Anyone Tried FunBridge?

Posted on March 31, 2020 by Lee Lin

As the bridge community continues to stay at home amid the Covid-19 orders, we are all slowly adjusting to the new Bridge Base Online world of ACBL club games. We are glad to hear NYC Bridge, formerly Honors / Aces / Cavendish, is now the largest online private club. You can check out their daily ACBL Support Your Club events to win Black points.

FunBridge

BBO is not the only game in town. I first heard about FunBridge because they participated in the Biggest Online Bridge Tournament last December. I’m still not sure what that was, but it was a collaboration between BBO and FunBridge. My wife and several unrelated friends of varying skill levels also told me they enjoy FunBridge. Time to explore!

Conventions Galore With Bots

The most immediate difference I noticed is the plethora of conventions and carding systems available. As readers know, I am an avid bot player with the BBO GIB bots and they are generally great for learning. The most frustrating part is the bots rarely respect your carding on defense. They certainly aren’t giving you any reasonable count or attitude signals, and forget about attempting suit preference. You are also forced to play 2/1, although kudos to BBO for making the robot 2/1 system extremely modern and sound.

What a pleasant surprise. FunBridge out of the box supports 2/1, SAYC, ACOL, Polish Club, Precision, among others (what is Forum D?). They also have a highly configurable set of carding conventions (UDCA, Lavinthal, Odd / Even).

Unfortunately, it’s not the Standard Modern Precision we all love. 1D promises four or more, therefore 1NT is 13-15. I guess you pass balanced 12 counts?

Anyway, it’s still early. I was originally excited when BridgeBaron promised to support precision and advanced carding. However, I’m convinced the Bridge Baron carding was not correctly implemented. The robot partner never seemed to respect it at all.

Not Entirely Free

Ah hah, there is a catch. FunBridge has a free plan – you get 10 boards per week, and you start off with at least 100 when you register a new account (or download to your phone). If you want to play an unlimited amount, they charge about $12 a month. I don’t think you get any ACBL masterpoints through FunBridge at this time, but they seem to support a lot of other bridge federations.

Note that on Bridge Base, you can always play for free with groups of friends, or against the robot using “Challenge A Robot”.

Has anyone tried FunBridge extensively? What are your thuoghts?

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How To Get ACBL Masterpoints on Bridge Base Online

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Lee Lin

There is a huge learning curve to playing bridge online. Even if you are a life master or very seasoned player, the shift to playing online is still hard. How do you actually pay and enter events? How do you agree on conventions. How do you alert your bids? Also, almost everyone accidentally sends a private message to the entire lobby of maybe a thousand people (don’t worry, you don’t actually send it to everyone, it just looks like you do — more likely no one sees it).

Sign Up And Username

First thing is first. Create a free account! However, be a little bit thoughtful about your username. I don’t think it’s easy to change, and you might not want to get too creative. Your partners and opponents will always see your screen name, and you probably want your partners to remember it very easily. In fact, the biggest problem is friends of friends – if you pick too creative a name, people won’t know who you are, even if they know you in real life!

ACBL Number Link

This is pretty important if you plan to play any ACBL events. You need to link your ACBL Number in your account settings, and you cannot change it without jumping through hoops later. Once you make the link, you will be stratified in ACBL events such as the Online NABC based on your ACBL masterpoints. You will also win masterpoints for events that pay them!

From the home screen, click ACBL World. At the bottom, see the button “Update ACBL Number”

Get BBO Dollars

The easiest way is to use your credit card and click the BB$ button from the website. Even if you use the mobile app, sometimes the app store charges a big commission on so-called “in-app purchases”, so you are probably best off buying through your old school browser.

ACBL Masterpoint Pigments

Here is where things get complicated.

You earn Gold and Red for the Online NABC. They happen three times a year, at the beginning of each NABC. About 2000 people enter each event, and the winner gets 48 gold points. More realistically, you can expect 0.5-1.5 points each session with a score between 50-60%. Above 60%, you reach the overall awards, especially Flight B and C players, who can net 3 or more in one day.

You earn Silver points for the online sectionals (there has only been one).

You earn Black points for all the Support Your Club events (SYC). This might be a limited time opportunity, but it seems it will be around through the Covid-19 shutdowns. There are daily live games with no robots allowed, and there is a daily Daylong SYC.

All other ACBL events, such as the $1.39 Daylong events that do NOT say Support Your Club, will only pay online masterpoints. They can help you hit your next rank, but will not be any pigment (not even black).

