THE DMA BRIDGE CLUB CAPTAIN IS JOHN PODKOWSKY.

DUE TO THE CIVID-19 VIRUS PANDEMIC, ALL PHYSICAL DMA GAMES ARE DISCONTINUED TO ACCOMMODATE THE DISTANCING RULES.  THE DMA BRIDGE CLUB IS NOW PLAYING ON-LINE WITH A FREE BRIDGE PROGRAM CALLED “BRIDGE BASE-ONLINE”, BBO, (www.bridgebase.com/v3).  WITH BBO YOU CAN PLAY WITH OTHER DMA PEOPLE FROM YOUR COMPUTER.

WE COMPLEMENT BBO WITH A CONFERENCE CALL THAT  ALLOWS SOME SOCIALIZATION (AND TABLE TALK) THAT WE ALL ENJOYED DURING IN-PERSON GAMES.

THE CAPTAINS WILL ASSIGN TABLES, TEAMS AND COORDINATORS.  GAMES ARE PLAYED TUESDAYS AT 1:00 ULESS THE PLAYERS AGREE OTHERWISE.

PLAYERS

EACH PLAYER IS REQUIRED TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE BRIDGE BASE PROGRAM (BBO).  SIGNING UP IS FREE AND EASY.  JUST CHOOSE AN ON-LINE ID AND LET JOHN KNOW.  THIS ID IS WHAT SHOWS WHEN YOU ARE AT A TABLE.

A TUTORIAL,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V1CSXat7no CAN ALSO BE WATCHED THAT OUTLINES THE CAPABILITIES OF THE PROGRAM.  NOTE IN THE TUTORIAL THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PLAY SOLITAIRE OR PRACTICE.

TABLE COORDINATOR  (BBO HOST)

THE TABLE HOST HAS THREE FUNCTIONS:

1) INITIATE A CONFERENCE CALL TO THE PLAYERS AT HIS TABLE.

2) SET-UP THE TABLE .  MORE ON THIS BELOW.

3) SEND THE CAPTAIN THE SCORES AFTER THE GAMES ARE PLAYED.  THE INFORMATION SHOULD INCLUDE THE TOTAL SCORE BY TEAM AND THE NUMBER OF GAMES PLAYED.  WE GENERALLY PLAY 24 HANDS BUT THAT COULD VARY.  DO NOT COUNT “PASSED” HANDS.

THE TABLE SET-UP PROCESS.

  • LOG INTO BRIDGEBASE
  • THE SECOND FRAME (BRIDGE BASE ONLINE HOME) REVEALS A “CASUAL” BUTTON UNDER THE “PLAY OR WATCH BRIDGE” SECTION.
  • THE THIRD FRAME (HELP ME FIND A GAME – PLAY) REVEALS A “START A TABLE” FLAG UNDER THE “FIND YOUR OWN GAME”. ONCE ACTIVATED IT REVEALS (FOURTH FRAME) THE START TABLE FRAME.

  • IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER OF THE FRAME APPEARS AN “IMP” BUTTON. ACTIVATING THIS BUTTON SHOWS A “TOTAL POINTS” OPTION.  ACTIVATING THIS BUTTON SETS-UP THE NUMERICAL SCORES FOR EACH GAME AND EVENTUALLY THE TOTAL SCORES OF ALL THE GAMES PLAYED.  THIS CANNOT BE CHANGED AFTER THE GAME STARTS.
  • UNDER THE “PRIVACY OPTIONS” ARE SEVEN SWITCHES. THEY SHOULD BE SET AS PICTURED ABOVE.
  • BELOW “PRIVACY OPTIONS” APPEARS A SECTION MARKED “RESERVED SEATS”. THE PLAYER ID NAMES/NUMBERS SHOULD BE TYPED FOR EACH TABLE POSITION.
  • THEN CLICK “START TABLE – RESERVED SEATS”

NOTE THAT IT DOESN’T SEEM TO MATTER IF YOU RESERVE THE SEATS THEN START THE TABLE OR START THE TABLE AND RESERVE SEATS.  EITHER WAY, WHEN THE OTHER PLAYERS ARRIVE AND ENTER THE “CASUAL” SCREEN THEY WILL RECEIVE A POP UP INVITATION TO JOIN THE TABLE.

FURTHER, IT DOESN’T SEEM TO MATTER IF THE PLAYERS ARRIVE AND WAIT IN “CASUAL”.  WHEN THE TABLE IS STARTED BY THE COORDINATOR THEY WILL RECEIVE AN INVITATION TO JOIN.

A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE START TIME, THE PLAYERS SHOULD BE LOGGED ON BBO, WAITING IN “CASUAL”, AND READY TO RECEIVE A CONFERENCE CALL FROM THE HOST.

IF BBO FREEZES  OR A PLAYER IS DROPPED FROM THE SESSION, THE HOST SIMPLY CLEARS THE SEAT AND INVITES THEM AGAIN.  THE DROPPED PLAYER EXITS AND RE-ENTERS UNDER “CASUAL” AND HE WILL BE INVITED TO SIT.   IF THE HOST IS DROPPED, THE NEXT PLAYER (CLOCKWISE) BECOMES THE HOST.

ROBOTS

WE’VE FOUND THAT ROBOTS ARE USEFUL TO FILL IN AS A 4TH.  WHEN YOU ARE ASSIGNING PLAYERS FOR YOUR TABLE, SIMPLY WRITE IN ROBOT.  THE BBO WILL ASK IF YOU WANT TO RENT THE ROBOT – $1.00 FOR THE WEEK.  ADVANCED ROBOTS ARE MORE BUT WE DIDN’T NOTICE A DIFFERENCE.  THE PROCESS OF RENTING A ROBOT GOES QUICKLY IF YOU KEEP A SMALL BALANCE ON YOUR $BBO ACCOUNT.  NICE IF YOU HAVE A NO-SHOW AT THE LAST MINUTE.

THERE CAN BE MORE THAN ONE ROBOT AT THE TABLE.  THEY CAN BE EITHER A PARTNER OR AN OPPONENT.

THE ROBOT PLAYS A SOPHISTICATED CONVENTION CARD.  IT IS ALL DOCUMENTED  ON BBO UNDER HELP/ROBOTS.  A NICE FEATURE IS YOU CAN CLICK ON ANY BID THEY MAKE AND YOU WILL BE TOLD WHAT IS MEANS.  SIMPLE EXAMPLE: IF THEY OPENED 1H  CLICK ON THE BID AND IT WILL DISPLAY 5+H, 13-21 PTS.  THEIR PLAY OF THE HAND AND DEFENSE ARE GOOD – AFTER ALL THEY DON’T MAKE MISTAKES, KEEP TRACK OF ALL CARDS PLAYED AND SIMULATE THE PROBABILITIES OF VARIOUS DISTRIBUTIONS.

YOU’D THINK THE ROBOTS WOULD BE UNBEATABLE BUT THAT’S NOT THE CASE.