[Curls77]

When BBO first limited "free tournaments" to 20 tables only, I have sent mail and spoke to bbo yellow in charge of clubs, where i was told that we can continue do our events, as long as we keep trnys under 20 tables. But right now, April 9th at 1900utc, there was broadcast by Gerardo:
Gerardo (Broadcast): On tournament start: https://blog.bridgeb...s-eastern-time/

Even tho I messaged him several times, asking for clarification, I was plainly ignored. We all understand huge strain is that bbo fights, and with big success. Lats few weeks is close to impossible manage club, because we are forced use old windows client, which just freezes with 35+k players online. We were limited to just 1 broadcast per day, and complied, without complain, we all just did best we could.
And NOW we are not allowed to our one single tournament per day, with 6-8 tables?? Deny us that and you will kill your own BBO clubs, IAC, ACOL, BIL etc.. Clubs that exist on BBO since its very start? Hours you indicated are our "prime-time" only period of day when most our members are online, both europe and usa. Yet BINGO trnys run? PLS CONSIDER give bbo_iac, ACOL, BIL, TP, etc main TD able make our small tournaments.

Yes, I am selfish mentioning just few clubs, but all this is also most unfair to independent TDs and all other clubs at bbo, which were applauded to hold 200 tables daily. They were good enough before ACBL moved in? PLEASE do not make us all think that BBO is now only good home for those that pay. Is bad enough that V3 does not care how it affects elderly and people with bad sight and brain problems, but now just young and rich are welcome? Please, please assure all interested that I jumped into conclusion and none of above is true. That we still can rely on BBO to be friendly nice place to play and chat with friends. Thanks.

Greetings, keep safe.
Sanya / Curls77 at bbo, IAC CEO

[jandyliz]

I accept that we are in unprecedented times at the moment and that the volume of people seeking to play on BBO has dramatically increased and I appreciate the difficulties for BBO in trying to accommodate this. However currently it seems that almost every tourney running almost any time of day is virtually impossible to join - either because it is private or the table numbers are significantly limited - even if you can find one possible to join in the now huge list or not get booted because of the lag delaying play so much and getting frozen! Even for paying members they can only join the tourneys that they are members of - and suddenly there are a multitude that are private.

There are a number of clubs who have faithfully supported BBO and hosted tourneys available for many, day in day out for years - especially BBO's own clubs. There are many players who are housebound and who rely on BBO for their social contact who are not those who suddenly find themselves in 'lockdown' at home.

I heard with great dismay today's announcement that no free tourneys can be held at peak time i.e. the time that interfaces between USA and Europe. Surely consideration can be given to the clubs that have been permanent features on an ongoing basis and allowing them to run and not the ones that have just suddenly popped up. If not, in my view, it is grossly unfair to allow tourneys to be posted and then cancelled by BBO at the start leaving people who may have signed up currently at least 30 minutes in advance to get on a 20 table tourney waiting pointlessly. Stop allowing them to be even posted. This can only frustrate and anger players and TDs.

Are there not other ways to create the spaced needed? - limit main and relaxed lounges for example at the peak times, limit robot and practice areas at peak times. Place limits on how many tables can play in other areas of BBO at any one time? Or would this not be enough?

Most importantly I do appreciate BBO and the efforts being made by the staff to keep things going at this difficult time.

Please stay safe and well.

PS V3 the colours are truly awful and make it all looked blurred and I do not have any vision problems - a plea - please can they be changed!

[doria_55]

We understand how the dramatic increase in the number of players means hard work and higher costs to manage the platform.
We were surprised by the message which suddenly stop the free tournament, without give TD any possibility to manage the topic, i.e. asking to the players how move forward.

In my opinion, BBO could warn that we were about to enter a critical phase, and maybe he could anticipate that he would have favored paid tournaments. It took everyone by surprise, perhaps it would have been better to have asked for a (small) contribution to support the budget in this particular period, unless there was a sudden system crash.

In this critical phase, BBO is a means of staying close all together even if far away.

We are all one

Thanks.

Greetings, keep safe.

[GG_Bridge]

I am also extremely disappointed that BBO has chosen to throw so much of it's resources to support the ACBL players flooding the system TEMPORARILY as they have nowhere else to play. It's a gamble that could cost in the long run when most of these players can return to their f2f play. I am certain none of them will really enjoy suffering through the awful table view of V3 any longer than they must.

BBO should recognize that they benefit from all the private clubs and long time BBO members -- we join the paid ACBL tourneys occassionally and view the ads on BBO .. but mostly we were what got BBO off the ground -- and cutting us out of our tourneys in the prime time for USA? As another writer commented .. is there no another way to cut down on activity without completely shutting down the private clubs ability to run small tourneys.

GG_Bridge
IAC Admin Staff

[pilowsky]

Yes, Curls you are being selfish. Stop it.

[jcreech]

I understand that these are trying times for BBO, as well as the rest of the world. The number of logins are unprecedented, and the demands on BBO difficult. But is it the best policy to dump your long-standing friends in favor of a new friend that once the crisis is over will return to their old ways. I do not mean to disparage ACBL, I have been a happy member of the organization for nearly 40 years. Nonetheless, ACBL has historically been a short-sighted organization, and largely motivated by their own profit line. They have their own online games, and yet the vast majority of players are coming to BBO.

