[MickyB]

 JLOGIC, on 2012-May-07, 13:42, said:

The last seed in this event was Fredrik Nystrom, Wrang, Lambardi, and Ventin? Lol

Our triangle in the Punchbowl [for teams who had lost two of their four matches in the main event] was us, Hinden and Ventin. Sick.

[JLOGIC]

ah the 49 thing makes sense

[MickyB]

 JLOGIC, on 2012-May-07, 13:48, said:

What is a punchbowl? How does one win this event. Double eliminations and punchbowls, I don't get it lol. Looks like a fun event though.

It's an incredible event. I didn't realise just how good it was until I played the world champs and stuff.

Assuming 64 teams enter -
- 32 board matches, one on Friday evening then two each day.
- You have two lives. Undefeated teams play against each other and once defeated teams playing against each other.
- On Monday morning/afternoon, the "final" of the undefeated pool is played. The winner gets the next match off, through to the semi-finals on Tuesday morning. They also get their choice of oppo and can extend either the semi or the final by 8 boards if necessary.
- The Punchbowl is the first consolation event. If you lose your two lives in the main event within the first four matches, you try to qualify for the quarter-finals of this, which are 16 boards and held on Monday morning. How you qualify depends on precisely when you've gone out of the main event.
- Then there is a swiss is for anyone not in the last 12 of the main event or the last 4 of the Punchbowl.

In practice, there are always fewer than 64 entries, which means the first two matches often become a triangle, with one team going through and the other two becoming "once defeated".

[nige1]

In the semi-finals, I'm rooting for John Matheson, Willie Coyle, Victor Silverstone, Tom Townsend, Kitty and Brian Teltscher, who are up against Liggins. Glyn Liggins has won the event four times previously.

The kiss of death, it seems. Glyn won for the fifth time! Congratulations, anyway!

This post has been edited by nige1: 2012-May-09, 05:52

[phil_20686]

The spring fours is a great event.

We lost to frances by four imps in the triangle, then beat saisoc's team in round three, and then mickyb's team in round 4. In round five we ran into the duffelen team of duffelen, Bakhshi, Verhees, de Wijs and van Prooijen. Sadly three bermuda bowl winners+bakhshi were too much for us. Never really felt like we were in that match, they did everything right, as you would expect. Might put up a few hands later. I guess losing by 50 odd to a team that strong is not an embarrassment.

Still, I had a great deal of fun, and its really the only chance to play strong foreign teams in long matches in the UK calendar.

[JLOGIC]

How long are the matches

[PeterAlan]

 JLOGIC, on 2012-May-08, 08:56, said:

How long are the matches

Generally 32 boards in the Spring Foursomes, but there is an option for the undefeated team to claim an extra 8 boards in the final stages - see p 10 of Programme for details.

[RMB1]

Apparently I ruled against phil_20686's team (and in favour of Hinden): without my ruling the match would have been tied.

Yesterday, ARF wanted a pen and I had a choice of a boring hotel pen and one of bluejak's pens. Out of a sense of mischief, I gave ARF the bluejak pen, which was met with the expected derisive reaction. To my further amusement, bluejak entered the room just in time to witness the reaction.

[gordontd]

 dcrc2, on 2012-May-07, 14:57, said:

There were only supposed to be 48 teams playing. This team was accommodated as a late entry.

Yes, they'd flown from Argentina, Sweden & Spain, but had forgotten to enter! We didn't think it would be friendly to send them back.

[1eyedjack]

Danm! I blinked. And missed all the excitement.

Well done to Liggins for clawing back a 29 IMP deficit on invoking his right to an exta 8 hands, in the end to win by an almost comfortable 92 - 78. That must be what, the 6th time that Liggy has won this? Soon they will have to give him the trophy and cast another one.


Shame I was offline for the final 8. Guess I will have to read up on Robson's sob story in The Times over the coming weeks, or maybe Forrester will have some gems to share in the saturday Telegraph.

[WellSpyder]

 RMB1, on 2012-May-08, 09:11, said:

Apparently I ruled against phil_20686's team (and in favour of Hinden): without my ruling the match would have been tied.

gordontd had to rule in my match against Rosen, too. This was the result of a misboarding which neither team was responsible for, and resulted in a positive imp score for both teams (one score boosted by a favourable result produced at the table which played the correct hands). Until a separate (UI) ruling was made in the last set, this resulted in a situation where two teams had each won both their matches in a triangle!

[Phil352]

 RMB1, on 2012-May-08, 09:11, said:

Apparently I ruled against phil_20686's team (and in favour of Hinden): without my ruling the match would have been tied.

Yesterday, ARF wanted a pen and I had a choice of a boring hotel pen and one of bluejak's pens. Out of a sense of mischief, I gave ARF the bluejak pen, which was met with the expected derisive reaction. To my further amusement, bluejak entered the room just in time to witness the reaction.

The ruling was 100% fair, I was so stunned at partner leaving me in a 3-1 fit at the two level that it completely slipped my mind to tell opponents that my bid didn't show real clubs. It was all the other boards that we'd thrown imps on that we were ruing when we'd lost by just 4.

[gordontd]

 WellSpyder, on 2012-May-09, 02:44, said:

Until a separate (UI) ruling was made in the last set, this resulted in a situation where two teams had each won both their matches in a triangle!

Fortunately some clever wording in the regulations meant we could have resolved that.

[paulg]

 gordontd, on 2012-May-09, 05:40, said:

Fortunately some clever wording in the regulations meant we could have resolved that.

I wondered what Rock-paper-scissors was doing in there.

[blackshoe]

 paulg, on 2012-May-09, 07:37, said:

I wondered what Rock-paper-scissors was doing in there.

Shouldn't that be rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock?

[JLOGIC]

Oh nice Liggins had Ben Green on it. Go Ben!

[ahh]

we didnt travel as far as Ventin but 9 hours in a car was enough for me until we started playing. Mickey B and team fantastic opponents hard match played in great spirit De Botton team very gracious in surprise ( for them only ) defeat Ventin and team delightful opposition again hard fought match played in great spirit. into the punch bowl qualifier 7 x8 boards against good and varied opposition young old scottish english etc miss punch bowl by 1VP and so into the swiss play more Scots Bulgarians English juniors and finish 3rd
great weekend great bridge great opponents what more can you ask for ?

[Phil352]

 ahh, on 2012-May-09, 16:07, said:

we didnt travel as far as Ventin but 9 hours in a car was enough for me until we started playing. Mickey B and team fantastic opponents hard match played in great spirit De Botton team very gracious in surprise ( for them only ) defeat Ventin and team delightful opposition again hard fought match played in great spirit. into the punch bowl qualifier 7 x8 boards against good and varied opposition young old scottish english etc miss punch bowl by 1VP and so into the swiss play more Scots Bulgarians English juniors and finish 3rd
great weekend great bridge great opponents what more can you ask for ?

a full stop or two? maybe some commas at a push

[Oof Arted]

 RMB1, on 2012-May-08, 09:11, said:

Apparently I ruled against phil_20686's team (and in favour of Hinden): without my ruling the match would have been tied.

Yesterday, ARF wanted a pen and I had a choice of a boring hotel pen and one of bluejak's pens. Out of a sense of mischief, I gave ARF the bluejak pen, which was met with the expected derisive reaction. To my further amusement, bluejak entered the room just in time to witness the reaction.

What a Dastardly thing to do Robin

You paying for the cleaning bill when the ruddy things leak in their pockets

[Zelandakh]

 blackshoe, on 2012-May-09, 08:10, said:

Shouldn't that be rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock?

Or rock-paper-scissors-fire-water balloon.