To Bridgemate III or not to Bridgemate III?
That is the question recently discussed by the Stratford upon Avon bridge club committee.
The decision to upgrade our scoring system hardware was becoming urgent. Our aging set of Bridgemate IIs needed replacing. Tournament Directors could spend more time resetting handhelds than dealing with ‘leads out of turn’ and other issues.
Several committee members had successfully used tablet scoring systems elsewhere, so we began by exploring these options. At the same time, we learned that Bridgemate would soon launch the Bridgemate III, and a trial was taking place at South Bucks Bridge Club. We spoke to Evelyn Crossley and Mick Green from the club and Nigel Lancaster from Bridgemate and accepted their generous offer to play at one of their ‘bridge and lunch’ sessions while having a demonstration of this next generation of Bridgemates.
Following feedback from that visit, the committee made the decision to go with the Bridgemate IIIs at the earliest opportunity resulting in our club being the first in the country to receive these new models at the end of July. Nigel provided a training session for our Tournament Directors one evening, and the following day, we introduced the new Bridgemates to members during the duplicate session. This went very smoothly.
So, what do our members think?
Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The interactive touchscreen is like a tablet, making it familiar and intuitive for most members. The bright, clear display is easily visible to everyone at the table.
The negatives?
The new Bridgemates are slightly larger and heavier compared to previous models, which may make them less manageable for some users. Additionally, like other devices with touchscreens, individuals with larger fingers may have trouble in pressing the right buttons!
However, as overheard by a member at a recent session ‘these Bridgemates are so much better, my partner is now happy to play North’.
Which just goes to prove, ‘All’s well that end well!’
If you are interested in learning more about our experience with the implementation of the new Bridgemates, or would like to arrange a visit to observe them in operation, please contact Alan Patel at chairman@stratforduponavonbridgeclub.org.uk.