[thearb]

Ok, we've all been there. A sub gets called in because someone's Internet has gone down or they are answering the door or they think they're dummy when they're not or even slumped over the keyboard with a coronary. Anyway, I digress, inevitably it happens at some key point, the sub blunders in, does his best but has no idea what has been played, meanwhile his partner sits there, terrified, grinding his teeth, and watches a good score disappear in a puff of smoke as the sub mis defends, mis declares, or simply isn't aware there is still a trump out. No one's happy except possibly the opps, worse still the scores get perverted and those who bother checking the traveller scratch their heads wondering how some impossible contract was let through or some stone cold contract failed, distorting the scores. Maybe these hands should be removed completely from the traveller.

We must be able to do better than this. Shouldn't the sub have the benefit of some kind of review of what has happened, can the software be changed to allow him to see the cards played or perhaps the director can help him with say the opening lead if say we are at trick 2? Obviously there is a time consideration with speedball but the current arrangement is far from satisfactory.

Suggestions invited.

[mgoetze]

My #1 suggestion would be to post in the correct forum (BBO Tournaments Discussion).

[thearb]

Well that's a reasonable suggestion, I'll try to do something about it tomorrow, unless a mod wants to do it for me. As you have probably noticed I am not a 'regular' poster and I'm overseas with only an iPad at the moment.

Just had a thought, now that GIB has developed to the point that people are paying to use it, why not just give the partner the option of putting GIB in for free and change the software so that it has the benefit of 'seeing' the cards played to that point.

[Bbradley62]

It appears to me that you consistently play in ACBL Speedball tournaments. Based on prior discussions about changes to robot-based tournaments, it's my understanding that ACBL sets the rules and procedures for their tournaments. You might have to address suggested changes to them, not to BBO.

[barmar]

Bbradley62, on 2015-January-03, 20:59, said:

It appears to me that you consistently play in ACBL Speedball tournaments. Based on prior discussions about changes to robot-based tournaments, it's my understanding that ACBL sets the rules and procedures for their tournaments. You might have to address suggested changes to them, not to BBO.

That's not quite how it works. BBO is treated like a club, and clubs generally set their own rules. ACBL just collects a sanction fee and hands out masterpoints to the leaders.

Robot bridge is different enough from traditional bridge, though, that ACBL doesn't have general regulations covering them. And when we decide to make changes to them (e.g. the "best hand" format) we need to pass it by ACBL for approval. But it doesn't generally work the other way -- they don't call us and ask us to change the game.

[Bbradley62]

Then, would it be feasible to have GIB subs when a player leaves mid-hand, just to finish the one hand and have a human sub come in for the start of the next hand? I'm sure the software doesn't currently allow this, but could it?

[barmar]

Bbradley62, on 2015-January-05, 14:37, said:

Then, would it be feasible to have GIB subs when a player leaves mid-hand, just to finish the one hand and have a human sub come in for the start of the next hand? I'm sure the software doesn't currently allow this, but could it?

We have that in the main bridge club, so it certainly would be feasible in tournaments. But we'd definitely have to get ACBL's OK for this change. There are factions there that don't like online bridge in general, especially robot bridge, so we have to tread lightly with radical changes like this.