JoAnneM

I am all for a chatty game also, but it must be before the cards come out of the trays. If the opps are still talking I just sort my cards and wait. If I am dealer I will ask "Is everyone ready?" Another thing, I do not put my first bid on the table until everyone has sorted their cards. I like even the first bids to be in tempo. So my cards might be sorted but they will be face down on the table until everyone is ready to start. And, it's always nice to chat after the round is over while waiting for the round to be called. You do all wait for the round to be called, right? :D

I hate to disillusion you, Phil, but even wines from Napa/Sonoma could be grapes from the Central Valley.

One of the commentators mentioned made extremely arrogant and distainful comments when an "unknown" team made it far up the ladder. I think this was just sour grapes. I have noticed other "condescending" comments from this person other people seem to like. I just move to the other room, thinking it must be me.

Has there been a discussion on ZAR points? I don't use them but they were introduced on another forum I belong to and one of our resident "experts" has immediately trashed them by saying that no expert player has ever heard of them or played them. I just think stuff like this needs a fair hearing.

I know I have revoked ftf because I frequently try to do it online. You were badly treated and I am glad you seem to have a good attitude about it now. Every game seems to have a few of these people. Best thing is to just say, "stop please", and call the director. Welcome to bridge, and enjoy your games. :)

Just shows how irrelevant such a contest would be.

Please permit a question from a basic player. I thought that you were not allowed to change your system from one "table" to the next. So, in the case of the Spingold, do you have to file your convention card and notes, and then play that system for the entire event?

I don't know how many of you play in local clubs. I am a playing director in a small club. I second guessing myself on rulings that I have to make "on the fly" when I am in the middle of a hand myself. The Law book can seem like Greek when you are trying to keep the game going on schedule. Routine rulings are easy, but occasionally I need to look it up. So, when there is a break for me I do the research and sometimes I change my mind. I even go back and talk to the players again. So I must automatically appeal all of those decisions. This may not be the proper procedure but it works for us. I hate to make a bad ruling, but we are all human, and no one complains. I always explain my decisions, any changes and why I am making them. I also appreciate being able to post here. You are all lots of help. :)

So the same director who made the ruling would hear the appeal? What would be the point of that?

Clubs are not required to have appeals committees, so 92D doesn't always apply.

Congratulations Jan!

By "fake" I meant any kind of an adjustment score other than the game score. It seems if everyone else made the contract I might lean pretty heavily toward that side.

What if it's a situation where every table in the room made 4? Isn't it really skewing the scores to allow a "fake" result?

I audit all of our traveler slips for each game before I post the results on the web. You would be surprised how many times there is a board where only two pairs bid a slam on a board, and they are sitting right next to each other. Or maybe you wouldn't be.

Why should my decision to be good or bad be dependent upon the truthfulness of your post? That is SO funny. I never would have read it that way. :)

There are many Regionals that run more than 2,000 tables and more than a few that run more than 3,000 tables, and of course, Gatlinburg. We call these large Regionals, "destination" Regionals. Penticton and Palm Springs are two that come to mind in the west, and Seaside is rapidly approaching that status.

I agree with Fred, even though I am not a high level player, I experience the same frustrations at the club level. I am not clued into the mechanics of the Cavendish, but I get the impression that a lot of these games are pro/client type situations. Who is the responsible party? Or, if it is two professionals, players who are accustomed to playing with pages and pages of notes, how do they switch from partner to partner without meltdown? I can see lots of scenarios here that might lead to this problem at the table, many of them not deliberate. Maybe they should throw out the high and low scores. :rolleyes: As an aside, I know you aren't interested in the club aspect, but if I have a pair who misbids or fails to alert a convention more than twice I make them take it off their card until they can prove to me they know what they are doing. And I do this in a mentoring way, usually with a short private lesson.

Makes one wonder what's the point of a tournament that averages 170 tables a day. The director expenses must be staggering, or maybe they all live right there.

I was going to ask, can the bid be any sufficient bid? As it happened on this hand, north just bid 3D because I said "you have to make it sufficient". Some were in 3nt making 4 and and few were in 6nt down, so it was and average plus board for e/w. I don't think she would have bid 3nt since south was the one with the spade stopper.

Right, I forgot to mention that the 2nd bid was not accepted. I am getting really good at doing that part.

S W N 1C - 2S - 1D The 1D bid was not accepted, and North then bid 2D. Now I tried to make sense out of the book, which usually escapes me. As far as I could tell North was required to make the bid sufficient, 3D, and south was then barred from the bidding. Did I read that right?

There were actually three Regionals going on during that time period, and LA was the largest with 1783 tables, Chicago 1097 and King of Prussia, PA 1713. The events are small because there are so many events going on at the same time. It's not like in the "good old days" when one day was all open pairs, and another day was all swiss teams, and you had 200-300 pairs in one event. Yes, I am a MP player who doesn't like Knockouts, but I like the table count they bring. The NABC starts the 23rd, that keeps players away from tournaments starting around the month before.

At first jlall's post made me see red, but I think maybe you need a break. 120 hands a week is a lot if you are not having fun right now. And even if you are working on getting better it still has to be a pleasurable experience unless you are working on making it your living, which I would advise most people against doing. Also, slumps have been known to last as long as a year. Maybe your's is almost over and you are in store for some really great games and results.

I'm interested. 1. A war hero of sorts, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, 20 Air Medals, lots more, etc. 2. Passed on lucrative civilian defense job after retirement to become a school teacher. 3, Works with OES and Red Cross during natural emergencies. Especially provides radio communications during California forest fires. 4. Teaches Amateur Radio and trains emergency services volunteers. is one of the 75 Section Managers for the American Radio Relay League. 5. Is the smartest, kindest man I have ever known, of the highest integrity, and doesn't go to church, but studies religions. We have been married 47 years, together 40 years, apart 7 years due to Vietnam and other Air Force duties. He was not a POW or MIA.

My husband, who if anyone was interested I could definetly talk about; and, for a woman, I think Eleanor Roosevelt is the woman I most admire for being brave enough to confront her own demons and make a huge difference.