[helene_t]

I like the just declare format but would prefer it to be imps.

The problem with just declare mp is that it's too extreme mp strategy to be realistic. When you play a nt contract, it doesn't matter if its 1nt or 7ntxx. Either way your aim is just to make more tricks than the competition.

[barmar]

I think your suggestion would make more sense if the hands were crafted like Bridge Master, where there's a "correct" way to play the hand to make the contract, so you get rewarded for finding that line.

But the hands are random, so everyone is stuck with the robot's bidding. If you're in a reasonable contract, the main difference will be the number of overtricks. If you're in a stupid contract because the bots overbid (which is very common), it will just be a difference in undertricks. These will both be small imp differences.

IMPs rewards accurate bidding. Since we're not bidding these hands, it's not as reasonable to use this form of scoring.

[helene_t]

My point is that real life matchpoints gives a bonus for making game also, as not everyone will be in the same contract. But declare only matchpoints doesn't do that so it's not realistic.

[smerriman]

I don't think declare only IMPs is any more realistic though. In fact, given people play different hands, I would say far less so, as it just increases the luck factor of needing to be dealt swingy hands to score well. (Already an issue with all formats, but this would be the one affected the most.)

[helene_t]

Yes IMP is always more luck dependent as your whole score may depend on a single slam decision. So I can understand why bbo generally prefers mp for short tourneys, and certainly for daylong where people get different hands.
But the imp strategy would be almost the same for declare only as for normal bridge.

[AL78]

helene_t, on 2023-March-02, 13:53, said:

Yes IMP is always more luck dependent

I'm not convinced unless you are talking about X-imps.

[barmar]

AL78, on 2023-March-03, 01:49, said:

I'm not convinced unless you are talking about X-imps.

Except for team matches, all of BBO's IMP games are X-imps.

[barmar]

helene_t, on 2023-March-02, 12:51, said:

My point is that real life matchpoints gives a bonus for making game also, as not everyone will be in the same contract.

Real life bridge tests both bidding and play. So you have to bid accurately and then play well given what you bid, and you can lose IMPs or MP by failing in either task.

But Just Declare puts everyone in the same contract, so only play is being tested. And IMPs puts a premium on just making your contract (or setting if you're defending). Everyone who makes will share approximately the same good score, everyone who goes down will share the bad score.