Team matches

[onoway]

I tried to play in the team matches today that I understand were being offered by ACBL. 1) There was no time listed for registration cutoff & at first was told the registrations were closed(about 45 minutes before the advertised start time. ok 2) when I asked when the cutoff was, I was told an hour before the teams were to start but if only my p and I (rather than a team) then they had room for us. OK My p got disconnected so I found another and informed them, before the start time.

Time went by.

 

At 10 past the hour I asked if we had got in or were too late and was informed that indeed we would be playing.

 

At 20 past the hour I asked if they needed some help as as far as I could see they had only three matches going and two of them were missing players, one consistently and the other flicking in and out. No reply.

 

At 35 minutes past the hour I asked again what was going on and was told that oh they didn't have enough players so we would not be playing after all. I have NO idea how long we would have waited around if I had not asked. I was told that someone had been informed and she had been expected to pass it on although we were likely as unfamiliar to her as she was to us. In fact I had no idea who we were supposed to be playing WITH since the promo specified no partner or team needed, so I hadn't paid a lot of attention when told who our teammates would be.

 

I was really looking forward to this and think it's a great idea but was appalled at the whole thing today. If registrations were closed an HOUR ahead of the play time you would think that they could have had things organized by the start time and known what was what. I am disappointed and quite annoyed at the total useless waste of time I spent waiting around to play.

 

I have been running similar team matches (called Spur team matches) in IAC for about a year off and on and have run into most of the likely problems to be expected. NEVER have I left people hanging about after the matches start time not knowing if they were playing or not. At times we have had up to 8 matches running in the Spur teams and never has the last match to be set been more than 5 minutes over the start time. ACBL has a lot of people and should be able to do much better. Today left me wondering if I would bother trying to play again another time.

[sallyally]

 

 

I have been running similar team matches (called Spur team matches) in IAC for about a year off and on and have run into most of the likely problems to be expected. NEVER have I left people hanging about after the matches start time not knowing if they were playing or not. At times we have had up to 8 matches running in the Spur teams and never has the last match to be set been more than 5 minutes over the start time. ACBL has a lot of people and should be able to do much better. Today left me wondering if I would bother trying to play again another time.

 

This is the first I knew of this offer of team games. I am presently trying to put together a team. And yes, the BBO_IAC team matches are certainly run efficiently and they have engendered a lot of interest.

[inquiry]

This is the first I knew of this offer of team games. I am presently trying to put together a team. And yes, the BBO_IAC team matches are certainly run efficiently and they have engendered a lot of interest.

 

Onoway (and to some degree Paulg)

 

It seems the software is being developed to automate team events. People playing in these are "beta-testers", in that complaints. problems you report will help make improvements to the software. I have been a beta=tester (twice actually paid to do so) of software over the years. There are always frustrations, and things that have to be fixed. In the long run, when team events are running without problems, it will be the beta testers (And of course even more the programmers) who deserve our thanks. Each time they change the software to run these, there is a good chance the next event will run smoother. Eventually it will run perfect.

 

Try not to think how it didn't work right this time, try to think what suggestions and problems you can report. I think you did a good job pointing out some problems from today, so sounds like if you can stick with it, you will be a very valuable beta tester.

[onoway]

Ben: I have no problem being a beta tester. I would be happy to help, including sharing with anyone working on these programs what I have learned over the past couple of years running the same sort of event. BBO has given me a geat deal over the past few years and I would be delighted to be able to return the favor however I can.

 

It would just be nice to know ahead of time that this is the case instead of having the thing presented as a readytogo situation as any other tourney or team match. More than nice, I think it important. If others had the same experience today as I did, and believe it will be typical of these matches, then the ACBL will have lost potential players. It's a whole lot easier to keep them than to get them back.