candybar

In my case, I use one CC with a given partner for ACBL tournaments, where we are not allowed to use multi 2D, and another with him for other tournaments. When we want to try out a new agreement, I make another CC rather than change an existing one. This situation currently happens with 3 different partners of mine, and with one of them, it changes depending on IMPs or MPs. Now, whatever CC we most recently used is the one that pops up even when we sit down at a club table. At tables and in team matches (like most people) I rarely post a CC, as most opps look at profiles or simply ask. With the new change, I can't stop the auto-posting of some CC every time I play with one of these partners, and it's often not the one I would want. I certainly don't want to play a tournament using a multi 2D CC, then join an ACBL tourney and suddenly discover I have multi 2D on my posted CC. Fred, I have only seen this with partners where I have posted a CC in some tournament. It's disconcerting primarily because sometimes it's the wrong CC, and other times because I don't want a CC posted at all. Uday, I have been doing as you suggest, and changing it every time (either to the CC I want or resetting it to blank), but it's annoying enough to me that I came here to post. I would like to be able to turn that option off. Thanks for listening, C.

All of a sudden, the software is telling me that it's "found" convention cards for people I'm playing with. I DO NOT want this! I use several different CCs with the same partner, depending on the situation, tournament, etc., and I certainly don't want the software to post one and have it be wrong. And I certainly don't want to keep trying to erase it when that happens. How do I turn this OFF? I want to specify that no CC is posted unless I do it. Thanks.

