[rigour6]

The following is an accurate transcript. I have cleaned up the spelling and changed the names to protect those involved.
I wish I could say this sort of thing is unusual, but it isn't.

Tourney format is unclocked, 6 minutes per board, 3 rounds of 3. Effectively, this makes it “Semi-clocked”. If you haven’t finished your first two boards in 16 minutes, you simply skip the 3rd board and the computer assigns averages. This is explained briefly in the tourney rules, and then I explain it again in chat when the tourney begins.

(sub)
(sub)
(sub)
(re-sub of M, who didn’t bid for 3 minutes, then bid just as I subbed them)
H: doubleton clubs no alert
M: what’s the problem
Me (to M): Sorry, thought you were offline.
Me (to H): maybe it should be alerted but there’s no prejudice to the defense, what trick are you entitled to that you didn’t get?
H: adjust and don’t admit such bidding please
Me (to H’s opponent K): On previous hand 1s – 2S – 3C your club bid is to show shortness in the c suit. Since this is not the natural meaning of this bid, you should alert it in future.
H opponent: ok
Me (to H): I can’t adjust simply because they failed to alert. I must see actual damage done to the defense by the missed alert. I don’t see it here.
H: spade trick too much they got
H: of course you can adjust with bad defense because of not alerting I tried that pdn ruffs club
ME (to H): what spade trick they have all the spades your partners K is pinned as is your 10 they couldn’t lose a spade trick if they tried
J: opp wasting lots of time last hand and this one
Me (to H): I don’t see what trick you’re entitled to that you didn’t get. Make any other lead from your hand or switch to any other suit at trick 2. If you can show me where a trick comes from I can adjust. Otherwise…
H: shall look but in any case needs adjust otherwise they continue such players I give ave minus as TD
Me (to H); All I can do is explain their need to alert. I make a note of their failure and if it happens again I blacklist them. But on this hand, no adjustment. Simple failure to alert does not entitle to adjustment, there must be demonstrable prejudice to the defense. The hand is cold.
TD call
Sub
TD call
Sub out B
H: no with no alert on doubleton permitted ok
J: we are penalized with an average because they were slow.. That’s not right
Me (to H): No I have told your opp K he must alert that bid in future and warned him in future it could cost him an adjustment
J: I called you to remedy it not penalize us
H: ok your decision I accept
Me (to J): It’s not a penalty it’s an average. The alternative is to allow slow players to bring the entire tourney to a crawl, or have the computer give slow teams (both of them) ave minus. pure average is as fair as I can get and avoid both those problems
B(from lobby): hi
J: pure average because they are slow is crap
B(from lobby): I was disconnected from t10
Me (to tourney): there seems to be some questions regarding the tourney format
B(from lobby): could u put me back
B(from lobby): my p also wants me back
Me (to tourney): the tourney format is fast pairs. If you play slow, boards will be effectively taken away from you and you will play fewer boards
Me (to B ): who is your partner
B: player x
(I go to x’s table, find that B is kibitzing there, can see all 4 hands. So much for that substitution)
J (to tourney): and opps that play slow their opponents get averages which is better for their score! So don’t bother to call td he does nothing
(Insert sound of me punting J here)
Me (to tourney): people who don’t enjoy this can choose another tourney, or they can do what J just did, which amounts to the same thing
J(from lobby): you are not a good director and should review how you carry yourself
Me (to J): this format has been run hundreds of times. It is well explained. No Td worth his salt allows a player to do what you just did. It won’t be an issue for you, please continue to enjoy others tourneys
(sub)
J: you rewarded them. I called you to do something and you did nothing
(Sub)
J: you reward slow players with averages
J: why bother calling you then the truth is you do nothing anyway
Me (to J): what would you like me to do? The software does not allow me to determine who is responsible for delay. I have other things to do besides assess ave minuses and plusses based on what someone claims is their opponents rate of speed.
(sub)
Me (to J): when someone complains as to opponents speed I make a note of it. If it persists I speak to the player and suggest they try another format, one not called “fast”. If they persist they will be blacklisted.
J: I called you to table to access (sic- I think maybe he means address) it and you are resigned to directing absolutely nothing you said nothing to anyone to speed up so you are basically no needed here for anything in the regard of fair directing
Me (to J): Well, I could spend some time dealing with players who feel as a volunteer TD who posts the format and explains it in messages at the beginning of the tourney that I haven’t done enough. This of course leaves less time to do substitutions and also slows the tourney.
J: moron you say you are good choice of words for your profile
J: have a nice day
Me (to J): Thank you for that. I now see I made very much a correct decision in removing you from the tourney. You are now blacklisted. You may continue to type messages at me for some time however I will not receive them as the software will block them. Good luck in other tourneys with other TDs
(Sub)
P: board 6 6s=
Me (to P): which board?
P: Board 5, what -5, 6 s=
(a check indicates that 6s = is correct. It was recorded as minus 5 because the declarer claimed NONE of the remaining tricks (which the defense accepted) when in fact what he wished to claim, quite correctly, was ALL of the remaining tricks.
(adjustment)
Me (to tourney): My thanks to our subs.

Players: (silence)

[rigour6]

Why is this a typical posting? It has all the elements.

