Instant Matchpoint Game - OLD NEWS?

October 21 will be the 37th edition of the ACBL Instant Matchpoint Game (IMG). Add a couple of years for COVID and that's about 40 years of this once-remarkable idea.

Instant ANYTHING just wasn't possible in duplicate bridge 40 years ago. ACBL Score was available, but bridge club computers weren't common. Without electronic scoring systems (which probably didn't yet exist and certainly would have been too expensive) all results had to be entered by hand from paper slips anyway. No The Common Game, so almost all club games were "shuffle and play". That also pretty much eliminated widespread availability of hand records and expert commentary except at larger tournaments. No dealing machines so even a preprinted hand record meant laborious hand duplication by either the Director or players at the table before a game could start. No two-way internet link between clubs and the ACBL. Clubs scored their own games and sent the results to their members and ACBL... eventually. Even 15 years ago the Antrim County Bridge Club members waited with well-concealed impatience for days (or occasionally longer) while Nancy battled some manual scoring difficulty.

(Ed note: The ACBC has never run an IMG. Details of the historical operation of one are speculation based on ACBL materials for the 2026 edition) The Instant Matchpoint Game provided an unusual club activity. Each hand was analyzed by an expert and matchpointed based on the probable results (converted to a percentage) before the hand records were sent to clubs to deal. The IMG offered a unique experience to go along with enhanced rewards (those used to be far rarer than today). This was indeed a BIG DEAL!

Meh. Today, most bridge clubs other than the smallest have all the tools that speed up game management. We are members of The Common Game, and we have both a dealing machine and Bridgemate electronic scoring devices. Unless there's a problem (yes, Virginia, there ARE occasional problems), ACBC members are used to checking their personal game results (on their smartphones, of course) while enjoying a post-game cocktail in Tooney's bar. Filing the game usually takes less than 10 minutes after the last board is played. We've gotten SPOILED!

So while the experience of stuff happening quickly is no longer particularly rare, the chance to earn Gold points without driving hundreds of miles still is!

DOUBLE-DIPPING

Sectional tournaments organized by Unit 149 frequently (always?) use a game movement seldom (never?) seen immediately East of Lake Michigan. Unit 149 covers Wisconsin and "da U.P." of Michigan. They were the sanctioning body for the Marquette Sectional the first week of October. Some (all?) Chicago area tournaments aso use this movement.

This is a pairs movement with a twist. When a pair registers (either NS or EW) the Director assigns them "teammates", a pair playing the other direction a couple of tables away. The Mitchell-type movement is then choreographed so the "teammates" never play each other. At the end of play the scores of the "team" are added together and this combined score is ranked as if they had actually played a team event! So for ONE actual game each participant gets TWO separate scores. If both pairs played reasonably well in the pairs competition, they may "place" in BOTH events and win masterpoints for each one. For that matter, a pair that does VERY well may "carry" their teammates who had a so-so pairs game into the overall "team"ranks.

Three pairs from Northern lower Michigan made the trip to Marquette. Only Bob & Karen Joslyn took advantage of this unusual arrangement. First they won the Thursday afternoon 499er pairs game. Then they placed OVERALL in both Open Pairs AND the "Open Teams" event.Friday afternoon.

BRR... NO MORE TOURNAMENTS UNTIL SPRING

(Ed. note: Overlooked in the original article was the FIRST PLACE (in section) by Trish Poineau/Debbie Keast in the morning 299er game) My apologies!

The Traverse City Paul Christ Memorial Sectional tournament September 11-12 wrapped up a successful year for the two tournaments held "up North" every year. BOTH Traverse City and Petoskey in June grew from the 2025 versions. That's a very good sign. Last year was the big bump in Traverse City attendance as the new VFW Hall site is much more appealing than the church used for several years. This year saw only a slight increase in table count, but any increase is a big deal. Lynn Larson and her diligent support crew have long since gotten tournament organization down to a reliable science. Even a glitch with the now-standard credit card payment system for entries didn't cause much of a delay (Though it probably led to some ATM visits!). Hospitality was outstanding, including a wonderful smoked salmon on the snack table Saturday morning.

ACBC was well-represented (as usual, thank you all). The afternoon session of 299er pairs was particularly notable as 1st and 2nd were Silvia Gill/Carol Flood followed by Jan Hadcock/Deb Cloney (who were also "in the money" during the morning session). Ina Fernandez, playing in her first tournament ever with Lou Slyker, also placed in Open pairs (Baptism by fire?). We accounted for about 4 tables on Friday, though only one "mostly" ACBC team for Swiss teams Saturday.

Petoskey also grew this past June after a down year in 2025. As a more useful yardstick, the Petoskey tournament also exceeded the table count of their much larger 2024 event.

A few ACBC players are headed to the Marquette Sectional the first weekend of October, but most of us are through with tournaments until next June... unless we escape to warmer locales to avoid brr...

THIS IS NOT A NEW(S) STORY!

Ken (Wiley) Wiggins resigned as Club Manager just before the end of the COVID-enforced closure of ALL F2F bridge clubs in 2020-2021. For several years previous, Wiley had edited the ACBC website that he also designed. NOBODY else could make it work! Mike Kiwak tried, and gave up! When I (Lou Slyker) became (by default) the Club Manager in 2021 I also inherited the job of Webmaster.(for which I remain totally unqualified). WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GOT! I don't mind doing a mediocre job, BUT I WISH SOMEBODY WASNT HAPPY!

The "Find A Partner" seems to work (imperfectly) and the Member Roster is (somewhat) accurate. The home page raises no red flags.

I need feedback... and HELP! In a world of social media, we are about as visual as a phone book (do these even exist?). PI... PI... PICTURES! I wouldn't mind somebody offering to become webmaster (please?), but I really would like our website more relevant and useful! The ACBC needs an editor for the Gallery section.