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BCL IMPS Tournament - play 18 boards against others who play bridge online

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IMPS Tourney Tuesday December 10 19:45 PM GMT Tuesday December 10 23:01 PM GMT 10 hours 18 mins
IMPS Tourney Wednesday December 11 19:45 PM GMT Wednesday December 11 23:01 PM GMT 1 day 10 hours 18 mins
IMPS Tourney Thursday December 12 19:45 PM GMT Thursday December 12 23:01 PM GMT 2 days 10 hours 18 mins
IMPS Tourney Friday December 13 19:45 PM GMT Friday December 13 23:01 PM GMT 3 days 10 hours 18 mins
IMPS Tourney Saturday December 14 19:45 PM GMT Saturday December 14 23:01 PM GMT 4 days 10 hours 18 mins
IMPS Tourney Sunday December 15 19:45 PM GMT Sunday December 15 23:01 PM GMT 5 days 10 hours 18 mins
IMPS Tourney Monday December 16 19:45 PM GMT Monday December 16 23:01 PM GMT 6 days 10 hours 18 mins

The IMPS Tourney comprises 18 boards

  • This BCL tournament uses Butler IMPS scoring.
  • Entry is via walk-in only. Players have to arrive on time, look for a partner in the Lobby or the Room, both players take a seat in the IMPS Tourney room and and submit/confirm an SSD. The server will combine partnerships who are thus "ready to play".
  • TIP: Once an SSD has been submitted and confirmed then both players are "ready to play". If you accidentally cancel the "ready status" then quickly press "ready" to correct this.
  • The room opens 15 minutes before play commences, to enter you must be seated at a full table by then.
  • Once you have started board 1, the server will announce after each round at which table you will be next playing and against who then move you automatically to the next table. If you do not see opponents or they are in the lobby of the room, this means the next players/table are still playing - just wait and the server will move you as soon as it is practical.
  • Players cannot join the event once auto-movement is confirmed 15 minutes after the room opens (unless a player/table requires a substitute)
  • WBF alerting rules apply in this room. Ratings are NOT affected.
  • The Common Situations described below will provide further information.

Common Situations

You try to join a table where there are two players sitting opposite each other, but server puts you on another table The server will combine partnerships to form a complete table. Find a partner seated at an empty table, submit/confirm an SSD, and the server will do the rest
You sit at a table, have a partner but nothing happens An SSD must be submitted and confirmed.
If you have done this and still nothing happens, then there are no other pairs who have submitted and confirmed an SSD yet.
There are three players at a table, and the fourth player has not arrived The fourth player has a slow connection and the server cannot "grab" the player and seat at the right chair. Occasionally, the problem is caused by a player who has left the club, returns to the room, in which case the server considers the member as no longer playing in this event. This player has to join his/her partner manually.
I have helped out for a board or two, the original player is now back but I cannot leave the IMPS Tourney - every time I go to the lobby, I find myself sitting down at a table in the IMPS Tourney When the auto-movement is set, the server will move players until each player has finished all 18 boards (at the right table and seat). The only way to leave the IMPS Tourney before finishing 18 boards is to "Exit the Club".
I am at a table but there are no opponents Usually this is because your opponents are still playing the previous boards. Once they have finished this/those board(s), the server will move them .
I am waiting in the lobby of the room - why won't the server seat me? Usually this is because the table that you will be going to is still playing. Once they have finished, the server will move them off and move you onto the table.
Sometimes, it is because a walk-in player has seen the seat believing it to be available and sat down. The server will show a warning message at the table saying "You are expecting XX and YY, this member does not have a seating plan - is this a reserve player." Opponents should double-check, and if both XX and YY are still playing at their former table or sitting in the Lobby, it is almost certain that the player/pair has/have "gate-crashed". Please ask gate-crashers to leave, so that the proper players can be seated
Occasionally, it is because you have a very slow connection and the server cannot "grab" you.
I wanted to say goodbye to my opponents, but the server has already moved me off that table The server allows a minimum period of 20 seconds after the last board in a round has finished before the server starts to move players. We do not set this too high, as the time taken to move all four players varies but typically takes another 30 seconds.

My partner has been disconnected - how long do I wait?

 Presently the server will inform the table after 1 minute and hold a seat for someone who is disconnected for 2 minutes. If your partner has still not returned within that time, unless you are very confident partner will be returning imminently, please start advertising for a substitute player or the server will do it automatically.
I played 15 boards and my name is not on the leaderboard The setting is such that you have to play at least 16 boards in order to receive Online Master Points (OMP's).

Opponents bid 1 club and are playing SAYC but this was not alerted.

 The alerting rules in this room follow WBF which means that 1 club or 1 diamond may be three card suits and these bids do not need to be alerted. For more details - see the web-site under Information: Alerting.

Other Details

  • Please make all reasonable efforts to finish 18 boards in a session. Players who leave in the middle of a session cause major delays to other players and it  mars an otherwise relaxing session
  • When first seated at a table, please inform opponents of your system including range of your 1 no trump opening and your discards/signals. Conventional bids have to be alerted as per WBF alerting rules.
  • Kibitzing is generally not allowed

Fine Details

The algorithm for defining the auto-movement is somewhat complicated.

  • 15 minutes after the room opens the server counts the number of full tables
  • If there are three or more tables, then auto-movement is confirmed and play can commence. If there are less than three tables, then the session is cancelled
  • The tables are then grouped into mini-clusters of either three, four, five or six tables.
  • The tables are sorted according to table number and selected based on this order. Where two pairs are merged into one table, usually the lower numbered table is chosen
  • Within each section you will follow a Howell Movement and some boards are arrow-switched.
  • At the end of each round, the server will tell each pair where it will play and against whom.
  • WBF alerting rules mean 1 club and 1 diamond opening bids may be three card suits. Also no need to alert doubles or bids above 3NT (unless opening bids). This is a WBF level 3 event which means pretty much all systems and conventions are allowed except for highly unusual methods.

This room follows full WBF alerting policy. Essentially:

The following classes of calls should be alerted:

  • Conventional bids should be alerted, non-conventional bids should not.
  • Those bids which have special meanings or which are based on or lead to special understandings between the partners. (A player may not make a call or play based on a special partnership understanding unless an opposing pair may reasonably be expected to understand its meaning, or unless his side discloses the use of such call or play in accordance with the regulations of the sponsoring organization). See Law 40(b).
  • Non-forcing jump changes of suit responses to opening bids or overcalls, and non-forcing new suit responses by an un-passed hand to opening bids of one of a suit.
  • If in doubt, alert.

Generally speaking, there is no need to alert the following:

  • All doubles.
  • Any no-trump bid that suggests a balanced or semi-balanced hand, or suggests a no-trump contract.
  • Any call at the four level or higher, with the exception of conventional calls on the first round of the auction.