People who join a table then immediately leave

[deanrover6]

May we ban them from sitting at another table for 5 minutes? I've had hands where literally 8 people have joined and immediately left, including the guys who join multiple times. It's really bad form, but also makes it clear that that particular hand has very few points, which affects the play if you're in a 24 points 3NT contract.

[billw55]

Sometimes people want to click on a particular seat in the lobby, but just as they do the list changes, and they land in a seat they never wanted. Happens to me once in a while.

[eagles123]

i will sometimes join a random table and if my p has no profile i will leave... i guess i should stay play out the hand... meh...

[OldPlayr]

I'm probably a guilty party.

 

With no way to specify the conventions that one plays, the only way to find a partner who plays the same bidding is to drop to a table, look at the profile, and leave if a mismatch. How anyone can bid with a partner who's profile is blank, relative to conventions is a mystery to me!

 

I must jump in several tables before finding someone who plays SAYC, like I do. I never bid or take any action, just jump in, read profile, and jump out.

 

Is that a bad thing? If so, consider fixing the 'take me to a seat' function to allow some selection criteria based on conventions.

[barmar]

The "take me to an open seat" feature is intended for people who are willing to play with almost anyone (we do a little matching based on declared level, and won't put you at a table with an enemy), they just want a quick way to get to an open seat. If you want to be more selective, list the open tables, click on the players with no partners to see their profile, and then join the ones you like.

[OldPlayr]

Looking at open tables is not any easier than 'take me to a table' jumping, maybe more inconvenient.

 

Some improvement could certainly be made to the process of finding a game.

 

Ideas:

 

based on number of logins (eliminates drop-ins or beginners)

based on conventions played. I realize profiles are not structured - how about profiles that contain a keyword, like "SAYC" or "Precision" or "ACOL"? Better than nothing...

based on skill level (not to reopen the skill level debate :rolleyes: )

on country (would help those wanting a specific language)

 

Longer-term, improvements to profiles could open up a lot of better selection options.

 

Not having to write the code, I have loads of ideas..... :D

[1eyedjack]

@OldPlayr

If you assume that a player with blank profile is familiar with, and expects to be playing by default, Standard American then you will be wrong sufficiently rarely that you should find your table hopping policy to be the greater inconvenience, to yourself never mind to others at tables that you fleetingly visit.

 

Think of it as akin to a cut-in rubber bridge club. You cut in, get a random unfamiliar partner, deal, play and away you go. No faffing about with systems. Aint nobody got time for that. Eats into profits.

 

There is I think something in what you say however. In MBC you really have no chance to review tables with open seats, select the table most to your liking and then sit. By the time that you have made your selection the selected table will be full. If you wish to get a seat (ANY seat) then your only chance is to sit at random and THEN decide if pot luck is in your favour, leaving if otherwise. Not helped by the Flash interface which does not instantly autorefresh. Table hopping is therefore actively promoted by the software design.

[Antrax]

Another way to find a table to your liking is to start one. I personally use HMFAG but I don't really care about table-hoppers so the system works for me.

[diana_eva]

I use HMFAG > List Interesting Tables quite a lot. I made a few good friends by playing at tables suggested via this algorithm, so whatever criteria is behind the selection mechanism worked well for me.

[OldPlayr]

I've been trying the 'view open tables' option. I'm just not quick enough in trying to view profiles before taking an open seat. Open seats come & go too fast.

 

I still hold to my suggestion that options could be added to 'take me to a table' to improve the partner matchups.

 

@1eyedjack - I've not had luck trying partners with blank profiles. I don't believe that blank means 'I'll play any system' - rather it means 'I'm too lazy or new to fill out my profile' :)

 

In any case, taking the advice here, I've curbed my table hopping in favor of frustrating speed-clicking attempts in 'view open tables'.....

[1eyedjack]

@1eyedjack - 〈snip〉 I don't believe that blank means 'I'll play any system' - 〈snip〉

 

 

I agree - I also don't believe that blank means "I'll play any system". It means "I'll play Standard American (until agreed otherwise)", as I said earlier (or BBO standard, if you wish, which means much the same, and is published on the website somewhere).

[mgoetze]

How anyone can bid with a partner who's profile is blank, relative to conventions is a mystery to me!

LOL.

 

How anyone can bid with a partner without first saying hello and asking them which system they would like to play is a mystery to me!

 

Have you ever considered that someone might know more conventions, or even bidding systems, than will fit into the profile text and not particularly care which of them he/she plays?

