Do you create table dead time?

I would submit that failings to timely finish a round of bridge can be categorized into two broad causes.

One cause – familiar to all – is slow play or bidding.  Bridge is a thinking game.  Sometimes the time spent thinking – even though such thinking time can be utilized by the other players to consider their future plays and bids – can be so extensive as to conflict with the reality that bridge is also a timed game.  Many of us have sometimes unfairly sacrificed the required pace of play or bidding to the deliberation of the “best” play or bid.

The purpose of this article, however, is to highlight the second cause for failing to timely finish a round of bridge: creating “table dead time”, a cause less generally recognized but one that can significantly contribute to time problems.  What I mean by an action that creates “table dead time” is an action taken by one player (or one pair) that forecloses all the other players (or other pair) at the table from simultaneously even thinking about future actions to progress the play or bidding.

Do you create table dead time?  Assess your actions at the table against this series of questions.

• Do you spend time after the conclusion of one hand discussing the result of that hand … when you could, instead, be recording your result in your scoresheet, sorting your cards, and preparing for the auction of the next hand?  Note that even if other players are ready to begin the auction, they must wait for you.
• Do you consider your rebids at the time of your rebid … when you could have considered the rebid at the time you opened the bidding?  Let’s say you open 1♣ with Jx, Kxx, AJx, KJTxx.  Your partner responds 1♥; the opponents are silent.  I am not opining whether you should rebid 1NT, 2♣, or 2♥; what I am commenting is that you could have planned your rebid over the 1♥ response at the time you opened 1♣.  Not only does a delay at your second turn cause table dead time; a delay (“break in tempo”) also can create Unauthorized Information to your partner.  After all, if your ♦J morphed into the ♥J, surely you would raise to 2♥ without any break in tempo, right?
• Do you consider your next call in a competitive auction only when it is your turn … when you could have anticipated both the opponent’s bid and your next call?  Let’s say you overcall RHO’s 1♥ opening bid with 1♠ on KQJxx, x, AJ9x, xxx.  LHO raises opener to 2♥ and your partner advances to 2♠.  While RHO is considering his second bid, are you thinking ahead about what call you will make over RHO’s most likely bids of 3♥ and 4♥?
• Do you consider what you will lead only after the auction is concluded … when you could have begun consideration when your opponent made a bid that suggests the final contract?  Let’s say your RHO opens 1NT.  With your side silent, the auction continues 2♣ Stayman by responder, 2♦ by opener.  You can anticipate a final contract of 3NT and should already be thinking about what you plan to lead against that possible contract.
• In general, are you thinking about your next play only when it is your turn to play … when you could have been considering your play while other players are thinking about theirs?  Let’s say that declarer is studying the dummy hand exposed to your right.  While declarer’s study is ongoing, have you considered whether you are going to rise with your ace if declarer calls for the side suit singleton from dummy?  Anticipating an opponent’s play is also a good way of hiding your holding from the opponent; after all, you were surely going to duck if you held the Q and not the ace and delaying before ducking is giving away the show (or, worse, coffeehousing).
• Do you record the contract (or perform any other administrative task) before making the opening lead or planning your line of play … when you could have been performing the task while dummy is being tabled?
• Are you in the lobby or at the food stand when the next round is scheduled to begin … when you could have delayed the trip until you can conclude before a round is begun?
• Are you causing director calls or creating other time-consuming delays by failing to promptly alert your partner’s calls, forgetting your agreements, misunderstanding who is on lead, having an incomplete or unavailable convention card, or asking questions about unalerted calls … when you could have been attentive to all of these matters?

Do you need to alter your actions at the table in order to diminish table dead time?