[mcphee]

I would like to get help from players to curb what is devloping as an annoying problem. Players who come to the table and then abruptly leave saying nothing. This sort of action is disruptive. I can appreciate that someone may feel that a particular player is too weak or inexpirienced for them to continue playing. However there is still no reason to just vault from the table saying nothing.

Rather than build a huge list of unmannerly players ,it is my hope that people will try to be more understanding to tables hosts and others.

[luke warm]

yeah, good point... i think it's against bbo's rules to do that, and i believe the only way to stop it is to turn the player in to a yellow when it's done... but i agree it's better to try to change minds and attitudes where possible... just not sure it is

[dugite]

People leaving tables at inconsiderate times is a drawback to all online bridge.For some reason, some people seem to think that being polite is showing a weakness of some sort.
It costs nothing to be polite. It costs nothing to be nice.
I dont leave tables during bidding or during play and it pees me off when others do.So what you have scored a dud partner?Play one hand make some excuse or(if you must)tell them that they are not up to your lofty standard and take your leave.

But there is another issue here as well.I feel that BBO encourages table leaving by having the annoying feature of taking players from tables to tournaments.That bloody message "I have left to play somewhere else"Tuff Titties if your hand is half played and you have to sit for 15 minutes whilst players pop in and out look at the hand and and contract and leave.Surely there must be another solution to this problem.If a player is intelligent enough to consider playing a tournament then he/she must be able to tell the time and be able to attend the tourny on time.Or even(shock horror!! )leave where they are before time(after saying thx and bye) and make their way on their own.If there is no programming solution(e.g. stopping a player who is regged to play tourny from starting a new hand within 5 mins of the getgo)then we need to raise the ethics of those who show bad manners.

My spleen vented no I am off to bed.

DUG

[uday]

We currently prevent a player from sitting at a table when already registered to play in a T that starts in the next 15 mins. This does not prevent a player from accepting an invitation to a tourney while sitting at a table.

The analogous problem in tourney play is players who leave a tourney in progress. Here, we log departures and periodically issue 'tourney-suspensions' when the ratio of abandoned/completed tourneys is too high.


Do you think abandoning a main-bridge-club table should result in a similar disciplinary action ( assuming we can detect these events reliably)?

[Gerardo]

I'm not opposed to make people miss tournaments if they are playing elsewhere at the start time. It may generate some grumbling, but would pass a clear message: " It is YOUR duty to be free at tourney start". After the grumbling, there would be no problem.

[inquiry]

I may have misread Bob's original complaint. I don't think he was complaining about people leaving during the play of a hand. I assumed in his case, the player came, had finished some number of hands (1 up), and then, simply left the table without so much as a "goodbye". So it was a question of common (or mabye not so common) curtesy.

Clearly, table jumpers during play need to be sanctioned somehow. I don't think, however, the sanctions impossed in tournments will work. There, they are blocked from tournments. A warning or two for table leavers, and then a suspension of rights seem about right to me.

Ben

[Trpltrbl]

I agree, some people are very annoying, sitting down, rattling of a whole system and then when play finally starts, they get bad score and all of a sudden have to go.
I generally check and it shows them playing at another table within 10 seconds.
Give them a 2 day suspension or something like that, when they are repeat offenders.

Mike

[scoob]

perhaps an option when setting the table to require a certain # of boards committment from all players?

enforced, of course.

[epeeist]

If I have signed up for a tournament (because of the software more than 15 minutes off) and then sit at a table in the main bridge club, I will say something like:

"Hi all. I'm signed up for a tourney in about 20 minutes, so if I disappear suddenly you know why ".

I tell everyone first thing, and if the table host doesn't like it, he or she can simply remove me (or, more politely, ask me to leave...). I've never had _anyone_ object after I make this announcement, so assume most other players don't mind.

[twcho]

When one sits down to play, he hopefully want to enjoy the game but if he found his partner is not up to his expectation, I think it is his own right to choose to leave the table. Why bother to play with a pd you don't want to play.

So I have no bad feeling if one player did finish only one bd and leave without saying a word. But I will be annoyed if someone left during the bidding or play.

[twcho]

Quote

But there is another issue here as well.I feel that BBO encourages table leaving by having the annoying feature of taking players from tables to tournaments.

Quote

We currently prevent a player from sitting at a table when already registered to play in a T that starts in the next 15 mins. This does not prevent a player from accepting an invitation to a tourney while sitting at a table.

Is it possible to program in the following way:
When one has registered to play in a touranment. He is allowed to play in any bd with more than 15 min from tournament start and he shd be allowed to continue to play the bd if it passes the 15 min time mark. But he shd not be allowed to start to play the next bd. If he accepts a tournament invitation, which is within 15 min to start, during any bd he is playing, he shd be allowed to continue to finish the board if possible but shd not be allowed to start another bd. I know the bd he is playing may not be able to complete but I can't think of a way to overcome this.

[badderzboy]

I agree with the previous comments and in my experience I find my partner and I tend to face about 8 people in the first 4 boards or so until a pair actually stay and enjoy some bridge rarely getting anyone explaining what system they play! even when we always post a CC (Benji Acol) 20 minutes work a little while ago and a brief summary of Benji - ie 4 Card Majors Weak NT 12-14 Wk2's in majors CC posted for further info - again 10 secs typing!.

