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Sometimes I Say BBO Just to Have to Explain Bridge

About six months ago, I was called to the lawyer’s office several towns over to fill in some obligatory paperwork. Lawyers love paperwork. 

When I got to the question about what I do for a living, I simply added, “BBO” and moved on to the next one.

I trailed the form to the end, signed and then dated.

A few minutes later, halfway into an energy drink I’d brought into the office to wake me up this time of the morning, I saw a puzzled expression float across the lawyer’s face. A slight amount of worry must have floated over mine at the same time. 

“What’s BBO?”

The golden question. 

“Well,” I said. “First, I have to explain bridge.”

Here’s where I have to admit that I sometimes work the acronym BBO into conversations with non-bridge players just to get the conversation to a few sentences about bridge. 

Why?

It works.

Bridge is a new topic for many people, and I remember this every time I meet someone and know they might not play bridge. The game has become part of my daily life; if you know me long enough, then I’m probably going to tell you something about bridge at some point.

I’ve even interjected a few conversations with: “Oh, you think the Golden Gate bridge is great? Have you ever heard of contract bridge?” or “Maybe you’d enjoy bridge.” 

I’m also a walking tome of increasingly random bridge-related facts. These are rattled off at random – and usually until someone asks me to stop.

Bridge is a great conversation starter (and sometimes interrupter). Talking about bridge everywhere can only help the game to move forward into the minds of more people.