A very large part of this problem is that the software still doesn't allow a good TD to do their job properly. A long time ago, I posted and emailed to Fred and to Uday, something called the TD WISH LIST. I'm posting it again, with a HUGE PLEA to Fred and Uday to implement it! Once available, TDs will be able to do their job so much better and easier and so much more in line with Bridge Laws, and then we can start talking about teaching them how. ==================================================== TD Wish List Highest Priority Ding the dealer with the usual sound when the round starts (beginning and round change). When waiting for a tournament, or when there is a long wait between rounds, people often go off to get a drink or check their email, and without ringing a sound to recall them, there is frequently a delay in starting each round. Create a Tournament Management Window for the TD. This window should be open for the TD permanently during the entire tournament and contain all the functions as shown below. It should not ever force itself to the top focus, but leave the TD free to do other actions without interruption. High Priority The TD should be able to see red spots on disconnected players. Director call windows do not pop on top. This constantly slows down the activities of the TD. Move this function to the Tournament Management Window. Clearly display to all players who the TD is/are in the tournament info. Many times a player wants to ask the TD a question before the tournament starts but cannot find out who it is. Also, some players prefer to avoid certain TDs. Included in this should be a note as to whether the TD is playing or not. Medium Priority Allow a player to "withdraw" from a tourney just like they can from a team match. Then let the software ask for a sub instead of making the TD do it. Make them give the reason for withdrawing, but record and track withdrawals (maybe a popup to warn them of consequences), as well as logouts and closing BBO. This will save a lot of the deliberate logouts to escape from a tourney, and save the TD and tourney time when someone actually takes the trouble to ask to be sub'ed and waits. It will also save the time that TDs often wait to see if someone will come back. As a TD, I don't need to hear the excuses, all I care about is getting the sub and keeping the tourney moving. Allow TD to specify the "withdraw" limit for players when they create a tournament. This will avoid the constant "blacklist" threats and even the need for the TDs to do the blacklisting. If the TDs could specify that they won't take anyone with, for example, 4+ withdrawals in past week, it would smooth the operation, eliminate the need for individual blacklists, and make the same information available to all TDs. Add two Chat Options in tournaments, one to the TD for players, and another separate one for TDs to other TDs in the same tournament. Give TDs the ability to penalize 1/4 or 1/2 board penalty for repeated or procedural infractions, and the ability to assign a different result/score for each direction. Move this function to the Tournament Management Window traveller screen. Allow TDs the ability to do UNDO's, even if the players cannot. Change the Call Director button to a different color when the TD is already at the table. This will avoid multiple calls for the same problem. When a sub refuses an invitation or becomes unavailable, delete them immediately from the Sub List. Currently, the same sub must refuse at least twice before someone else is invited, and this means multiple attempts to sub for the TD. Also when a sub becomes unavailable (offline, join a different tourney, etc), delete them so we don't have to get the refusal before getting to an available sub. Low Priority The ability for a TD to see chat that occurred at a table for the current round prior to the TD arriving. This would be extremely helpful and save time for complaints of rudeness or bad explanations. Currently it is necessary to ask people to repeat what was said. I know it was stated in the BBO Forum that this is not possible with the current logging, but permanent logging it is not required, just saving it for the duration of the round for each table would be enough. The ability for the TD to pop up a list of bids, alerts, and explanations with timestamps for a given table. This would help determine when alerts were made, if more than one explanation was given, and would show if one pair or the other was delaying the round. Saving this is not required beyond the current round for each table. A way to stop a substitution. Many times, I have substituted for a disconnected player, only to have him return just before he was replaced with a sub. It would be nice to be able to quickly click a "stop" of some sort and not replace him after all, or better yet, for the system to automatically stop the substitution if player was red and returns. Provide the TD an option to forbid players to register as subs if they could not register for the tournament. A way to boot a player from a tournament without replacing them. This would be for Survivor format tournaments, so the seats would dissolve. A way to boot a kibitizer from a tournament and lock them out. ----------------- Tournament Management Window The Tournament Management Window should contain all of the following: Round Status (updated real time as tables finish), each unfinished table number is a click to join. Scrollable list of all players in alphabetical order, with right-click options same as current. This will allow a TD to find a player easily, without having to look through the entire table list to find him. A Place to enter board number and see the board traveller as of the moment, with easy way to find a specified player. Be able to show Movie directly from the traveller. Be able to adjust scores directly from the traveller. A button to add 1 minute to current round without affecting subsequent rounds. A list of TD calls in order showing those that are unanswered with "take this call" and "ignore this call" buttons which delete it from the list. NO MORE POPUPs! When a TD call is answered, the call is deleted from the list but the call information stays visible to the TD who answered the call. Button to delay Results (to allow late adjustments), and to then to complete Results after adjustments are finished. A button to pop up a substitutes window. The sub window should be organized as a 3 column table, showing all subs and their skill levels in 1st, red players in 2nd, and the skill level of the PARTNER for each red player in 3rd. Then allow click on sub, on red player, and replace button.

When I am invited to join a team match, the new popup shows me the profile of the team match TD. That's useless. I would much rather see the profile of the person who would be my partner, including my own player notes on him/her. That would give me a chance to decide if I'm being paired with someone that I've disliked in the past, or whose system or style is antithetical to mine.

