[dcvetkov]

Hello

I know maybe its a bit too early, but it is never too early to plan. Just wondering how many you BBO Forumers plan to attend NABC ( apart from pros and veterans)?
Anyone looking for a partner?

I tentatively would like to come and have some fun and bridge and meet some BBO friends, but never attended NABC before, so looking for some opinions..

1) If you dont have a partner and strong practiced partnership, how likely is to pick up pd at partnership desk and still have some fun?, or to pick up really good partner?

2) What about postings at ACBL website?

On the other hand, bad results can quickly lead to frustration maybe....so you may regret it ( true or false). dont know.... Too many days of bad bridge.. can it ruin yr stay?

Cheers

[pclayton]

I'm going for the whole time. It will be the first national since 1985 that I have attended from beginning to end (hard to believe).

I have no idea how well the partnership desk (in person or online) works since I've never used one. Maybe others can elaborate.

I hope theres a get-together.

[JanM]

If you get tired of playing bridge, you can volunteer to help out as a Vugraph operator . Never too early for me to start trying to get enough people to cover as many Spingold matches as possible. And this year we also have the Junior WBF and FISU trials before the NABC and on the first weekend. I hope to broadcast from at least the finals of those events if I can find enough people to help as operators.

[inquiry]

I will be there... and I am interested in being a vugraph operator for times i am not playing... never can get enough bridge.

[barmar]

I'll be there from the first Saturday evening through the end.

I used the partnership desk for many years, as my regular partner rarely goes to NABCs. While occasionally you'll pick up a dud, most of my experiences were pretty good. I try to avoid it these days, simply because I find it more fun to play with friends, most of whom are in my age bracket (mid-40's and younger). Also, my good experiences with the partnership desk were mostly when I was much less experienced a player -- I suspect I was often the "dud". But I've only had one pick-up partner who let it show that he found me lacking as a partner; that may have been the last NABC that I spent much time at the partnership desk, but if there's a connection it must be unconscious.

I've listed myself on the ACBL web site, but never actually tried using it to find a partner. I think I'd prefer picking someone up face-to-face, as it's easier to size someone up in a couple of minutes of talking than through email.

[jdonn]

Since I live in Las Vegas but I can't get time off work, I'll be trying something unusual. I'll probably play in the first and last national events on the weekends, and in the middle try to have a 6 person team for the Spingold where I can play only the 7:30 PM session every day until we are knocked out. Then I'll be done till the final event.

[PrecisionL]

I have had poor luck picking up teammates at NABCs and Regionals. You need to have teammates chosen ahead of time. Lots of people do not live up to their masterpoints, I have had numerous poor teammates with 3000+ ACBL MPs each.

Pair games: Mixed bag. Good and poor experiences, I try to avoid partnership desk. Posting on ACBL or District web pages have not been helpful, very little traffic.

Larry

From the other side, I have worked the partnership desk at Gatlinburg and I see some good pairings for teams when an experienced pair is looking for an experienced partnership to play a team game. Pairing up individuals for pair games is a crap-shoot.

One time after I helped a pair find teammates, I played against them in the first round . The partnership I helped put together was horrible. But his partner was understanding and said so when I apologized later for not realizing his partner had forgotten a lot about bridge.

[matmat]

thinking about it

[awm]

I plan to be in Vegas throughout.

My experiences with partnership desk have been mixed. Usually you can get someone who is either a fairly good bridge player or a nice fun person. Usually you cannot get someone who is both because usually those people have partners.

I've found good pairs for a team game at partnership desk on a few occasions, usually this works better than looking for a partner.

Of course, there is also the "expert partnership desk" (i.e. word of mouth among good players) which is usually the right way to pick up a partner if you know the right folks.

[han]

Certainly planning to go, nothing fixed yet and I hope to get on some good teams with good partners.

[hrothgar]

Not attending Vegas

Will certainly be around and about in Boston

[Cascade]

I am hoping to get there.

Still some logistics to work through.

We might need teammates if it all works out.

[Elianna]

I'm going.

I have no idea what I'm playing in or with who. It kinda depends on GNTs, which are not even final for my district until MAY!

I really haven't had any experiences with the partnership desk at nationals. I would advise not making long-term plans with pick-up partners found at either nationals or ACBL's online PD. Play it one day at a time, so you're not stuck with someone with whom you can't get along.

[rogerclee]

I'll likely be playing the entire thing.

[mikeh]

I'm going if we win the GNT's next weekend... I think we have a shot but I thought that last year and we lost the semis by 1 imp

[fred]

I suspect BBO will host a party or 2 during the Las Vegas NABC.

Sorry but no guided tours of nearby BBO World Headquarters during the tournament

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

[matmat]

fred, on Mar 31 2008, 07:34 PM, said:

I suspect BBO will host a party or 2 during the Las Vegas NABC.

Sorry but no guided tours of nearby BBO World Headquarters during the tournament

Fred Gitelman
Bridge Base Inc.
www.bridgebase.com

could i at least get a piece of an old server?

[CSGibson]

I'm planning on going, and it will probably depend solely on GNT results as to whether I have a partner going with me or not. Either way I plan on hanging out at the partnership desk for at least a couple of pairs games just to play with some new people.

Oh, and I'm both pleasant and good (or at least my grandma thinks so)

[Mbodell]

I'm definitely going to be there for some of it. Maybe nearly all of it depending on what partners and teammates of mine will be there.

I've had pretty good success with the partnership desk both at SF and Detroit nationals, although in both cases my expectations were low and my regular partners were coming in a couple of days so I knew no matter what I'd get good bridge in the future.