[mycroft]

I'm running my 4-table game weekly in Oliver BC; there's another one half an hour away on another day, and the "big game" an hour away sometimes gets 7 tables. It makes money, but only because the TD (that would be me) doesn't get paid, but he does get to play free to fill in (vice England: he does get to play because clubs don't expect a non-playing TD; they pay their TD in free play). The next best player in the field has made Life Master, but someone tried to teach her Lebensohl a year ago, and she still can't get it.

So, who do we send off for TD training? And who pays for it?

It's not that we *want* to have no option but playing TD ruling at his own table; it's just London privilege that there are enough players that are good enough that it's reasonable to *have* an alternative.

To be fair, it's Calgary privilege, too. Even in my 4-table games, I was likely to have another TD playing, if not two; and experts who could provide bridge judgement; and there was someone I could call if there was any doubt. If I was lucky, it would be one of the 10 highest-rated TDs in the ACBL; if I wasn't, it would just be one of those lowly part-time tournament TDs who have made it to the KO rounds of "playing for our country".

[barmar]

I think most of the TDs I know around here paid for the classes themselves, simply because they were interested in learning how to do it.

But if you're in an area with only a couple dozen bridge players within 50 miles, I can see how it might be difficult to find several who are that interested in the game to go this extra mile.

[mycroft]

In addition there are those that are interested enough in the way the game is ruled to actively listen in TD bull sessions (as opposed to ask about ruling questions only when they think they've been wronged - those usually hear only the half of the explanation that vindicates them) but have zero interest in *doing* it; and those - many of those - who have no interest in directing at all, even though they are good and frequent players, teachers, and all that. Then there are those with the interest, but little or no ability to pull it off in such a way that their players are happy.

It really is a different frame of mind from anything else involved in the game (except possibly being on a tournament organizing committee); and it isn't universal in bridge players.