[jillybean]

I have a windows emulator, we will see how it works.
I don't know a lot about computers but enough to know that when I swapped from a PC to a MAC, I have never had to press CTR-ALT-DEL again! I have never had to reboot.

The difference is a little like when I stopped playing "Standard American" and started playing 2/1

[pescetom]

Windoze is neither the only system nor the best, but in 2023 it should be no real limit either.
My hope is that the world can stablilize on USEBIO2 or some similar XML standard of output, both for electronic and f2f play.
Unfortunately I am not aware of any compatible multilingual f2f scoring program.
But lowering the bar, Magic Contest looks reasonable if one is lucky enough have Bridgemates and can afford it.

[blackshoe]

I know that ACBLScore works with Parallels on MacOS because I've used that configuration. I'm pretty sure it will work with Boot Camp. It will probably work with Wine, though it might take some work to set up.

There are those who prefer Windows and those who prefer MacOS (I'm one of the latter). There are those who prefer some flavor of Unix. To each his own.

[jillybean]

Bridgemate question. If you pull in the scores at various times during the game, does the file get overwritten or is it appended?
The reason I ask is that it appears that a result was corrected on the BM but not the results file.

Thanks, any other BM tips?

[mycroft]

Once you bring in the scores into ACBLScor (Ctrl-P, BMP), those results are locked in. Changes on the Bridgemate server, or deletions and re-entry from the client, will not be automatically moved into ACBLScor for results already brought in.

That's why, unless there's a situation where we might lose some scores in the server (and we *don't* want those "losses" to overwrite the correct results), at tournaments we never BMP until we have to - before posting the leaderboards, for instance.

Yes, we lose the ability to see "how the game's going", a great pastime for the bored club director. At tournaments, we tend not to be bored.

As for other tips: (okay, some aren't relevant to clubs, 99+% of the time. The last one is!)

Test the bridgemates before the first session. Especially if you're using a computer you haven't before. The options might be right, but they might not be. And the USB port might not work/be plugged in/be a hub that isn't plugged in/...

Ensure that the clients are on the same firmware as the server, if you have your own server or if different places are bringing bridgemates, or if you're using your computer and their bridgemates.

Double and triple-check the movement in ACBLScor before BMS. Every session, every section. Even if you've done this movement 14 times before. Especially if it's a web, or a 3 or 4 table Howell, or a bye-relay, or a half table. Yes, everyone gripes when the bridgemates aren't ready immediately when the boards come out; sometimes even after the first people to get boards finish their first hand, even. If you get the movement wrong at all (even "it's only 13 tables, not 14 Mitchell"), when you fix it, the BridgeMate server will wipe the old results. I'd rather have 10 sessions of "aren't the bridgemates working yet?" over one "Sorry, you'll have to put in the first round again." But even that's better than "They're not supposed to be our opponents" (especially when only one table in 5 checked!)

[jillybean]

Ah, that explains a lot. Thanks

Yes, I've already had problems with the USB port.

No Webs (yet), shuffle , deal and play at the moment. Dealing machines are very expensive.

Which command do you use to change number of tables in a section, or do you kill the session and start again?

[pilowsky]

jillybean, on 2023-May-27, 20:16, said:

Yes, I've already had problems with the USB port.

If you're using an older machine not all of the USB ports work with all the peripherals.
If you have three usb ports on a machine you might find that some stuff only works with one of them.

[mycroft]

F9 is all "the game information".

It's where you kill the last round, change from normal club game to club championship when the owner remembers reminds you, fix the C strat when it turns out you have 1 table and no C overalls, and *change the movement* when the pair shows up two minutes after game time (or when you find you have a 10 and two half table game).

There's 17 things there (12 for teams?) and I have no idea what most of them are or what they're for (seriously, if I looked at the list I could tell you what almost all of them are for. But definitely not enough to actually remember without seeing them). But "F9, 5", "F9, 10", and (more often than zero times, but not too often) "F9, 2" are finger memory these days.

(after checking it, yep, I was right. About 2 I don't know why to use right out of my head. And I forgot about the "F9, 11" options, which I use all the time at tournaments, but never at the club).

