[Polixenes]

Playing on BBO in a Virtual Club Game last night, my partner and I scored 54.2%. Normally this is an unremarkable 3rd or 4th place, but we won the north-south field. I don't think I have ever won with such a low %.

But then I noticed we were the only pair over 50%. One pair had 36.84%, but 2nd through 6th ranged from 49.16% to 47.16%.

Perhaps this is not so remarkable as I imagine? I don't think I have ever seen it before.

[Cyberyeti]

One I remember from my youth, multiple teams, 7 or 8 bad teams, we won with +21 IMPS.

[pilowsky]

It may be that you have rediscovered the Stephen Bradbury effect https://www.youtube....h?v=fAADWfJO2qM
I have sometimes done well because others performed badly.
Occasionally, this can be a strategy. If it is, it's called waiting for an unforced error. If it isn't it's called WTF just happened.

[sfi]

Polixenes, on 2020-July-29, 14:52, said:

Playing on BBO in a Virtual Club Game last night, my partner and I scored 54.2%. Normally this is an unremarkable 3rd or 4th place, but we won the north-south field. I don't think I have ever won with such a low %.

But then I noticed we were the only pair over 50%. One pair had 36.84%, but 2nd through 6th ranged from 49.16% to 47.16%.

Perhaps this is not so remarkable as I imagine? I don't think I have ever seen it before.

I'm confused. Shouldn't the scores average 50%? This doesn't add up with one pair in the 30's unless there were a lot of penalties.

I have seen a pair win with the only above average score. But they managed 74%, so there wasn't much left for the rest of the field.

[Vampyr]

It sounds as if the fields were unbalanced, with all the weak pairs sitting in your direction.

But as above I do not think it is mathematically possible for you to be the only pair above average with 54% if there was a pair in the thirties.

[pilowsky]

Not unless something screwy happened - or money changed hands.
1 54.2
2 49.16
3 49.16
4 49.16
5 49.16
6 47.16
7 36.84
average = 47.83

[Polixenes]

We were in a 2 section game if that makes any difference to how the scoring was achieved.

The E-W field also didn't average 50% - their scores skewed much higher.

[sfi]

Polixenes, on 2020-July-29, 19:42, said:

We were in a 2 section game if that makes any difference to how the scoring was achieved.

The E-W field also didn't average 50% - their scores skewed much higher.

That makes more sense - it sounds like the event was scored across both sections.

[Vampyr]

Polixenes, on 2020-July-29, 19:42, said:

We were in a 2 section game if that makes any difference to how the scoring was achieved.

The E-W field also didn't average 50% - their scores skewed much higher.

Yes, that makes a lot of difference. Games with multiple sections are, ideally, carefully seeded so the strength of each line is roughly equivalent. This is not always practical or even possible. If you won in your direction not just in your section but across both sections, the scores in the other section will be tightly clustered, just above 50%. Ah but since you were the only pair to be above average, Then it has to be just your section and most of the stronger players were in the other section.

Crossed above post.

[Vampyr]

Cyberyeti, on 2020-July-29, 15:12, said:

One I remember from my youth, multiple teams, 7 or 8 bad teams, we won with +21 IMPS.

LOL you might win with +21 with 7 or 8 good teams too. As long as they are evenly matched.

[Cyberyeti]

Vampyr, on 2020-July-29, 20:50, said:

LOL you might win with +21 with 7 or 8 good teams too. As long as they are evenly matched.

Was the county teams for below the rank of master, we were incredibly unpopular among the largely geriatric room as we were aged 12-16. It was random, lots of IMPs changed hands but pretty much equally in both directions.

[mycroft]

On my club "swiss" night, if I had 7 teams I ran a round robin, 6 matches of 5 boards. Almost "multiple teams": American Whist League, 35 boards in play, 30 played by each team, the other 5 were shuffled and dealt by them :-)

One night, one of the teams won all 6 matches. Their total score: 102 ... to 2. And those two imps were scored as overtricks on two boards in one match - they blanked the other 5.

