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BGonline.org Forums
Information technology – it’s here – embrace it
Posted By: Mike Main In Response To: An easier way... (Tom Keith)
Date: Wednesday, 27 August 2008, at 9:34 p.m.
Information technology – it’s here – embrace it in the running of tournaments. It’s a lot easier for players to see what’s going on and it’s a lot easier for TDs to keep records.
Doing a draw via computer takes about 60 seconds tops. Doing a draw out of a hat takes blinking boring ages. TD has (let’s say) 80 players ready and waiting to play. By the time the outta the hat draw is done the players are getting bored, annoyed or riled. Not the best way to humour the people who are paying for all this.
I do my draws via excel. Column of registered players (cells A2 – A129.) Next to it have another column for your randomized code. Enter =rand() in cell B1, cursor out of the cell, a random number will appear. Click on the bottom right corner of cell B1 and drag it down to all cell next to a registered players name. Highlight the whole lot, Data, A-Z Sort, Sort by column B, OK. Copy and paste special your randomized players into a new column that slots them into their slot on the tournament chart. That’s the basics of doing an excel randomized sort, get used to doing it and it’s all done in a minute or less. Flip your excel spreadsheets to the next tab on which your 1st Round chart is*, table numbers next to names, this entire process is all beamed out to the players by a projector onto the largest whitest wall you can find and hey presto within 5-10 minutes you should have every player facing his/her opponent over their board.
I offer a free weekend to any player that can predict exactly who will play who in Round 1 in the time it takes me to do this.
If you do your draw via a computer you have all the names on the computer. So stay working on the computer! Why still use pen and paper? Run the entire tournament from a computer.
*Neil makes a very valid comment about the start of a tournament when all players are crowding round 1 sheet stuck on the wall trying to see their pin-prick of a hand written name to see who they play. Yes, putting printed sheets up around the place is going to defuse players around the place. But why is Round 3 and above (with vacant slots galore) on display? Players do not need that information at that time. Only Rounds 1 and 2 need to be seen. So the first chart you put up is only Round 1 matches. If 80 players total that’s 16 1st Round matches to get started. 3 minutes later they should now all be playing. Then you can flip to Round 2 and get those remaining 48 players (who are way ahead anyway) playing. Every player (unless you’ve an odd number) is backgammon active inside of 10 minutes of the TD starting the draw.
Here’s one I made earlier: http://www.backpacker-backgammon.com/LiL06/report/sing.html Ok, it’s a little small to read there but just imagine the charts beamed onto a wall from a projector or on a number of plasma screens linked to the central TD control desk.
Still got lost players? Set up another page on your spreadsheet that sorts players alphabetically with their allocated table number next to their name. Send this sheet to your printer, print 4 copies, stick them on a clip boards, hand them to your 4 helpers, send them out looking for the lost sheep and they’ll guide them to their table.
Wanna be real flash? You can set up your spreadsheets to print off player scorecards complete with their two names on and match lengths. Helper places these on boards.
Those that bought in the Auction probably spent a few dollars doing so. So give them a print-out of the Auction sheets so they can easily follow their ponies. Updates available upon request.
“What does my opponent look like?” is a common question. Have a players profile printable page compete with mug shot of opponent.
Want to work out ratings? Bet you do that on a computer already. Wouldn’t it be easier to have the info of matches on the computer already?
By running a gig via a computer you can send whatever info others want to wherever you want. And quickly too.
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