Pet Peeves

I have been playing long enough now to have developed some decided likes and dislikes; most of them petty.  I have been asking fellow players about their pet peeves but most of the answers I received are unprintable.

A list of mine and a few others follows:

1.     Following someone who leaves the bidding box a total mess.  These people hide the 4 heart card between the 1 club and 1 diamond card, bury the alert cards, leave the pass cards upside down and backwards and otherwise make bridge life miserable for the person behind them.  Okay, maybe I'm a little obsessive compulsive.  Okay, maybe a lot, but really, isn't bridge stressful enough without having to spend the whole round searching for the proper card?  Really? How hard is it to put things back where they belong? 

2.     Then there are the guys who throw their bids, the dummy, and their cards as they play them on to the table.  I don't mean just sort of toss them out there.  I mean they throw their stuff around with great forcefulness.  I was playing against a guy doing just that the other day so, I started pounding my cards down too.  He didn't notice.  Sigh.

3.     There are people of both sexes (just so you don't think I'm just picking on guys) who, when they are about to take a trick, arc out the Ace or whatever card is a winner as if they were opening the envelope and taking out the name to present an academy award.  Please; get over it.  Just put your card down like you usually do.  We don't need a trumpet fanfare or ruffles and flourishes just because you are winning the trick.

4.     The worst of my peeves are the gloaters.  I don't mind a "nicely played partner" - no problem.  I do mind hearing that if only the opposition had played and/or held on to a card, the contract would have been set.  I do mind the opponents saying, "Great board partner, they should have made 6".  Please; I usually know when I have screwed up since I do it often enough.  Saying stuff like that is just down and dirty rude. 

5.     Players who ask me, after the hand is over and put back in the board or worse, after we have played four boards, "How many clubs did you have on that first hand?"  Like I remember?  Are you kidding? I can barely remember the count during the hand much less three hands later.

6.     Players who go into the tank on every bid.  Why can't you think ahead?  If my partner or the oppostion does this, I will do that.  Admittedly, sometimes the hands are so odd and the bidding so mysterious, that a visit to the tank is needed but, really, 1 NT, tank; 1 heart 2 hearts, tank?  There are a limited number of options.  Pick one and get on with it.

7.     Players who leave empty cups, food, wrappers, iced tea, used napkins or, worse yet, Kleenex around their recently vacated chair.  They move on to the next table but their detritus remains behind as a not so fond memory of their presence.  I have often heard from the club managers that bridge players are slobs.  If I were a club manager I would say to the offender, "Your Mommy isn't around any more.  Pick up after yourself".  I guess I wouldn't have too many players at my club though.

Please add any of your fave peeves to the comments section.   Thanks for reading.  I feel better already!