[auspex]

Is there any support for the idea of having "Help me find a game" take you to REAL competitive games?

I set my preferences to "Competitive Game", and I get taken to tables filled with people who:
- don't have a clue what duplicate is
- don't have any manners
- treat the play as something you do in commercial breaks
- ask their partners to explain their bids
- leave in the middle of hands

I understand that there's no way we can have directors for the pickup games - unless we were paying for the privilege - but I'd love to see some restrictions on play in the Main Bridge club.

#1 - leaving in the middle of hands. You should have to provide an explanation if you leave after having made a call on the hand (unless you're dummy).
#2 - the table owner should _always_ have to provide a reason for kicking someone (though "unresponsive/too slow" is quite sufficient).

A clear, and frequently mentioned, statement that players in the Main Bridge Club are expected to abide by the Laws of Duplicate.

Otherwise, what's the difference between "Main" and "Relaxed"?

What I'd really like is a competitive club for people who have at least a digit beside their name - indicating that they've actually had a little experience with online duplicate.

[Phil]

auspex, on Apr 21 2010, 03:30 PM, said:

What I'd really like is a competitive club for people who have at least a digit beside their name - indicating that they've actually had a little experience with online duplicate.

I have plenty of digits next to my name. Just last weekend alone I had an 800, 1000, 1400 and a 1700.

Only the 1700 was close to being a good result.

[matmat]

remind me to stay away from whatever table you're at.

[jdonn]

Where does one go for SERIOUS postings?, "Main" Bridgebase forums is full of non-postings

[jillybean]

"Where does one go for SERIOUS bridge?, "Main" Bridge Club is full of non-bridge"

Sectionals
Regionals
NABC's?

[helene_t]

Hi Auspex,

The main room is no good unless you play with people you know to be serious.

If you don't have enough people marked as "friends" to fill a table, better start with tournaments. Either by subbing or using the partnership desk. Mark people with whom you would like to play as a friends. Once you have collected enough friends you will be able to fill a table, or even two tables for a teammatch, with friends (and friends of friends).

It took me a while, in the beginning I was close to giving up on bbo. Most of my friends I found here on the forum, or as partners when subbing into tourneys. Later, many friends of friends became my friends, too.

[jjbrr]

Play only in set games with friends and people you know.

[gwnn]

Are you really going to listen to these people with little cat photos?

[Elianna]

gwnn, on Apr 21 2010, 01:39 PM, said:

Are you really going to listen to these people with little cat photos?

The little cats seem more helpful than the big cats. Though the big cat is not necessarily wrong, he doesn't seem to be very patient. I guess he must have skipped lunch along with some chemical warning sign.

[Bbradley62]

Instead of "Help Me Find a Game", you can click on "Show All Tables"; then you can choose which table you want to join, instead of being randomly assigned to one.

[jdonn]

Elianna, on Apr 21 2010, 07:17 PM, said:

gwnn, on Apr 21 2010, 01:39 PM, said:

Are you really going to listen to these people with little cat photos?

The little cats seem more helpful than the big cats. Though the big cat is not necessarily wrong, he doesn't seem to be very patient. I guess he must have skipped lunch along with some chemical warning sign.

I'm hungry.

[auspex]

Well, then, the general response so far would seem to be, "No, there is no interest".

I've tried the business of choosing a table - more often than not, people who are far worse players than you don't like something about your profile and won't let you play. Trying to find a game that way is slower than changing games every hand.

I have plenty of "friends" for a table or 5, but you know - they're either on at different times or have friends of their own to play with.

Jillybean suggested Sectionals, Regionals and NABCs. I get to ALL the local sectionals (for two units), 2 regionals a year and so far an NABC every two years, so probably a lot more tournaments than many. I'm off to a sectional this weekend. I also play one or two ACBL BBO tournaments most nights - at least 4 games a week.

Getting to organized games isn't the problem. I'm just looking for somewhere online where I can expect people to be serious about the game, even if they're only playing for a hand or two. I've _wasted_ more time today trying to find 3 people who would treat the game seriously than I spent playing in tournaments.

[auspex]

Oh, and if I'd known I was going to get responses mostly from cats...

[barmar]

Auspex, I think everyone wishes there were something like what you describe. They just realize that it's not feasible for a computer to do what you want. How do you expect the system to know whether the players have "manners" or ask their partners to explain their bids.

BBO already has measures intended to mitigate excessive leaving and booting. If someone does this too much, their account is restricted temporarily.

[uday]

By serious bridge we mean only non-frivolous ( ie, regardless of skill level) , right ?

[Bbradley62]

auspex, on Apr 21 2010, 09:11 PM, said:

I've tried the business of choosing a table - more often than not, people who are far worse players than you don't like something about your profile and won't let you play.

Most likely, that something is the "private" response to "skill level". That's probably the most important criterion when determining whether to allow a new player to your table.

[awm]

The answer to this question is "not the Main Bridge Club."

If you're sitting down to a table where no one knows anyone else and it's just four random people who feel like playing a hand or two of bridge, why would you expect anything "serious" to happen?

Slightly better is the online tournaments (especially the pay ones); although the quality of play is not necessarily too high, you get fewer people randomly disconnecting and such in the middle of hands.

Best is to play with/against friends, or play in face to face tournaments.

If you're looking for a "quick bridge fix" online between other activities, I recommend playing the robot tourneys (which start at very regular intervals). The robots are polite and do their best to play bridge (obviously they make mistakes too).

[mgoetze]

Bbradley62, on Apr 22 2010, 09:23 PM, said:

auspex, on Apr 21 2010, 09:11 PM, said:

I've tried the business of choosing a table - more often than not, people who are far worse players than you don't like something about your profile and won't let you play.

Most likely, that something is the "private" response to "skill level". That's probably the most important criterion when determining whether to allow a new player to your table.

Right, you should put "expert", because everyone who puts "expert" is one and everyone who doesn't is not capable of playing at the level of those who do. That's what I've learned from the MBC, anyway.

[Bbradley62]

mgoetze, on Apr 22 2010, 05:46 PM, said:

Right, you should put "expert", because everyone who puts "expert" is one and everyone who doesn't is not capable of playing at the level of those who do. That's what I've learned from the MBC, anyway.

Yes, there's clearly grade inflation and a significant amount of inconsistency. But as a table host, I will frequently only accept players who self-identify as intermediate or above, so I presume that there are at least a few other people out there who would similarly needlessly reject OP.

[helene_t]

Personally I would never reject someone on the basis of skill level, although given a choice between several who ask for a seat I would try to avoid "experts". I don't think it's much of an issue, and I would think putting a clever joke in the profile text could help.

I may obviously be wrong.