As we near the GNT opening rounds for District 24, we are getting more and more requests from pairs and individuals looking to complete their teams. It’s a great event and we encourage everyone to give it a try. Here are some tips that you might not know:
The Cutoff Date Is August 2019 For Eligibility
This is big. If your favorite partner just made Life Master in the December regional, he or she is probably eligible for GNT Flight C! The fine print in the conditions of contest require all members of the team to be residents of District 24, and 0-500 masteproints, and not life master by the August 6th, 2019 ACBL update (that includes points won in the Las Vegas 2019 NABC).
That goes for all flights. Anyone who just crossed 2500 recently is likely still eligible for one more time in GNT Flight B. And individuals who moved out of NYC last fall can still play for this district (that’s a little more tricky – you can’t play for TWO districts. ACBL will recognize you in only one).
You Can Play In Two Flights
If you are eligible for Flight B, you can play in both A and B as they are on different dates. Similarly, for Flight C teams, you can play in Flight B the weekend prior. However, just make it clear to all of your teammates that you are two-timing. One of the most awkward situations occurs when an individual potentially qualifies for two different flights with two different teams or partners!
The rule is simple. You are welcome to compete in the District finals in as many flights as you can fit in your schedule. However, you may only represent the district in one flight should you prevail. The remaining teammates may augment the team with a replacement, but you had better give them ample notice if there is a chance this will happen!
You Can Have Four, Five, Or Six On The Team
The rules require that every team member plays 50% or more of the boards. If you have four people on your team, everyone just plays the whole time. If you have six, then you can rotate in a way so that one pair plays the whole time and the other two half the time. A more complicated rotation has two pairs playing 3/4 of the day and one pair 1/2 the day.
Also, remember there are some stages that will run as a swiss instead of a knockout. It’s a little trickier to divide rotations when there are 7 rounds, but I’m sure your team can figure something out. SOMETIMES the directors say that playing 3 rounds out of 7 counts as “50% of the boards”. That’s weird, but that’s what the director at a regional told me once.
When you have a team of 5, all sorts of fun rotations can pop up. You can have the classic “anchor pair” that plays the whole day. Then the other table will be “the wheel”, which can have an anchor person and two rotating. The wheel might also have the three of them switching around all day long. If that sounds a little dubious, an alternative is the pentagon team – each person can play with exactly two other people. This works best when one player agrees to play the entire day, and the other four will play 3/4 of the day.
The GNT Coordinator is Not a Partnership Desk
Lots of hard-working GNYBA board members volunteer their time to help organize GNT, including the email marketing blasts, the flyers, and the actual scheduling and logistics. Unfortunately, they are too swamped to also take on the role of partnership desk. You might find some luck in the usual places. Perhaps the ACBL online partnership desk or the bridge winners forums. Maybe you can even comment on this post!
Try To Have Fun
Putting together a team is stressful. It’s hard enough to coordinate with one partner, but 4 or even 6 people is bound to be hectic. Remember, we are all playing to have fun, and there is enough luck and randomness in the game that anything can happen. This event also happens every year. And for those set on going to NABC, there are plenty of pair and team events that are just as fun, arguably more prestigious, and require no stages of qualification at all.