Duplicate scoring software

[Red A Lurt]

I am the closest thing we have to a director for our small social duplicate group. It's a very informal group. We meet about once a month in someone's home. We usually have 3 tables, sometimes just two. We usually use a modified Howell movement in which we rotate the boards around the tables so that they are played by every table in each round. I then score them and keep a running score so each pair can see how they are doing. I created most of the forms myself.

 

A week ago, we had 4 tables for the first time. We have used a team format in the past when we have had just 2 tables. The IMP scoring is fairly easy with paper and pencil. When we had 4 tables, the members asked if we could try a team format again. I did a little research and found that there are quiet a few scoring alternatives and rotations for a 4-table team event. Most of them are a little unwieldy, not to mention error prone, for paper and pencil. I also learned that we can play teams with 3 tables.

 

I see that there are a number of software offerings for handling the scoring. Most of them are designed for large clubs with dozens of tables and some of which use wireless scoring devices. This is way more than we need.

 

Can anyone recommend a program that would be suitable for our club? These are the "requirements" that I think we need:

 

• Score a 2-, 3-, or 4-table team event using standard methods.
• Score our regular modified Howell movement. I suppose I'd need to enter the rotation.
• Score from the travelers (ie, knows that 4S making 5 vulnerable is 650).
• Generate various reports in addition to a standard recap form.
• Run on Windows.
• Be fairly easy to use for someone who will only use it once a month or so.

It does not need to calculate Master Points as we are not sanctioned and have no plans to be or be able to upload the results to anywhere.

 

It does not need to be free. I am happy to pay for something that works well.

 

I would also love to get links to documentation on how to do the actual calculations (formulas and examples) for the various types of scoring (Cross IMPs, Butler, etc.).

 

Thanks for any tips.

[weejonnie]

Our club uses Scorebridge - whilst it can run wireless software there is no need for you to have that facility.

 

It costs $50.00 See here which will cover 5 tables - not sure how that compares with your expected price range.

 

As we use a club version, not sure as to limits, but I suspect that you will be able to printout movement cards. I found a 3-Round circulation teams for 4 teams and for 3 teams there are several options.

 

For 4 tables at pairs there are 11 options! Although some are basically equivalent, but you can play 6 or 7 rounds - meaning 18,21,24 or 28 boards.

 

Basically - you keep a list of players, select the movement, add the players and then enter the scores. It comes with a free trial period I think.

 

Score a 2-, 3-, or 4-table team event using standard methods. :

Score our regular modified Howell movement. I suppose I'd need to enter the rotation.

 

- you can enter free-format results

 

Score from the travelers (ie, knows that 4S making 5 vulnerable is 650).

 

- Yep

 

Generate various reports in addition to a standard recap form.

 

- not sure which ones you need: produces automatically a ranking list with %ges

 

Run on Windows.

 

- Yes

 

Be fairly easy to use for someone who will only use it once a month or so.

 

- Once you get the hang of it, it is pretty intuitive. You can practice creating dummy events and deleting them as there is no fee for any session.

 

Disclaimer: I am not commercially involved with Scorebridge in any way.

[pescetom]

I would also love to get links to documentation on how to do the actual calculations (formulas and examples) for the various types of scoring (Cross IMPs, Butler, etc.).

Here are documents on how to calculate various types:

Butler scoring

and

Cross IMPs

 

IIRC Butler is superceded by Cross IMPs as it was basically just a fudge to be easier to calculate manually.

[robdixon87]

Have you heard of BriAn?

https://www.brianbridge.net/brian/main.html

 

My old university club uses this - works very nicely. It also has the advantage that players input scores as they go, so there’s an instant result at the end.