1) Substitutions left right and centre
2) Players who have been subbed out and back in asking why
3) Players who have been subbed out wanting back in
4) People asking for adjustments based on missed alerts, even when there is no damage to the defense
5) People blaming the TD for what the software does
6) People not reading the tourney rules or the explanation, then being outraged when the tourney is run according to those rules
7) People asking for adjustments for errors in claims
8) Players arguing with and eventually insulting the TD when they don't get their way, and finally
9) A complete absence of even a single thank you from the 64 players you just TDed at no charge for the past hour.


I salute all those who TD for free. This is what you're getting yourself into.

[candybar]

Really nice job as TD! I read every word of it, and I admire how you conducted yourself, the tourney, and made correct rulings.

HERE is the REAL problem with free TDs ... "H: shall look but in any case needs adjust otherwise they continue such players I give ave minus as TD"

People who have no clue about the Laws are running tournaments and making bad rulings, adjusting inappropriately. This makes others think that is how it should be done, so when they run into a REAL TD, who knows the Laws, they get all bent out of shape.

I run approx 60 table tournaments, and out of that 240 people, I average about 2-3 thank yous. You can't run tourneys for the thank yous. I also average about 1-2 player discussions such as you had, trying to educate the players about why my ruling was right.

It's an interesting question WHY people run free tourneys. I have seen a lot that are control freaks (they love to adjust any score for any reason they feel like, make up their own rules about bidding, etc), many that want their ego stroked (they keep the chat open and constantly fish for compliments), some that want to impress their friends (they fill the chat with constant spam about whatever they are doing at the moment as TD), and a variety of similar reasons, and then there are some that truly want to have some good tournaments on BBO.

Personally, I wish we had more GOOD tournaments (quiet, well-run, with a TD who knows the Laws), so I try to do my part by running one now and then. It's just my contribution and the thank yous are gravy.

[guggie]

Really. Rigour6 gives an accurate description what happens tou you on a bad day in TD bashing, and than Candybar tells us it is all the fault of TD's: more TD bashing.

I think the problem of the demanding tournament players is more complex than that.

[42]

I was TD in f2f tourneys but stopped some years ago because I had not the nerves anymore. One works like a dog and earns a lot of complaints about everything and nothing. One lady wrote me a kind of letter on a paper handkerchief (and it was not a thank you...), another threatened with an advocate because she did not get the prize she wanted and so on. I can imagine what running an online tourney is like and I always admire you TDs!! Thanks for not giving up, it is a great offer!!!!!
Caren

[rigour6]

I should make it clear that while I appreciate the expressions of sympathy, I don't feel particularly beat-up or bad about this tourney.

I agree with most that has been said. I certainly don't run free Ts for the thank yous - despite all evidence to the contrary, I am not in fact a complete moron. Running free Ts for the thank you would be like becoming a dental surgeon for the conversation. I run free Tourneys because i believe in the site, and want to "give something back" for what it gives me.

I'm also not particularly bothered by these players' reaction. The one who wanted an adjustment ended by saying "I accept your decision". That's fairly rare and speaks well of him. I sympathize with the instinct that says gee the opponents did something wrong and they got away with it.

Likewise the guy who feels the opponents ran the clock. He feels he could have done better than 50% against them, so a forced average seems to him to reward their slow play. When he called me to the table, he was hoping I'd do something to nudge them. The reason I didn't was 1. I had other things to do and 2. at the point at which I got called, it was clear to me that even if they went into warp drive, they were still going to skip the last board. As for his calling me a moron, well, it's not like he got that himself either. I have a joke email address on my profile: icantbelieveibidthat@whatamoron.com. That's where he gets it from. If he thinks he can hurt my feelings though, I have a few ex-girlfriends numbers he can call, and they can give him some lessons. Parroting back to me that I'm a moron doesn't even dent my ego. Leaving me for another woman, now.... but I digress.

The real point of my thread is to point out that if this is how a fairly typical tourney goes (and as I say, this one is not really atypical, although I chose it for its illustrative value), it doesn't surprise me that there aren't as many free tourneys as people would like. These people aren't getting paid, in fact free TDs are paying. They are saying oh yes please, sign me up for an hour of potential abuse. That math doesn't work for a lot of people.

For me the lesson is: if we want more free TDs, we need as players (and that's what I consider myself) who a. actually read the tourney rules b. make some effort to comport themselves with some politeness and c. occasionally say thank you.

[candybar]

guggie, on Nov 16 2005, 11:36 PM, said:

Really. Rigour6 gives an accurate description what happens tou you on a bad day in TD bashing, and than Candybar tells us it is all the fault of TD's: more TD bashing.

Not all TDs, just the ones who do illegal actions like this: "H: ... in any case needs adjust otherwise they continue such players I give ave minus as TD"

Educating players is a laudable goal, but probably hopeless. Much better to educate the TDs.

[ack_hh]

rigour6, on Nov 17 2005, 03:51 PM, said:

Running free Ts for the thank you would be like becoming a dental surgeon for the conversation.

[pigpenz]

ack_hh, on Nov 18 2005, 05:35 AM, said:

rigour6, on Nov 17 2005, 03:51 PM, said:

Running free Ts for the thank you would be like becoming a dental surgeon for the conversation.

Hey now i resent that comment
But TDs in genral get it the worse, cause they are getting the comepetive juices from players who are trying to defend their turf...so just like comments at the table you have to learn to ignore it.

last week my partner claimed when dummy and him had three trumps eache and were void in each others three card suits.....the opps rejected the claim and I said are you bling??

The opp called the TD said I was rude....so what do you do? Just take your medicine like a man and go on....at least I didnt say are you stupid now that would be rude