I'm sure another team was above average, but I've never seen anything like that. And it wasn't "master team in a bunch of amateurs" - I would have guessed beforehand they'd rank third.

Just a magic night.

[Vampyr]

Cyberyeti, on 2020-July-30, 08:34, said:

Was the county teams for below the rank of master, we were incredibly unpopular among the largely geriatric room as we were aged 12-16. It was random, lots of IMPs changed hands but pretty much equally in both directions.

Once lost a Hubert-Phillips match by 10 after five thousand points had changed hands. This was many years ago, and I haven’t played in the event since. But this is partly because I have only been asked by people that I do not prefer to pivot with.

[Cyberyeti]

Vampyr, on 2020-July-30, 11:32, said:

Once lost a Hubert-Phillips match by 10 after five thousand points had changed hands. This was many years ago, and I haven’t played in the event since. But this is partly because I have only been asked by people that I do not prefer to pivot with.

I think the most random match I ever played in was a NICKO match which finished 75-73 after 24 boards, the match was decided by a double, which partner redoubled because he thought I'd psyched, and didn't want to be done for fielding with his 16 count opposite my opening bid, so we earned an unusual 1400 in 3Nxx+1.

The most random set I played was one where before scoring up the final set and starting 5 imps behind I was expecting 26 IMPs in the out column but to have still won. We bid 2 good thin slams that failed, but in the plus column, we had a +670 where I'd decked a zero count opposite partner's weak NT, a possible double game swing and +1700 on a board where we couldn't make game. Team mates made games on the first two so we won by 12.

[mycroft]

I'm sure I've told this story here before, but: last round of the midnights. I'd had two beers - one in the hospitality before the game started, and the second one never emptied. I wasn't the only one.

There's some noise at the other table. Can't make anything out (not that we would try), but definitely a "how did that happen" vibe.

We had some fun, too - opponents went for -800 in 6♠X as a defence to our 6♥. "Ah yes", one said after, "the well-known red on white slam sac."

Teammates come to score. I can't remember the first five boards (except our teammates didn't take the unfavourable sacrifice, so lose 4 on that one, and that we were up after 5), but the last board went:

• +140.
• Oh good, you went plus. Win 'em all.
• ???
• We're +4000. Win 24.
• Oh.[beat]How?

[Cyberyeti]

mycroft, on 2020-July-31, 10:10, said:

I'm sure I've told this story here before, but: last round of the midnights. I'd had two beers - one in the hospitality before the game started, and the second one never emptied. I wasn't the only one.

There's some noise at the other table. Can't make anything out (not that we would try), but definitely a "how did that happen" vibe.

We had some fun, too - opponents went for -800 in 6♠X as a defence to our 6♥. "Ah yes", one said after, "the well-known red on white slam sac."

Teammates come to score. I can't remember the first five boards (except our teammates didn't take the unfavourable sacrifice, so lose 4 on that one, and that we were up after 5), but the last board went:

• +140.
• Oh good, you went plus. Win 'em all.
• ???
• We're +4000. Win 24.
• Oh.[beat]How?

Never had a 24, closest I came was:
team mate "sorry I floored a cold 6♠x, -200"
us "just the 20 in, 7♥x= +2470"

I also recall a classic from team mates who got their system wrong in a 1Nx auction and played in 2♣xx with the opening leader holding AKQ to 8 of them.

Another funny was a director judgment in a UI case where it was adjusted to +2200 for us, and we knew you could get 3400 out of it with perfect defence and IF you find the right lead (a stiff K) it runs on rails after that. So we seriously considered appealing +2200.

[nige1]

Polixenes, on 2020-July-29, 14:52, said:

Playing on BBO in a Virtual Club Game last night, my partner and I scored 54.2%. Normally this is an unremarkable 3rd or 4th place, but we won the north-south field. I don't think I have ever won with such a low %. But then I noticed we were the only pair over 50%. One pair had 36.84%, but 2nd through 6th ranged from 49.16% to 47.16%. Perhaps this is not so remarkable as I imagine? I don't think I have ever seen it before.

I can beat that How about a comfortable win, with a score of less than 48%?
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