I’d like to take a moment of your time to bring up one of my favourite personality-based exercises of all time.

It’s something that you’ll often see when people are being interviewed, or when an interviewer is hoping to gain some insight into their subject with a single question.

“If you could be any animal in the world, which would you choose?”

The question is a personality exercise partially thanks to what it can reveal about a person. As people, we place ourselves into specific contexts – personality traits, or aspects that we imagine we have versus ones that we think we don’t.

If someone says lion as an answer, they might imagine themselves as fierce: it could also be an attribute that comes into play when they’re your opponent. Are they going to play much like the animal they imagine themselves to be?

Rabbits aren’t really rueful, let me tell you. Rabbits can be ruthless and fast, but with a monstrous kick. Don’t let fluff and fur fool you before a bridge game.

Here’s a theory on the different animals you might encounter at the bridge table.

The Lion player

If the first animal a player chooses is the lion, you can bet that they view themselves as some very serious bridge competition. Lions aren’t called kings of the jungle for nothing, and the lion is legendary for being a great hunter.

Hint: if you’re playing the lion or lioness at a bridge game, make sure you don’t become their next prey.

The Dolphin player

Dolphins seem friendly and acceptable to everyone who has viewed popular movies on human-animal friendships. If you’ve had the pleasure of knowing dolphins in person, you’ll know they aren’t all full of oceanic cuteness.

Dolphins are hunters, too. They’re calculating, fast, and probably play better bridge than your favourite grandmother. Good luck if your opponent calls themselves a dolphin.

The Owl player

Owls are almost international symbols of wisdom and thought. Where an owl appears, you can guess at your opponent being a great thinker (or at least, thinking that they are).

There’s one more thing… Owls are ferocious and accurate hunters. Once they have you in their sights, they’ll swoop down and there’s one less clever rabbit in the world. Play bridge against owls with care!

The Cat player

Players who say they are most like cats could be saying this for several reasons. First, they might just be a cat-person – and thus, their own felines have long since accepted them as being Cat People. Second, they might be able to retract their claws until the last moments of the game.

While cats seem lazy, cats are as elegant as bridge players of the ’30s dressed up in their suits. When you’re playing against a cat, watch their moves closely, and expect a few sharp curveballs.

The Peacock player

The player who attributes the peacock as their closest personality relies on the fanciness of its dress to say this, but it does not mean peacocks are all show. Just look up any videos of fighting peacocks on YouTube to see how fired-up things can get.

While you’re looking at the fancy parts, you aren’t looking at the claws. Playing bridge against a peacock? Pay more attention to their playing!

Which animals have you encountered at the bridge table? Which animal would you say is most like you?