Tips

Introduction

If you play Bridge on-line at okbridge you ahve the choice of two interfaces, either the desktop client called OKwin, or the loathsome web-top client called OKplus (a.k.a OKpus).

Cut, Copy and Paste

If you are halfway through a message but suddenly need to send another one e.g. to reply to a question, then select what you have written of your current message and cut it with Control-X. Then later you can paste it and send it.

You can Control-C copy text from a player's account stats and Control-V paste it to make a message quicker or more accurate. This is useful if a player has a complicated name, for example 'hi Alexander Oscar Tibbetts III'.

Another time a copy can be helpful is when your partner has a long shopping list of conventions and you want to strike some of them out. Then you say "your card partner except for xyz" (pasted).

Message Filter

If you are watching the experts play (with on average 20 other spectators) then you may get overwhelmed by a flood of messages as others join and leave. This is where the Message Filter feature comes in useful. Load in the following texts and turn the Message Filter on:

• "has joined the table"
• "is a spectator"
• "has left the table"
• "connection has been lost"

Also if you play tournaments and like to talk to partner privately before it starts in order to arrange conventions (or assign blame in advance) then add these texts to the Message Filter:

• "has arrived"
• "are partners"

OKpus

OKpus is good for:

1. Hiding your e-mail address so you don't get spam.
2. Serving from behind a firewall.
3. Setting up a black-list.
4. Controlling seating at your table, if that bothers you.
5. Making a complaint.
6. Errr, that's it. Use OKwin for actually playing the game whenever possible.

Stored Messages

Stored messages are handy for your repeated messages such as for imploring the Lobby for players showing even minimal signs of life, or for the often used 'may i sit' cases. A good one I have is "Let's play your card, partner".

Other Uses for Your Friends List

1. You can use your Friends list to track people who have crashed off your table so you know when they are back in okbridge. Or to track where people are that you'd rather avoid.
2. To join a friend quickly, select them in your Friends List and click Join.
3. I knew someone who put himself on his own Friends List. I thought that was a bit sad until he explained he used it as an easy way to check his own statistics.
4. If, for some reason, you want to see who is in okbridge without revealing your presence at all, (even before Hiding yourself) then this can be done through your home page on www.okbridge.com which shows if your 'friends' are logged in or not.

Careful with That Message

A private message that didn't go to the intended recipient can cause you a mauvais quart d'heure. Protect yourself against this by:

1. Using Reply where possible.
2. Selecting a name from the drop down list in Talk.
3. Talking to someone through their statistics pages.

Don't Double-Click

Don't double-click your bids or cards. Mistakes can happen and it can be embarrassing to ask for an undo. Instead, give yourself some leeway by not double-clicking and instead:

1. Selecting your bid and then selecting OK.
2. Dragging and dropping the card you want to play onto the board.

Stay Awake

If you find yourself dropping off mid-game then turn the Sound on. You will then get a beep that will wake you up when it is your turn to bid or play. A quick review of the bidding or the last trick will ensure that no-one will notice. In fact you may play better.

Lastly

1. It is childish to stick your cursor up a player's nose on their picture. Even more so to tell them you are doing it.
2. It is not nice to put easy marks on your Friends List and encourage them to be your opponents.
3. If you want to make a 'no comment' type of statement then just press Space then Enter. For example:
   
   

   will: