Practice
Table

Partnership Bidding & Practice Table

This feature allows:

  • 2 player bidding practice. No opponents are needed.
  • Practice mode for 4 player bidding and play practice.
  • Set parameters for the deals using suit-lengths, specific cards, HCP and distributional HCP.
  • Define a list of deals for your practice session. Each deal can have it's own parameters, and can be weighted for frequency of occurrence.
  • Load, save and share setups.

Topics:
- Opening a Practice Table
- Practice Settings
- Simple Practice
- Load and Save Deal List Setups
- Creating a Deal List
- Deal Frequency
- Deal Parameters
- Deal Strategy
- Table Controls

 Opening a Practice Table:

1) Open the Lobby Window by selecting "View/Lobby" from the menubar.

2) Click on the "Tables" tab, located in the upper left corner of the Lobby Window

3) Click on the "Start a New Table" button. This will open the Table Settings Window

4) Choose a scoring type by clicking either the MP or IMP button.

5) Click the Practice mode checkbox

6) Click OK.

 Practice Settings:

The practice settings is used to define the deals for your table.

Upon opening a table in practice mode, select if you wish 2 or 4 player practice.

Practice settings allow you to select deal parameters where you control suit length, HCP, Distributional HCP points, specific cards, vulnerability and dealer settings.

You can combine deal parameters in your practice setup targetting multiple selected areas of bidding you wish to practice with your partner.

 Simple Practice:

Practice Setting window will open when you start a new table in practice mode.

To get random deals, just click Deal Next Hand button.

 Load and Save Deal List:

Load a default practice setup or create your own practice parameters or specific boards.

Among the default SWAN Deal List (*.dls) files you have parameters for 2 Player openings, weak 2 opening bids, Slam bidding, Major and Minor fits along with 4 player NT opening practice and more.

Load a Setup and click Deal Next Hand button to get a deal from that setup.

 Creating a Deal List:

You can add deal parameters in which you can define suit-length, distributional points, HCP, specific cards, dealer and vulnerability.

1) Click ADD

2) Define the parameters for the deal

3) Click OK button to add the deal parameters to the deal list.

 Deal Parameters:

When clicking on ADD button the Edit Deal Parameter window opens.

Top left corrner of the Edit Deal Parameter window you'll find the following buttons:

OK - Add this parameter or board into your list.
Clear All Hands - Clears all settings in window.
Clear Selected Hand - Specify seat and clear.
Deal Unchecked Cards - Preview of deal.
Keep Deal - Keep a specific board and click OK.

You can set specific cards for a parameter or a full board.

Click on the direction for which you wish to define any specific cards.

Use the checkboxes to select specific cards for each seat.

Optionally you can select Dealer and Vulnerability for your parameter or board.

The Rotate View button will clockwise move the direction of the displayed cards.

You can define the Suit-lengths(0 to 13) and HCP(0 to 37) for your parameter.

The number next to the boxes shows the suit length and HCP of the current deal.

 Deal Frequency:

Each parameter or board you create and add will display in the *Types of boards to deal* list.

The displayed setup includes 3 parameters. If you want the boards to be dealt in a specific order, you can move the parameter up or down in the list. The wt and % shows how the board was weighted for frequency of occurrence

To weight your parameter's frequency of occurrence click on the Deal and enter a new weight (Wt) value.

Example:
With 3 boards where 2 of them are Wt:1 and 1 of them as Wt:3, the Wt:3 parameter will be dealt 60% of the time and the Wt:1's 20% each

 Deal Strategy:

Select how you would like the board parameters in the current setup list to be dealt.

You can control dealer, vulnerability or select random cycles for your setups.

If you have set specific Dealer or Vulnerability settings in your paramteres you will want these to be used in the setup, then you should select *As defined*

 Table Controls:

Boards  in practice mode are not dealt automatically, so click the NEXT button lower left corner on table.

Replay button allows you to replay the current deal.
Setup opens the Practice Settings window.