Skill Ratings

[el tombo]

On BBO I spend most of my time in the Acol Club and occasionally in the BIL. The vast majority of people in those clubs are rated as intermediate and the problem I have is that the actual skill levels of those people range from people who miss game with 29 points combined and those who are training up to be in the England U20 squad, having attended a few training weekends, like my partner and I.

 

I am not the sort of person who is fussy about who I play with but I believe that it would be a good idea to have skill levels as Upper Intermediate, Intermediate and Lower Intermediate so that people get a better idea of the sort of standard their partners are at.

 

For example I was playing with an "Advanced" person the other day who had never heard of splinters. I bid a splinter, based on the fact that they were Intermediate and would know what it means and then they raised me to the 6 level. This example is a bit extreme but hopefully you get my point.

[TimG]

No finer gradations will do any good so long as people are self-rating. If someone who is advanced misses a splinter, how will it help to add low/middle/high intermediate?

[el tombo]

Well then what about if there was a system where you get a level assigned depending on how well you play (eg if you are intermediate and you win a tournament, your level goes up but if you do badly your level goes down). People have probably suggested this before and I see why BBO isn't doing it (people would be discouraged from playing if their rating was low) but there could be an option to set it as private.

[TimG]

BBO has always seemed to be against any automatic rating system. Although they do put those little letters and numbers next to players who win tourney points.

[paulg]

The Acol Club and the BIL are both excellent clubs. The BIL provides lots of teaching sessions for beginners and intermediates and is a thriving club for these players. The Acol Club is excellent for social players and keen intermediates who have only ever seen Acol.

 

In my opinion neither club is appropriate for aspiring young players if you are seeking to improve your game. Attending U20 training weekends means that you are above the BIL and the Acol Club cannot provide the more intense practice that you need.

 

Even the folks at my local bridge club have worked this out. They play in the Acol Club when they do not have a regular partner around for the social aspect, but they move to the Main Bridge Club when they want a more serious game. And these folks are simple intermediates too.

 

Paul

[matmat]

please don't advocate adding any extra rating levels... there are already too many and they are abused as is...

 

just find a group of people you are happy playing with and stick to that group... playing with randoms all the time is not a good idea.

[onoway]

BBO_IAC private club also offers an assortment of learning situations from tourney/review to straight teaching sessions. We have people teaching Precision and other systems, (though not Acol ..yet, anyway) as well as teachers concentrating on specific aspects of the game. Unfortunately not enough people play in the club at the moment, but it can be a way of expanding horizons in terms of meeting other people actively trying to improve. Some of the sessions are of little interest to advanced players but others are of benefit to all. We are trying to be the "next step" after BIL, as well as being a place where advanced can also benefit.

 

We are also trying to organize team matches on a scheduled basis and some of the players involved would give ANYONE a degree of challenge. We are hoping more players who are advanced will get involved with those.

 

It seems a shame to restrict yourselves to playing with the first group of people you get involved with. There are a lot of people who have inflated ideas of their skill everywhere on BBO but also a lot of very nice people who can give most players a decent game. Certainly Main is subject to both strange and wonderful players.

 

(btw, the little numbers beside the name may not mean a whole lot either as BIL gives out partial points to everyone as an incentive just for playing in their tourneys.)