[jillybean]

I set up posting method as
3 Travelers - Sequenced by N-S pair number

When the ACBL Score software starts, it changes to Pick-ups

??

[mycroft]

Do you mean the Bridgemate control software? It requires "pickups, table order". I thought it required that to be set, but ACBLScor might be smart enough to change it.

If you are entering travelers by hand, you're not using the bridgemates, so don't start them.

If I'm not reading it right, of course...

[jillybean]

The ACBL Score instructions I was given instruct me to set Posting Method as '3 - Travelers - sequenced by N-S pair number'
(we are not using travelers or pickups but we must select something here)

Then the program then asks if I am using Bridgemates - yes.

And another problem, which has happened a couple of times is when last round is finished, FN F11 - BMP Post Scores from remote does not pickup the last round scores.
I have to do this command a few times to get all scores.

We do have a PC running windows , we do have a good USB port now.

[jillybean]

Ok, I'm at another game , I'm playing, not directing.

We had 6 tables set up, one pair is a no show one pair is late.

Movement was changed to 5.5 tables with a phantom. Table 6

Round 2 table 1 BM says sit out

I am asked if I can help, phantom is set as EW but EW are moving, NS is phantom

We are into round 3, is there anything we can do to rescue the game?
I have suggest we use travellers when the BM says sit out and see if we can switch it together later

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2023-June-01, 15:08, said:

Ok, I'm at another game , I'm playing, not directing.

We had 6 tables set up, one pair is a no show one pair is late.

Movement was changed to 5.5 tables with a phantom. Table 6

Round 2 table 1 BM says sit out

I am asked if I can help, phantom is set as EW but EW are moving, NS is phantom

We are into round 3, is there anything we can do to rescue the game?
I have suggest we use travellers when the BM says sit out and see if we can switch it together larer

I have sympathy up to a point, but be more rigid.
I close inscription a minimum of 4 hours before tournament, allowing only one extra pair if desired.
Then I assign table positions and deal the cards.
Sure, I might make do if a top pair from another city phone up and I can deal with it.
No way for my own players.
No show never happens and late exceeding 5 minutes is penalties and 40% for each board missed in first round.

[jillybean]

I am a player here, not a Director
It's a 6 table game not a tournament
How do we fix it ?

[mycroft]

Pooch the game. Sorry. Double and triple check the movement before BMS.

The easiest solution is to get the round 1 sitout pair to actually be the sitout pair in the registered movement. If you catch it in time, you lose a hand or so that should never have been played (at the sitout table and when the "sitout pair" is now supposed to play it), and probably a hand at the table where the pair "should have moved" to.

[Edit: on reread, I see it's round 3. Now, probably best to do the other solution. It's really ugly, but. Are the round 2 people one of those who "don't bother me, I'm playing. We'll put all the scores in at the end" types? If not, how did they handle "but it says we're sitting out this round"?]

The other solution is F11, 10, reconfigure the movement to get the right phantom. That will break the bridgemates and drop all the previous scores, and everyone will have to put in round 1 again. (So if you get it right, you pull in round 1 and then do this. They will still have to enter their scores again, but if they get it wrong, it's not a problem).

[jillybean]

How can I enter hand records (Shuffle, Deal & Play) other than at an active Bridge Mate?
I'd like to use the BM at the half table but the BM signs off after E/W have entered their pair numbers, round 1

[mycroft]

Never done that, never needed to, don't even know how; I don't do SDP. Sorry.

My most likely solution is to borrow a table in play's bridgemate and do 6 minutes worth at a time.

Or, you know, don't make a N-S phantom unless it's for *your* benefit. Haven't we made that clear before?</s>

[CMOTDib]

jillybean, on 2023-June-01, 15:08, said:

Ok, I'm at another game , I'm playing, not directing.

We had 6 tables set up, one pair is a no show one pair is late.

