Matchpointer Online
(Serving Tournament Bridge players in A.C.B.L. Unit 430:
Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Howe Sound, Sunshine Coast)

IMP League History

This page will (eventually) list the winners of each flight since the IMP League began, and provide links to recent years standings and stats.  For now, we are using it to print the frequently-updated article on the playoff race.

The playoff structure has changed in the IMP League this year, leading to many questions about how the playoffs will work.  Here's the quick explanation, followed by a look at the contenders in each flight and division.

Playoff matches are all 32 boards long, as they have been in previous years.  A player needs to have played in at least 40% of the boards to be eligible to represent his or her team in the playoffs.  Some exceptions can be made in special circumstances, but now is the time to contact McBruce for an exemption if you think one of your players won't play enough.  You can check the team stats pages to see how many halves each player on your team has played, and a note at the bottom states how many halves they need to play to be eligible for the playoffs.

The big change this year is that all playoff matches will have a carryover, based on the number of VPs the teams earned in the regular season.  The carryover for all playoff matches is the difference in VPs divided by three.  A team with 150 VPs playing against a team with 125 VPs would start the match with a carryover of 8.33 IMPs : ( 150 - 125 ) / 3.  A loss by eight IMPs or fewer would get them into the next round.

In each playoff round where there are 4 or 8 teams remaining, the top-seeded teams choose their opponents from among the bottom-half teams.  This gives an added advantage to finishing first; you can avoid teams that might 'have your number,' perhaps at the cost of an IMP or two in the carryover that you would give away by choosing to play a higher-ranked team.

In Flight A/X, where we have three divisions, there are two separate playoff competitions.  In Flight A, the top two teams in each division plus the next two teams overall make the playoffs, eight teams total.  The division winners will be automatically ranked #1, #2, and #3 and will have their choice of opponents from the #5-#8 ranked teams.  The three second-place teams will be ranked #4, #5 and #6, and the two 'wild-card' teams will be #7 and #8.

In Flight X, the top X-eligible team in each division will make the playoffs, along with one extra wild card team from the X-eligible teams.  Each of the three divisions has three X-eligible teams.  The top team will select from either the wild-card team or the lowest-ranked division winner.

In Flight B/C there is only one division, but two separate playoffs, one for each flight.  The top four teams of the seven in Flight B/C will make the Flight B playoffs, with the top team choosing their first round opponent from either #3 or #4.  The Flight C playoffs is a single match between the top two C-eligible teams.

Playoff Pictures as of March 14:

Flight A:

If the playoffs began today, Litwin would have their choice of Moffatt, Lai, Isfeld, or Nalos as first round opponents.  The distance between #5 and #11 is extremely close and we won't know for sure who is in until the final day!

Flight X:

If the playoffs began today, Moffatt would have their choice of Segal or Nalos as first round opponents.  Segal is fairly safe as their division X-winners unless Williams goes on a last-minute tear.  Lai or McMullin will take another division X-title.  In the third division all three X teams are competitive and it will again come down to the final matches of the season!

Flight B:

If the playoffs began today, Stone would have their choice of Dunn or Meyer as first round opponents.  However, there is an excellent chance that one of the lowest three could make a final run and grab that last spot: the bottom three have only one more match against the top four.

Flight C:

If the playoffs began today, the E-team would face Boyce in the final with a carryover of seven IMPs.  Hung is not completely out yet; they need to survive and bring a few more VPs out of their match against league leaders Stone, then do well in their final two to grab the second spot in the Flight C final.

One final, important note.  Unplayed matches by the deadline of April 14 (Flight A/X) or April 15 (Flight B/C) will result in both teams getting ZERO VPs for that match.  The only exception is if you can show clearly that the other team is mostly at fault for the match not being played.  This is unlikely since we've been at this for six months, but if it happens, a team not at fault gets: their VP average, the inverse of their opponents VP average, or 18 VPs -- whichever is highest.  Do not count on this, though.  Get the matches played, using substitutes if necessary.