Life Master Online Is Still Hard

For many non-life masters, the bottleneck becomes silver and gold points, which are in limited supply for now through BBO. For now, it’s still easiest getting these by going to your local sectionals and regionals (no word yet on STaC week for online SYC events). I don’t think anyone wants to do away with live bridge, so it’s probably best not to open the floodgates too quickly to online points! Still, earning points online can be a huge convenience and cost savings, especially for those of us who don’t want to rent an NYC Apartment to play everyday at the local clubs, sectionals, and regionals.

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Letter From Our ACBL District 24 Director

Posted on March 26, 2020 by David Moss

District 24 Director News 

As District Director, I had planned on sending regular updates on the goings on of the ACBL Board and District 24 (New York City and Long Island). Like everything else, the bridge world has been turned upside down by the coronavirus.  Both units were set to run Spring regionals with new dates. We have followed government advice and cancelled them. We expect to apply our deposits to the Fall regionals. The Columbus NABC was cancelled. 

ACBL Board Meeting Summary The ACBL board was able to hold a full slate of meetings electronically during the NABC time frame.   The impact of the coronavirus was first concern.  The well being of our players, clubs and employees is the priority. Especially in our district we have a set of large clubs who cannot easily sustain long term closures. ACBL management is working with BBO and others to run “Support Your Club Black Point Games”.  Next week clubs expect to hold their own games where you will play against the club regulars.  Please check with your club and BBO for more information. This will be a great way for us to stay connected with our fellow club players and provide financial support. Full scale tournaments are also be planned.

GNT and NAP. The 2020 NAP Finals will be held at the Montreal Summer 2020 NABC. The 2020 GNT Finals will be held at the Tampa Fall 2020 NABC. The details of the Finals, including the scheduling of those. events, will be established by management at a later date. The deadline for the completion of District GNT Finals will be October 1, 2020.  Lots of details need to be worked out

ACBL Board Size The board did finally agree on a motion to reduce its size. See the actual motion HERE. This will reduce the ACBL board from 25 members to 13. The method used to select the new board is far from ideal, but it will bring the board to a size that is efficient and much more functional.

New NABC Event. Starting next spring there will be a 0-2500 2 day pair event.

Back to Bridge
I know we are all looking forward to a time in the not too distant future when we can get back to life and bridge as usual. Before the virus, the status of bridge in our district simultaneously challenging and promising. The overall challenge is that ACBL members are getting older and fewer in number. Table count at regionals has been falling by a steady 2-4% over recent years.

On the promising side, we have many successful teachers and novice/social programs in the district that are introducing new empty nesters to bridge. We even see a full group of millennials who are drawn to the area for its new economy and are picking up bridge with enthusiasm. A challenge is how to convert these players into ACBL members and tournament attendees.

On Long Island, the NSBA board has a new location for its regionals and is looking at ways to make the tournaments more attractive to its regular club players. In NYC, the GNYBA board has changed the dates of its regionals and added new events. This June for the first time in years, the GNYBA hopes to run an open sectional.  Thanks in large part to some energetic younger players, the 2020 GNTs was the best attended in decades. 50 teams competed across the four flights compared to 32 in 2019.

I look forward to future reports of normal bridge activity more focused on our successes at the tables. Stay healthy

Thanks
David Moss
ACBL District 24 Director

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ACBL Black Points, No Others Humans

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Lee Lin

It’s a weird time for everything and everyone, but Bridge Base and ACBL have stepped up in a major way. They must be working around the clock to release all new gadgets and events rolling out daily.

Katherine wrote about some of the Humans Only offerings on BBO. For those of us who enjoy the robots, today is the first ever Support Your Club Daylong Tournament. It is special in 3 ways:

1.) You earn ACBL Black Points. Normally you can only get these by playing at an ACBL sanctioned club game, and only when it is nor a special STaC week.

2.) Part of the fee goes to supporting bridge clubs, who need us now more than ever. In fact, it goes to YOUR club. They will look at which clubs you’ve played at recently, and donate based on your playing history.

3.) The format is 18 boards, just like the human-only Support Your Club events. It is a Daylong robot event, meaning you can take a break as long as you finish by midnight (or is it 1am?). Otherwise, the rules are similar to the Online Individual NABC – best hand, human declare, matchpoints, and you won’t get the same boards as any of your friends.

Partaking in the first Support Your Club Daylong

Come give it a shot. It’s only $5, and you will be a part of the first ACBL SYC Black Point Daylong. You have until the rest of today, but there will probably be one daily for quite some time if you miss this one.

