online bridge and alerting

[ack_hh]

RemoteKeys: http://www.freewarehits.de/RemoteKeys.htm

[hrothgar]

Just back from a long cross country plane trip.

 

Ben is relatively accurate in characterizing my position. I believe (pretty firmly) that hypertext convention cards are part of an "optimal" solution to providing full disclosure in an online setting. Please note: I'm not convinced that the format that I adopted is the be-all and end-all, however, it is a good starting point.

 

In response to recent comments, I did a lot of work to shrink the size of the convention card. I was able to get the "main" page down to 4K + 4 x 5K gif files for suit symbols. From my perspective, this page provides players with 90% of the the information that they would need to play against MOSCITO. [This page documents our opening bids and provides suggested defenses to the 2 most unusual openings]. Other information is provided in case players want information about negative inferences, however, it normally isn't necessary to consult this during an event.

 

Rather than characterizing this as a "28 page file", I think its far more accurate to think of this as a graphical version of the pre-alert strings that many people send when sitting down

 

http://web.mit.edu/~rwilley/www/MOSCITO.html

 

Long term, I believe that other components are necessary. For example, I believe implementing a "convention file" that maps a bidding sequence onto a hypertext string is a necessary extension. [if anyone care, The Bridge World is publishing a letter on this subject sometime during the next few issue]. Such a structure could be used to automate most alerts as well as providing a link to a suggested defense. Think of this as an automated version of the functions that some people are coding using Remote Keys. I will note that I think that a "convention card" will still be required, since alert/announcements can't adequately provide information regarding negative inferences.

 

Five years from now, I wouldn't be surprised to see options to link a given bid to a historical database of hands. For example, suppose that RHO opened 1NT in third seat. It would be highly amusing to be able to right click on this bid and see a graph plotting the HCP strength of that partnership's 3rd seat 1NT opening bids. In particular, if I saw a bimodal frequency distribution this would give me some very useful information about that pair's tendency to pysche.

[bhugi]

So, nothing wrong by not explaining an alert bid when opponents didn't ask. It is the correct procedure. You are not allowed to do so in physical events.

However, you are nicer to do so in online bridge (esp. when opp are not so expertised. B) )

[hrothgar]

Hi All

 

Remotes keys looks to be a nice little program.

I was quickly able to whip up a set of keys with alert strings for MOSCITO.

This should save a lot of typing.

 

Does anyone know where this data gets stored?

I'd like to be able to email files these between machines.

[DrTodd13]

I don't have Remote Keys in front of me because I only have it on

my home computer but there is an export function where you can

name a profile and save it to disk and then send that profile

through the mail. I've done this before and it is pretty easy.

 

Todd

[hrothgar]

Thanks for the help

Got it figured out now

[mycroft]

I *always* alert. And I - I would have said always, but I didn't just today^ - explain immediately. It may be a short version - I don't believe "6-12, 5+H, any such hand" really makes clear what an EHAA 2-bid is, but it's the best immediate response, for instance - but I do it anyway.

 

I am very happy for the change to the code so that I don't get halfway through an explanation and have a new "what does this mean" box appear, wiping out 20 characters, any more. Thanks BBO crew!

 

I like Richard's hypertext card, and with alerts and "quickie" explanations, I think it goes very well towards the ideal.

 

Why do I disagree with Bhugi? Well, because unlike any F2F bridge, we don't have UI passing when the opps don't ask. There's just no cost to you or partner to auto-explain; even behind screens, there's scritching and time-delay. "Well, you didn't ask" doesn't cut any weight with me - the onus is on the bidding partnership to explain, the "you're expected to protect yourself" bit in most FtF sponsoring organizations' regulations is just a way to minimize UI and slowdowns and interest showing.

 

If they don't care, they can bid. If they do care, they can wait. If they've heard it 20 times, not my problem. If they *know* an explanation is coming when I alert a bid, they don't have to wonder if they should ask, or click and hope, or obviously show lack of surety, or...

 

Which, of course, is why I don't like JG and others' "force opps to wait for the explanation". After about 5 EHAA two-bids (say, 10 hands or so), the opps have got it, and shouldn't need to wait - and I shouldn't force them to because I insist on telling them - again - because it doesn't hurt them.

 

OTOH, I type 65 WPM. I can give pretty, detailed explanations quickly. Typing isn't the chore for me that it is for others, who acquired the computer habit a bit later than nine. (RemoteKeys is nice)

 

Michael

 

^ The table was "all-canadian", I was the weakest player in the game, and I alerted a NMF 2C. There, I expected it was standard; if there had been a multinational table, I would have auto-explained.

[Free]

The biggest problem IMO is that there isn't enough space to type a big explanation.

 

Example my 3H opening: "pre S / FG H + 3S / FG 6C-4D". That's too long, and I don't see how I can shorten that even more... And ops don't always get the picture. If you come up with a FG H, they say you didn't have a preempt in S :- and they think you're not playing fair.

 

Tip for the programmers: MAKE THE EXPLANATION BOX BIGGER PLZ!

 

Free

[bglover]

You have an unlimted explanation box available... its the 'chat to opps' option. Control O opens a chat where your message goes just to your opponenets

So, you can make your bid after you tell them "alert!" and the explanaiton for your bid.

 

Simple!

[wenny]

[td][/td][tr][/tr]

[DrTodd13]

I think the world class pairs that play a lot of artificial stuff have

little cards prepared for the stuff that comes up frequently that

describes the bid. They can just show the card to their

screenmate and save time that way. A paper version of RemoteKeys

you could say. B) The rarer stuff they still have to write down I

would suppose.

 

Todd

[Trpltrbl]

When y run a tournament just tell players to alert any non SAYC bid or any non 2/1 bid and y have a lot covered. I already mentioned in another post that a lot of players r trying to win this game by playing a system that most r not familiar with, and therefore get away with some stuff, especially when not alerting. Good for them >;) and if the want to play a game of real bridge come look me up ;D.

 

Mike ;D