Today I signed up for a tournament with a friend who wanted to play it. It was 16 boards, 60 table limit, 2 non-playing TDs, and no special “rules” posted. Seemed like the kind of tourney that might be tolerable even to me. It turned into a horror story -- listen while I tell you what happened …. Neither of the two TDs were online at any time during the entire tournament. By the end of the second board, there were 13 red players in the 56 tables, and none on the Sub list. At my table, two Japanese players were conversing in Japanese (to me it looked like #*$&@^$(#*#*(&) and refusing to explain bids. I called the TD and got a message “no director available (5)”. I checked the lobby and there were two Yellows online (I’ll call them Yellow1 and Yellow2), both “away” status. I sent private messages to both, but no response. By the end of board 3, there were 17 red players including entire tables. Finally Yellow2 responded. I told him the situation and offered to be made TD so I could at least sub the missing players. He came to the tourney, subbed the red players, then logged off and left us without any TD again. Yellow1 never did respond. By the time we were playing board 6, there were again about a dozen red players. Finally, a third Yellow (called him/her Yellow3) who was logged in as invisible came to the tournament and asked for the TD. I told Yellow3 there wasn’t one, and again offered to help. Yellow3 made me the TD, announced to the entire tourney that I would be the Substitute TD to help out, then left to play at a MBC table. I then subbed what turned out to be another 18 red players. I suspect many of them had just given up and quit. It took about 2 minutes to replace all those players, and by the time I got done with the sub’ing, I had had to ignore 8 TD calls that wanted me to come to the table without giving reasons (remember I was a player in this tournament, not intended to be the TD, and could not go to other tables). I was actually kinda proud of getting through all that quickly and efficiently, while trying to play a hand besides. I made public announcements to the tourney explaining the situation and that I could not come to the tables, and we managed to muddle through the rest of the tournament with me doing constant sub’ing from my chair and ignoring all other TD calls. One pair wanted an adjustment, but I could not even see the hand because (I presume) it was from before I became the TD. Then the tournament finally ended. As the tables were finishing, 3 players contacted me, and THIS is what prompted me to make this long forum post. I will give all 3 conversations, separately although they were actually intermixed. ------------ Player 1: thanks for subbing the TD! Me: You are welcome, and thanks for caring J) ------------ Player 2: you have to do some learning before directin sir! Me: try to remember that I was substituted in by a Yellow because the scheduled TDs did not show up Me: then try to remember that I was playing, so I could not come to any tables Player 2: take classes with lusobrasil Player 2: well yesterday they said that td should not play Me: yes, I am one who said it Player 2: no calabres said it Me: then try to remember that I am a certified acbl director with 30 years of experience [ok I admit I was getting a little miffed at him by now] Player 2: any way you let us wait more tan 1/2 hour you think that is fair? Me: no, I did not. I sub’d all the red players within 2 minutes of being made TD by the Yellow Player 2: well we didn’t see your experience in this tournament Player 2: if Td is not here you should cancel and thats it Me: you saw nothing except a PLAYER who agreed to try and help out when the TDs didn’t show up, one that a yellow respected enough to allow it [ok I’m at Category 3 miffed now] Player 2: well then you have to announce that i have an option to stay or not Player 2: i think you had to cancel Player 2: our time is as valuable as yours Me: Well, don’t worry, with people like you around, I won’t bother to try and help again [reached Category 5 miffed] ------------ Player 3: sry but won’t play anymore your tourney….too slow and without TD Me: I was substituted in by a Yellow because the TDs did not show up Player 3: ohhhhh… sry Me: I was simply playing in the tourney and agreed to try and help Player 3: so then don’t pay any attention to my stupied words [at least Player 3 understood what had happened after the fact] ------------ SO, I renew my old pleas for 1. Better TD software 2. Better selection of TDs 2. Education for TDs and point out that such excellent presentations as lusobrasil did yesterday DO have an impact. If I had deliberately run a tourney in the crappy way I had to run this one perforce, I would have deserved the things that were said. And Player 2 is probably right, I should have kept quiet and let the tourney be cancelled.

New Year’s Resolutions for BBO players I will stop telling 6 different people at once that I will play their team match. I will stop expecting TDs to know anything about the Laws of Duplicate Bridge. I will eat breakfast with a knife and fork and not with one hand on the mouse. I will not play poker, blackjack, or craps while playing bridge. I will not play any no-psyche tournaments. I will get dressed before supper. I will not check my email every time I am the dummy. I will stop expecting Experts to know how to defend a hand. I will try and get out of the house at least once a week, whether I need to or not. I will remember to go to bed each night.

It would be nice to have some repeat sessions at times that are reasonable for different areas of the world. What would be ideal times, in US Eastern Standard Time for example, in USA Argentina England Poland Turkey Russia South Africa Australia China (anywhere else that is significantly different) ? If a few people who are interested would post, then sessions could be scheduled accordingly.

No UI, no damage, no adjustment. Warning about table talk is adequate. I'd make a note in the profile about the warning and if it happened again, then warn of procedural penalty, and on the 3rd infraction, boot offenders from the tourney.

