[Califdude]

As am experienced duplicate player but newbie to BBO, I've kibitzed BBO tables for an hour or so, and am interested in playing. But I can't seem to find any link or button to click on to get instructions as to how the BBO games work, scoring, conventions, alerts and so forth. If such is available can someone please point me in that direction?

In particular I was wondering whether the IMP scoring accounts for a good sacrifice, and if so, how can it do that without there being an "other room"?

Also, I would expect that if a new player joins a table the IMP score would be re-set to zero but they don't seem to do that...anyone care to comment?

I gather that a crown beside a player's name denotes the host at the table. But what do the large numbers beside players' names on the display of all the tables mean?

thanks for your replies.

[Gerardo]

Most tables are duplicate (and most of them are IMPs). Each player alerts his own bids, as if playing with screens.

Each board is play 16 times, so you have 15 "other rooms".

Reset the score: It is done by table host, at his discretion. Usually done, I think, but sometimes not.

The numbers are a scale of BBO Maspoints won, check the BBO Awards List

[mike777]

Let's start with the Main room. Most of the games here are IMP pairs style but you can set the table to MP. I assume you have played "IMP PAIRS"

Other options outside mainroom are teamgames which are advertised in the Lobby Chat or set up among mutual friends.


Another option are ACBL tourneys......MP or IMP pairs cost=one buck.......you buy before tourney starts with a credit card.

Other options are free tourneys which are advertised in lobby and other places

Other options are the public and private Club pages.

You create your own CC...see convention tab at bottom of screen.
ON BBO all alerts are self alerts...of course the Opponents can only see your SELF Alert not Partner.
Some players have the Large numbers many do not. Most get them from playing and winning in online ACBL tourneys(pay) but I think you can get them from some other free tourneys also.

BTW there is money bridge(again you prepay with a credit card).

It is possible to reset score to zero(in Main room) but in practice most tables do not bother too. Just ask and see if they will if you prefer.

Enjoy!

[matmat]

if you are using the windows client, there is a button near the bottom right of the window that will get you to the help pages.
I don't know whether there is an equivalent feature on the flash version.

as for score resets, this is a sore spot for some -- if the score is reset, the list of boards played is also reset, whereby making it more difficult to review plays etc. (you can get at this info from the bbo website, but it's not quite the same as being able to do it there and then.)

[karlson]

I have this suspicion that one feature you have not discovered is the "movie" button. It lets you view your own result and those at the other tables that you're compared to, letting you see how your score is calculated. Basically like a traveler.

[Califdude]

Thanks to all for your helpful explanations.