[Venom]

Just kind of interested in people's opinions about the following:

This occurred prior to the start of a 2-session limited stratified pairs game during the Kaplan Regional that was held during the December holiday week in Manhattan/ New York City. (Strats were 0-100, 100-300, 300-750) I was playing with my life partner (aka wife). We were playing (attempting to play might be more accurate) a modified version of Match Point Precision.

When our opponents for the first round arrived at the table, we informed them that we were playing Precision. One of the opponents became openly "unhappy", said that she doesn't like playing against Precision, and left the table. Apparently she went to either a T.D. or someone who was selling entries and was given a different entry at a different table as she an her partner never returned to the table. fwiw: there was nothing on our card that was not GCC-legal. In fact, it was rather basic but different from what a less experienced player might have encountered.

Here is my question. Should the tournament director or whoever was selling entries have given this nice lady a different entry and table to play at so she didn't have to play against precision players?

IMO, this is not such an easy question to answer. There are a number of different issues that might be considered such as 1) the right to decline to play against a pair in an acbl-sanctioned tournament that was playing a method that you were either unfamiliar with or uncomfortable playing against, 2) recognizing that this player had invested time and money in order to play at the tournament (being in Manhattan, it was rather an expensive day after entry fees, parking, and dinner) and not wanting to have her upset and not enjoy the tournament, 3) trying to be flexible in order to meet the needs of the membership and to encourage more people to join and participate.

I do not view this lady in any negative light. In fact, I empathize with her. We all were there at some point in time.


So, what might You have done if you were the T.D. and had a player who wanted his/ her entry changed because he/ she didn't want to play against a certain system? Note that I did not ask what was the right or correct thing for the T.D. to do because I think it's a function of the criteria that you choose. What would be Your criteria? I don't even know if there are any official acbl guidelines that addresses this or similar situations.
Did the estimated skill level of those playing in this event influence your opinions? What if this had been a regular unlimited regional stratified pairs event that someone was entering just to try his or her hand at such an event?


As a follow-up to this brief story, this is what happened next. One of my opps came to the table with her own bidding box so that she wouldn't have to touch the bidding box that was already on the table because it was "dirty" from so many others touching it. Of course, that didn't stop her from picking up her cards from the board and holding them, but what the heck? Can't be too careful these days with all the germs going around! Perhaps white gloves will make a comeback!

As always, thanks in advance.

DHL: aka Double !

I want my old name back!!!!

[barmar]

I can't think offhand of a bridge law covering seating assignments. However, I've never heard of such a thing happening.

I was going to say that Precision isn't so rare that someone can really expect to avoid it even if they get a new table. But then I noticed the masterpoint limits -- there probably aren't that mant Precision players in novice games. They presumably entered this event specifically because they didn't want to run into things they couldn't deal with.

But they really should get over their fear. What would they have been done if they'd been assigned to one of the other tables, and didn't get to your table until a later round? It would be too late to change their assignment then.

[Vampyr]

Perhaps the District should poll their members and see if there is interest in holding a limited systems/no fear event alongside the ordinary event.

[daveharty]

I don't think I've ever heard of a competitive endeavor where one is permitted to duck an opponent for playing legal methods. In basketball, you aren't allowed to skip an opponent who plays zone defense; in chess, you aren't allowed to skip an opponent who frequently opens 1. c4 instead of the more familiar 1. e4 or 1. d4; and if the pair from the OP were vacationing in Europe and decided to play in a local bridge club, I doubt they would be allowed to skip pairs who played Multi.

Of course I have some sympathy for the lady; my guess is that she's had the following not-atypical experience: she played against an unpracticed pair who were trying out Precision. They were probably younger players, who are more likely to experiment with nonstandard systems. Maybe they had an auction or two where they didn't quite know what they were doing but happened to get a good result; maybe the lady thought, rightly or wrongly, that there was UI involved. Or maybe she just got her head handed to her by a superior pair. Either way, it probably had nothing to do with what system her opponents were playing; the same thing happens all the time against people playing more standard methods, but because the opponents were playing Precision, she remembered it and it stuck in this lady's craw. Maybe her local club doesn't allow strong club systems; I don't agree with such prohibitions, but I recognize that the ACBL grants clubs the power to do this. But this was a regional tournament; and though it was a limited event, it was NOT a 49er or 99er event. This lady chose to play in an event where she was even likely to face (gasp!) some "Life Masters." Had I been the director I would not have appeased her by allowing her to relocate, although I would have reminded her that it is her right (indeed her obligation) to call the director if she thinks there has been an infraction at her table. I suppose this makes me sound harsh, and if, as a result, this lady gave up bridge and convinced all of her friends to do the same, I would be truly sorry. But I just don't think you can allow the inmates to run the asylum.

[CSGibson]

The lady probably came up to the entry desk and asked for a new entry without disclosing the full reason for it. I don't have any problems with it in non-serious events like a regional limited game; with the Blue Ribbons, I'd be against allowing the switch. Frankly, I think you were lucky, because I have found that it is frequently unpleasant to play against people who are mopey just because you don't play something they recognize - if you do well, you don't get credit for eviscerating them because they blame it on the system, and if they get a good result then the smugness and condescension often flows out of them like water after a rain.

[Phil]

If I were a director selling entries and someone came to me with a C2 EW and wanted something else, I would have no problem reaching into my pile and giving them G6 EW. If it were 60 seconds before game time, I would want to know why.

If they went into reasons about why they were switching, I'd give them a friendly chat, but still accommodate their request.

[Vampyr]

Phil, on 2012-January-25, 16:25, said:

If they went into reasons about why they were switching, I'd give them a friendly chat, but still accommodate their request.

An SO provides a service, and naturally that service has to be attractive enough that people will want to buy it. But I think that there are limits if the SO wants to call their service "bridge". I would not accommodate the pair, but might consider offering a Yellow Card event the next year.

[blackshoe]

Quote

Item 8 from the ACBL General Conditions of Contest: The refusal of a player, pair or team in an ACBL sanctioned Sectional, Regional, NABC, Grand National or North American Pair event to play against another player, pair or team duly entered in the event shall require the disqualification of the player, pair or team refusing to play from further participation in the event and the forfeiture of any masterpoints earned by the player, pair or team in the event. Such refusal shall constitute conduct unbecoming a member of the ACBL and shall be referred to the disciplinary body having jurisdiction for appropriate disciplinary action.

OTOH, I agree with Chris that it's likely she didn't say why she wanted a new entry. Perhaps she just asked for a NS. Or perhaps she did explain and was disqualified under this provision, and that's why the OP didn't see her again.

Given the regulation, my answer to the question in the OP is "no".