Poker players and other choice game gamblers have been divided into categories and personality types for decades – and there’s a reason why certain types of players and dealers came to be known as card sharks for their marked aggression at at the table (and, I’d suppose, a few other things).
Let’s move the magnifying glass over to bridge for a moment.
Here are 8 types of bridge players you might meet around the table.
1. The Trickster
The trickster might look unassuming at first, but they soon show their nature when they start taking most of the tricks at the table.
Usually, this is a player who has been playing games for years – but in elite money bridge games and private clubs that you’ve never heard of.
It can be the guy in the Hawaiian shirt or the sweet-looking old lady at the back. The trickster is proof that appearances can be deceiving.
Unless you’re very well prepared or experience a bizarre stroke of the best luck on the day of the game, the trickster almost always wins.
2. The Predominantly Online Player
The predominantly online player is one who spends most of their time in online games and decide to show up to the occasional bridge game in person.
Usually, they play a few other games in the online space too, whether it’s a TCG or an FPS.
Predominantly online players might occasionally slip on the nuances of club games (or stray away from making conversation); sometimes they can be spotted by the fact that they’re attached to their devices during the break – but the predominantly online player has put a lot of serious practice into their game.
Never underestimate the predominantly online player: They’ve had many hours of practice, and never had to reveal their face at a physical game to do it.
3. The Hedgehog
There’s at least a handful of hedgehogs at every bridge game. This isn’t a reference to the fact that their demeanor might be a bit prickly at the best of times, but instead it’s a reference to the video game character most people know and love: Sonic.
You can buy caffeine at most bridge games: If you can’t, you could probably sneak it in. (And it’s the number one way to spot a player who has.)
When a player has gone full Sonic the Hedgehog, you might notice that they’re overly talkative, sweating more than they should, playing with dilated pupils and – at least for a while – their reflexes are a little better.
The hedgehog is usually a player aggressive in their style, but becomes easier to distract from what you’re doing with the cards as the game draws on and their power-up nears the end.
4. The Mathematician, Programmer or Engineer
A lot of bridge players are mathematicians, programmers or engineers. When you spot them at a bridge game, the first thing you should know is that they’re calculating the odds of the game by default – and unless you’re a genius or in the same career, they’re doing it faster.
Their grasp of the mathematics of the game is inevitably superior, and they’re especially fun to get talking about their passions and careers.
5. The Bridge Celebrity
The world of bridge has its own celebrities, and there are many celebrities famous for other things that are taking to bridge.
When you encounter anyone that fits the profile of someone you’ve been admiring for years, playing with or against them at the table can be a great experience – but don’t get so starstruck that you ramble on about questions they probably don’t want to answer.
6. The Old Couples’ Partnership
This is what happens when you encounter a bridge partnership that have been both (1) playing together for a long time, and (2) married or together for just as long.
Many of these partnerships were forged through bridge to begin with, although many others just found a kindred spirit in the game and decided to form an official bridge partnership.
They might bicker a little away from the tables and they might not always see things the same way, but man, they know one another’s bids and plays like the back of their hand.
Never take on an old couples’ partnership without some experience and a very, very good partner.
7. The Prodigy
The amount of youth players in the game is on the increase, and the easiest way to say this is that many of the new additions to the game are so damn good at it that it’s terrifying.
The prodigy goes to show that age has nothing to do with how good you can be at the game, and they have the incredible ability to beat players who are more than twice or three times their age.
Prodigies are young, impressive players with a lot to offer the game and should be encouraged as much as possible!
8. The Traditionalist
Every bridge game sees a few traditionalists who remain unchanged in their ways – or their bidding. The traditionalists usually stick to classic forms of bidding (or regionally-specific ones) and don’t care much for the rest.
Usually, the traditionalist plays every game with a finely-tuned plan, and has worked out their game and plays over many games with an equally successful bridge partner.
They coordinate particularly well, and there’s a type of calmness in their bidding and play.