What's wrong with my tournament?

[Willem]

Hi all,

 

My director’s nick is “director1”, and I am running a tournament called “Saturday Night Fever Xpert Ximps” about every other Saturday (so twice a month) starting between 22.00 and 23.00 CET. The entrance is limited to players of Advanced Level and better. It’s a small tournament, usually 20 tables is the maximum, and I don’t charge a fee.

For the second time now (latest last Saturday) I received a message from someone using the nick “ACBL” that my tournament is illegal. Before I had a chance to ask what the problem is, this person logged out.

 

The message was:

 

ACBL (Lobby): I am sorry but you cannot limit player skills like this. Games of this skill level are all schedule. Your game interfers with top flight game and this is not allow”

 

(I have a screenshot of this message)

 

I am running this tournament for many months now, I have a few regular customers who seem to like it, but I am getting worried. I organize this tournament because I have a great time on BBO and want to do something back for the BBO-community. I have no idea what could be illegal at what I am doing, but if I am violating any rule, I like to know what it is and where it is published. So maybe someone can enlighten me. I like everyone’s opinion, but especially from the BBO management.

 

Willem

[hrothgar]

Directors have the right to run whatever tournaments they want, whenever they want.

 

I strongly suggest forwarding the screenshot to Bridge Base Online's "Abuse" system.

 

Whichever director is harassing you like this deserves a firm reprimand...

[Gerardo]

Agree, no tourney or group should be given that kind of protection.

[bglover]

I can assure Willem, Topflight has no game scheduled on Saturday nite. FOT does and is not a game limited by skill level. And FOT has never asked that any game, beyond AbaLucy, officially not interfere (there are private reasons why AbaLucy has, in theory, agreed not to interfere with FOT/TopFlight, as well as gentlemen's agreements in place with Stars).

 

Although I am technically no longer a part of TopFlight, I am personally offended someone invoked the name I was known under for so long to try and persuade another that something was being officially done at the request of that name. And, this incident implies we asked protection.

 

TopFlight has NEVER asked on an official basis that a tourney run by another be cancelled. (We have, on occasion, made a personal request that a tourney competing for similar skill levels reschedule, but that is all). This is offensive to both me and to my former partner, Ece. Even if I am no longer a part of TopFlight, I do not appreciate ACBL wrongly invoking a name I worked so hard to build (and hopefully stand for integrity) to achieve his/her own aims.

[Chamaco]

It is nice to know that there is no pressure on independent tournaments organizers, especially based on business issues.

 

It would be an outrageous thing if it was so.

[RedDevyl]

Hi Willem,

 

I direct Topflight tourneys.....we have them on mondays and thursdays. I don't know who ACBL is, but as far as I'm concerned, you are welcome to run your tourney on Saturdays. BBO is big enough for everybody:)

 

Paula AKA RedDevyl

[uday]

First, imo, a minor incident like this does not warrant any outrage.

 

The username ACBL ( aka Gweny ) happens to be tasked with managing the ACBL club games on BBO, as well as with managing the free and commercial tourney schedules. The ACBL username speaks for BBO in many matters.

 

We run about 100 tourneys daily. Pay tourney A does not want Pay tourney B anywhere near its timeslots. Pay Tourney B doesnt want A or C near its time slots. C doesnt want A and B running freebies during its timeslots.

 

Long running Free tourneys P, Q, R complain that impromptu tourneys by newbie TDs are stealing their customers.

 

Club X thinks Club Y is out to get them, and vice versa, and each calls for the cops if the other one sneezes to windward.

 

Customer 1 thinks TD A is devil spawn. Customer 2 thinks Club R is populated by elitists.

 

All these people, all these issues, eventually make their way to us, and we have to find our way through this thicket of self interest.

 

 

- we definitely have some rules about when tourneys can start and can't start. Most TDs dont need to care about this.

 

- what ever was going on with this guy, director1, we'll discuss internally and deal w/it.

 

- I don't expect to post a "resolution" here, but if anyone is curious, wait a week and email me and i'll let you know what happened. Remember, we're short-handed ( istanbul), we're busier than usual (istanbul) , our systems are under stress(istanbul) , and i think this issue can wait.

[ecepal]

Hi Willem

As manager of Topflight club and one of the topflight nick user I am so sorry to hear cancellation of you tourney((( I will reply to you when I get back.I am in Istanbull too )))) having great time ))) I will reply later when I am back , My friend Paula has explained and bglover explained some of our policy to you ,Thanks to them.

see you later

grretings from istanbul))