This is one of the items I listed in the TD Wish List sent to Uday and Fred months ago. The best thing you can do is to go read that thread and then help lobby for its implementation.

Not all TDs, just the ones who do illegal actions like this: "H: ... in any case needs adjust otherwise they continue such players I give ave minus as TD" Educating players is a laudable goal, but probably hopeless. Much better to educate the TDs.

Really nice job as TD! I read every word of it, and I admire how you conducted yourself, the tourney, and made correct rulings. HERE is the REAL problem with free TDs ... "H: shall look but in any case needs adjust otherwise they continue such players I give ave minus as TD" People who have no clue about the Laws are running tournaments and making bad rulings, adjusting inappropriately. This makes others think that is how it should be done, so when they run into a REAL TD, who knows the Laws, they get all bent out of shape. I run approx 60 table tournaments, and out of that 240 people, I average about 2-3 thank yous. You can't run tourneys for the thank yous. I also average about 1-2 player discussions such as you had, trying to educate the players about why my ruling was right. It's an interesting question WHY people run free tourneys. I have seen a lot that are control freaks (they love to adjust any score for any reason they feel like, make up their own rules about bidding, etc), many that want their ego stroked (they keep the chat open and constantly fish for compliments), some that want to impress their friends (they fill the chat with constant spam about whatever they are doing at the moment as TD), and a variety of similar reasons, and then there are some that truly want to have some good tournaments on BBO. Personally, I wish we had more GOOD tournaments (quiet, well-run, with a TD who knows the Laws), so I try to do my part by running one now and then. It's just my contribution and the thank yous are gravy.

And what if you are sub'd out of a tourney involuntarily by a TD? Why would that count against you?

Does this mean if someone is sub'd out of a tournament, it's recorded as if they abandoned the tourney?

Perhaps you should look the word AGREEMENT up in the dictionary :P NOUN: 1. The act of agreeing. 2. Harmony of opinion; accord. 3. An arrangement between parties regarding a course of action; a covenant. McBruce, you can "expect" all you want, you can hope, you can pray, you can even shout it at the computer screen, but that does not make it an agreement. Hrothgar, by definition, it cannot be an agreement if the two parties think it means something entirely different. The only way you can call the 2D bid an agreement on Capp is if the two players either discussed it, or agreed to a system that included Capp by default.

Unless they specifically discussed it or agreed to a system (such as SAYC) which includes Capp (which the opponents could tell you), they have no agreement. Therefore no alert is required, and no adjustment is permitted by the Laws. If they did have an agreement, even by default of their overall system, then 2D should have been alerted. However it appears to me that partner did not bid as though he recognized it as Capp (would need to see the hands to be sure but playing Capp I would either choose a major or pass the dbl with no preference). Surely the opponents can recognize this as an unusual auction and protect themselves, at the very least by asking privately for explanations. Even with a failure to alert, I see no damage and therefore no reason for adjustment.

I believe it's the first DISCARD, not the first trick.

I agree, but unfortunately, it's the TD that needs to be told this, not the poor player who got ripped off by a would-be TD who doesn't understand the Laws or the Alert rules. We desperately need a way to get back to this type of TD with some education!

I'm with you! Bridge is a partnership game. I even think that when a pair signs up together, and one of them crashes, the other should be allowed to withdraw from a tournament if they wish, and not be forced to play with a random sub. I never blacklist someone who asks to leave for that reason, and I let them go from my tournaments without prejudice.

Epeeist, well said and exactly right. If you have no agreement, and no reason to expect your partner to understand your bid, you are REQUIRED to say "No agreement". Anything else would be a lie. It is just as unethical to imply an agreement by explaining one as it is to lie about the meaning. If you have never discussed anything at all, you must still assume an implicit agreement based on the standard system wherever you are playing. In ACBL tournaments, for example, that is SAYC with all of the ACBL rules. In generic BBO tournaments, I would think BBO Basic would be your assumption. Anything alertable in that system should be alerted, even if not discussed explicitly with partner. If you make a bid that is NOT covered or implicit in that standard system, you then you must answer "No agreement". Online where you cannot convey UI to partner, you may if you wish explain further, but then you must make it clear that you do not have an agreement and do not know if partner will understand it.

