[betzlyn01]

I'm new here, and only 18 months into playing bridge. I am, however, pretty literate in computers, but this website/app is a Gordian knot. The search feature is limited. There are mentions of tournaments and "find a partner desk" but WHERE ON THE WEBSITE is this purported desk? If anyone knows the answer, please advise because this corporate entity hides from REALLY answering emails.
thanks

[jillybean]

betzlyn01, on 2026-July-23, 11:29, said:

I'm new here, and only 18 months into playing bridge. I am, however, pretty literate in computers, but this website/app is a Gordian knot. The search feature is limited. There are mentions of tournaments and "find a partner desk" but WHERE ON THE WEBSITE is this purported desk? If anyone knows the answer, please advise because this corporate entity hides from REALLY answering emails.
thanks

Welcome! Unless there has been an upgrade, the only partnership function is within each tournament listing.
For pair, non GIBBO tournaments there will be a "Access partnership desk" button once you click on the tournament listing.
good luck

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2026-July-23, 11:48, said:

Welcome! Unless there has been an upgrade, the only partnership function is within each tournament listing.
For pair, non GIBBO tournaments there will be a "Access partnership desk" button once you click on the tournament listing.
good luck

But it's the last place you should click
In pairs tournaments without a known and trusted human partner, GIBBO is the least of all evils IMO.
If you have a known and (even half) trusted human partner then start your own table and get to know each other at IMPs.

[jillybean]

As the saying goes, you have to play with many duds before you find a compatible partner.

I'm sure everyone has horror stories from their early days in bridge unless you were lucky enough to have someone take you under their wing.

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2026-July-23, 20:43, said:

As the saying goes, you have to play with many duds before you find a compatible partner.

I'm sure everyone has horror stories from their early days in bridge unless you were lucky enough to have someone take you under their wing.

I have horror stories even from people taking me under their wing
But partnership desk really is a perverse option IME, looking for Mr Goodbar comes to mind.

I would suggest either trying to find a partner in a local bridge club and then play together on BBO, or playing pairs tournaments with GiB and getting to know one of the human opponents.

[a_user]

jillybean, on 2026-July-23, 20:43, said:

As the saying goes, you have to play with many duds before you find a compatible partner.

I'm sure everyone has horror stories from their early days in bridge unless you were lucky enough to have someone take you under their wing.

About 40% of marriages end in divorce.
This may seem like a large number until you play Bridge for a few months.

[jillybean]

a_user, on 2026-July-25, 04:09, said:

About 40% of marriages end in divorce.
This may seem like a large number until you play Bridge for a few months.

Thankfully, bridge partnerships don't require legal contracts, or divorce lawyers would be making a absolute fortune off us.

[mycroft]

I have had tremendous luck with partnership desks over the years. I am now at the point where most places I go, I can use the unofficial partnership desk (ask people I know if they know someone looking) and it will work better, but I would say I have a lovely game 90% of the time with a pickup from the partnership desk. Given "district 18 masterpoints" there have been several times where the partner is "110% of my masterpoints, and 50% of my experience" - but even then, 90% of the time, it has been a lovely game.

Unfortunately, only 5% of the time is it anywhere between lovely and okay/disappointing.

The other 5% - are the reason for all the threads on BBF. And why, since I am now at the point where I can, I choose not to play pickup on BBO unless someone I know vouches for them. It's a D&D "critical fail" 1 on a d20 - and it absolutely is.

[pescetom]

 mycroft, on 2026-July-26, 18:40, said:

I have had tremendous luck with partnership desks over the years. I am now at the point where most places I go, I can use the unofficial partnership desk (ask people I know if they know someone looking) and it will work better, but I would say I have a lovely game 90% of the time with a pickup from the partnership desk. Given "district 18 masterpoints" there have been several times where the partner is "110% of my masterpoints, and 50% of my experience" - but even then, 90% of the time, it has been a lovely game.

Unfortunately, only 5% of the time is it anywhere between lovely and okay/disappointing.

The other 5% - are the reason for all the threads on BBF. And why, since I am now at the point where I can, I choose not to play pickup on BBO unless someone I know vouches for them. It's a D&D "critical fail" 1 on a d20 - and it absolutely is.

But you seem to be talking about pickup desks at f2f tournaments, which is a whole different world from a pairs tournament on BBO, particularly if free. Most pairs who register are regular and more or less competent partnerships. Players of the same quality rarely are looking for a pickup partner and even more rarely resort to the partnership desk. Other types of player do, but the chances of you enjoying the experience with them are slim. Often they are hopeless, argumentative or both.

[mycroft]

Heh, I am the *inventor* of the term "BBO Permanent Floating Pickup Pool" - I am not unaware :-).

I would still guess that the "pleasant, decent" proportion of the pickups here (whether they be "will play in this tournament" or "sit down at open table") is incredibly high, even if not the 90% memory gives me. And the usual issue with "lack of tone in text", combined with txtspk because people are either lazy or can't type at speed, can make many more "wish you had done this" lines sound like "you [-], any player with a brain could have seen this".

But yeah, if it is 75%-17%-8% instead of 90-5-5, that's still a problem. And One Is Memorable (frex, IRL, there are two in the 5% category I still reference (frequently in a "hope I never get another"). One was in 1995, the other in 1999), which doesn't help.

And here, at least, we have the added bonus of "I'll only play with you if you pay for me" people. Some of whom are worth it, I'm sure. But I bet many of them feel that getting their entry fee paid for is implicit consent for at-the-table lessons (when they get frustrated by the person they picked up).