[Lestat]

 

1. How does one get to be an expert?  I would enjoy hearing from experts how they came to be expert--how hard did they work at it, personal examples, focus of their efforts, development of their skills, etc.
2. What qualifies a person to that title?  In amateur golf, it's nice to be labeled a "scratch" player.  What criteria are universally acceptable or a good reference?
3. How much of a factor (in being or becoming) an expert is bidding, declarer play, defense, or "other?"

Thx.  

[fred]

Quote

 

1. How does one get to be an expert?  I would enjoy hearing from experts how they came to be expert--how hard did they work at it, personal examples, focus of their efforts, development of their skills, etc.
2. What qualifies a person to that title?  In amateur golf, it's nice to be labeled a "scratch" player.  What criteria are universally acceptable or a good reference?
3. How much of a factor (in being or becoming) an expert is bidding, declarer play, defense, or "other?"

Thx.  

To some extent the answer depends on what you mean by "expert". In my view this term is used far too much on BBO and throughout the world of live bridge. I consider no more than 1% of all bridge players to be experts. To me, the only reliable standard of expertise is regular success in major tournaments.

Here are some tips:

1. Be prepared to spend several years working at it!

2. Play as much as you can.

3. Go over all of the deals that you play in an attempt to evaulate your weaknesses and learn from your mistakes. Do not believe people who say "I played perfectly today". Every bridge player makes several errors every time he plays. Having the right attitude about your mistakes is very important.

4. Play with and against the best possible opposition.

5. Ask more experienced players questions about bridge and LISTEN to their answers! Do not ask questions for the sake of proving yourself right. Ask questions so that you can learn the truth! Do not ask a question and then tell a more experienced player he/she is wrong (even if you believe this). Thank them for their advice and think about what they had to say. You can later choice to ignore their advice if you want.

6. Read as much as you can.

7. Use various software tools to help improve your skills and understanding. Our company has developed several excellent educational products that can help.

8. Don't spend a lot of time learning conventions or fancy bidding systems. Concentrate on card play and judgment.

9. Consider hiring a teacher or professional player to help you learn.

To really be an expert, you must be proficient at all aspects of the game. Being proficient at bidding does not mean knowing a million conventions. It means being able to make consistently winning decisions in judgment situations.

Hope that helps and good luck in your quest!

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[bglover]

I think Fred's explanation applies to BBO's "World Class" designation...I sometimes list myself as an expert because I am not world class but I feel I am better than most other players (not all would agree of course and some days I'm not as good as a beginner)!

On other bridge sites I list myself as Advanced because their expert designation would be equivalent to BBO's World Class according to the posted standards. So, until the day comes when BBO designates World Class players at its own whim (all the star players  should be world class) I will designate myself one level below that because that's where I feel where I usually belong.

I've won a lot of tournaments, amassed a large number of points and studied the game to a great extent for close to 40 years. I used to play semi professionally in my younger days (meaning people paid me to be their partner) but I was a much better player when I was younger (senility affecting me these days I think).

But. not being too easy on myself here, I did not bump myself into "expert" until I was convinced that I played at least as well as most of the people who had designated themselves as such. Do I feel they are all experts too? I think most everyone who has designated themselves as such play at least competently most of the time, whereas a lot of people who have "Advanced" designations i feel are at best intermediate after playing with them (and there are at least five people who list themselves as advanced who are close to world class).

So, in a sense, I only find the expert and world class designations useful on BBO... the range of people listing themselves as "Advanced" varies greatly and you never know what you are getting. I'll take my chances on someone with "Expert" on their profile and expect (and usually get) competent anyway.