[BudH]

In the USA, Baron Barclay is only selling two styles of duplicate boards, both of which will flip open for use with dealing machines.

1. New Generation boards (seen in national events at recent NABCs)

2. Imperial Plus boards

Does anyone have experience using either of these styles with a Dealer4 machine? I am especially interested in learning about the Imperial Plus boards being used with Dealer 4. (I have some experience using the New Generation boards with Dealer4.)

If you have used both styles with Dealer4, which do you think works better?


Bud H

[Siegmund]

I haven't seen hinged Imperials.

Our club has a set of New Generation boards --- which not only burst open if dropped just a few inches, but are so loose that they routinely "spill" a few cards onto the floor when the boards are beting carried from table to table.

As such the openable boards are not popular with players or directors. In addition, the duplicators have found that taking cards out of normal old boards does not slow them down significantly. We primarily use our old sets of boards and do not foresee buying any additional hinged boards at this time.

I realize it's non-responsive to the question you actually asked to say "neither" but that is the sentiment at our area. Several sectionals in the area have also used their local old-style boards with a traveling Dealer4 machine, and are in no hurry to buy hinged boards just because they have access to a dealing machine.

[BudH]

Wow, I have done it that way before, and it took me at least 35-45 seconds to deal a board that way when having to pluck each of the four hands out of the machine and put them in the board.

[Siegmund]

The key to speed, if I recall, was to pluck the next board while the previous was being dealt, rather than pluck-deal-fill, pluck-deal-fill.

There are certainly people somewhere in the world who like openable boards for dealing machines.

[LH2650]

I have considerable experience with the New Generation boards, and a little with the Imperial boards.

The New Generation boards require pasting the board information sticker on each board, while this is done by the Imperial manufacturer. Several of the hinges have broken on the NG boards. I tape them. The Imperial boards have only been used 1 or 2 times, so I can't comment on whether their hinges will last better. The Imperial boards have very stiff latches, which is a bother, and hard on your thumbs when you are doing many. I have had some trouble with the NG boards popping open, but nothing like reported above. Often this is due to not latching them properly. The NG manufacturer supplies a set of small numbers, which should be stuck to the side of each board, so that it is possible to determine that they are in order when stacked. This is a very good feature, and I intend to number the Imperial boards in this manner, but don't yet know where I will get the numbers. It is possible to label them with a Sharpie, but it will wear off eventually. I highly recommend installing vulnerability inserts, which are available from Baron Barclay.

At this time I woul probably go with NG, but I would like to see if the Imperial latches loosen up. Solving the side-numbering problem would help.

[mycroft]

1) the original plastic Imperials will crack after you drop them on the floor to get them off the table one too many times. And by too many, I mean one. The Imperial+ looks like the hinge is much better than the glue they put on the original types.

2) The Imperial board label is head and shoulders the hardest to read of any I've directed with (and plays VERY BADLY with certain R/G colourblind people). The NG label takes time to learn how to read (and if you know one of those colourblind people, make sure they see that the text in the black-on-red vulnerable markings is underlined - if they don't know yet, they'll thank you!). Until they get used to them (and even after), the number of first-calls-by-not-dealer go up dramatically.

[Vampyr]

BudH, on 2012-September-22, 06:30, said:

Wow, I have done it that way before, and it took me at least 35-45 seconds to deal a board that way when having to pluck each of the four hands out of the machine and put them in the board.

So this dealing machine does not sort the cards directly into the boards? It seems like the time-saving aspect of Duplimates is worth considerable extra expense. The person who makes up most of the boards at our biggest congress can deal 200+ boards an hour.

[kevperk]

I have found it takes 50% longer to deal to the non-fliptop boards. I can do up to 8 sets in an hour with the fliptop and 4 otherwise.