[1eyedjack]

barmar, on 2016-July-08, 08:51, said:

When someone leaves in the middle of a hand in the MBC, a robot is supposed to fill in for them immediately, so that human players aren't put into this difficult position.

When this happens, is the robot briefed on the sequence of play to date?

[barmar]

1eyedjack, on 2016-July-08, 09:12, said:

When this happens, is the robot briefed on the sequence of play to date?

Yes, it is.

IIt's also given the auction, but if you're not playing its system, some of the bids may confuse it.

[661_Pete]

billw55, on 2016-July-08, 08:26, said:

I don't think it works that way. When a claim is made by declarer, defenders can immediately see all four hands, but declarer continues to see only two hands.

OK I stand corrected. I've never tried my suggestion, anyway.

The 'fairness' is difficult to judge. If a player 'flounces' deliberately without justification (presumably because they don't like their partners/opponents' play or behaviour) then I feel it's right they ought to face some sort of disciplinary. But sometimes players leave a table for reasons outside their control (lost connection etc.)

If I join a table in mid-hand as declarer, then even though the score won't be accredited to me, I feel I owe it to my pro tem partner to make some sort of effort in playing out the hand. At the same time I don't think my opponents should benefit unduly from my misplaying due to lack of knowledge of what went before.

A difficult call, as I said. The ideal situation would be for no-one ever to flounce. But I can't have it my way always!

[1eyedjack]

661_Pete, on 2016-July-09, 14:18, said:

I feel I owe it to my pro tem partner to make some sort of effort in playing out the hand.

I feel a duty to get the hand over as soon as possible, however achieved and whoever benefits. We are not playing for sheep stations.