Speed of play
I like to play fast, but I know there are people who like to think before they play and a lot who like to pretend they do.
In face to face bridge the standard time is 7.5 min per board, on average. +1 or 2 minutes changing time.
Experienced players tend to adjust. They save time on easy boards to have extra time on the most difficult. They solve the problems and claim. Less experienced players don’t claim, afraid to give something away (especially when they don’t claim).
What can we do to help ?
A- With the tournament movement model we typically use for games ie 9×2, 7minutes a board
– Encourage you all to set “autoplay singletons” ON.
– Encourage you all to plan, solve the problem and claim. It is easier to do it playing IMPs, where overtricks and undoubled undertricks are not so important.
B- Other options
– Sarah’s first choice – Play 6 rounds of 3 boards, 7 min (it’s easier to recover from a slow board)
– Add more time, same number of boards – 9 x 2, 8 min (at most 9 minutes eg at the end of the game).
– Add more time, play fewer boards – 8 x2, 8 min
By having less timed-out boards, you seem to become less stressed. You don’t seem to get so nervous and tend not to lose time on the following round trying to figure out the result of unfinished boards. As a bonus, you also tend not to use all available time.
– We can just keep giving reminders at 3 minutes remaining in a round. I have the feeling that when I do it I have less AVE (Averages) to correct. But my colleagues think it intrudes and delays things.
Did you know we have a partnership desk at every game?
If you don’t have a partner you can register yourself. As TDs we can’t partner you up – we can simply suggest you invite someone else in the desk.
Here’s how it works. Clic
k the BLUE |ADD YOUR NAME. Watch for another person to put their name down in the list and click INVITE. IF you don’t get a partner fixed up and it is nearly game time you have three options. 1. Play with a robot sub or 2. Play with a worldly sub or 3. Do housework or something hobby like. For options 1 or 2 please tell the TD 15 minutes before game time. And keep asking until we reply to be sure we got the message! Thereafter you will get an invitation at game time (or earlier) PLEASE ACCEPT it! We do our best to put you in with one of us, then replace you with a robot or worldly sub once the game has begun.
There are many games – perhaps it might be interesting to suggest a Special Speedball in IMPs (5 or 6 min). It is fun and gets you into the habit of claiming.
What about once a month, the 3rd Thursday, for instance. Call it the Third Thursday Thunderbolt, if you like. The St James Group (look for tourney code STJ) have just started a 12-bd Saturday Individual for Earlybirds and NightOwls – 9.30 am or pm – FREE to all club members paying for their regular duplicate games– Join in and practice your techniques without incurring partner’s wrath if you get it wrong!