IN previous bridge articles I have commented that technology is increasingly being used for setting and dealing boards, having records of all boards available and scoring whatever system is being played.
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To this end the bridge club decided earlier in the year to upgrade from BridgePads to BridgeMates for recording scores at the table.
The new system has a lot of new and exciting features but there have been teething problems – eg how to cope with the system ‘crashing’, what happens if there is a blackout, what do you do if the computer decides to do an update in the middle of a session, how to adjust scores, change or add names, score teams events, have different movements, have a satisfactory handicap system, etc.
We called in an ‘expert’, namely Ed Barnes who also runs all the club’s major events, and a workshop session for all the club directors was held with Ed recently. The net result was that some of the issues were easily resolved but a couple remain to be sorted out.
In particular, the computer not working for any reason is easily solved - the Bridgemates on the tables and the server (provided it has back up batteries installed) store the results and they can be loaded into the scoring program in the computer when it is back online.
The problem of blackouts is easily solved by using a computer with back-up batteries (either a laptop with a built-in battery or a desktop with back-up battery attached). Doing downloads during a session is easily solved - disable the automatic download system during play.
Adding or changing names or scores are readily done on the Bridgemates at the table (when you know how).
The main issue not resolved was scoring teams events. There appeared to be some error in the system and this should be fixed before the next teams session early in the new year.
There has been an ongoing issue with handicapping in the club.
Unlike sports such as golf where there is a complex handicapping system, bridge uses Masterpoints as the main way of encouraging players to improve receive recognition.
The Masterpoint system has been used for many decades in bridge and is tried and tested. Players get to be Grand Masters, Life Masters, National Masters, State Masters etc by hard work and dedication to the game. It hasn’t come easily.
Handicapping has a place in Bridge, but it should always be secondary to the Masterpoints, which is a worldwide system.
I am sure the issues with handicapping in the new scoring system will be resolved in due course. In the meantime work to get those Masterpoints.