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Messages - OliverC

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16
IAC Matters / Re: 'Play' problem
« on: April 27, 2018, 10:25:04 AM »
All of my websites are visually optimised for Chrome, but that's more a matter of the choices in the CSS. Functionally it shouldn't make a difference if you're using Firefox or Opera.


XP on the Thinkpad might be a problem, especially if the Browser is out-of-date as a result

17
IAC Matters / Re: 'Play' problem
« on: April 25, 2018, 10:06:18 PM »
Ian, I think I can 100% absolutely guarantee you that the presence or absence of Java on your PC will have absolutely nothing to do with whether you can load a page on the IAC website. The IAC Website code doesn't use Java in any way shape or form. There are small amounts of Javascript code, but that is a whole different kettle of fish to Java and only needs that you allow scripting in your browser (ie: Internet Options). All of the PHP executes before the resulting HTML and Javascript page is sent to your browser.


What browser (and version) are you using on each machine? That is much more likely to have an effect on things, but more  to do with appearance rather than function.

18
Sleight of Hand / Re: Can't please everyone - LTC
« on: April 25, 2018, 08:04:47 AM »
Opening 4 !S? That almost back to pre-Culbertson style, Ian. I don't think any competent modern player would remotely consider that, for the reasons Ken has already stated.

At the end of the day, that's a very nice 18-count, but personally I'd open it 1 !S without a nanosecond's further thought. 2 !C works fine here because Partner happens to have the perfect fillers in Diamonds to fit with your hand and the !S Jack to bolster your trump solidity.

You can't base your bidding on X-ray vision or hindsight. Systemically, an 18-count with 4 "quick tricks" is very nice, but even with 6-4 shape  and "good" points it wouldn't normally be equated with a 2 !C Opening in 2/1, SA or Acol. Give yourself a 7th Spade and 7141 shape and I would definitely move to opening  2 !C rather than 1 !S.

19
IAC Pairs Ladder / Re: will pairs ladder, or team ladder start up again,,,how many are interested?
« on: April 21, 2018, 06:04:29 AM »
Ian, You said that the spreadsheet was going to be totally independent of the website and the forum, so how does your access or lack of it to the Admin area affect anything? See my previous message above.

20
BBO Matters / Re: web version of BBO
« on: April 10, 2018, 09:22:01 AM »
Your money is safe :)

21
IAC Pairs Ladder / Re: will pairs ladder, or team ladder start up again,,,how many are interested?
« on: April 08, 2018, 08:52:49 PM »
Guys, if you're happy that it'll be functional, even if not perfect, then I'm absolutely going to suggest you run with it and give it a go. I really don't have the time to tackle the Pairs Ladder page on the site at the moment (To give you an idea, the Weekly Play Calendar page took me about 20 minutes and the Admin page about 10 minutes to put together, but finding the source of the problem in the Pairs Ladder page is an exponentially larger problem.


You can put it up in the Drop-box area and publicise it and see what happens without any need for my involvement, so go for it.

22
IAC Pairs Ladder / Re: will pairs ladder, or team ladder start up again,,,how many are interested?
« on: April 08, 2018, 10:12:09 AM »
Absorbing an Excel sheet into the site might not be totally straightforward (given no hooks into the database)

23
BBO Matters / Re: Differences and conversion tips between the BBO Windows client and Web version
« on: April 08, 2018, 09:45:42 AM »
The great thing about Roger's utilities is
  • They work flawlessly
  • They are written by a Bridge player, specifically for use on BBO
  • They are very configurable and flexible.
  • Roger is always happy to make improvements and to accept suggestions for changes.
  • They're genuine freeware and the author is frequently available on BBO and almost always available on Skype for tech support and advice.
Roger, by the way, is the brainchild behind the aaBridge utility which is an absolutely fantastic learning tool. He also initiated the recording of some teaching sessions (eg: all of my OCP ones and some others on request) and puts them up on YouTube on dedicated channels. Charlene (GG_Bridge) now does most of the actual recording of my sessions. I think there are currently two channels: One for IAC generally and one specifically for OCP that pulls together my BBO Lessons along with the voice commentary I'm making at the time via Listen2MyRadio.

24
IAC Pairs Ladder / Re: will pairs ladder, or team ladder start up again,,,how many are interested?
« on: April 08, 2018, 09:22:56 AM »
It's all PHP and MySQL-based, but obviously with a lot of HTML/Javascript and CSS chucked in, Ian.

I'll be honest, I think it would be hard for anyone else to "do" much with the Pairs Ladder page, as it's several thousand lines of fairly convoluted and un-commented code. Part of the problem is that I wrote the code in the first place, but even I will need to spend several hours just going through it all to re-acquaint myself with how it's structured, let alone finding the things that need amending in the code to get the whole page working like clockwork again. It was working fine before, so it may even be a question of the Ladder settings data being out-of-kilter.


It'll be a lot of trial and error to track down exactly what is causing the problems in the first place. I need to clear 2 whole days completely, because it's really not something you can successfully tackle a bit at a time (at least, I can't).

