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Messages - ian84

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1
The IAC Café / Re: Di stories - someone to remember
« on: March 30, 2020, 01:00:30 PM »
114 down: Bolts like Bolt:

Ken, I'm guessing this is a reference to Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt

2
Other Systems / Re: Answer to 5NT - With or without the K of trump?
« on: March 13, 2020, 03:27:30 PM »
Firstly be aware that there are 2 treatments available.

1. Bid lowest non-trump king. Bidding will then proceed 'up the line'.
or
2. Bid number of kings.

In either method the king of trumps is not counted or bid
At always, it's very important to ensure you and your p have agreed the treatment you'll use.

3
The IAC Café / Re: Di stories - Think. Count. Plan
« on: March 13, 2020, 02:42:39 PM »
You should always take a minute to plan your play BEFORE playing dummy's first card. For NT contracts, count your immediate certain tricks and then work out where you will develop the other tricks that you will need.

For trump contracts count all your immediate losers and work out how you will lose those losers such that you'll make your contract.

This should come as second nature to any player claiming to be Intermediate or better.
I used to work on the BIL Club's Beginners program and they used to run a 6 week course on play of the hand. There is a lot of stuff to consider beyond the above quick precis.

4
The IAC Café / Re: Di stories - let's introduce ourselves :)
« on: February 29, 2020, 01:38:12 PM »
Yes the apres-bridge evening meals at Vegas were lovely and I was indeed thrilled to meet Donna at a couple of the gatherings  ;D. I have a feeling that Todd was also there, though I don't think he made it to any of the meals as he was often playing in the evenings.

5
The IAC Café / Re: Di stories
« on: February 22, 2020, 09:16:32 PM »
Hi my name is Ian. My extended family always played cards when they got together and I learnt to enjoy the games from an early age. Mainly cribbage, Canasta and solo whist and numerous 'party' games for all. Started to play bridge at my senior school aged 13 and eventually started to attend my my local club in my last year at school. Then nothing for about 30 years. I got a job in the US in 1997, got onto the net and eventually found the MS Game Zone and started to play bridge there and on Yahoo bridge. Discovered BBO around 2004 and played socially for about a year before joining the BIL club, where I initially volunteered to be a Table Host, and then got taught how to run tourneys. I also helped with running practise sessions for beginners learning the game via the BIL's teaching program, and that eventually developed into mentoring newly 'graduated' beginners from the program. Like Todd, I was a live-in carer for my father for his last few years and so was able to devote a lot of my spare time to playing, helping and learning in the BIL.   

I joined the IAC about 4 years ago, and have run tourneys and helped run themed practise sessions. I've been very lucky to have played with and learnt from some great teachers along the way. Greatest highlight so far was to fly out to Las Vegas some years ago and play in a NABC convention along with the Kings and Queens team, who consisted of BIL teaching program graduates that I had mentored.
 

6
IAC Tourneys / Re: Managing incompleted hands
« on: January 22, 2020, 11:29:37 AM »
As a general rule we set random board IAC tourneys to be 7 mins per board and I have found this to work well for most of the time.  We are blessed with a supportive membership who regularly and promptly respond to calls for subs via the BBO_IAC club broadcasts.

To my mind, the major problems leading to incompletion are players experiencing connection problems, or being distracted at home. My particular bugbear is people who blithely return after a period of non-responsiveness with 'Sorry, phone'. You wouldn't take a phone call when playing f2f, so why do it playing online? Isnt that what voicemail is for?

In the case of connection issues, it seems to me that the other players are very reticent to call out slow play or non-responsivenes until its too late. As noted by Jim, this is a particular problem when its 2 boards per round - I can usually check progress and warn people of slow play in good time on my 4-bd per round Sunday tourney.

So I think that engaging the membership further on these issues may be helpful.

