Online NABC Still A Go!

Even though most events for the Spring 2020 NABC are cancelled, there is still one NABC title to be awarded: the online individual! For those who haven’t tried it, the individual robot tournament is a lot of fun.

What To Expect?

With over 2000 people expected to join, you are still placed into a small section of 15 “tables” (really 15 people and a lot of robots). Each section is stratified, so there is a good chance you will win points from entering the event. Plus, you get 3 days of fun, playing from the safety of your home. We wrote about what it means to play Best Hand, Human Declare, and have Deal Pools last time.

Last Minute Registration?

You can still register – just go to ACBL World on Bridge Base. As of this writing, 2020 people have entered. You will play 24 boards each day starting tomorrow, and you will receive results around midnight each night. You also get a provisional result right after you finish, which is about as reliable as the “BridgeMate percentages” you see at the club – the later you check, the more accurate. If you are the first table to play the board, of course it will always say 50/50.

You Should Finish The 72 Boards

Robots can be lots of fun, but they can also be extremely frustrating. Especially when they need to sometimes lie while bidding (come on, you do it too, why should the robots not be allowed?). But whatever you do, don’t go on tilt and quit the tournament. Why?

First off, unlike most robot tournaments, you will be scored regardless of whether you finish. You just get bottom on all the boards you didn’t play. Also, if you miss one of the days, you won’t be allowed to play the other days.

More importantly, each day is considered a separate session. Last time around, I had a hopeless score of 40% on Day 2, only to rally back with a 70% on Day 3! I ended with peanuts for overall awards, but a great “Flight B/C” session award (red points). The overall scores are pretty consistently filled with familiar and famous names. But the daily session scores have plenty of random “lucky civilians” mixed in.

Also, your results won’t show up on ACBL Live. You can find the results in your ACBL Masterpoints History, or in hidden places for those who know where to look…