Movement was changed to 5.5 tables with a phantom. Table 6

Round 2 table 1 BM says sit out

I am asked if I can help, phantom is set as EW but EW are moving, NS is phantom

We are into round 3, is there anything we can do to rescue the game?
I have suggest we use travellers when the BM says sit out and see if we can switch it together later

My sympathy goes to the director. As a friend once said “directing is like herding cats”.
My thoughts are that where possible I always get the scorer to do a screen print of the movement so that I have something to refer to, just in case!
I don’t know the precise movement being used but I will assume a 6 table Mitchell with pair 12 the phantom pair.
If pair 6 in round 1 put their numbers/names in on table 6 BM then their names will be allocated to the North South Pair (6). There should be no option to enter the East West Pair details. So for the rest of the movement they are still pair 6 as far as the scoring program and the Bridgemates are concerned. After the end of Round 2 gently guide them back to North South according to the places they have been allocated at table 6.
Next ask Pair 1 on Table 1 why they didn’t call the director when they were unable to enter the result for the first board (Board 5) or even Board 6 or Board 7 or Board 8. After the game I would suggest to Pair 1 & Pair 6 that they perhaps aren’t suited to being North South and probably ban them from those seats for three weeks.
Next, have a break from play and take time to think. Tell the room that there is a problem and you need them to wait quietly.
Round 1 has been scored correctly and is in the BM and Scoring program (As far as we are aware!).
Round 2 we have Pair 1 playing Pair 6 on Boards 5 to 8 and according to Law 15 those scores should stand. However, they are not scheduled to play one another so we have to alter those in the scoring program after the game. Pair 1 and 6 must give the scorer the results of those boards.
Pair 6 should have played Pair 11 on Boards 1 to 4! So why didn’t Pair 11 scream out that they had no opponents?
Round 3 Pair 6 are due to play Boards 5 to 8 against Pair 10 but that can’t happen now.
So the quick and easy bit is to allocate 60%/60% for boards 1 to 4 for pairs 6 & 11 on the table 6 BM.
Tell everyone to play Round 3 and on Table 6 for boards 5 to 8 allocate 50%/50%. Let Pair 6 and Pair 10 play a “friendly” for Boards 5 to 8 understanding that the scores don’t count. The 60/60 and 50/50 is just to get the BM moving on to the next round.
Rounds 4; 5 & 6 should be ok (but keep an eye on Pair 6! Tell the rest of the room what you are doing
At the end of the session help the scorer to change Boards 1 to 4 from Pairs 6 N/S and 11 E/W to Pair 10 N/S and 11E/W and leave the 60/60 score (Law15B). Now go to Boards 5 to 8 and change Pairs 6 N/S and Pair 10 E/W to Pair 1 N/S and Pair 6 E/W and insert the correct scores rather than the 50/50 that is there.
I would publish the scores as they are and say it is the best that I can do. Not sure that there is sufficient to say there is enough boards switched to give a one winner rsult. Whatever you do will look a little odd but given how some pairs have no idea how to follow a movement then I doubt they will “see” the oddity. If you are not content then you could just see if you can change it to a one winner Mitchell without any switches but I can’t see that working. It is just the best of a bad job.
I know this is well after the event but it will help when it happens again in the near future.

By the way how was this resolved at the time?

And yes I have had to do something similar and the best thing is that you don't show any panic whatsoever!

[jillybean]

CMOTDib, on 2023-June-08, 12:33, said:

By the way how was this resolved at the time?

It wasn't resolved.
Next time more care will be taken setting up the movement and perhaps it won't be set until all pairs are present and seated.
Being a Playing Director must be a nightmare.

[pescetom]

CMOTDib, on 2023-June-08, 12:33, said:

As a friend once said “directing is like herding cats”.

As a cat lover and Director I find this apt

jillybean, on 2023-June-08, 13:54, said:

It wasn't resolved.
Next time more care will be taken setting up the movement and perhaps it won't be set until all pairs are present and seated.

As a Murphy-prone person I take care in setting up the movement with assigned seats for all pairs hours in advance.
The tournament starts precisely on time whether or not all are present.

jillybean, on 2023-June-08, 13:54, said:

Being a Playing Director must be a nightmare.

Never tried it and in no hurry to do so, but I can imagine how others might see it as an overall duty or even no problem.