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3 Unlikely distractions from your online game

Online bridge contains less distractions than your average face-to-face club game, if you asked most people. But does it really?

Distractions are everywhere. Distractions are… Well, they’re distracting. A distraction can be anything that takes your attention away from what you’re doing right now – sometimes, demanding all of it.

What has been known to throw you off from concentrating on your online play?

The simple humming of a plug can throw some players off their best. Other times, it’s the much louder humming of a lawnmower that gets in the way of the best way to play your card.

Distractions aren’t less when you’re playing online, if you’ve ever thought that they might be. They’re just different ones.

Here’s an examination of 3 unlikely distractions from your online bridge game (and what you can do to counter them when they happen).

1. Background Noise (Noise, Noise)

Noise is a real nightmare for concentration.

To add to this statement, everyone I can think of has at least one sound they hate. It’s a common thing, and can be attributed to scrambling up an entire day’s worth of focus for some.

How do you cope with background noise during online bridge?

The answer lies with noise-cancelling headphones, overpowering music, or finding a quieter environment or time to play your game.

2. Power outages

Power outages don’t help for concentration.

Even when your device’s battery is running on full, a sudden power-cut is enough to give anyone a jolt. Some people are known to scream, and I usually let out a string of words I can’t repeat here as it happens.

What now?

Prepare for power outages if you’re in a part of the world where they happen often. Battery-powered (or solar) lighting, candles as a backup light source, and power-banks can get you through the average stretch.

Remember that eye-strain is a serious problem: Don’t play bridge in bad light.

3. Mobile notifications & updates

If you use your mobile to play online bridge, mobile notifications can present a pretty bad distraction from the game.

In the worst cases, the notification might even get in the way of seeing the table (or could kill your chances of a proper connection). Phone calls and messaging app notifications are often the suggested worst case for bridge playing.

No, it’s never worthwhile to flip out. Tempting, yes, but not worth it.

There’s a much better suggestion: Find your phone’s notification settings, and time-out notifications or temporarily turn them off. Most apps allow for it, and it can stop you from being bothered in the middle of an online tournament.

Just remember to disable the settings when you’re done so that your contacts can still reach you.


What’s your worst distraction from playing an online bridge game – and what have you done to deal with it easier?