LM Increase?

[mike777]

I noted they voted on a new Platinum Pairs event also.

 

 

http://web2.acbl.org/documentlibrary/about...082-Minutes.pdf

[SoTired]

Who plays for the masterpoints?

Excuse me, I have to ask. Exactly what planet are you from? :)

 

Ok, if you are trying to win some race somewhere, or need to show a lot of points in order to justify one's playing fees, as a pro...ok. But winning points should be secondary...play for the fun of the game, or the challenge, or as practice for an important event, or because of friendship with partner or teammates.. not for the points.

Should! Is this wishful thinking or projection? :)

 

If you take offense, I apologize in advance for this post. It is late and I am still dumb-struck by the clever weaselness and reverse weaselness in the "UI?" thread.

[JoAnneM]

It is said that 25 million people in the US play bridge. Approx. 160,000 are paid up members of ACBL. Some would say the ACBL members are the elite players. I say that duplicate bridge is just a different form of bridge and we belong to the organized part of the game because of its ranking goals, club structure, and tournament play.

 

There are probably non duplicate players out there playing at home who could rival the great players of our time but they just are not interested.

[655321]

I say that duplicate bridge is just a different form of bridge and we belong to the organized part of the game because of its ranking goals, club structure, and tournament play.

 

There are probably non duplicate players out there playing at home who could rival the great players of our time but they just are not interested.

I disagree with your position.

[hrothgar]

It is said that 25 million people in the US play bridge. Approx. 160,000 are paid up members of ACBL. Some would say the ACBL members are the elite players. I say that duplicate bridge is just a different form of bridge and we belong to the organized part of the game because of its ranking goals, club structure, and tournament play.

 

There are probably non duplicate players out there playing at home who could rival the great players of our time but they just are not interested.

Sorry, I don't buy into any of this..

 

First of all lets consider this oft bandied claim that there are 25 million bridge players out the in US. The are (roughly) 300 million people in the US. I don't believe that 8% of them play any meaningful amount of bridge.

 

There might be be 25 million people who have heard of bridge. Perhaps they played the occasional hand long long ago... However, I think that the cable television, dual income households, the cineplex, and the internet, killed the social game a decade or two back. The social players who were too set in their ways to migrate to new and better things are probably either dead of old age or alternatively take the game seriously enough that there are ACBL members. You might be able to scrape up "social" bridge players, but I suspect that they are bridge payers in the same way that I am a tennis player. I know how to play. I used to play. However, I haven't picked up a racquet in a couple decades.

 

There might have been 25 million bridge players in the US once upon a time, but those days are dead and gone.

 

As for the claim that the world of social bridge is populated by unknown Helgemos, Rosenbergs, and the like... I'd be shocked. I'm sure that there are lots of very good players out there. I kow for a fact that players like Zia and Hallburg have been able to move effectively from high stakes rubber bridge to high level duplicate. However, I think that cut throat high stakes rubber bridge is ever bit as far removed from the "25 million" playing around their kitchen as tables are is ACBL style duplicate,

[CSGibson]

It is said that 25 million people in the US play bridge.  Approx. 160,000 are paid up members of ACBL.   Some would say the ACBL members are the elite players.  I say that duplicate bridge is just a different form of bridge and we belong to the organized part of the game because of its ranking goals, club structure, and tournament play.

 

There are probably non duplicate players out there playing at home who could rival the great players of our time but they just are not interested.

Sorry, I don't buy into any of this..

 

...

Though I cannot quote statistics saying who does and does not play bridge, I would like to point out that there are bridge columns in practically every daily newspaper, and whenever a newspaper tries to remove them, they get enough mail and phone calls that they put them back into circulation. To me, that says that Joanne's supposition as to the number of social bridge players may be close to correct, as I don't think duplicate players in an area could come close to making a big enough ruckus for major newspapers to react.

 

As to the quality of the social bridge player - not close in most cases, primarily because of the bidding innovations that have not leaked into social circles.

[bill1157]

I think it is ok to raise the requirements for lm. Taking my own case, after i made LM i stopped playing much duplicate for about 20 yrs. I have recently gotten back into it, but i think many curtail their tournament playing after they make LM, so why not make them keep trying for it a little longer?

The inflation of MP's is ok, because having special club game that award more points increases attendance. For me 1st/6 tables is more exciting than 1st/3 tables!

LM needs to be attainable, but not too easy.. it still has to have some appearance of being an achievement.

 

Bill

[kfay]

I noted they voted on a new Platinum Pairs event also.

 

 

http://web2.acbl.org/documentlibrary/about...082-Minutes.pdf

Wow this looks brutal.