The Teams Series and Teams Ladder pages are similar. Most of the IAC website is fairly simple (assuming you're into PHP) once you understand how the W3 css works, but those are the three most complex pages on the whole site. It's not a question of your skills as a programmer, which I don't doubt, but it's mostly a question of understanding how my mind works and how I've structured the code.

25
BBO Matters / Re: Differences and conversion tips between the BBO Windows client and Web version
« on: April 07, 2018, 11:43:37 PM »
Ian,


Chat Management
I really do not think it is a good idea for you to be suggesting the use of pirated software anywhere let alone in this forum. The fact that "everyone else is doing it" is no justification, especially when there is a pair of extremely good freeware utilities (Chat Assistant and AlertHelper) written by Roger Pfister (RogerPfi on BBO, http://rogerpf.com ) specifically for use with the BBO Windows Client (Chat Assistant) or for use with the BBO Browser Client (AlertHelper). These are fully-featured, share the same format of files (which can also be edited with any configurable text editor). These were both written from the ground up specifically for use on BBO and are really well thought out and slick.


Why persuade people to break the law when there is absolutely no need? I've been doing all of my teaching for years using Chat Assistant. I also do 90% of my alerting using it. You can set individual "chats" to go to any and/or all of:
  • The Alert Box
  • The Room
  • Kibitzers
  • Opps
Club Facilities
What you write is true, and it's the principle reason why Club Admins /Teachers are still allowed to use the Windows Client. Hopefuly Uday will incorporate all of the needed functions for managing Clubs, doing announcements to Club Members etc in the Browser Client before he finally turns off support for the Windows client.

26
The IAC Café / Re: Two hands, one philosophy
« on: April 07, 2018, 05:49:38 AM »
North
!S Q83
!H A8
!D K8764
!C AJ5


South
!S 9
!H KJ4
!D QJ953
!C Q964


NS Game, Dealer North

OCP Bidding
North     South
1NT(1)    Pass(2)


(1) 13-15
(2) No reason to think 5m is remotely in the ball-park, and no reason to think that 3m is going to be safer than 1NT.


As you say, 11 tricks are there but there's just no way you're going to be able to sensibly bid to 5 !D on this hand, whatever system you're using. Even if North opens a 100% natural 1 !D (ie: not OCP), it's very unlikely that NS are going to push to the 5-level.

27
The IAC Café / Re: Two hands, one philosophy
« on: April 06, 2018, 05:44:54 PM »
In Precision, 1 !D - 2 !D is not strictly "inverted", because most Precision Pairs do not play 1 !D as definitely a Diamond suit. Indeed, because the classic Precision 2 !D Opening seems to be rapidly dropped from a lot of Precision arsenals, the 1 !D Opening is often 1+ Diamonds. Even in Classic Precision 1 !D is only 2+ Diamonds. The 1 !D Opening essentially shows any 11-15 hand that isn't covered by any of the other intermediate opening. It's a catch-all bid.

OCP (Simple Version) plays 1 !D - 2 !D as a 1-round force showing Diamonds, and 1 !D - 3 !D as GF and "Asking" in Diamonds. OCP (Complex Version) plays 1 !D - 2 !D as Asking in Diamonds (GF) and 1 !D - 3 !D is asystemic (ie: undefined and not allowed).

In OCP, we play a variable 1NT, 10-12 nv and 13-15 v. Classic Precision uses a 13-15 1NT throughout. If your 14-count is semi-balanced with 5-card Diamonds, therefore, you'd open it 1NT or 1 !D depending on your style (and vulnerability if OCP).

28
IAC Matters / Re: Why I Want to Be a Member of IAC
« on: April 03, 2018, 10:40:24 PM »
You can force a log out if you change Automatic Login to "No" first and THEN log out.

29
The IAC Café / Re: Two hands, one philosophy
« on: April 03, 2018, 10:37:23 PM »
One of the problems with essentially natural approach/forcing Systems such as 2/1, Std American and Acol has always been that they are very "vaguely" defined and rely a lot on 3rd-party gadgets (such as NMF and inverted Minor raises in 2/1), which can also be used in a number of different ways, and in "partnership understandings" about certain sequences.


That's nice in a way because it gives you a lot of flexibility when you have a regular partnership and you've had a lot of time to iron things out, but it can be a right PITA in a scratch partnership when you cannot be sure exactly how certain sequences will be interpreted.


In many ways, 2/1 and Std American are very "incomplete" systems, because the system doesn't nail down these sorts of things. Even Standard Precision is "guilty" of that in many situations, of course.

30
IAC Matters / Re: Why I Want to Be a Member of IAC
« on: April 02, 2018, 05:01:51 PM »
The IAC Website is my creation. The database it uses is entirely separate from
The IAC Forums, which is not my creation, but written by a third party, the Simple Machines Forum (SMF), which is why is it vastly more "slick" than the IAC website.


The two do not talk to each other, which is why you have to register separately for the Forum and the Website, but since both are BBO-related, we need you to register on both using your BBO Nickname and whatever password you choose.

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