[joker_gib]

Hi all !

First of all, I have to say that I rarely play online for some reasons :

1) playing with a pick up partner with a random system has poor interest
2) playing in tournaments where you have to wait 10 minutes between each round is boring

Team games are by far more interesting because you try to play with a known partner, you don't have to wait between hands and you are only compared to the result of your teammates table so that you don't have to endure all the silly results you see in the main bridge club or in tournaments.

It would therefore be great if team games were easier to arrange.

A long time ago, when I joined this forum I suggested that having a kind of « partnership desk » where you can find teams (and not pairs) would be a great improvement for team games.

This way, you only have build your team (4 players are easier to find than 8), register it and wait for another team to invite you to play.

Regarding BAM scoring, I have to say that, as I come from the European side of the world, this form of scoring is unknown here but I agree that this should be interesting, that it is probably the most difficult and the most demanding part of the game and that it remains definitively a team event.

Alain

[dosxtres]

I really love team games, more than pairs tournament. I use main club if there is not a match or tournament to play in.

Some things i'd like to be improved.

Tounament teams, like the tournaments are; instead of registering 2 persons, do it with 4.

Create matches like they are in main club, and wait the people knock at the door, of course, maintening the actual form.

The posibility to change the axis at the middle of the match, crossing the pairs.

[Gerben42]

Quote

BAM events are considered an extremely accurate measurement of skill. Accordingly, a relatively small group of teams dominated the BAM events. Enrollment plummeted until the districted switched over to Team events which spread the master points arorund more evenly...

Wow, you'd think people would WANT more accurate measure of skill. Who cares about MP anyway?

About the online league, we had a team of about 8 players for BBO Poland and could play all our matches without problem, but maybe the players in our team were more flexible than most people. If something similar is set up, beware of "Tomi's Team", we'll be back!

[cherdano]

I also love team games, but I would prefer if they were easier to set up.

I only played a league game once, and have to say it was a lot of fun. Not that this was a superserious league, but I still enjoy playing a little more serious than usual for 16 boards once in a while.

Arend

[chicken]

i would like to have bbo leagues, and it would be a nice thing if team games were easier to arrange. ( to get players out of a sortable pool?, better filter options?, turn lobbychat off but still be able to play?)

[ack_hh]

1) It would be nice if team games were easier to arrange
2) It would be nice if the teams get "swapped" after half of the boards played
3) It would be nice if players were allowed to finish a board in the MBC

[hrothgar]

Comment 1: Its very difficult to follow this discussion when its spread across multiple threads

Comment 2: Its interesting to note how the discussion has morphed from an educational exercise based on describing the thought process for different bids and plays into a team league

Comment 3: I agree with Ben's comments in an different branch of this conversation:

>The approach for "league play" is wrong. The dynamics are horrible. The
>solution is to set up two or three "time-windows." And have lots and lots of
>teams that know these windows exist. Then, they show up for that window to
>play. The idea is that any team must win three events out of four to be bumped
>up a league level, or lose three out of four to be bounced down. You can't play
>the same team twice in this time period.

I always had miserable luck with the BBO Poland League. We were never able to play matches. Or, when we did someone was always playing at 2:30 AM when they had work the next day.

I would very much prefer a format based on a "standard" start time.

[cherdano]

hrothgar, on Dec 15 2005, 03:39 PM, said:

I would very much prefer a format based on a "standard" start time.

I agree, a league works best if there is a fixed time when everyone has to play, rather than giving the option to play at any time during a certain period. (Of course, the time can still be changed if both teams agree, but by default the captains shouldn't have to do any organizational work other than "Who can play next time?")

Arend

[badderzboy]

Just some thoughts on the above

Have a couple of common start-times to accomodate players round the globe

for example it might be 1500EST (Europeans) and 2000EST (US players) weekdays or 0800EST and 1600EST weekends on a fixed day.

The team managers meet in a designated chat room (based on team skill level?)and organise the matches there and the matches kick off 15-30mins later.

There is scope for ladder matches or leagues or the 3/4 competition each month. Ladders are probably easier to kick off as teams can always play each other again?

Steve

[fred]

For at least a year we have been promising to make it easier for people to set up team matches on BBO. Sorry this has not happened yet. This remains on our "things to do" list, but the nature of this list is that it is always growing in size.

The rapid growth of BBO has resulted in Uday and I having to spend more and more of our time doing work that is not related to programming. Between that and my busy tournament schedule during the past few months, we have not been able to introduce improvements and new features at the rate that we were once able to achieve. We are not very happy about this and have a plan to deal with this problem, but it may be several more months before things change much.

Thanks for your patience.

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[Mr. Dodgy]

I like teams matches, but organising them is, indeed, a little difficult. A facility akin to the tournament 'partnership desk' would be great. The 'find me a game' team match option works poorly, if at all.

It is possible to set up defacto teams matches in the tournaments area of BBO - set the limit to 4 pairs (or 8 individuals), and make it just one round. Restrict it 'freinds' if you like. One detraction is that the software doesn't allow more than 9 boards in a single round. Also you can't ensure that teams-of-four will work out as you might like without some cunning, and barometer scoring won't work (although that could be regarded as a benefit)

[zasanya]

The bbo league is most welcome . Different leagues for different time zones could be a workble idea.The improvement whereby you can assign a seat to a player by a single click has made it very easy to set up matches on bbo.You need to type fewer names and your flock stays together.

[inquiry]

Mr. Dodgy, on Dec 15 2005, 11:00 AM, said:

One detraction is that the software doesn't allow more than 9 boards in a single round.

Not sure what you mean. I play 10, 12 and 16 board matches very frequently. When a host clicks on "Create a table" button, there is a field that defaults to 8 boards. You can change that to any reasonable number.

[uday]

He means when creating a pair tourney with 2 tables, to mimic a team game

[inquiry]

uday, on Dec 15 2005, 02:09 PM, said:

He means when creating a pair tourney with 2 tables, to mimic a team game

Ah,, well that is not a good solution anyway, because so few (relatively speaking) people can create tournaments, while everyone can create team games. But now that Uday points it out, I see what was meant. Sorry... I have no idea what I thought I was reading..it is planly obvious what is meant....

[Al_U_Card]

Gerben42, on Dec 15 2005, 06:47 AM, said:

Wow, you'd think people would WANT more accurate measure of skill. Who cares about MP anyway?

Lol. But actual skill cannot be brandished like an escutcheon for all to see (like a masterpoint total or the family jewels say..... )

[Al_U_Card]

I can often only play at odd times and for short periods. Perhaps as well as "organized teams and times, how about the following..

Random team games that you sign up for on the spot with a random (hopefully compatible) partner but your individual results are tabulated and maintained to show how well you (and/or your team) are doing. Almost like Indies for team play.