Easiest way to find it: Home, ACBL World, find the ACBL SYC Black Point Daylong

It should take less time than an 18-board speedball, because 3/4 of the table plays very quickly and you never have to wait for another table to finish. You are your own bottleneck (and feel free to think as long as you want on the tricky boards).

Review The GIB Convention Card

Despite having played over 3000 bot boards in my life, I learned something new today — the bot can pass you in this auction. Looking at the provisional scores, I wasn’t alone. My fault, I should have gone over the card with my robot partner.

Oops! Playing Best Hand doesn’t give much advancer practice.

Have Fun While Supporting Your Club!

As always, there is more luck than usual when you have deal pools and robots. Sometimes you fall flat with no chance of recovery. Sometimes you eagerly await the final results! Today things are looking alright. But regardless of the results, it’s always an amazingly therapeutic hour to take our minds off the craziness of life; a bargain for $5 bucks.

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Online ACBL Support Your Club Games

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Katherine

It may be Apocalypse Now outside, but fear not – thanks to BBO, priorities are still being addressed and there are *still* ways to keep your bridge heart full!  Yes, online bridge is a distant second to the real thing, but we are living in the Era of Distance, and BBO has worked wonders to step up to the virtual plate!

So what is there to play?  A lot, actually.  You can play competitively or casually with friends, with strangers, against bots, or against yourself (check out the BridgeMaster section of BBO for free declarer challenges at all levels).  (And BTW you don’t even have to PLAY!  You can kibitz some of the world’s best if you keep your eyes peeled….)

But here’s the dessert menu as I see it, for those looking to replace their in-person duplicate experiences:

ACBL Support Your Club Games:  

Fans of black points and club games, ACBL & BBO have heard your call and set up 18-board duplicate games.  

When: 10a, 1p, 5p and 7:30p on the daily.  These are seven minute rounds, three boards a round.  At six rounds that’s about a 90 min game.  Entry fee is $10 per pair and the money goes to support local bridge clubs.  Beware, in this game you just might run into some familiar faces names online!
* TIP: you and your partner should hop online around well before the game starts (90-120 min before) to sign up and register.  One person cannot register the partnership alone. Registration begins two hours prior to the game start time, and the games fill up fast. The current max is 400 pairs. 
Where: Click “Competitive…ACBL Masterpoint Tournaments…ACBL Support Your Club Game”

What are Boca Grande Invitationals?  

More to come, as it’s still in the pilot stage. ACBL & BBO are looking to simulate the experience of the local club game by creating an online version of the Common Game, which you will play on BBO against other players from your club.  If you get an email asking you to participate in the “Boca Grande,“ you are part of the test pool…if not, look for an announcement in the next few weeks with details on the larger rollout.

Also Try Speedballs:

Great for a quick fix!  These 12-board games take place in under an hour at four rounds of 3 boards each, 5 min per board.  ACBL “colorless” points are awarded. Entry fee is $1.25 per person.

When: on the hour every hour, every day, with a current max of 300 pairs.  You can sign up with or without a partner.  
* TIP: Even hours are IMP Speedballs, odd hours are MP Speedballs.
Where: “Competitive…ACBL Masterpoint Tournaments….Speedball”

Daylong Tournaments:

If coordinating partners and schedules is not your jam, try a daylong tournament.  
Meet the Bots!  You will play with and against the computer in these 12-board games that you have all day to complete.  Log on and off as you please as long as you finish by the day’s end.  MPs or IMPs, as you choose.
Cost is $1.35.  Results post the next day.  Colorless points awarded for ACBL daylongs; BBO points awarded for BBO daylongs.

When: 24/7, anytime, every day.
* Tip: There’s a “Just Declare Daylong Tournament” if you want to skip the bidding challenges and test your declaring skills on an auction that’s already bid for you.
Where: “Competitive…BBO Tournaments…Daylong“ and/or under ”Competitive….ACBL Tournaments…Daylong”


BBO has a lot of free opportunities as well.  Tune in later this week for more information on setting up challenges with friends, team matches, kibitzing and declarer lessons!

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Need Help Navigating The New BBO World?

Posted on March 22, 2020 by Lee Lin

So much has changed, but bridge lives on in a post social-distancing world. Just recently, we predicted it would someday be possible to reach life master from home. We didn’t think it would be a month later! These are tough times for everyone, especially our local clubs.

Thankfully, Bridge Base and ACBL have stepped up to hold daily, human-only duplicate events that pay black points. Card fees are far lower than physical club games, and table counts much larger. You will also see run into world class pros, if you recognize their screen names.

Call For Guides?

