Can I get a review?
A convenient feature at online tables is the ability to see the entire auction at any time. During
the play, there's a small box at the bottom of your table that shows the
contract. Click it to show the auction. Click again to hide it.
Any bid that was alerted or
explained will be highlighted in the auction display. Click the bid to see the explanation.
Worried about misclicks?
ACBL games don't allow "Undos". If
you click the wrong bid or card, try to avoid reacting and don't call the director. Just carry on
in normal tempo so you don't provide unauthorized information to partner.
One way to avoid misclicks is to set your table options to ask you to confirm
all bids and plays. On the BBO home page, click Account, then
Settings. Under the "Playing" heading, move the slider to the right ("on")
for "Confirm bids" and/or "Confirm cards".
You may find it's easier to see and select your cards if you set
the display to show hand diagrams (each suit will be on a separate line) instead
of pictures of cards. To change this while you're at a table, click the blue box
at the top of the table, then Hand diagrams.
Experiment with both formats to see which one you prefer.
Convention cards made easy.
Just as in
face-to-face bridge, every pair should have a convention card available at the
table. All clubs strongly encourage it. Some
clubs require it.
To create a card in BBO, log in, click the Account tab and then
Convention cards at the top of the next screen. You can start with a stock
card (2-over-1, SAYC and others are available) or you can edit a custom card for
each of your partnerships (click New ACBL Convention Card at the top of
this screen).
You only
need to do this once with each partner. Just fill in your partner's login name
when you save the card. It will load automatically every time you play with that partner.
If you play a similar system with another partner, open the
original card, make any necessary changes and save it with the other partner's
login name. BBO will store both versions of the card.
To see your opponents' convention card (or your own), click the blue box at the top of your
table.
For help with creating and saving a convention card, see this
video.
Table talk.
Before sending a message, look at the blue box to the left of the chat line.
It shows who your recipient is (lobby, tournament, table, private).
If you're inquiring about an opponent's bid or answering a question,
be sure your message is going only to that opponent, not the whole table. Before you type,
click the blue box, change it to Private and select the
opponent's screen name.
Another way to answer a question about a specific bid is to just
click your bid in the auction display, then type your explanation in the pop-up
box. This will be visible to both opponents, but not your partner.
Be sure you can see the chat area. Game information
will be posted there and the director or an opponent may ask you a question that
needs a reply. If you don't see the chat area on your screen, email Ann Caparros --
anncaparros@aol.com for help.
Talking to partner.
You can chat privately with partner, but only after
you've finished all boards in a round. Your chat connection with partner is
closed during the bidding and play.
If you want to compliment partner after a hand ("WDP" or
"Nice double!", for example), avoid typing it to the whole table. Use private
chat to partner after the last board of the round.
Director, please.
If you've called the director (blue box at the top of
your table), be ready to explain as soon as he arrives at your table (a pop-up
will tell you when the director is there). Use chat to the whole table to
explain the issue.
If you need to consult the director privately, don't use the
director-call option in the table menu. Instead, send private chat to the VACB profile
name.
There's no need to call the director if someone at your table has
lost connection. The directors are notified immediately when a player is
missing.
Be patient if a player disconnects. The director will usually wait
at least a minute or two to see if the player can log in again.
Computer, tablet or phone?
You can play on any of these devices, but a desktop or
laptop computer may give you a more stable connection.
Some people have no problems playing on tablets. Others have
frequent disconnects and cannot see the whole table and chat area on Ipads. This
may depend on your Ipad's age and the version of its operating system. Ann
Caparros (anncaparros@aol.com) can help
you solve technical problems with Ipads.
To play on a cell phone, you need to download the Bridgebase app.
Be aware that the app display is cramped, so you may not see all the table
features. Unless you have very tiny fingers, you might want to use a stylus to
avoid misclicks.
Tune up your software.
Check to be sure you're using the correct version of BBO (look for
/v3 at the end of the http:// web address at the top of the browser screen).
On a desktop or laptop, Bridgebase works best if you're running the
latest version of your web browser software.
In Firefox: Click "Help" (top menu), then
"About Firefox", then the "Update" box.
In Chrome: Click "More" (top right), then
"Update Google Chrome", then "Relaunch". If the Update button isn't there, you
already have the latest version.
If your browser seems sluggish, you may need to clear its cache and
cookie files. Instructions for all browsers are
here.