[paulhar]

You are a real world-class player. A player that you don't know sends you a (BBO mail?) message something like:

I feel that I could maximize my learning experience by watching you and your favorite partner play a team game against another tough pair. Because your system is something that I strive to play well, kibitzing you is more valuable to me than kibitzing other good pairs. If you could let me know when you were to play such a match, I would greatly appreciate it.

How do you react?

All can answer but clearly the answers from the world-class players are most important, and since all will answer, I'd like the top players to post as well. If you are good friends with a top player that probably isn't reading this forum, asking him/her to answer would be really nice. Thank you.

[McBruce]

Despite my stance as a TD on the barring-kibs issue, I voted for telling the 'fan' whenever I was going to play. Not that I am likely to have many fans...

[paulhar]

51 views and 3 votes! I guess the rest of you, like me, couldn't even imagine themselves in that position

[inquiry]

Well, I am not world class, but I will answer.

My answer is probably not surprizing, I said I would try to be helpful to a student of the game. If anyone reads my post here, you see that I try to help out a lot.

I would not set up a mail lilst nor tell the person everytime I was going to play. The reason for this is that I don't know when I am going to play. I have no regular scheduled games (trying to set one up now with misho, if I get it done, I would inform them of that).

Now, why people choose to watch me I don't know. Maybe because the yellow name I have now makes me stand out, but more likely because I always try to play against the best opponents I can (getting beat by experts is not onlly expected, but an honor, but to lose to lesser mortals is not...so I take my lumps from the best and rationalize I can still be a pretty good player... if the novices and beginners drub me, what could I say?).

Anyway, kibitzer are, and have always been welcomed at my table. Last night I even explained to a whole host of them an odd play I made... I held the following pair of hands playing with a pickup partner and basically no bidding agreements....

Scoring: IMP

---

West North East South

 Pass  Pass  Pass  4♥
 Pass  Pass  Pass  

(side note, try to find partners who are better card holders if you blast to game like this in fourth seat...I couldn't beleive how badly we fit and how absolutely nothing my partner had)

The opening lead was the ♦Q. Given the wild distribution and the lead and the fact that I held I the ♦J, I assumed the ♦Q to be a singleton. So when I played low and RHO won the ACE, I dropped the king without any "apparent" thought. East shifted to club and club.

I explained to the kibitzers, why I dropped the KING. I feared ♦back -ruff, black card to EAST, ♦ ruff. I thougth dropping the king might get a switch, and makes it look to east that west lead ♦Q from QJ9. In addition, As I feed EAST ♥ after ♥, and I threw ♦ after ♦ from dummy, East would throw his "useless" ♦'s away and I would end up winning 2♦ tricks instead of just one. Plan turns out not to be necessary since WEST had lead from Qx of ♦, but it worked just the same.

Is ♦K a good false-card at trick one? Maybe not, but I shared my thoughts with the kibitzers.

Ben

[paulhar]

Maybe people on this forum are more helpful and more likely to give back to the game they love, but I'm encouraged by the results. So far, 8 votes and everybody would be helpful. Counting me (I haven't voted, not wanting to skew the results), that makes 9. I'll let the wannabe kibitzers know that they shouldn't be afraid to ask their favorite stars on the appropriate thread.

Ben - love your 4♥ opening; love your DK play, like to think that I would have found the same play.

[EdmundB]

maybe we could charge the kibbitzers.

[sceptic]

no one has said that to me yet, but I am sure I would not mind when it does happen

[sceptic]

on a serious note, I am one of those kibbers and the reaction I get is always posotive and nice, there are some realy nice stars in here and I dont think you need a poll, try it and see what reaction you get

[inquiry]

In fact, all the gold stars are gold stars because they are willing and even want to encourage kibitzer to come to their table. If you were a truely great player and didnt want to bothered with kibitizers, simply logon iwth a nickname without a gold star. The fact is, the gold star is an advertisement "come watch me". So of course, I turn down the many offers of gold star... as I am bashful... lol... :-)

On the issue of charging for kibitzing.. can't say. But teaching talbles, clubs, lectures and other educational content may become like tournments.. some free, some for a nominal fee... We will see, and rather or not generic kibitizing will occassionaly cost money, who knows. If people are willing to pay, I guess they maybe some tables with stars charging a bit. Maybe stars can earn the BBO$ from kbitzers so that they can play in events. I would pay the entry fee of certain pairs just to be able follow them in a tournment...

Ben

[Rado]

Hi all,
As many kibs will confirm my usual fee is:
for ladies - 1 smile
for gentlemen - 1 beer

Cheers
Rado

[Frosty]

Most of us read but didn't vote because we can't imagine anyone WANTING to watch us LOL!!!


Frosty