I’ll be honest, I’m more of a robot player myself when it comes to BBO. Perhaps someone who has explored this world more can give us the inside scoop? If you’ve tried playing in any of the recently added BBO events, send us a note and your best tip or two. For the rest of us, stay tuned…

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NAP and GNT Moved to Summer / Fall 2020 NABC

Posted on March 21, 2020 by Lee Lin

Big news – the ACBL National Board has voted and passed a motion to move NAP 2020 to Montreal Summer 2020, and GNT to Tamp Fall 2020.

ACBL Board Journal, March 20, 2020 Motion: 
The 2020 NAP Finals will be held at the Montreal Summer 2020 NABC. The 2020 GNT Finals will be held at the Tampa Fall 2020 NABC. The details of the Finals, including the scheduling of those events, will be established by management at a later date.

The deadline for the completion of District GNT Finals will be October 1, 2020.

MOTION PASSED

Columbus Motions
201-49 Board Reorganization final motion
Exhibit A 1 – NAP CoC
Exhibit A 2 – CoC
Bylaws Redlined copy
Bylaws Clean Text

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March 2020 GNYBA Board Meeting Minutes

Posted on March 20, 2020 by Lee Lin

Meeting minutes posted for the March 2020 GNYBA Board Meeting. This meeting had 5 board members dialing in, with a full switch to Zoom for next time.

NABC Cancelled
We confirmed that the Columbus Spring 2020 NABC was cancelled. That’s a shame, but there seems to be no makeup date. Unfortunately, NAP was scheduled for Spring 2020. Edit: most recent proposal is moving NAP to summer 2020.

Spring 2020 Big Apple Regional Cancelled
May seemed reasonably far away just two weeks ago. But now it’s clear we needed to cancel the regional. With each passing day, more and more cities go into some form of lockdown or orders to stay home. Even if we wanted to continue, we could not. The host hotel itself closes next week.

June NYC Sectional
We are in a a wait and see mode. No one can really plan far enough ahead now.

Montreal Summer 2020 NABC and GNT
Still on the books. It’s reasonably far away, but again no one can really plan ahead these days. However, we were still slowly working through the GNT Knockouts all the way through this past Monday. Many of the quarterfinals in the Championship, B, and C flights are already completed (not all). For now, the knockouts are on hold. In theory, teams can agree to hold the knockouts online, but with no director present, a dispute would not be fun to resolve.

Edit: Most recent proposal is moving GNT to the Tampa Fall 2020 NABC, and shifting knockout deadlines back accordingly.

Helping the Clubs
As we know, the clubs are hard hit during these times – Honors, Aces, and Cavendish are currently closed (as are most private clubs). The board voted to waive the STaC fees for the most recent March weeklong STaC. GNYBA normally earns a few dollars per table during STaC week, which we use for hosting the regionals and related Unit initiatives.

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Cancellation of the Big Apple Spring Regional

Posted on March 19, 2020 by Bonnie Gellas

The GNYBA is writing to let you know that the Big Apple Spring Tournament has been cancelled. While all of us would have preferred to play bridge, the progressing pandemic and the wholesale closures have made it impossible to conduct this tournament.

If you have made a hotel reservation for the tournament, you can cancel without penalty by calling 212-261-5870 at least 72 hours before what would have been your arrival date. 

Conditions permitting, we fully intend to hold the November Regional (11/8-13).

Please, all of you stay safe!

Bonnie Gellas
GNYBA President       

Steve Levine
GNYBA Tournament Chair

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Guest Posts? Let’s Pass The Time Together

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Lee Lin

(Note: The May 2020 Regional is still on the books)

The Online NABC is winding down, clubs are temporarily closing, and many of us are spending a whole lot more time at home together. These day-to-day interactions are causing abrupt shifts to everyone’s routine, and we all need to adapt. Today’s email from Sherry Kavaler, organizer of the Pro-Am-Am-Am events captures it well:

…quite an adjustment to do when you don’t see anyone outside your life, as well the interaction we had at Honors. I even miss the players I don’t like, LOL’s

Now more than ever, let’s be there for each other. Stay positive, stay happy, and we will get through whatever comes our way.

Anyone Want To Post?

As the weekdays and weekends blur and our many hobbies wind down, how do we stay engaged and stimulated? When I first took over this website, I didn’t know what to expect. Like that scene in Forrest Gump when he just runs across the country with no expectations, I just decided to try writing. No expectations, no idea if anyone would read. As it turns out, people do and we even get occasional warm fuzzies.

If you have any photos or stories to share, just let us know in a short comment or directly via email. I’m sure people would love to hear from you.

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