Janet de Botton

1 day ago | spectator.co.uk | Janet de Botton

One FAQ by people who are thinking of learning bridge is: ‘Do you have to be good at maths to become a good bridge player?’ The answer is you don’t need to be Rain Man but familiarity with numeracy will be an asset. Logic plays a big part in making a good player and, if all that fails you, there is the greatest asset of all – table presence! That virtually unnoticeable nanosecond’s hesitation or a slow player playing faster than normal at a crucial moment.

2 weeks ago | spectator.com.au | Janet de Botton

A couple of weekends ago, the Scottish Bridge Union ran the inaugural British Isles Trophy, a mixed team’s event for the Home Counties. It was played on RealBridge, the website that allows players to both see and hear each other.

2 weeks ago | spectator.co.uk | Janet de Botton

Text size Small Medium Large Line Spacing Compact Normal Spacious Comments A couple of weekends ago, the Scottish Bridge Union ran the inaugural British Isles Trophy, a mixed team’s event for the Home Counties. It was played on RealBridge, the website that allows players to both see and hear each other. Bridge, being the last bastion of ‘hilarious’ misogyny, always has an alpha chuckle when somebody says, and somebody always does: ‘There isn’t a good pair in the room!’ I asked my friend Nick,...

4 weeks ago | spectator.co.uk | Janet de Botton

I am sure that readers of this column need no introduction to Victor Mollo’s most famous creation, The Hideous Hog. Bridge in the Menagerie was first published in 1965 and today, Mollo’s stereotypes are as sharp and apposite as they were 60 years ago. And don’t think (as I did) that hogging is an exclusively male prerogative; I’ve seen women bid their five-card major three times rather than let their partner near the cards. And what about trick hogging?

4 weeks ago | spectator.com.au | Janet de Botton

I am sure that readers of this column need no introduction to Victor Mollo’s most famous creation, The Hideous Hog. Bridge in the Menagerie was first published in 1965 and today, Mollo’s stereotypes are as sharp and apposite as they were 60 years ago. And don’t think (as I did) that hogging is an exclusively male prerogative; I’ve seen women bid their five-card major three times rather than let their partner near the cards.