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| Behind-the-Scenes with Lorne Russell, Microsoft Bridge Club Director | |
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Here at the Zone, if you ever have a Bridge question or need any quick Bridge lessons, our friend and director, Lorne Russell is always willing to lend a helping hand. Perhaps you've already met him in one of his weekly online Bridge chats! He's our resident expert Bridge player, advisor, and tournament director. You name it, he knows it!
Born and raised in Ontario, Canada. Lorne grew up playing a lot of cards: Poker, Euchre, Hearts, Crazy Eights, and Bridge. He graduated from Ottawa Teacher's College and taught primary school for three years. After teaching, he worked as a systems analyst for 15 years and then opened and managed a retail flooring outlet for the next 10 years. Now he's back in systems again as the Zone's Bridge Club Director. In his spare time, besides working (and playing) on the Zone, Lorne enjoys curling, golf, and playing Bridge online.
Zone: What's your @Zone ID, and why or how did you come up with it?
Lorne: BridgeMgr is my Zone ID; original isn't it? BridgePard is another alias I play under. Zone: What part of the Zone do you work for and what are you in charge of? Lorne: I am part of Online Family Entertainment Division. I am the Bridge Events Coordinator responsible for Bridge and Bridge club activities. It is my responsibility to ensure that the Zone Bridge program has the largest variety and best quality of events on the internet. Zone: How long have you been working on the Zone and tell us how you got this job? Lorne: I started in early April. In December ?98 I was trying to get a user run tournament set up on the Zone to promote my Bridge Pard software. I was talking to Fred Gitleman and he told me that the Zone was looking for a Bridge director. Later in February, the Zone asked me if I was interested in a position at Microsoft and here I am! Zone: Is playing games part of your day-to-day job on the Zone? Lorne: I play a bit so the members know I'm there and can come to me with any Bridge questions. Zone: Were you always interested in games/gaming? Lorne: There were no video games when I was in my teens. We didn't get a TV until I was 10 years old and there was only one channel to watch (CBC), black and white. Apart from sports, my friends and I played a lot of cards: Poker, Euchre, Hearts, Crazy Eights and Bridge. I missed a lot of schooling because of those cards. Zone: What is your favorite part of working in the online gaming community? Lorne: Putting the requests of the users together with our software developers and creating a superior Bridge service on the internet. Zone: Tell us what you think about the Zone Community. Lorne: It's a real pleasure to work with a group of young, energetic and intelligent people both online and on the Zone. Zone: What do you think is the coolest feature of the Zone and why? Lorne: My personal favorite is the Zone Friends/messaging system. Zone: What is your favorite all-time game? And share with us your favorite strategies for this game. Lorne: Bridge combines the best of team play and individual play, with an understanding of probabilities, psychology and strategy. It's the best card game bar none. There are many approaches to playing Bridge. In my youth I was more aggressive in the bidding. Experience has taught me that the conservative approach is a winner in the long run. Always have the values for your bids, bid good suits, don't take unnecessary chances. Zone: What is your current favorite game available on the Zone and why? Lorne: Apart from Bridge I play some Hearts, an occasional game of Cribbage with my wife, and have just started playing Monster Truck. I'm planning to get started with Fighter Ace in the near future. Zone: What has been the toughest part or greatest challenge of working on the Zone? Lorne: Getting used to all the systems necessary to get things done. Having owned my own business I am used to making decisions, then doing it. Here it takes a lot longer but I'm adjusting to that. Zone: What do you think the future will be like for online games? Lorne: Online gaming, and Bridge in particular, has a very bright future. People can play with other people of similar ability, at any time, place and duration of their choosing. The Zone thanks Lorne Russell for participating in our interview. If you have an original content submission or idea for the Zone, please e-mail us at Zidea@microsoft.com. Thanks! |
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