[auslizzy]

Hello! I am very new to bridge (apologies if you get me as a partner!), but I have some questions about the Just Declare formats, if someone out there knows the answers for sure, or has a link (I have tried, and cannot find the answers).

In a Just Declare Daylong - is the contract always possible?

In a Just Declare pick up game - is the contract always possible?

Are the Just declare Daylongs harder than the pick up games?


I read that the Just Declares are not 'best hand' dealt, and the hands come from previous tournaments. So, does that mean you get a hand from the original tournament? And, if the answer to the first 2 qns are yes, then I presume, you must get the hand that could win it? Or, are the hands randomly dealt again, in which case, I guess the contracts can't just always be possible?


Can anyone help, please?

Lizzy

[smerriman]

Cards are randomly dealt; the auction is then generated by having robots bid for all 4 hands. There are no other assumptions - you might be in a pathetic contract that has no hope of making (not unlikely with the robots), but this makes no difference as your sole goal is to do better than others playing the same hand.

As with all Daylongs, the combined scoring for the overall tournament is rather flawed though due to not everyone being dealt the same set of 8 hands to reduce cheating. You might easily get dealt a hand which is a laydown claim at trick 1 for 50%, while the average percentage to 'win' a tournament requires getting dealt 8 more complex hands.

[auslizzy]

Thanks for your reply.

Do you have a link to any more information at all?

I am confused, because I read that Just Declare hands come from past tournaments, but now you are saying they are generated by robots. So, needing more info, please.

Lizzy

[smerriman]

I don't know where you read that - maybe you were thinking of Instant Tournaments, which are hands from old tournaments, but not related to Just Declare.

http://doc.bridgebas...ut_Daylong.html

Quote

Just Declare is a special game format that tests declarer ability to the utmost. You are the declarer in every board, with hands predealt and prebid by robots. Play your best, your result is duplicated. Just Declare tournaments are Not Best Hand.

[auslizzy]

Thanks again. Of course, i now can't find the page I read which said hands came from past tournaments for Just Declares! Which is all good, 'cos it was clearly inaccurate.

You have been most helpful.

So, one more thing....would it make any sense, or be possible, for Just Declare Daylongs to be harder than just doing casual Just Declare playing?

Lizzy

[smerriman]

They're 100% random deals, so there's no way of controlling how 'hard' they are.

By casual if you mean the anonymous version on the BBO homepage, that's not duplicate, so getting on the leaderboard is 99% luck dependent, which would be 'hard' I guess.

In the duplicate version, I'm not even sure what 'hard' would mean - even if it's impossible to make your contract, getting the most tricks possible (your aim) may still be easy.

[auslizzy]

Legend. Thank you so much for taking the time.

Lizzy

[barmar]

auslizzy, on 2020-July-03, 18:20, said:

Thanks again. Of course, i now can't find the page I read which said hands came from past tournaments for Just Declares! Which is all good, 'cos it was clearly inaccurate.

You may have been thinking of Instant Tournaments. These use past Robot Duplicate tournaments and compare your results to the original players.