4 ms·

The element of luck is canceled out. If you get a great hand, it doesn’t matter, because your opponent at the other table has the exact same hand. We could qui

by medler 4y ago

The element of luck is canceled out. If you get a great hand, it doesn’t matter, because your opponent at the other table has the exact same hand. We could quibble about whether this means there’s zero luck or merely a very small amount of luck involved, but in either case there is at most a small amount of luck.

ALittleLight 4y ago
What if you are only good at playing great hands and your opponent is good at playing average hands and bad at playing great ones. On average your opponent would be a better player, since average hands are more common. But, by luck, you are in a situation where your skill counts and not your opponent's.
SamBam 4y ago
You didn't read my comment. I didn't say anything about getting a great hand. I understand what Duplicate Bridge is. I was saying that sometimes bridge players make decisions based on luck/probability. They could be quite certain a specific card is in a specific hand, and different players might decide to go with their hunch or not. If they are lucky they will be rewarded for their hunch, if they are unlucky they will be punished for it. Let's put it even more clearly: suppose we had two players on separate tables, both have the same hand, and both have had the exact same series of events leading to their third trick (same bids, same cards played), and both players have accurately worked out that the King of Spades is most likely in the hand of the opponent to their right. One player goes with his gut and plays as if the King is definitely there, the other plays cautiously because he's not positive. Which player will end up with more points at the end? You can't know from the information given, because it depends on whether the first player was lucky or unlucky. (Yes, like poker the luck will eventually even out. I'm just saying it's wrong to say they're is no luck, when people can make decisions based on incomplete information.)
- ackfoobar 4y ago
  Over more deals that element of luck averages out. But of course this can also be said for poker. To be pedantic we should then say duplicate bridge reduces a great deal, but not remove, the element of luck. But that's a mouthful.

by medler 4y ago

ALittleLight 4y ago

What if you are only good at playing great hands and your opponent is good at playing average hands and bad at playing great ones. On average your opponent would be a better player, since average hands are more common. But, by luck, you are in a situation where your skill counts and not your opponent's.

SamBam 4y ago

You didn't read my comment. I didn't say anything about getting a great hand. I understand what Duplicate Bridge is. I was saying that sometimes bridge players make decisions based on luck/probability. They could be quite certain a specific card is in a specific hand, and different players might decide to go with their hunch or not. If they are lucky they will be rewarded for their hunch, if they are unlucky they will be punished for it. Let's put it even more clearly: suppose we had two players on separate tables, both have the same hand, and both have had the exact same series of events leading to their third trick (same bids, same cards played), and both players have accurately worked out that the King of Spades is most likely in the hand of the opponent to their right. One player goes with his gut and plays as if the King is definitely there, the other plays cautiously because he's not positive. Which player will end up with more points at the end? You can't know from the information given, because it depends on whether the first player was lucky or unlucky. (Yes, like poker the luck will eventually even out. I'm just saying it's wrong to say they're is no luck, when people can make decisions based on incomplete information.)

ackfoobar 4y ago
Over more deals that element of luck averages out. But of course this can also be said for poker. To be pedantic we should then say duplicate bridge reduces a great deal, but not remove, the element of luck. But that's a mouthful.