Do you have any reason to think this pair actually HAD an agreement? I find, especially online, most people do not have agreements about these kinds of obscure auctions. When they are asked, many try to answer, somewhat truthfully relative to what they meant the bid to mean, when the CORRECT answer is "No Agreement". It is just as unethical to explain, thereby implying an agreement with your partner that you do not have, as it is to lie about the meaning. If you do not have an agreement, explicit or implicit, and there is no reason to suspect that your partner will understand anything specific about your bid, you are required to tell the truth about that! I occasionally say No Agreement when that is the truth, and I usually get hassled by opponents demanding to know what I meant by the bid. When I say "I don't have to tell you my hand, only our agreements, and in this case, we have no agreement", I get hassled even more, sometimes by a TD who is called in, and I have even been threatened with reporting to abuse because I refused to explain further. You must tell the truth, even if the truth is no agreement. The person who explained his/her 3♥ call probably should not have told you anything more than "We have never discussed this auction and we have no agreement."

I understand the problem and the solution, even if it is annoying for the moment, but when one Host sets up and runs 2 different 20 table tournaments simultaneously and has a third one that will start before his second one finishes, that kind of defeats the purpose of this, doesn't it?

I'm reconsidering my statement about Law 70. There are Laws that cover a defender exposing his cards deliberately. LAW 50 DISPOSITION OF PENALTY CARD A card prematurely exposed (but not led, see Law 57) by a defender is a penalty card unless the Director designates otherwise. LAW 51 TWO OR MORE PENALTY CARDS A. Offender to Play If a defender has two or more penalty cards that can legally be played, declarer designates which is to be played at that turn. Law 68B. Concession Defined Any statement to the effect that a contestant will lose a specific number of tricks is a concession of those tricks; a claim of some number of tricks is a concession of the remainder, if any. A player concedes all the remaining tricks when he abandons his hand. Regardless of the foregoing, if a defender attempts to concede one or more tricks and his partner immediately objects, no concession has occurred..... Since no concession has occurred, I would think Laws 50 and 51 would apply.

If "throws his cards on the table" means it was live bridge, then his partner can immediately object to the concession. Law 68B. Concession Defined Any statement to the effect that a contestant will lose a specific number of tricks is a concession of those tricks; a claim of some number of tricks is a concession of the remainder, if any. A player concedes all the remaining tricks when he abandons his hand. Regardless of the foregoing, if a defender attempts to concede one or more tricks and his partner immediately objects, no concession has occurred..... Director adjudicates the result in accordance with Law 70. In online bridge, partner is not given the chance to object, so here, I would listen to partner's objection and adjust the score appropriately.

I like this idea. Message me privately with the TD or tourney name and I'll be sure to plan my tourneys immediately ahead of theirs. Sure do hate to see them getting what they want, driving away the successful and capable free TDs.

Ruling: Failure to alert. Result: Warning to alert the bid in the future, plus adjustment. Adjustment: Adjustment requires 2 things -- Misinformation and Damage. Misinformation is established by the admission of failure to alert. Had 2D been alerted, it's likely that North would take some action. Damage is established by estimating North's action and the most likely contract, in this case I would say 3N. Then decide what 3N makes, in this case because the hearts block and the AC is East, I'd say 3N makes 3 on anything except perfect defense. Theoretically, EW could get 4 hearts, 1 club, and 2 diamonds, but if West's bid meant the majors, East could also guess to lead a spade after winning the AC, so I'm resolving this in favor of the non-offending side. Misinformation is clear. Damage is clear. Adjust to 3N N/S making 3.