[USViking]

I play my share of for-pay tournaments, but I enjoy a few freebies too, but not this ersatz "Just Declare" nonsense.

If other people want to play silly fake bridge, OK, but how about restoring the free tournaments of real bridge that got butted off the list? Surely there is room for them.

[helene_t]

Just declare serves those who are unfamiliar with GIBerish or don't like the bugs in gib's bidding system. For the rest of us there are still other free tournaments.

[smerriman]

Incidentally, neither the IMP nor MP versions are even close to resembling "real bridge" either, both in terms of rules (always being dealt the best hand), and scoring (being compared to people who played different hands).

But they're fun, and different people enjoy different things. Appreciate what you have

Besides, given the limit on 3 free tournaments a week, you're still able to play exactly the same number of non-just-declare tournaments a week as before.

[gszes]

I totally agree that just declare is NOT BRIDGE butttttttttttttttttttttt It is a wonderful tool for helping players learn how to play the hand without the aggravation involved with horrific bot (partner) defense coupled with worse than horrific bidding. It has rapidly become my favorite since I am competing with everyone on maybe even the same opening lead (I have not researched that part). I just hope against hope newer players do not look at the bidding and develop some bad habits.
I know AI is tough and hats off to the programmers.

[johnu]

helene_t, on 2018-June-22, 01:18, said:

Just declare serves those who are unfamiliar with GIBerish or don't like the bugs in gib's bidding system.

Even though you don't have to "bid" with GIB, you have to play the hand in a GIB bid contract which are not always pretty. If you can make some of those contracts you are really beyond a world class player.

[FrankerZ]

Yep, got to agree here, first we had two free daylongs a day, then we had one, then we had three a week, now those three a week are only on certain days as I'm not playing a tournament where we only get half a game

[maartenxq]

USViking, on 2018-June-21, 23:45, said:

I play my share of for-pay tournaments, but I enjoy a few freebies too, but not this ersatz "Just Declare" nonsense.

I could not agree more. I like to play some robot tournaments and accept there is a limit to free play. All the more reason not to pollute these opportunities with nonsense.
Maarten Baltussen

[boyko]

Just Declair is what it is - useful and funny way to practice your skills in card playing. In fact it is maybe more like "real bridge" than the other Daylong Tourneys in "Best Hand" format. All Daylong tourneys are for practice and the BBO master points they give are not "Real Bridge" Master points, but it's fine with me.

[zhoraster]

If someone fails to find a sense in something, this does not mean that it is nonsense.

I play all kinds of things on BBO - tournaments, just declare things, bingo, goulash etc. I enjoy them. Having fun is not nonsense. Someone's not having fun? You have my sympathy.

[steve2005]

It is arguable Bridge with Gib isn't real bridge. I see nothing wrong with just declare other than that I have no interest in it.

[johnu]

FrankerZ, on 2018-June-23, 04:47, said:

Yep, got to agree here, first we had two free daylongs a day, then we had one, then we had three a week, now those three a week are only on certain days as I'm not playing a tournament where we only get half a game

Is free too expensive for you?

[USViking]

helene_t, on 2018-June-22, 01:18, said:

Just declare serves those who are unfamiliar with GIBerish or don't like the bugs in gib's bidding system. For the rest of us there are still other free tournaments.

GIB bugs should be the subject of another thread, but as I said, fine, let those who enjoy Just Bid have the opportunity to do so.

Again, though, my question is why should my own opportunity to play GIB real bridge with a real auction be taken way?

[USViking]

smerriman, on 2018-June-22, 01:42, said:

Incidentally, neither the IMP nor MP versions are even close to resembling "real bridge" either, both in terms of rules (always being dealt the best hand),

This is a reasonable point to make, and I would prefer a non-preferential system where all players have equal chances concerning hand qulaity

However, the bidding and play exactly resemble "real bridge".

smerriman, on 2018-June-22, 01:42, said:

and scoring (being compared to people who played different hands).

I think the correct way to express it is that the human player is compared to dozens of other humans' results, but that hundreds of other humans play different cards.

I wonder if there are technical reasons for not having an entire field of hundreds thousands play the same cards. I can't imagine any other reason not to do so.

smerriman, on 2018-June-22, 01:42, said:

But they're fun, and different people enjoy different things. Appreciate what you have

Skip the speechifying.

smerriman, on 2018-June-22, 01:42, said:

Besides, given the limit on 3 free tournaments a week, you're still able to play exactly the same number of non-just-declare tournaments a week as before.

