[donnamf]

I’ve been playing in individual games recently. System is designated 2/1. All bids are explained, including your own, which you can preview before you commit.

Why do so many players ignore the explanations? Since none of us have any pre-agreed understandings, just go with the bot system. I know the bots have a couple of quirky bidding conventions, but I’m talking about fairly standard treatments, not obscure bidding subtleties. For example, the system uses Cappelletti over their 1NT, but I would estimate that 90% of 2D overcalls I see in these games show diamonds and not the majors.

A bunch of random players thrown together all need to be on the same page, hence the BBO-given bidding system. If you’re not sure what your bid will mean, check it before you make it. If it’s wrong, check the other possibilities until you find the one that conveys the right meaning.

Thanks for letting me rant.

[pescetom]

You have a good point but picked a bad example: Cappelletti is little known outside North America and one could never play it profitably by following the GiB explanations (which are poor documentation of a poor version of a poor convention).

[barmar]

In pair games you have an incentive to follow agreements because you usually expect to play with the same partner in the future, and it's best for long-term partnership harmony.

Individual games have no such expectation, so it's every man for himself. If you don't like it, don't play individuals. It's not clear what you expect anyone to do about people ignoring the convention card.

[pescetom]

barmar, on 2026-April-20, 10:07, said:

In pair games you have an incentive to follow agreements because you usually expect to play with the same partner in the future, and it's best for long-term partnership harmony.

Individual games have no such expectation, so it's every man for himself. If you don't like it, don't play individuals. It's not clear what you expect anyone to do about people ignoring the convention card.

As a Director in a "real world" individual tournament I would annul any advantage gained by ignoring the prescribed card and penalize anyone clearly doing it intentionally.
But I can't see how BBO could easily do that in an automated tournament, agreed.

[johnu]

Sorry, but playing in an individual game is totally random. Players pass forcing bids, make minimum bids when they have game forcing hand, can't evaluate the strength of their own hands, don't understand common conventional bids, are bad declarers, and even worse defenders. Of course, you may get lucky and play with, or against somebody who actually is a good player. In fact, BBO's testing has shown that robots are better than the average player on BBO. If you think robots aren't that great, just imagine how bad the below average players on BBO are.

You're probably better off playing in the main bridge club, and start your own table so you can eject players who don't meet your standards, or who are abusive. Eventually you should meet some compatible partners who you can start a partnership with.

[Jaybarnes]

If I'm not mistaken you clicked on "casual" to get there. Some of us are more casual than others. I treat casual like patience unless I get partnered with someone who shares my bidding style. Then I play for keeps.

[barmar]

Jaybarnes, on 2026-May-10, 11:04, said:

If I'm not mistaken you clicked on "casual" to get there.

I don't think they're talking about tables in the main bridge club, "individual" refers to a type of tournament.

[mycroft]

"If you haven't been passed in Blackwood, you cannot win an individual." - the (late) Emperor.

"If you don't post a card, we will post SAYC and you will play it." - many (V)ABCL clubs. That worked about as well as you would expect, too.

"Nobody has convention cards, and fewer look at them." - paraphrase of Jillybean. I would only add "including the people who wrote them" :-), only more so for those who have one imposed on them.

"There is One True Bidding System (and it's the one I play)" - paraphrase of me.

Nice rant. I truly admire a good rant. But this has been an issue for decades. Your job, should you choose to enter the fishtank, is to play the hand you're dealt (which is only rarely just the 13 cards you hold). It's sort of like when you play in robot games, except that at least they're *consistently* wrong.

There's a reason Bridge is a Partnership Game (of course, I think it would be hilarious to "force" people to play *that card* in this century).

(I will admit to a bit of bias here. As a club director (and therefore, "last spare") for decades, I have played with "everyone from kings, queens, and presidents to the scum of the earth." (H/T Ernestine/Lily Tomlin). And frequently, because as CD & LS, my job is to prioritize the paying customers, the better singles get paired up, and I...frequently get the rest. Either someone who can't keep a partner because they can't play, or someone who can't play because they can't keep a partner - and no prize if you correctly guess which one I dread less. So, I will admit to having more experience with "individuals" than most who don't play them regularly.

[OldPlayr]

In the Software Suggestions forum I made a suggestion that a statistic should be kept for each player, showing the percentage of bids that were made in GIB convention games that conformed to the convention. This would help one determine how accurate a partner’s bid might be. Only for games played in a tournament that specified the GIB convention. Only applies to those who play in GIB tournaments.

My suggestion was voted down or seemingly misunderstood. There has to be a way of identifying bad bidders. Even an upvote/downvote function. There is some fear about rankings that prevents things like this. Everyone on BBO is above average.

So, we’ll continue to endure random partners in GIB tournaments who ignore the displayed meaning of a bid and do crazy things. Get 4 decent partners and score. Get 1 stupid one, and you lose.

As for the GIB convention, if you don't like it, then don't play in tournaments that require it.

[OldPlayr]

Jaybarnes, on 2026-May-10, 11:04, said:

If I'm not mistaken you clicked on "casual" to get there. Some of us are more casual than others. I treat casual like patience unless I get partnered with someone who shares my bidding style. Then I play for keeps.

No - I clicked on 'Tournaments (Competitive)'

[barmar]

OldPlayr, on 2026-June-09, 07:12, said:

In the Software Suggestions forum I made a suggestion that a statistic should be kept for each player, showing the percentage of bids that were made in GIB convention games that conformed to the convention. This would help one determine how accurate a partner’s bid might be. Only for games played in a tournament that specified the GIB convention. Only applies to those who play in GIB tournaments.

My suggestion was voted down or seemingly misunderstood. There has to be a way of identifying bad bidders.

Suppose you identify them, what can you do with that information? Are you going to withdraw because you happen to be partnered with a poor bidder?

Individual tournaments are crapshoots by definition. Go into them with the proper attitude and have fun.

[OldPlayr]

barmar, on 2026-June-09, 09:53, said:

Suppose you identify them, what can you do with that information? Are you going to withdraw because you happen to be partnered with a poor bidder?

Individual tournaments are crapshoots by definition. Go into them with the proper attitude and have fun.

It would let me know to what extent I could trust that the player is bidding GIB conventions. That would affect how I respond. I can deal with crazy bids, if I know they are likely to be crazy. It is surprises that are frustrating.

Tournaments that charge a fee should not be 'crapshoots'.

[jillybean]

Knowing al this, why WOULD you pay to play in one of these "tournaments"?

[barmar]

OldPlayr, on 2026-June-09, 15:07, said:

Tournaments that charge a fee should not be 'crapshoots'.

I thought the automated fun tournaments were free, which tournaments are you talking about.

[OldPlayr]

barmar, on 2026-June-10, 10:52, said:

I thought the automated fun tournaments were free, which tournaments are you talking about.

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