General Questions
How can I learn to play bridge?
Why do you consider bridge to be the best card game in the world?
What is this “beta phase” you keep talking about?
How long will the platform be in beta?
How can I make a comment or report a bug during the beta?
Does it cost money to play on Bridge Big?
Why do I need to register?
When can I play?
Where can I find my score?
Bridge Related Questions
How does a weekly competition work during the beta?
What can I win?
What system is played and where can I find the convention card?
Can I kibitz during a game?
Can I make a correction if I miss-click on a card or bid?
Can I claim in the middle of a game?
What happens when my timer runs out?
What happens when I leave (or lose my internet connection) during a game?
How are the scores of players compared during the weekly competitions?
Can I play several deals at the same time?
Why can’t I see the names of the players on the table?
Am I playing with or against robots?
What can I do if a player is behaving in a non sportive manner?
Technical Questions
What do I need to play on Bridge Big?
I lost my password. How can I recover it?
Can I change my password?
Can I change my username and/or e-mail address?
The website doesn’t load. What gives?
Is my password stored on your server(s)?
Can I play on Bridge Big from my iPad/smartphone?
General Questions
How can I learn to play bridge?
You can start off at the site of the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) which contains a brief explanation of the rules of the game that you can read here. Take it from there.
Why do you consider bridge to be the best card game in the world?
It’s not only us that think so! Thousands of articles have been written by people in love with the game. For various articles on the beauty and uniqueness of bridge see for instance here.
What is this “beta phase” you keep talking about?
The beta testing phase is a trial period to test our new platform in the real world. Right now our platform still needs a lot of care and hard work to get ready for prime time. You can help us get there by giving your input. The beta is open to all players so feel very welcome to join. We hope that you’ll enjoy your time on the site and get back to us with feedback on how to improve it further. Also, if you run into any problem or bug, please let us know. Apologies in advance!
How long will the platform be in beta?
The beta period is expected to last a couple of months, during which we’ll continuously release new features and improve the user experience. After making sure the platform is bug free and all features are in place, we’ll officially launch the platform.
How can I make a comment or report a bug during the beta?
If you are in a game you can just hit the “report” button and leave your comment. If you’re viewing our homepage it’s easiest to click the “contact” link and send us an email.
Does it cost money to play on Bridge Big?
During the next couple of weeks of the beta phase, playing on Bridge Big is absolutely free. In fact, you might even take home some prizes.
Why do I need to register?
As a registered user you’re able to keep track of your scores and rewards when you win. You can register by clicking on the “play” button in the home page. A registration pop-up will appear which will ask for your email address, nickname, country and password. After signing up, you can start playing immediately. Note however that new users will need to confirm their account within 24 hours by clicking on the activation link in the email they received after signing up.
When can I play?
You can play at any given moment. Whenever there are three or more other players online, you’re good to go.
Where can I find my score?
During the beta you can follow your position in the weekly competition on our leaderboard. The leaderboard can be accessed by clicking on the “all scores” button at the right side of the home page.
Bridge Related Questions
How does a weekly competition work during the beta?
The weekly competition always starts on Monday at midnight 12 am (UTC/GMT) and ends on Sunday night at 12am (UTC/GMT). During a week you can play as many games as you feel like, just login and hit the “play” button. As soon as there are 3 other players available the game will start. Every board you will be seated randomly, depending on how many players are online. During the week the games will be played several times and you could keep track on your scores while they change. In the end of the week the IMPs you won during the week are added up and the player with the most IMPs is the weekly winner. It is that simple. Remember that the more you play the more IMPs you can win…
What can I win?
In the next couple of weeks we’re offering weekly competitions. By playing on Bridge Big, you will automatically join these competitions. After a couple of successful competitions to make sure that everything is running smoothly, we’ll begin rewarding money prizes to the three players with the highest IMP total after one week of competition. Therefore the more you play, the bigger the chance you have to gain more IMPs. Later during the beta we’ll also introduce larger tournaments with cash prizes.
