There appears to be a lot of questions regarding the Wednesday, November 18, 2020 199er game. This blogpage attempts to answer these questions in a question and answer format.
Partner
Question: Do I play with the person you assign to me on Monday to play on Wednesday morning?
Answer: No.
Question: How do I find a partner for Wednesday morning?
Answer: You are responsible for finding a partner. You can play with anyone having less than 200 Masterpoints which is everyone playing on Monday Morning bridge. We would prefer you play with someone from Monday Morning bridge but as long as your partner has less than 200 Masterpoints your partnership can play.
General
Question: What is a 199er?
Answer: A 199er refers to the number of American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) Masterpoints you accumulate by playing competitive bridge. People having masterpoints about 199 will not be able to play on Wednesday morning. Everybody playing Monday Morning Bridge has less than 199 Masterpoints and so will be eligible to play.
Question: What are Masterpoints?
Answer: Masterpoints are awarded in competitive duplicate bridge depending on where you place on your level. There are three levels or strata known as A, B, and C. For more information on what on strata and masterpoint awards go to https://vallartabridge.com/about-masterpoints-and-stratification/
Question: Can I see my Masterpoints on Bridge Base Online (BBO)?
Answer: Yes the number of Masterpoints you have is shown when you log onto BBO.
Question: If I play Monday Morning Bridge am I required to play the 199er game on Wednesday?
Answer: No, absolutely not. This is optional.
Question: I see one of the requirements for playing competitive bridge on Wednesday is t hat I need to become an ACBL member. Do I need to become an ACBL member to play Monday Morning Bridge?
Answer: You need to be a member of ACBL to play competitive bridge. The Monday Morning Bridge sessions are casual and not competitive, and so you do not need to become a member of ACBL. Membership in ACBL allows ACBL to track your masterpoints because BBO and ACBL are linked.
Question: Do I have to play with the same person I played with on Monday?
Answer: No. You can play with anyone having less than 200 Masterpoints. However, we would like you play with a partner from the Monday Morning Bridge group.
Question: How do I log on BBO to play Wednesday morning?
Answer: Do this at 8:45 a.m.
1. Log onto BridgeBase.com or open your BridgeBase app.
2. Go to Virtual Games
3. Click on North America
4. The Wednesday game will pop up
5. You will need to enter your partner’s BBO ID. If your partner has already completed this step then you will need to accept an invitation.
I am supplying the procedure with pictures at https://madisonbridgeclubmondaymorning.blogspot.com/2020/11/logging-on-bbo-competitive-section.html
Question: How long will this take?
Answer: Normal time frame is 21 minutes per round for 3 boards and 15 minutes for 2 boards. By starting with 18 boards, the director will be able to offer a little leeway. Notice the next time you play about how many minutes per board you’re currently using.
Incentive
Question: Who will I play against?
Answer: You and your partner will be playing against other partnerships comprised of people from Monday Morning bridge.
Question: What's the difference between playing on Monday morning and playing on Wednesday morning?
Answer: Two main differences exist. First rather than playing different hands at the seven or eight tables we play at on Monday Morning Bridge, all tables will be playing the same hands. You can compare how you bid and played versus other players bidding and playing the same hands. Second, the hands are timed. Your table will have between 7 and 10 minutes to bid and play a hand. If you go over that amount a robot will determine the result of the hand and the director will approve of this determination.
Participation
Question: Where will this 199er game be held?
Answer: It will be held on Bridge Base Online (BBO). It is the same location where you play Monday Morning Bridge.
Question: When does this happen?
Answer: Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. You probably want to be logged into BBO by 8:45 a.m.
Question: Will there be a 199er game every Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. from then on?
Answer: We don't know. It depends on the interest in the game. We need at least 12 players (3 tables) to play each week.
Question: What will I need to play?
Answer: You will need a partner, an ACBL number, and BB$.
American Contract Bridge League
Question: How do you acquire an ACBL number?
Answer: Click on this weblink and find "Join Us" on the webpage: https://www.acbl.org/
Question: What happens when you click "Join Us"?
Answer: You fill out a form and ACBL assigns you a membership number after completing the form. You will then become a member of ACBL.
Question: Is there a cost?
Answer: For people joining before October 2020, there was a 1st year fee of $25 and the Bridge Club of Madison paid for the second year of membership. For new joiners this is information from Glenna Shanahan;
"I can give you the current ACBL free 120 day membership. There are important things YOU MUST do as I can’t go back and fix it for you later. You can play 120 days, get the free bridge magazine and win up to 20 points. After 120 days or 20 points, you must join online with ACBL. If you follow these rules, our unit will pay your 2nd year membership. At the end of 2 years, you can get a household membership for 2 or more people for less money.
Recruiting Teacher: GLENNA SHANNAHAN #2898268These are the rules: Recruiting Club: Bridge Club of Madison and the Club Number: 157636
You will be assigned a membership number (7 digits) which you will give to the club director for your game and he’ll load it into our computer."
If you prefer, you can send the 7 digit membership number to Ralph Patterson at rcpatterson@charter.net and I will forward the number to the Bridge Club of Madison.
BB$
Question: What is the cost to play a competitive game on Wednesday morning?
Answer: 4BB$
Question: How do I acquire BB$?
Answer: Go to this webpage for an answer: https://www.bridgebase.com/help/v2help/bb$.html
Question: Where does the 4BB$ go?
Answer: The money is divided by ACBL and the Bridge Club of Madison. The Bridge Club of Madison receives a small share of the fee.
Directors
Question: What is the function of a director?
Answer: A director sets up the tournament and answers questions regarding the playing of a bridge hand. Each tournament needs a director.
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