Contract and lead validation

[Peter W]

Craven Arms Bridge Club has just started using pre-dealt hands, and has switched to a BridgeWebs web site to suit. We don't have a dealing machine so we're sharing one nearby. The pbn files for the boards are thus uploaded to BridgeWebs remotely and the hands only become available once the results have been added after each session. Now we have hand details it's noticeable that we're getting a fair number of 'impossible' leads (i.e. cards that aren't in the relevant hand) and if possible I'd like to use the contract and lead validation option on the scoring devices. Is that possible given our arrangement? The help I've read suggests I'd need to copy the pbn files onto the laptop running BridgeScore before the session. In theory I could get them sent to me but that defeats the 'lock' that we currently have on their availability.

[johng]

There is no way around that. BridgePal needs access to the PBN file if you wish to be able to use any hand record related functionality, such as lead card validation or being able to view hand records and makeable contracts on the BridgePal scoring units.

Many clubs have their own dealing machines, in which case the person dealing the boards is likely to be a player. Even if you get someone external to the club to deal the boards, at some point the physical boards will be given to a club member for use in the session and at that time it would be possible for that person to look at the boards. In the end it comes down to trust.

The validation is certainly a very useful feature. I've been told of instances where it has enabled clubs to detect a hand misboarded part way through a session before too much damage is done.

[Mirna]

To be precise - you don't have to copy the pbn file onto to laptop. You can have it on a memory stick which you plug into the laptop when you start wireless scoring and load the hand records directly from there. So you could pass the memory stick the same way you pass the cards...

[Peter W]

Thanks John, that's what I thought. The boards come to us in carry bags with dated seals so that it would be difficult for anyone to look at them ahead of their use. I'll check with the person who does the dealing for us if he'd be willing to put a USB stick in with each set of boards.

[Reg Hull]

The validation really helps with "in flight" corrections and assists all when looking at contracts. We have had more than 1 instance where it has flagged up a misboarding. Also it's of great use if you check the validation / error files after the event you can spot repeat offenders. This is often new users who panic and override the validation warning.


On the question of loading the .pbn file, another option is that they could be emailed to you.
I am asssuming a number of weeks are prepared in advance. If so you could load the files in advance from the stick or emailed files.
Unless someone can acess the files and use a .pbn reader to display the hands then the files are secure.

At our club we load about 8 weeks at a time onto the website and the club laptop.