The script requires each player's bids or plays to be the same also. That will be accomplished by having DPs throughout the bid and play of each hand. After a player selects a bid or play, the "correct" or scripted bid or play will be presented on screen instead of the one selected by the player. If that bid or play was a DP, then it will be scored as a maximum plus (if it duplicates the DP script) or a reduced amount (if it is significantly different than the DP script) for the player. Every player will play the same contracts under the same conditions with the same bridge scores, so the cards presented to the player and the opponents will not affect the player's tournament result. The DP tournament winner will be the one who chooses the most correct DPs.
Here is an example hand actually played in a BBO tournament. After two passes, the player has the first bid decision.
Some players might prefer a pass, or 1S, or 3S, or 4S. If the player selects any of those actions, a "Decision Point Adjust" (DPA) alert message will flash on the screen. The player's bid will be changed to 2S (the same bid for all the tournament players), and the player's DP score would be the fractional DP point value assigned to the player's bid. If the player selected 2S, there would be no alert message, but the player's DP score would be increased by one DP point. The script would continue with 4H, P,P back to the player. Any bid other than 4S will result in a DPA message, and the player's tournament score would increase by the fractional DP point value assigned to the player's bid, but a 4S bid will increase the player's tournament score by one DP. The bidding will complete with X, P, P, P.
The opening lead is the club Ace, and the player is declarer with this hand:
The play continues club ace, 2, 6. If the player plays the jack, or ten, or nine, there will be no alert and the player's DP score will increase by one DP point. If the player plays the 5, however, there will be a DPA alert, the player's card will be converted to the jack, and the player's DP score will reduce by one DP point. West next leads the diamond king to the ace. The trump 9 and the 2 from East gives the player another DP opportunity. If the top trump is played, there will be no alert and the player's DP score will increase by one DP point. If the player plays low or the 10, however, there will be a DPA alert, the player's card will be converted to the ace, and the player's DP score will reduce by one DP point. The player will pull trump and can play as many spades as he likes before he switches to clubs. If the player next leads a top club to the king, there will be no alert and the player's DP score will increase by one DP point. If the player leads the 5, however, there will be a DPA alert, the player's card will be converted to the ten, and the player's DP score will reduce by one DP point. This simple hand offers 5 DP points to each player.
The Decision Point tournament will eliminate many forms of cheating online, but there could be one worth noting. A player could enter the tournament under two IDs. Each would see the same information, but if one could play fast to quickly cause a DPA, then the slow player would know what trap is lurking. A way to avoid that is to delay each player's bid or play by a set time (such as 15 seconds) and complete all players' actions at the same time. Alternatively, easy actions, such as pass with little value in distribution or HCP or plays with only low spot cards, could be allowed less time, but more difficult DP actions could be allotted more time. Either way, the action of every player would complete at the same time, so there would be no advantage from using multiple IDs in a DP tournament. If a player does not act quickly enough within the time allotted for a DP, then the system would make the correct decision and the player's tournament score would not increase or decrease from that DP.
Decision Point tournaments would transform bridge results from random luck comparable to backgammon, to more focused skill like chess. BBO would be a great place to begin Decision Point tournaments!