I thought my opportunities had been reduced.

[USViking]

johnu, on 2018-June-23, 16:31, said:

Is free too expensive for you?

Listen, Smiley, I pay to play 300+ days a year. You?

[USViking]

FrankerZ, on 2018-June-23, 04:47, said:

Yep, got to agree here, first we had two free daylongs a day, then we had one, then we had three a week, now those three a week are only on certain days as I'm not playing a tournament where we only get half a game

Thanks for providing the details. I have been so wrapped up with pay-to-play that I lost touch, and now that I want to play a few more freebies (but little if any less pfp) it is disappointing to see the opportunities reduced.

[USViking]

boyko, on 2018-June-23, 07:14, said:

Just Declair is what it is - useful and funny way to practice your skills in card playing.

But only declarer skills.

boyko, on 2018-June-23, 07:14, said:

In fact it is maybe more like "real bridge" than the other Daylong Tourneys in "Best Hand" format.

Not with 2/3 of the skill categories (bidding and defense) completely left out, it isn't!

boyko, on 2018-June-23, 07:14, said:

All Daylong tourneys are for practice

I can't speak for anyone else, but for me they are for the joy of experiencing one of the greatest mental challenges ever invented. So much the better that I don't have to be a very good player!

boyko, on 2018-June-23, 07:14, said:

and the BBO master points they give are not "Real Bridge" Master points, but it's fine with me.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I would play as much as ever if BBO MPs were abolished.

[USViking]

steve2005, on 2018-June-23, 09:37, said:

It is arguable Bridge with Gib isn't real bridge. I see nothing wrong with just declare other than that I have no interest in it.

It would be real bridge if the three GIBs and the one human all got randomly dealt cards, with no "best hand" favoritism for the human.

[smerriman]

To answer your question:

USViking, on 2018-June-23, 20:16, said:

Again, though, my question is why should my own opportunity to play GIB real bridge with a real auction be taken way?

I'm not affiliated with BBO in any way, but based on all the evidence over time, the number of free daylongs was reduced as they were putting too much load on the server given the number of registrants. That is the reason one has to replace the other, and you can't have both.

Based on the numbers of people I saw (and continue to see) registering, Just Declare is just as popular as the other formats. So it would more unfair to get rid of it just for the minority of people who are annoyed by it.

[USViking]

smerriman, on 2018-June-23, 21:35, said:

To answer your question:

I'm not affiliated with BBO in any way, but based on all the evidence over time, the number of free daylongs was reduced as they were putting too much load on the server given the number of registrants. That is the reason one has to replace the other, and you can't have both.

In OP I suggested that server load should not be an issue. I was speaking out of my depth, and it was not my business, and I should not have said anything about it.

But if you are not affiliated with BBO either then I am not sure you are in a better position to broach the issue.

smerriman, on 2018-June-23, 21:35, said:

Based on the numbers of people I saw (and continue to see) registering, Just Declare is just as popular as the other formats. So it would more unfair to get rid of it just for the minority of people who are annoyed by it.

I have NOT said anything about getting rid of anything.

And as for the numbers registering I would like to know a lot more. If this Just Declare item is more popular than what it replaced, then naturally it deserves priority. But if it is just "as popular" then I don't see why it should be preferred.

[smerriman]

USViking, on 2018-June-23, 22:07, said:

But if you are not affiliated with BBO either then I am not sure you are in a better position to broach the issue.

I've followed along with the discussions, the announcements, the reactions to the announcements, and experienced the server crashes. You can wait for the same answer officially if you want (or look up the previous discussions).

USViking, on 2018-June-23, 22:07, said:

I have NOT said anything about getting rid of anything.

My point was simply that you can't have both at the same time, so restoring MP/IMP on the days they were replaced is equivalent to getting rid of Just Declare.

USViking, on 2018-June-23, 22:07, said:

And as for the numbers registering I would like to know a lot more. If this Just Declare item is more popular than what it replaced, then naturally it deserves priority. But if it is just "as popular" then I don't see why it should be preferred.

It isn't getting priority. Just Declare is two days a week; IMP is two days a week; MP (preferred by most) is 3 days a week.

Either you're asking for multiple free tournaments on the same day (ruled out for reasons mentioned above), or for the 2 days of Just Declare to be removed, which would be completely unfair. Which is it?