[badderzboy]

For once I solved an FREE BIL challenge today and was asked if I was sure I was a BILlie!

How can you tell you've reached BIL graduation and what should we BILlies aspire to be able to do to get there (Counting / bidding / defence / declarer play etc?

Thanks

Steve

[inquiry]

badderzboy, on Oct 4 2004, 02:14 PM, said:

For once I solved an FREE BIL challenge today and was asked if I was sure I was a BILlie!

How can you tell you've reached BIL graduation and what should we BILlies aspire to be able to do to get there (Counting / bidding / defence / declarer play etc?

Thanks

Steve

Maureen will tell you when you are no longer a BILlie...... hehehehe

But seriously, a BILlie could easily get the problem you solved right, but stress teh I in BILlie if you do (a beginner might get it right too, but for the wrong reason). It was you lucid explaination of the correct play that earned the comment are you sure your a BILlie... a very confident, very complete, very correct response.

But really, you will know when you are no longer a BILlie, and in your case, it may not be long off....

Ben

[jtfanclub]

badderzboy, on Oct 4 2004, 01:14 PM, said:

For once I solved an FREE BIL challenge today and was asked if I was sure I was a BILlie!

How can you tell you've reached BIL graduation and what should we BILlies aspire to be able to do to get there (Counting / bidding / defence / declarer play etc?

Thanks

Steve

Win an event, IMHO.

[hotShot]

jtfanclub, on Oct 4 2004, 08:08 PM, said:

badderzboy, on Oct 4 2004, 01:14 PM, said:

For once I solved an FREE BIL challenge today and was asked if I was sure I was a BILlie!

How can you tell you've reached BIL graduation and what should we BILlies aspire to be able to do to get there (Counting / bidding / defence / declarer play etc?

Thanks

Steve

Win an event, IMHO.

Well such a graduation event should perhaps be a litte more serious than a usual tourney perhaps some 24 Boards.

[inquiry]

I think you over-rate tournment win... someone has to win, and sometimes your opponents laydown and play dead and you win no matter how good (or bad) you might be. Play consistent and win several open room tournments.. that is the key.. feel like you have a clue what is going on on most hands.... "-)

Ben

[jtfanclub]

inquiry, on Oct 4 2004, 03:26 PM, said:

I think you over-rate tournment win... someone has to win, and sometimes your opponents laydown and play dead and you win no matter how good (or bad) you might be. Play consistent and win several open room tournments.. that is the key.. feel like you have a clue what is going on on most hands.... "-)

Ben

Boy, I'm being especially unclear today.

By Event, I meant...event. I've won ordinary tourneys here, as well as generic nights at the local bridge center. I'm still an intermediate. I meant like a RL event, like Regional Open Pairs, or a club championship.

Speaking of which, how about a once a week or once a month event here where you win not only club points but BBO $$? Pay to get in, of course. Or would that encourage cheating too much?

[Gerben47]

Actually there are tournaments that pay BBO$ prizes but these are monthly rankings where you have to play many times to have a chance. Unfortunately many moderate rankings outweigh a couple of wins. I think there is a market for tournaments where for example the best pairs get for example 25,15,10 and 5% of the pot.

Cheating is a problem of course, I am not sure how for example online poker sites that play with in some cases a lot of money deal with this.

[sceptic]

I disagree with the view win an event.

I won RM Oysters event two days running with a pick up p (admitedly the pick up p) seemed very good. he was certainly a decent person.

I have won quite a few tournaments (I have also came last in an equivelent amount I would guess)

I dont play live bridge (I have learnt on the net and I know thee are at least a few others that play bridge on the net and not in real life.


So that in itself is a barrier to graduating from a BILie (which I belive a lot wish to do) and I suspect for our own satisfaction not anyother reason.

Steves point how do you know is interesting.

My opinion is, consistancy, is the answer to graduating, nothing more nothing less, just having enough tools in place and the confidence to use them against "come what may" and the experience of sitting down with other advanced or better and being invited back to play again, I think it is self realisation and honesty, you know when you are not being stretched and may be that is the time to move on

[luke warm]

yes, i agree.. consistency... if you can play r/l bridge at your local club, you'll get an idea of improvement fairly quickly (especially if your pard is better than you)... your avg will level off, then go up, then level off, etc...

[Free]

Imo, the more things you think about, the less billie you become... Where you (or anyone else) draw the line is up to you (or that other person).

[Flame]

The different between levels is never a clearcut, you might be good enough on play, but not good enough on bidding, maybe your diffence isnt good, maybe you dont do well on competitve. Its also a psycologic question, self confident is very importent for bridge, after making some good results you might actually play well, but a series of bad results might take you back.
Anyway what im trying to say is that there isnt a clear response to the question, you just need to decide it yourself.

[Laird]

Hello All

... moving on from being a BILie...

why move on ...

Those with the talent energy and time must surely be able to contribute to the continued growth, expansion and development of the BIL.

There are plenty clubs and tournaments on BBo for you to satisfy your natural desire to play amongst higher ranked players.

Perhaps some kind of ladder competition within the BIL may also help to keep more experienced BIL members challenged / interested... individual, pairs, teams?

Laird

[hallway]

Good idea JOHN !!

I look forward to receiving the Outline in the near future.

Something different to start off 2005