We always reset the score and also if some-one leaves mid-board either redeal if a new player is declarer/defender as they have no idea what went on before (unless it's likely their hand has no influence) and promise to reset after hand.

In terms of solutions to the issues on the forum:-

A possible idea is to only allow people to leave a table before all 4 players have made their 1st bid on a new board or for the host to boot them. I imagine to do this you set the leave table button disabled until the new hand is dealt and then disable again as soons as all 4 players have made their 1st bid ( in case you bid and the 4th player leaves). If someone intentionally disconnects and reconnects within 10 minutes say I believe this can be detected then monitor the number and if someone does it a lot then apply the censor rules.

Allowing the host to boot also covers the emergency situation so all you need to do is send a brief polite message to the host .

In terms of tourneys could the software send a msg to host/table when a player is due to start a tourney within x minutes say ( maybe auto set to 5 mins unless player invited whilst playing? and then msg is Player has been invited to start tourney in x mins) - this allows people to plan ahead etc.

Steve

[doofik]

I find it absolutely ridiculous that if I register for tournament with 14 minutes before its' start, I may not join a table. Did I really commit such a sin that I'm being punished? That's the way I see it. How many tables that start playing fold after 5 minutes, nevermind 15.

Give me a break.

Jola

[epeeist]

badderzboy, on Aug 18 2004, 06:27 AM, said:

A possible idea is to only allow people to leave a table before all 4 players have made their 1st bid on a new board or for the host to boot them. I imagine to do this you set the leave table button disabled until the new hand is dealt and then disable again as soons as all 4 players have made their 1st bid ( in case you bid and the 4th player leaves). If someone intentionally disconnects and reconnects within 10 minutes say I believe this can be detected then monitor the number and if someone does it a lot then apply the censor rules.

[Excerpt only quoted]

Do you really want a player who _wants_ to leave forced to stay? Is he or she, in that situation, going to bid or play well (or at all? Maybe will remain "silent" until booted). To paraphrase something I've heard, you can't legislate (or in this case program) politeness. Just set everyone who leaves without explanation as an "enemy" if you want (to warn you if they try to join on a future occasion).

On the other hand, I've on rare occasion joined a table with rude players (or the type who don't answer any questions, "what system do you use" etc.). Under those circumstances, I don't particularly want to stay and I think that's understandable; I shouldn't need the host's permission (asking him or her to boot me, which might be refused!) to leave. As table host I've come within seconds of booting someone from the table for rudeness; their leaving obviated the need. If the table host is the rude (or totally silent, which is another form of rudeness) one, why shouldn't you be allowed to leave?

I kind of agree with doofik about the 15-minute thing, if it was possible for the table host to receive the message suggested by badderzboy even within the 15 minutes, and choose to accept the player, that would be ideal. I have been in the situation where, with say 14 minutes left until a tournament, I invite a friend who's hosting an incomplete table, who accepts. Of course, I can't join that table, which remains incomplete, and people who join and are told it's only for 12 minutes leave again, etc. So no one ends up playing bridge until the tournament starts. Some people are _willing_ to play just a few hands before a tournament.

[badderzboy]

Hi Epe,

In the case of playing with rude opps then yes disconnect to get out, as it should be rare then you would be in no danger of being penalised for leaving tables willy-nilly. You can disconnect from a tourney in emergencies without penalty as it may be for a valid reason but do it 3 times and it suggests something else.

If someone is messing about boot them & redeal, ask for a redeal and leave before you bid etc or reset the score after they leave and so on.

Is it too much to expect to finish/play 1 board and then leave?

The suggestions are to instill some order into the merry-go-round but not to the detriment of anyone. If a board is going badly then take the medicine and play the next it happens in F2F all the time!

Steve

[newmoon]

scoob, on Aug 18 2004, 01:41 AM, said:

perhaps an option when setting the table to require a certain # of boards committment from all players?

Start a different awareness program perhaps:

When people log on BBO, have a message telling them that if they sit at a table, 1 board notice is required before they can leave. Have this message up periodically to reinforce it.

Newmoon

[paulhar]

newmoon, on Aug 29 2004, 12:06 PM, said:

When people log on BBO, have a message telling them that if they sit at a table, 1 board notice is required before they can leave.  Have this message up periodically to reinforce it.

So, I innocently sit at a table, and my new partner states, 'OMG, I have to play with this imbecile again' (because he has put comments on my profile, and I stupidly forgot to do so on his), and I should be forced to stay for a full board, when both partner and I (and probably the opps too, with the unpleasantness due to come) would be much happier to see me turn tail and head for another table?

[bearmum]

newmoon, on Aug 30 2004, 06:06 AM, said:

When people log on BBO, have a message telling them that if they sit at a table, 1 board notice is required before they can leave.  Have this message up periodically to reinforce it.

Newmoon

I like this suggestion newmoon - as I am SURE all of us have had nasty experiences playing with incompatitable pards in MBC

I ALWAYS tell my partner (and OPPS) -- last one for me all TY P ty o