[OldPlayr]

LOL.

 

How anyone can bid with a partner without first saying hello and asking them which system they would like to play is a mystery to me!

 

Have you ever considered that someone might know more conventions, or even bidding systems, than will fit into the profile text and not particularly care which of them he/she plays?

 

One would think that someone who was fluent in everything with write something to that effect in their profile, instead of leaving it blank? I've seen profiles like that - "will play your system".

 

Blank to me is a sign to find another partner. If I have to ask or guess, I'll go elsewhere.

[diana_eva]

I don't understand this anger against blank profiles. I think it's natural to agree on system and carding before starting to play. The "Other" field in profile is just that, a place to write "other" things if you want to. It's not mandatory, and it's certainly not THE place to fill in a CC. There are CC features on both versions of BBO for those who are willing to fill in a CC. On web, there's a "favorite CC" button right there in player's profile (separated from the "other" area). Writing your favorite system in there helps, but it is not required and doesn't really solve that much. I have 2/1 in my profile. If I sit down with a sayc partner, I still ask what we play just to make sure we don't end up assuming each other's profile.

[jillybean]

LOL Oldplayr, when you first complained about the players on BBO I offered to play a few games with you. I attempted to contact you on BBO, sent a few messages inviting you to play which you ignored.

You revealed later that you have your chat screen hidden/minimized. !! I suggest that you may be the cause of many of your problems. I can imagine that your partners, with or without profiles are attempting

to discuss system approach with you, receive no response so naturally, give up and leave the table.

 

You may want to try communicating with partners before complaining on here.

[Siegmund]

With no way to specify the conventions that one plays, the only way to find a partner who plays the same bidding is to drop to a table, look at the profile, and leave if a mismatch

 

In the old version, you moused over the names of the players and saw the profiles before you ever joined the table. That has become (much) harder in the web version. Still, the profile space is so limited that you really do have to expect some conversation before you can start.

[Antrax]

Didn't they increase the amount of space in there a while back? I personally feel my "Other" field offers a good description of what I expect from pick-ups (i.e. what I perceive as BBO standard)

[billw55]

In the old version, you moused over the names of the players and saw the profiles before you ever joined the table. That has become (much) harder in the web version. Still, the profile space is so limited that you really do have to expect some conversation before you can start.

Yes, much harder now. You must hover and click, instead of just hover. Tough stuff :rolleyes:

[fred]

In the old version, you moused over the names of the players and saw the profiles before you ever joined the table. That has become (much) harder in the web version. Still, the profile space is so limited that you really do have to expect some conversation before you can start.

Click "Options" (blue button at top) then "More options" on the menu that appears. You will see a dialog box. Click the "Advanced options" tab.

 

You will see a checkbox for "Show profile upon mouse over". If you check this option you will get the behavior you want.

 

Fred Gitelman

Bridge Base Inc.

www.bridgebase.com

[barmar]

I don't understand this anger against blank profiles. I think it's natural to agree on system and carding before starting to play.

I don't play with randoms very often. The only times I've played in the MBC in recent years has been when I've been practicing with a new partner, and we need opponents. I almost never see them discuss system. People just take a seat and start bidding.

 

So what you think should be "natural" is not how things actually happen in online bridge.

[OldPlayr]

LOL Oldplayr, when you first complained about the players on BBO I offered to play a few games with you. I attempted to contact you on BBO, sent a few messages inviting you to play which you ignored.

You revealed later that you have your chat screen hidden/minimized. !! I suggest that you may be the cause of many of your problems. I can imagine that your partners, with or without profiles are attempting

to discuss system approach with you, receive no response so naturally, give up and leave the table.

 

You may want to try communicating with partners before complaining on here.

 

Not complaining - just made a suggestion on improving partner assignment (The title of the forum is "Suggestions for the Software", correct?)

 

I feel that there is opportunity to improve seating options.

 

Having to go to a table, check a profile, and then try to start a dialog hoping to get an answer (in a common language) on what conventions to play leads me to believe that there must be a better way, hence my suggestion here.

[Lovera]

Hi, let's try this way: select "Watch to play" and click on "full(=not open)" table more compatible/balanced to your profile (you are able to see "profile" of players of that table): infact you are kibbitzer and for" a while "you can see play...until a player leaves the seat (anytime sostituite by robot until play ends) and if you are now able to click quickly on free seat you may join and play (i have noticed it easier in Relaxed than Main B.C.) at table.