[koba]

Isn't everyone frustrated when one or both opponents leave in the middle of a hand to join a tourney? I sure am.
We have wasted our energy on this hand and have to redeal for a new declarer/defender/bidder.

I have had invites for tourneys and ask to give me 5 mins to finish the hand and leave, but the tourney host often disregards this request.

It would be so much better if one could not be seated at the tourney until one is in the "tourney room".

Many players play a few hands waiting for a tourney, then are whisked away in the middle, leaving the table frustrated. They should wait in the tourney room, not at a table playing.

[mtvesuvius]

If you are playing a tournement and are playing at a table, you should inform your opponents and leave to the tournement. Think if you were one of the people ready to play a tournement and the Host informed you that he delayed the tournement so that John Smith could finish playing 1NT in the Main Bridge Club, you would be furious... Especially if you have someplace to go, and wanted to play a quick tournement. Unfortunately sometimes people will leave to join a tournement, but such is life. You can afford to redeal every once and a while. I'm sorry to keep shooting down your ideas, but there are so many implications and side effects of these things that they are completely impractical.

[jdonn]

I think the best answer, if possible, is a tiny symbol that shows on the player's handle (or at least in his or her profile) that means he or she is entered in a pending tournament. Or even better, a little clock with a countdown to the start of the tournament.

[csdenmark]

By me they do so once only - then they are blacklisted.

Impossible to understand why BBO still has a rule informing it is a fatal misconduct to leave a table during play and they are the first to break their own rules.

This is the difference between moral and double-moral.