Matchpoint Reward Tourneys

[AAr]

I like the Best Hand tourneys except for one thing:

 

The entire tourney I was pretty much in non-making partscores. Problem is that other tables have better cards and are making games and slams.

 

So, you could do well to stay out of game and end up in partscore that still doesn't even make (or even if you do make partscores), your score still suffers.

 

In Matchpoints, if you're down 1 in an unmakable 3H while mostly everybody else is down 2 in 4H, which you judged very well to stay out of, you get the good board you deserve. Total points seems to be all about the luck of the cards.

 

So, why not try to have a Matchpoint Robot tourney with the same reward tree as the current Totalpoint best hand tourneys?

 

And, yes, BTW, I do play the Matchpoint robot tourneys and like them.

 

And, one more question about the Totalpoint Best Hand tourneys: Is it really true that I should bid games more aggressively than I would in, say, a Sky Club IMP Pairs tourney?

 

Thanks!

[barmar]

See the Robot Race Strategies thread here:

 

http://forums.bridgebase.com/index.php?showtopic=29136

[Ant590]

When BBO ran 18 board $1 matchpoint & IMP robot duplicates they were a bit of a failure in terms of participation, which was a real shame as I thought they were good value.

 

It seems that people like their 25c of fun only really.

[AAr]

I do usually pass out 13-counts in 4th seat and try to bid games very agressively, but still seem to frequently get dealt partscore battles when either an opponent opens or I have a clear opener but the GIB partner has a very weak hand. It's just my luck that I get dealt a lot of partscore hands in Best Hand tourneys (and very few slam hands), but I think I do the best I can to avoid them. It just seems like you don't get awarded much from making a partscore vs. going down in game in these tourneys as much as you should.

 

Ok, as a compromise for Matchpoints, how about Best Hand tourneys that are Totalpoint Duplicate, with the $1 entry fee and the money tree of the current best hand tourneys? I have a bit of a slow server, so this might be a slight disadvantage for me as I would likely get fewer hands in, but it does seem more fair than the current Best Hand tourneys, which I would also have this disadvantage in. But, it would still be nice to see my +110 beat everybody else's -100.

 

It's frustrating that you play so many partscores and don't get awarded for good bidding and play (making the partscore and staying out of the nonmaking game) because other tables with better cards are making slams.

 

Then again, what I like best about the robot tourneys is that whenever I do go down in a makable game or try somthing stupid that doesn't work, my score would be shot just like I would in any other tourney, but at least the GIB partner doesn't complain and stays silent. B)

[TimG]

I do usually pass out 13-counts in 4th seat

13 counts aren't close to an opening bid in Robot Rewards. With a balanced hand, I usually wait for a 16-17 count -- one that would open 1N and accept a game invite -- before opening the bidding in any seat.

 

Lots of those partscore battles you detest can be skipped altogether.

[barmar]

It's not just 4th chair that you should pass the 13 counts, you should pass them in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd seat as well. Don't open a hand that can't accept an invitation.

 

Yes, it's frustrating when the opps open, and then you're forced to compete (or worse, they have enough shape that they can actually bid and make game). Sorry, no one said getting rich on Robot Rewards would be easy. If North opens a weak 2, try to find an excuse to raise it to game.

 

Know what I hate? When I've been playing Robot Rewards for a while, and then enter a Robot Rebate 55% tourney, and out of habit I pass a full opening bid. It's almost impossible to recover.

[TimG]

Know what I hate? When I've been playing Robot Rewards for a while, and then enter a Robot Rebate 55% tourney, and out of habit I pass a full opening bid. It's almost impossible to recover.

Know what I hate? Entering one of those $0.25 robot games because it is the one starting first and only later realizing that you're only playing for BBO points, no $$$.