re asked to foot the bill every time.

A serious look at partnership costs and who is paying for what might be in order if this is the problem plaguing your partnership. If you’re the only one paying, it might be time to move on.

When Bids Are Lost in Translation

It’s often said that “bidding is the language of bridge.”

What if your bridge partner doesn’t speak it?

Successful bidding requires a fair amount of co-operation and synchronicity between two people. If you and your partner never see eye-to-eye when it comes to bidding or play in the middle of the game, it might be time to look for a more suited bridge partner.

This is usually no reflection on the skill level of either partner, but has more to do with people just not fitting together in their thought processes.

When There’s Attraction That Shouldn’t Be

A lot of successful marriages happened around the bridge table, but I’d imagine many crimes of passion and homicides of lust have been committed and contemplated after games, too.

While you’re supposed to like your bridge partner and love thy neighbor, you’re not necessarily supposed to like or love them that much. If you’re already spoken for or your bridge partner has a life partner, it’s best to sever ties if attraction at the bridge table crosses beyond what’s acceptable.