I first came to BBO when Imagination was taken over and I preferred BBO to OKBridge. I came with a group of friends, who even while I disappeared for awhile, continued to play here. When I came back, I enjoyed kibitzing and playing with them again, but I found other old friends and they introduced me to BILS and IAC. I participated in those clubs, not because I needed their lessons, but because I saw a greater need within BBO for players who need their lessons. It was a way for me to give back to the game and help players who want to learn and develop their skills.

Pillowsky (the previous contributor) is an example of someone who really does need the lessons available in BILS and IAC. It is not that he is not without skills or abilities. It is that he has an incomplete understanding of standard methods. He has interesting ideas of what bids mean, but if partner doesn't also understand, then the communication of bidding falls apart. There is a difference between being highly intelligent and communicating using the same language; in bridge, you are in your best position when both are working hand in hand.

I don't know how much having the ability for the clubs to run tournaments is to their survival. Curls77 has a much better handle on that than I do. Nonetheless, there are many times when a tournament is the starting point for a lesson; and that is valuable for the club and bridge more generally. There are also times when club members are put into a position where they play with other members that they do not normally get to play with. Even in clubs, there is a bit of self-selection and cliqueishness that goes on, and these events help break down those barriers and make the club stronger for having done so.

Even if BBO cannot justify allowing all of the club tournaments from being played, at least allow the clubs some to support their ongoing teaching programs. Just my 2 cnets!

[Curls77]

I guess most are not feeling too affected with this, or just afraid be punished if they speak their mind. IAC 6 table trny was cancelled today, while quite few other free trnys were allowed start in period bbo said it was closed. As well as all bingos, tons of bot trnys and 2 (80 tables) Express fun. Anyone can draw own conclusions, and I rest my case, it's bbo staff (or better say what's left of its original) that gotta look at mirror without blushing. And rest of us have choice get used to new BBO or ..
Stay safe, be well.

[pilowsky]

Pilowsky is not interested in lessons from so-called teachers that get their qualifications along with a discount coupon in the mail and then make tedious ad hominem remarks. He is getting his lessons from actual experts not from Captain Mainwaring. Thank you very much. Instead of complaining and whinging why not try to help people like a normal human being?

[TigressLil]

How come free tournaments with less than 20 tables crush but paid ones with 300+ tables don't.
Just curious

[jandrew]

The Acol Club Indi Goulash Tournament crashed at 4.00pm (BST, 11.00am US Eastern Time) - two hours before the published cancellation time.
Several tournaments shortly after that time were also crashed.
But by 15 minutes after the hour, tournaments were being started again.

What am I missing?

I understand the pressures that BBO are under at the moment but, with all the understanding that we can give, if BBO is applying hidden rules or limits then there will be a severe loss of goodwill which will be difficult to regain when the current pandemic comes to an end.

Please tell us if there are extra time limits, table limits, tournaments in progress limits which can affect us. At the moment we seem to be feeling our way in the dark.

[TigressLil]

How can we entice Fred to buy BBO back?

PLEASE!!!!!!!!

[Curls77]

Oh so many wish Fred would. And bring back Uday, Rain, Diana But what we wish and what we get are two different worlds.
I know this post will lead to nothing, none of bbo responded here, nor support mailed us back. But still, let me put plain in black and white. IT IS JUST NOT RIGHT.
IAC spent hours yesterday reprogramming May schedule to meet gap restrictions only to be hit by bbo news, and no prior alert that ban gap will be extended. None from bbo could take a min and mail clubs existing since forever about the change? We all have altruistic teachers giving lessons for free, spending time making those lessons, usually started by trny and followed by review, then players that plan their day to be able assist, and all that just to gets *puff* at start time without notice nor sorry? And now, not even team matches are available as alternative because we get error message "too many matches running". Our broadcast to members is limited to one a day.
So again I wonder, are we 3rd class citizens, or taken for granted, or even not wanted? Maybe soon "free" players will be allowed play only between 3-5am in local time, I wouldnt be much surprised. I nagged Aurora so much, because bbo appointed her as manager of clubs, but her hands are tied and she can not help. She does not even have tools access our member lists - yet another bbo's very bad decision.bbo-help answers ur queries with "no idea" and bbo support mail does not answer at all.
*
SO again, in mid of dozens daily express free trnys, bingos, and many other "crucial bridge games" bbo could cut & allow at least recognized clubs run their little trnys, which are not even every day. If our 6 table trny 5 times a week will save bbo from crash, then surely we will sacrifice, but will it really? Takes little iq and some good will decide what is right and what is wrong.
Sorry be so sarcastic, but we all from existing bbo clubs, feel SO frustrated, bad treated and disrespected.

[masse24]

pilowsky, on 2020-April-10, 16:20, said:

Pilowsky is not interested in lessons.

Clearly.

[hrothgar]

TigressLil, on 2020-April-15, 09:37, said:

How can we entice Fred to buy BBO back?

PLEASE!!!!!!!!

My impression is that Fred didn't own BBO free and clear, rather he had a number of investors so even if Fred wanted to buy back the company, it's not clear that he could.

It's going to be interesting to see what happens to the service in the next few years.

BBO benefits from some enormous network effects. At the same time, its far from clear whether this would be sufficient to protect them if too many end users get ticket off be the new / improved / more corporate management structure. In the past, once dominant social networks have been disrupted by new rivals. This could certainly happen to BBO.

One thing that the current crisis is clearly exposing is that BBO's code base suffers from enormous amounts of technical debt.

I suspect that a competitor that was able to start from scratch might be able to create a dramatically improved product.