Once you’ve won, we will notify you by email about your winnings. The moment the payment system will be in place (later in the beta) you will be able to withdraw your winnings and transfer it to your regular bank account.
What system is played and where can I find the convention card?
The system played in all competitions during the beta is Standard American. You can find the convention card here.
Can I kibitz during a game?
Kibitzing is not allowed for security reasons. Click here to read more on security.
Can I correct it if I miss-click on a card or bid?
Yes. Each player gets 2 “undo’s” per game. If you ask for an undo all players need to agree.
Can I claim in the middle of a game?
Yes. Each player can claim twice during a game. All players except the dummy need to accept the claim. All players except the dummy can claim at any moment after the lead. You can write an explanation when claiming describing the line of play.
What happens when my timer runs out?
On Bridge Big every player has 60 seconds to make a move when it’s his or her turn, just like in chess or online poker. When you fail to act within the time limit, the board is cancelled and you get a penalty score. This penalty score is always -3 IMPs if you fail to act during your first turn. After that, the penalty score is -3 IMPs the first time you fail to act in time, -6 IMPs the second time and so on until -15 IMPS the fifth time and every time after that. Your penalty scores are reset when a new weekly tournament starts. The remaining players on the table all get +3 IMPs.
All of your penalty (or bonus) scores are automatically added to your total score. You can find your total penalty score under your total score. If there is nothing there, that means you haven’t received any penalty scores this week.
What happens when I leave (or lose my internet connection) during a game?
The same thing that happens when you fail to act within the time limit.
How are the scores of players compared during the weekly competitions?
Scoring during the weekly competition is butler. Each score you receive on a particular game is compared to the average board result (datum score) and converted to IMPs using a standard WBF-defined conversion scale. Deals are typically played about 20 times during a weekly competition. So be aware that the amount of IMPs you receive for a deal might change throughout the course of a week as the deal is being played more times.
Can I play several deals at the same time?
Yes, if you can handle the pressure.
Why can’t I see the names of the players on the table?
Play on Bridge Big is anonymous for security reasons. We work hard on preventing any kind of foul play. Click here to read more on security.
Am I playing with or against robots?
No. All players are real people (at least as far as we know :)).
What can I do if a player is behaving in a non sportive manner?
You should let us know by reporting the player. You can do this by pressing the “report” button on the playing table.
Technical Questions
What do I need to play on Bridge Big?
All you need to play on Bridge Big is a modern browser with JavaScript and cookies enabled. This means you can play on any operating system, no downloads required.
I lost my password. How can I recover it?
From our home page, click sign up and follow the link called “I forgot my password”. You will be asked for your e-mail address. An e-mail with further instructions will be sent to the e-mail address you specify.
Can I change my password?
Yes, you can, by following the same procedure as when you have lost your password.
Can I change my username and/or e-mail address?
Right now this is not possible. Later on during the beta, when we’ll get you access to your user profile, you will be able to do this.
The website doesn’t load. What gives?
Make sure you are using a modern browser (IE8, Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari) with cookies and JavaScript enabled and that you are connected to the internet. If that doesn’t do it, then the problem is most likely with us.
Is my password stored on your server(s)?
Yes it is, but in highly encrypted form. In the unlikely event of a leak, your password is as safe as can be with current encryption technologies.
Can I play on Bridge Big from my iPad or smartphone?
The Bridge Big platform is designed to run on any modern device or platform. Because the software is run from the browser and entirely based on open web standards like JavaScript, CSS and HTML, the platform doesn’t require any third party software or plugins. As a result, the platform is compatible with a large array of browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Opera and Chrome, on devices, ranging from desktop computers to smart phones and tablets.
That being said there is still a lot of room to improve the playing experience on smartphones and tablets. Although the site is loading correctly on these devices, the game table is not yet formatted for smaller devices. However, we are working on that and plan to fix that in the near future.