Vision and Guidelines
Goward House was founded as a non-profit Society in 1989 as a place where Victoria area residents 50+ find friendship, wellness and fun, with duplicate bridge as one of its enduring activities. Over the years, the Wednesday duplicate bridge group has grown from three to thirteen tables per week. We have capacity for a maximum of fifteen tables. Participants must be current Goward House members and pay an activity ticket each week to play. Guests are permitted one free play.
Participants are asked to sign in between 11:45 and 12:05, with play commencing sharply at 12:15, usually concluding by 3:45. A short break is provided at about 2:00.
Our vision for duplicate bridge at Goward House is to provide a safe, inclusive, fun and welcoming environment for our members.
Although we are not an ACBL sanctioned club and do not award master points, we use the ACBL Laws (2017) to govern our weekly games, with a few house rules and accommodations added.
- Name tags are provided.
- We use “Jumbo Index” cards for better visibility; we encourage quiet announcements of calls made and cards played for those who need this additional accommodation.
- Cards are thoroughly shuffled prior to the game by volunteers.
- Players are expected to count their cards (face down) both at the beginning and end of each hand.
- Once the final contract is determined, declarer leaves the final contract “card” face-up on the table (including double or redouble cards) until play of the hand is completed.
- At the end of each round, all players should check the results on the Bridgemate for that table.
- Cell phones are to be turned off or muted; if expecting an emergency call, please have it directed to the front desk (250-477-4401).
- Purses are not to be hung over chairs; a large table is set up to hold purses.
- Participants are expected to refrain from the use of perfumes or other scented products.
- No open liquids are permitted in the bridge room, including during the tea break.
- We do not enforce strict time limits for each round, but will occasionally intervene to ensure the whole room is not held up unduly by one table.
- We do enforce the ACBL “Zero Tolerance” policy*, and pride ourselves on our friendly, non-threatening environment; “Play Nice” is the key concept.
- We expect whatever help each person can provide in setting up and putting things away.
- Players are expected to stay at their table until the next round has been called, and keep conversations quiet.
*Excerpt from the ACBL “Zero Tolerance” policy: “The following are some examples of behavior which will not be tolerated: badgering, rudeness, insinuations, intimidation, profanity, threats, or violence; negative comments concerning opponents’ or partner’s play or bidding; gloating over good results; constant and gratuitous lessons and analyses at the table; and loud and disruptive arguing with a director’s ruling.”
Instructions and Reminders for Goward House Virtual Team Matches on BBO
Jim Brackenbury Updated 2022 10 07
- Please ensure you are familiar with the login procedures for BBO and are comfortable with the basic functions. Prior practice with your partner on BBO is highly recommended. The following video link is quite helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MldFbBdea90
- When you login to BBO on Wednesday, no later than 12:30 PM, please make sure you have unchecked the “Invisible” setting – the Host needs to be able to find you.
- Once logged in, ensure that your designated Host has been Added as a Friend. This is best done in advance.
- If you are already logged in to BBO at 12:40 go to “Competitive”, so the Host can find you.
- STAY LOGGED IN, so the Host can invite you.
- When you receive an Invitation from your Host, Accept the invitation. Yes, you need to remember your Host’s BBO username, as noted below:
- Goward House VTM 1 – Host –JuneHobart (June)
- Goward House VTM 2 – Host – sdegryp (Susan)
- If you do not receive an Invite from your Host by 12:40 go to “Competitive - Other Competitive - Team Matches - Pending -”, then “Search” for your Host’s username, then click to Join.
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Note: if you are unable to join your match, you may need to update your computer operating system and software.
- We will permit “Undo” requests (under the three bars) but ask you to request an undo ONLY if the error is an inadvertent typo – not if you have changed your mind or were not paying attention. The opponents do not have to accept your request, so please use it only when necessary. Many newer players find it helpful to adjust the Settings so that they have time to confirm their bids and plays. This is a good idea, especially when playing on smaller devices.
- Practise using the “Self-alert” function. You would use this whenever your partner would normally alert your call or make an announcement such as “transfer to Spades”, when you respond 2 Hearts (as a transfer to Spades) after your partner opens 1 NT (and had pre-alerted it as 15-17, or whatever your agreed range is). In this case, before you press the 2 Hearts or ♥s bid, you would type in the Alert bar “Spades or ♠s”. The opponents will see this note, but not your partner. Do not use the Chat bar to explain bids.
- If you want to know what an opponent’s bid means, click on that bid; their answer will be seen by you and your partner only.
Your Team will be divided up so that you and your partner play at one table, and your teammates play at the other table, sitting in the opposite direction. The same boards are played at both tables, and the results compared between the two tables.
An Introduction to IMP Scoring and Strategy
International Match Points
Jim Brackenbury May 24, 2020
Once the match starts, you will play a set number of boards against your opponents. Your teammates play the same boards against your partners, and at the same time. If you are sitting North/South at your table, then your partners will be sitting East/West at the other table. The scores are calculated automatically as each hand is completed. On the main screen you will see a window with the title IMPS, and numbers assigned to each pair. These IMPS scores are based on the net difference in results between the two tables.
Suppose you bid and make 4 Spades at your table, but the opponents go down one in 4 Spades at the other table. Assuming you are not vulnerable, your normal Duplicate score would be +420, and the results at the other table would be +50 for your partners. Combining these two scores adds up to +470 for your Team. This is then transferred automatically into an IMP score of +10 for your Team, which will show up in the IMP window at both tables. This will show as zero ( - ) for both teams when a board is tied (or within 10 points).
As the game progresses, you will see the cumulative IMP scores change, based on the results of each completed board. At the end of the match, the total IMPS scores for the two teams are compared, and a winner declared, with the margin of victory shown in IMPS.
To better understand IMP scoring, have a look at the back of a Convention Card. You will see a table showing the conversion of points to IMPs. You will notice that small differences in net scores between the two tables results in negligible IMP scores. Net differences of 0 or 10 are assigned an IMP score of 0; 20-40 = 1; 50-80 = 2, - - - 370-420=9, etc.
The practical consequence of this scoring method is that you may want to modify your bidding and play tactics from Duplicate games. The general advice (from the Encyclopedia of Bridge and Matt Smith) is:
- take more risks bidding games (particularly Vulnerable) in Team Matches,
- choose a contract with the best chance of making (priority on safety),
- try not to let the opponents play at the two level,
- avoid risky doubles of part scores that give the opponents game if they make,
- penalty doubles should only be made if you expect at least a two-trick set,
- rarely strive to bid 7 unless you are absolutely certain of thirteen tricks.
Similarly, the following recommendations apply to your play of the hand, as Declarer or on Defense. Here the advice is to be conservative. The key is to make or break a contract, NOT to worry about overtricks. An overtrick is worth 1 IMP if the opponents did not also make an overtrick. But if you take a risk for this overtrick (which we will often do in Duplicate), and go down one, while the opponents make their game contract, then, as noted in the example above, the IMP score is 10 points difference.
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