bridgemates & IMPs

[shevek]

Most BBO bridge (80%) is IMP-scored, like most major championships.

Players get instant +/- IMP feedback.

 

In your local club with bridgemates (or bridgepads or bridgescorers) the only instant scoring feedback you can get is matchpoints/percentage, though the external scoring program can take that data and score IMP Pairs vs datum.

 

Question: How hard would it be to write server software to give IMP feedback instead of percentage, as per BBO?

I play 3H making 10, then see -5 IMPs.

 

IMP events are a bit trickier to run, since you should ensure that all the pairs play all the boards in play. This can mean slightly unusual moves like share, webs, Bowman-Ewing etc, with some requiring two sets of boards.

Most clubs have dealers so rarely in issue.

 

Is anyone working on this?

I for one would like to play more casual IMP-scored games at my local club.

[helene_t]

The developper's guide doesn't mention any wireless protecol aspects. You can monitor communication from the bridgemates to the server but the only way to influence the communication to the bridgemates is to set the UpdadeFromRound field in the "tables" table to reset the bridgemates. Even if you could hack the protocol it may well be that you would need to hack the bridgemates themselves also.

 

What you could easily do is to make an IMP barometer on the wall display by reading the database, but your external program probably does that already.

[Oof Arted]

Have you tried contacting Jeff Smith

[gordontd]

Have you tried contacting Jeff Smith

That won't do any good since it's a Bridgemate issue, not a scoring program issue. I brought it up with Ron Bouwland from Bridgemate about seven years ago, but I don't think he saw it as much of a priority. Where I used to run a cross-IMP pairs game with Bridgemates, we just used to switch off the percentages for those nights and players got a rough idea of their score from looking at the other results, as well as having ongoing results shown on a screen outside the playing room for those who wanted to see them.

[aguahombre]

As a strong advocate of switching off instant any kind of feedback during a session, here's my 2 cents' worth:

 

The boards are not being played at the same time; thus, instant feedback is incomplete.

 

Checking on percentages or IMPs thus far for a result is another way of wasting time and making Club games slower than they already were.

 

Why on earth would I want instant incomplete IMP data during a matchpoint contest?

[barmar]

The boards are not being played at the same time; thus, instant feedback is incomplete.

Checking on percentages or IMPs thus far for a result is another way of wasting time and making Club games slower than they already were.

Those arguments apply just as much when using paper travellers. Nevertheless, players enjoy looking at the comparisons so far, even though they know they're incomplete.

Why on earth would I want instant incomplete IMP data during a matchpoint contest?

I think you have it backwards. The contest is IMPs, the BM can display MP data.

[aguahombre]

Those arguments apply just as much when using paper travellers. Nevertheless, players enjoy looking at the comparisons so far, even though they know they're incomplete.

Indeed they do. And, some players enjoy a session ending on the same day it started. Personally, I enjoy shutting off distractions; and, the only complaint I have received in the 4 years since is from a player who finds plenty other ways to slow the movement down.