Short description at beginning of the round (recent changes / clarifications in red for emphasis)

Many thanks for saying hello and giving a short description of your system at the start of each round. Please include carding methods as well. E.g.

   e.g. Acol, range of 1NT opener, style of 1Suit openers (eg 4CM/5CM/short club/better minor etc), 2-level openers (e.g. 3 weak twos/multi and lucas etc), Leading-style (e.g. 2nd and 4th, top of honour sequences/A for attitude K for count etc), Carding agreements (i.e. discards and signals, including smith peters if you play them), Anything else unusual that may require a defensive agreement

On a computer - Once you’ve typed it once, you can copy (CTRL C) and then paste it at the start of each round (CTRL V)

On a tablet or Ipad - Use the Chat Manager, click in the white area where chat normally appears.... choose Chat Manager....

BBO Usernames

Although you can remain anonymous, the EBU recommends that you should put your full name in your profile, so that your opponents can see who they are playing against.  To do this go to ‘account’ and ‘profile’, and you can see that there is a space for you to insert your real name.

Convention Cards

There is a facility on BBO to write a convention card. We encourage you to have one like you would have at the table. If you want to write a Convention Card in BBO, on the right of the screen, click “Account” then at the top of the right, click “Convention Cards”.  You can edit and save with your partner’s BBOname. When partner next logs on and accept this then the players can see it. In two board rounds, although we will not have much time to look at convention cards, this will allow the director to adjudicate any disputes fairly. 

Pre-announce as many bids as possible by self alerting - it is your responsibility to let opponents know what you are playing (as Gordon wrote to us all in August..... You should also explain your own bids in the Alert box before making any call that is artificial or would require an alert or announcement in face-to-face bridge. You should then be prepared to answer any further questions of your opponents about your bidding or carding methods. As long as all of this is done by private messages to your opponents without your partner being aware of it, there is no danger of providing UI by over-alerting or by the questions you ask). Please note that in the August amendment to the Skyblue Book bids, passes, doubles or redoubles above 3NT should be alerted if conventional or request a lead.

If a bid is 'conventional or announceable' please write an explanation. 1NT is not conventional but the range should always be stated, even if it is on your convention card or you have stated it at the beginning of the round.  This is a great way to alert as only your opponents can see it.  Even if you think it will take too long, click alert and make your bid.  You can then click on the box and add your explanation while others are bidding.  Again, you can keep common lengthy explanations ready to cut and paste. Be careful not to message the table so you don’t give your partner a nudge as to what your bid meant!  You can message the opponents either together (by clicking on ‘opponents’ tab in the chat area), or individually, but clicking on either one of their usernames at the table.

If you want to know what the meaning of an opponent’s bid is

You can simply click on the bid.  This asks the bidder to explain, which goes just to you.  Do not message the table, as again this may give your partner unauthorised information. Alternatively you can message the individual opponent (the bidder rather than their partner) by clicking on their username to ask what the bid meant.

Do call the director

Do call the director, who can help with solve problems caused by slow play or lack of connection.  The three horizontal lines is the table button and one of these options is the Director button; the director is called to the table. If you message vEBU_KEN  then this is a private message to the TD e.g. please review the score on board 18. It is important to request a review of the last board early after then event finishes, because it cannot be corrected in BBO once the 20 minutes correction period ends.

What if you run out of time?

The computer assigns a score. If you feel it should be different, please ask the director to review it. If it's the last board, please do this as quickly as possible, since scores can only be changed in the 20 minute correction period.

Finally, do not panic

If you get disconnected.  If there is a connection problem caused at the BBO end it will be happening to several (quite possibly many) other people at the same time, and the director will be able to see the problem and add extra time to the round if needed.  When you connect again you will automatically be taken back to your table.  If you feel you have been penalised as a result, send a message to the director as soon as you can explaining what happened.