Vanderbilt organization

[hanp]

I think playing in the US nationals is very special. It is unfortunate that the one time you were at a national, the only bridge game you entered was a side game.

 

Maybe it's that around here there is a large difference between a "club game" and a "tournament", and this was more like the first when I expected the second.

 

I don't know where "around here" is for you these days but in the Netherlands there is a wide spectrum of tournaments, the smallest are less interesting than a game at a good bridge club. At the nationals in the US you will find all levels of games, ranging from some of the toughest events on the planet to some of the weakest.

 

There are no prizes though, so if that's what you are looking for then you shouldn't go.

[Gerben42]

   I think playing in the nationals is very special. It is unfortunate that the one time you were at a national, the only bridge game you entered was a side game.

 

It was the only thing available that lasted just 1 day or even that day and the next.

I'm sure I'll come back some time, but what do the good players do who get knocked out early in the big games?

[hanp]

Take a look at the tournament schedule for the current nationals in Houston:

 

http://www.acbl.org/nabc/2009/01/419schedule.pdf

 

You can't play in the NA pairs as you would have to qualify. But notice that every day there are knockout events, the higher brackets tend to be quite strong so if you can find a strong team then you should have a good time. You may have to shuffle though.

 

But of course the national events are the best. It started with the Silidor open pairs. Then you could have played in the Vanderbilt. If you were knocked out in the first or second day then you could have played in the Rockwell mixed pairs. The there are the Lebhar IMP pairs, the Whitehead women pairs and the red ribbon pairs, surely you can play in one of those. And in the final weekend you have the Swiss team events, both open and women.

 

So even if you have a disappointing run in the Vanderbilt then there are several other national events you can play in and I assure you that those are much more interesting than the side games. If you are unlucky then you can play a day of knockouts in between.

[TimG]

but what do the good players do who get knocked out early in the big games?

They play in things like the Mixed Pairs, the IMP pairs and the Fast Pairs. There are also frequent team events that carry NABC rating, but which are somewhat secondary events.

 

But really, if you have too many of these events you reduce their significance to the point where they aren't special.

[JoAnneM]

I don't think that was a side game if he got a prize. Maybe it was an I/N game where they do give out prizes. Or, I suppose it could have been a section top prize - we have a limit what we can spend on those, and it's not much.

 

I'd say that walking in - playing with a pickup partner who was pleasant, nice to play with, and you did well - was the prize.

[Stephen Tu]

You can't play in the NA pairs as you would have to qualify. But notice that every day there are knockout events, the higher brackets tend to be quite strong so if you can find a strong team then you should have a good time. You may have to shuffle though.

 

It is very hard to get in high bracket KO unless your team have foreign points that translate into many equivalent ACBL points, or you have U.S. teammates with many thousands of points each. You have to be like the story about Jassem and be able to say when asked how many points "I don't know but won Vanderbilt this spring" so director write down 100000 point for your team :). If you are younger player like many on this forum, not play professional full-time like Justin, and also play with younger teammates, it is hard to have enough attendance points, so you get stuck in like bracket 7 or even lower and the bridge is probably not so interesting. It is probably easiest way to accumulate many masterpoints but probably not if you want challenging opponents unless you already have enough to get in the top brackets.

 

If must play regional event if you cannot get high bracket I would prefer A/X Swiss, at least if do well towards end of day you will usually play some good teams. Unfortunately you have to shuffle these too :) Hopefully eventually they will get act together to be able to use machine for all events.

 

But of course the national events are the best

 

+1.

Now I try play only national events, if get knocked out use as rest days, and either tour the host city, gamble if Las Vegas/Reno, or kibitz the top pairs. I play the regional events only if partner/teammates really insist.

[TimG]

It is very hard to get in high bracket KO unless your team have foreign points that translate into many equivalent ACBL points, or you have U.S. teammates with many thousands of points each.

What many do not know is that teams can ask to play up and the request will often be honored. I would imagine this is especially true of foreign players.

[jdonn]

It is very hard to get in high bracket KO unless your team have foreign points that translate into many equivalent ACBL points, or you have U.S. teammates with many thousands of points each.

What many do not know is that teams can ask to play up and the request will often be honored. I would imagine this is especially true of foreign players.

It is, and young players.

[Stephen Tu]

"Sometimes be honored"? I think it is harder to get your request honored at nationals than at normal regionals. They don't like to move you up too many bracket, it affects too many people above who don't want to be moved down. Maybe you can get in bracket above if you are near boundary but hard to jump 4+ brackets I think.

 

As a foreign player if you want to get in top bracket it may be most effective to massively inflate the number of foreign points you have, ACBL prob doesn't have access to the foreign databases :)

[JLOL]

As a foreign player if you want to get in top bracket it may be most effective to massively inflate the number of foreign points you have, ACBL prob doesn't have access to the foreign databases :)

LOL

 

This has been tried before.

[jdonn]

I think I have jumped as many as 5 brackets before. But it really depends on the director. Some have a problem specifically letting anyone play up into bracket 1 but otherwise don't care, and others will pretty much let you do what you want.

[barmar]

I don't think that was a side game if he got a prize. Maybe it was an I/N game where they do give out prizes. Or, I suppose it could have been a section top prize - we have a limit what we can spend on those, and it's not much.

 

I'd say that walking in - playing with a pickup partner who was pleasant, nice to play with, and you did well - was the prize.

He said it was a "2-session side game", so it probably was a section-top award. The I/N games give out trophies -- I don't know if he would consider that a "prize". And they don't have 2-session games in the I/N room (except for special games like the 299'er Pairs).

[paulg]

I don't think that was a side game if he got a prize.  Maybe it was an I/N game where they do give out prizes.  Or, I suppose it could have been a section top prize - we have a limit what we can spend on those, and it's not much.

 

I'd say that walking in - playing with a pickup partner who was pleasant, nice to play with, and you did well - was the prize.

He said it was a "2-session side game", so it probably was a section-top award. The I/N games give out trophies -- I don't know if he would consider that a "prize". And they don't have 2-session games in the I/N room (except for special games like the 299'er Pairs).

I expect the prize was the tin bookmark that they gave out in Washington that year for section tops. I doubt it survived the flight home as none of mine did. However it sounds like Gerben failed to register for the NABC and get the bag and (~$3) alarm clock gift.

 

This was my first NABC too, but luckily had more than a day at the event. We'll be back for the reprise in July.

 

Paul

[keylime]

Between Gnome and myself Paul, we know the good beer spots. Definitely wouldn't mind a pint with you, my treat.

[MarkDean]

I must have terrible negotiating skills - I can never get put in a higher bracket, and, at least by ACBL standards, I am a younger player (29). Is there a trick to this art?

[jdonn]

I must have terrible negotiating skills - I can never get put in a higher bracket, and, at least by ACBL standards, I am a younger player (29).  Is there a trick to this art?

Um.....win stuff, and know the directors better! :)

[gnasher]

I must have terrible negotiating skills - I can never get put in a higher bracket, and, at least by ACBL standards, I am a younger player (29). Is there a trick to this art?

Be a foreigner.

[hanp]

Yes being a foreigner has worked for me.