[mgoetze]

What a funny organisation, I'd never heard of them before BBO announced that you can now earn their masterpoints online. They have a 200+ page "handbook" which contains lots of information on such matters as the penalty for tournament directors who use firearms at work, but very little on how the game of bridge is to be played. For instance, the only reference to an "alert" in their entire book is

Quote

An “alert” bid can only be explained by the partner-not by the one who says “alert”. If a wrong interpretation is given, the DIC must be summoned before play begins and an explanation given.

However, it is nowhere explained what might constitute an "alert" bid!

And narry a word is written on the matter of allowable systems, so presumably they are the solution for Americans who want to play Kaplan Inversion, Woolsey or even Forcing Pass.

They do vaguely specify that the "American edition" (presumably ACBL) of the "Laws of Duplicate Bridge" are to be used, but then occasionally contradict them with statements like

Quote

Dummy is not permitted to call the director until the end of play.

Makes me almost wish I lived there so I could attend one of their tournaments. Just one though, I think.

[wank]

you know why it exists though?

the ACBL banned blacks from its tournaments so the ABA was set up to run tournaments in which blacks could play.

[blackshoe]

In the 1930s lots of organizations banned blacks. The ABA was founded in 1932. The ACBL lifted the last restrictions against black bridge players in 1967. According to the ABA website, tennis players at an American Tennis Association (ATA) tournament at the Hampton Institute, now Hampton University, set up the ABA. The article on the ABA website also says that the ATA was founded in 1916 for substantially the same reason: so that black players would have tournaments in which to play. The ATA, like the ABA, is still around.

[Vampyr]

When I lived in NJ we used to have an annual challenge match against the local chapter of the ABA. It was known, unfortunately, as the "Oreo Teams".

[barmar]

And the NAACP hasn't changed their name, despite the fact that the term "colored" is no longer considered appropriate.