Chatting on BBO and some useful acronyms & abbreviations

The FOBC foundations and etiquette for all our members, is to be kind courteous and polite at all times, just as we are in real life. Whether this be at the table; at the club; or as we generally go about our business in our normal everyday lives. It costs nothing to be polite and just as it is nice to be recognised and acknowledged, it is just as nice to recognise and acknowledge others. Even though we are ‘online’ BBO is NOT a virtual world, it is a real world, with real people who have real feelings just like ourselves. Please try to remember this at all times when you log on.

We do understand that not everybody is a adept on ‘the keyboard’ as we would like to be and it can be frustrating for some when trying to type out messages. But there are some common abbreviations & acroyms that are used on BBO to help us along, some you may all ready be familiar with & some you may not. Try to recognise them, try to use them, & in time who knows, we FOBC’ers may even come up with some of their own:

Brb – Be right back. Very often the doorbell goes; the phone rings or we need a comfort break; or we may need to disappear for all manner or reasons. Please DO NOT say nothing and keep the table wondering!!

OK b or B – Okay I am back and ready to resume.

Test – Often used if somebody has gone dormant when it is their turn to bid or play. Falling asleep at the table is more common with the older generation!!

Thinking - Often used on those occasions during the auction or play when we need time to work something out. Please do this to inform the rest of the table that you have not fallen asleep!!

Hi – Hello. We should all recognise this as a simple greeting (bjr; ciao; slm etc are others you may see from our foreign players)

Glp or gl – Good luck partner. Used to encourage partners as they embark on their declarer plan and play, and very often needed when partner presents his usual pile of garbage for a dummy hand!!

Hl; Hlp or Ulp – Hard luck or unlucky partner. Used after partner has gone off, usually ‘butchering’ a stone cold game or slam in the process!!

Wdp – Well done partner. Used when partner has made a contract. Careful with this one however, when the opponents have obviously messed up the defence, it may be taken as an insult aimed at them.

Wdo – Well done opponents. Used in recognition of a good defence or declarer play (or lucky in my case!!) made against you.

Tx; Ty; Thx; or Ta – Thank you.

Typ – Thank you partner.  Often used when partner presents you with his dummy. Or in my case when I see for the first time partners usual bad bidding mistakes and the pile of garbage I have now come to expect from him/her!!!

Please recognise uderstand and use the above. They are very common, they sound polite; they are polite and they will make you as FOBC’ers come across as polite.

Next are some others that you will no doubt come across:

FGS – For goodness sake. Often used when trumps or other suits break badly or similar occurrences. Sometimes expressed at some of my jokes!!

ACOL – We Brits know this one, but not everybody does & there are variants of ACOL (so please explain fully your system)

SAYC – Standard American Yellow Card. Full system is outlined on system card found on BBO. Again though, watch out as there are variants. Basically it is a; Strong NT; 5 card major; better minor; with other gismos & gadgets

2/1 – Is an advance on the SAYC system & growing in popularity amongst many players worldwide, particularly on BBO where it is the ‘default system’ used by the robots. Again the system is outlined on BBO

SEF – The basic French system. Similar to SAYC

Pls exp or exp – Please explain. Often asked when the name of a convention is announced which we are not fully conversant

Now for a few of the ‘unsavoury ones’ that you may come across and unfortunately used by some, BUT DEFINITELY NOT to be used by FOBC’ers. You may or may not recogise. However I won’t explain the exact terminology, instead I will just explain what may have gone wrong?

WTF – Why didn't you just take your 9 top tricks in 3NT instead of playing the contract with your eyes closed to go 3 of!!!

FFS – What is the point of me overcalling a suit when you blindly go ahead and lead their suit to let the contract through with 2 overtricks!!

FU – I don’t like you anymore!!

FO – I would like to partner somebody else now!!

N.B. Even though English is the recognised language used to communicate on BBO, please understand however that some BBO players DO NOT SPEAK ANY English whatsoever. Plus there are others whose command of English is not the same as ours and sometimes it may seem as though your questions or comments are being ignored or misconstrued. Or could it just be that the recipient did not fully understand?