[pdfprime]

Is there a way to place a specific pair 1NS for a 3 4 5 6 or 7 table Howell?

[mycroft]

Have them sign up first.

But why?

Note that BBO's "howell"s aren't - because they're barometer tournaments (even if the score isn't available until end of session, every table is playing the same boards every round), the delicate movement patterns required in the actual Howells are irrelevant. So the movement is "1 E/W, 2 E/W,..., last E/W, last N/S, last-1 N/S,..., 2 N/S", because it's easy to program.

The other common reason for specific setting of players in a Howell is "needs a stationary table" - which obviously doesn't matter on BBO either - we're all "stationary" in our chairs.

Note that "why?" is a serious question. I am sure you have a reason; I just can't see what it could be.

[pdfprime]

Does having them sign up first guarantee 1NS?

I did put in this request.

We occasionally have a pair that is significantly different than the rest of the field. The way Howells work allows the adjacent pairs in the full Howell loop to be compared to the special pair more often, if not 1NS.

For example, in a 5 table Howell, you compare scores (sit the same direction) with your adjacent pair 7 of the 9 rounds, play them once and sit the opposite direction only once. Likewise, the pairs far away from you in the loop only get compared against 1 round ,and 7 rounds you sit the opposite direction when not playing them.

Thus a very very good (or very very bad) pair will cause a large effect on your final score, sitting the same direction as them most of the game.

If the aberrant pair is 1NS, everyone plays the same direction as them the same number of rounds.

So if a pair can be assigned 1NS, then the movement is a bit more fair.

mycroft, on 2023-December-28, 20:41, said:

Have them sign up first.

But why?

Note that BBO's "howell"s aren't - because they're barometer tournaments (even if the score isn't available until end of session, every table is playing the same boards every round), the delicate movement patterns required in the actual Howells are irrelevant. So the movement is "1 E/W, 2 E/W,..., last E/W, last N/S, last-1 N/S,..., 2 N/S", because it's easy to program.

The other common reason for specific setting of players in a Howell is "needs a stationary table" - which obviously doesn't matter on BBO either - we're all "stationary" in our chairs.

Note that "why?" is a serious question. I am sure you have a reason; I just can't see what it could be.

[mycroft]

Yeah, that's actually an issue. Hence the "serious question".

Barmar has stated that in a Howell, they just put pairs at tables N/S, then E/W by registration order. So, yes. That doesn't mean my response wasn't facetious (I absolutely agree it was), just because it's 100% correct.

I'll leave the rest to the actual team.

[pdfprime]

mycroft, on 2024-July-30, 09:58, said:

Barmar has stated that in a Howell, they just put pairs at tables N/S, then E/W by registration order. So, yes. That doesn't mean my response wasn't facetious (I absolutely agree it was), just because it's 100% correct.

This was not the case for multiple games this week. I'll ask support if there is a method to the madness so that we can rig it to work. In the meantime, I hope they can allow ASSIGN 1NS or allow a tiny bit of programming change to make the 5 6 7 table full Howell movements a bit less position dependent.

[barmar]

This seems like a very ideosyncratic, unusual requirement. If it requires any new programming, it may not have enough bang for the buck.

[pescetom]

barmar, on 2024-August-01, 11:09, said:

This seems like a very ideosyncratic, unusual requirement. If it requires any new programming, it may not have enough bang for the buck.

And that, coming from a guy who cheerfully turned off the server which allowed tricks calculation in Dealer, amounts to a sentence of death

[mycroft]

I might agree not with the request, but with one that in general "scrambles the pairs" a bit more so that the issues with "that one pair" are lessened. Whether it's "that one pair" that gifts everyone, and you compare against 7/9 rounds, or the one pair who averages 63% in our game that I had to compare against 7/9 rounds, as opposed to that pair over there who was the other direction for 6/9.