7
IAC Tourneys / Managing incompleted hands
« on: January 21, 2020, 05:00:16 AM »
There are various reasons why a player may not complete a hand

1. Connectivity issues
2. Substitutions
3. Unexpected distractions
4. Difficult hands
5. Naturally slow play
6. Inattention to the clock
7. Deliberate tactic intended to prevent opps getting a good score

As TDs we have a number of tools available to manage these issues
A. Add time to clock
B. Adjust hand using GIB result or manual judgement
C. Choose to allow the default 'Average' score to stand
D. Punish players by adjusting against them
E. Verbal warning at table when play is too slow

I try to use all of the above to achieve a fair, free flowing tourney where no-one is waiting too long. However, it may be that we need to work up a document which formalises our expectations and likely actions. I think there also needs to be a formalised procedure for when a player disagrees with a TD decision.

Over to you


 

8
IAC Matters / Re: Alerts, again - what else :D
« on: January 20, 2020, 06:51:02 PM »
I agree Sanja. Its tricky to put whats required into words when announcing 'the rules' though, it needs to be punchy. I note that Eleanor has her tourney rules on her tourney description. Seems like a good idea to me.

9
IAC Tourneys / Tricky tourney hand
« on: January 12, 2020, 10:06:58 PM »
A touch of controversy in today's Serious Sunday tourney

NS: non-vul, EW vul North and East pass and South opens 3C which all pass. It goes 1-off for a top. On most other tables EW find a Heart contract bidding 2 or 3 Hearts and it actually makes 4.

South held
S: K864
H: 53
D: K4
C: KJ432

East questioned the bid on the poor club holding and that the bid would normally show 7 Clubs. He therefore suggested that South should have alerted the hand. Judging by North's later comment, he also expected South to have 7 clubs and there was no agreement to use the bid for a weaker hand. 

Thoughts anyone?

10
IAC Pairs Ladder / Pairing up for new Pairs ladder
« on: January 06, 2020, 01:02:07 PM »
We are close to getting a Pairs Ladder set up very soon, and I for 1 would like a regular partner or 2 to play on the ladder.

ian84 Int 2/1, Sayc with most std gadgets

11
IAC Pairs Ladder / Re: will pairs ladder ever start again?
« on: January 06, 2020, 12:55:26 PM »
Count me in on the beta testing Todd

12
IAC Tourneys / Re: Holiday tourneys over Xmas 2019
« on: December 22, 2019, 04:24:55 PM »
I've set up all 4 tourneys, all named IAC Holiday Hoopla

13
IAC Tourneys / Holiday tourneys over Xmas 2019
« on: December 22, 2019, 01:17:27 PM »
Yesterday Sanya, Charlene, Di and I talked over the possibility of adding extra 'Holiday tourneys' over the next couple of weeks. Its hoped that these may attract members outside of the usual hours we normally operate.

Di and I will host tourneys:
Monday 23 Dec 12 board IMP Pairs 5pm UK midday Eastern
Tuesday 24 Dec 12 board IMP Pairs midday UK 7am Eastern

I am also offering a 12 board IMP Pairs Monday 23 Dec 10pm UK, 5pm eastern
Plus 12 board IMP pairs 7pm UK,  2pm eastern on Thurs 26 Dec

I am currently unsure about my availability beyond 26 Dec

Any other takers?

14
IAC Pairs Ladder / Re: will pairs ladder ever start again?
« on: December 15, 2019, 03:01:01 PM »
How did the poking go?

You may recall that I developed an Excel spreadsheet a few years ago which could, I believe, have been used to support the pairs ladder, and been accessible to the members via Dropbox. Would you like me to dig it out from the archives and get it tested out?

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IAC Tourneys / Re: New weekend tourneys
« on: December 08, 2019, 02:19:30 PM »
Yes I hear you Charlene. If the players are all quick, the round finishes early :). We had 1 player who had connection problems last tourney, which prompted the requests to cut down the board time. I'll see how it goes this evening.

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