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2012 Season

Some of the organisers of the above events are not directly involved with the UK Tour, but if they want to assist they are welcome to do so. All that is required of them is to make available the names of the Last 8/16 players in the Main and Consolation. This is purely a Biba project and any funding is via Biba and the event sponsor, bwin.com/wsob - entrants pay nothing towards it, it is a totally free-entry element of each event.

Qualifiers must confirm their attendance for the Final by 7 November, 2012. If any of the qualifiers cannot attend the Final then the 9th scorer will be invited, and thereafter, 10th, 11th etc. until such time as we have an 8 draw. Any vacant places that occur on the day of the Final will be decided in the same way. Entrants not present at the 11am start time will forfeit their place.

Remember. There are no fees to pay to enter the BBT - the only fees you incur are those to enter each event. The BBT is not an official part of the above events (excepting those organised and run by Biba) but it is hoped that its involvement will result in more entrants for each event.

If your club is staging a local tournament that is open to all and you would like to be part of the BBT, please email and let us know. It is also very likely that Biba Grand Prix Points can also be applied to your event.

Questions & Answers (latest at the top)

Q: What happened to the Wicklow Open Tour points?

A: Unfortunately I have been unable to contact the organiser to get the results. I will add them as soon as I get them, but if I am unable to obtain them I am afraid I cannot award any points (BBT or GP). Because of this 'problem' Wicklow's status for BBT and GP next year is under review.

Q: According to table shown above points are given to the top 16 in the Main and the Consolation. With this in mind why do some events show a lot less than 32 awards?

A: Well spotted! I think the events you refer to are events in which there is a Progressive Consolation (i.e. some Main losers go into the Consolation at higher rounds than Round 1). These entrants in effect will have gained two awards; however, because BBT points aren't accumulated only the higher of the two awards is retained. I have now made an alteration to the information above making this clear.

Q: I regularly enter Biba tournaments, especially the Swiss events, my target being to do well in the Grand Prix and Ranking Championships, and hopefully win some money at the end of the year. The more BBT events with Grand Prix status there are the more likely it is that a non-member can get to the top of the listings. How do you intend to handle this should it occur?

A: Good question! First of all you have forgotten that a good few of those entering local events aren't Biba members. Each championship pays out to the Top 10 players and it is my intention that only current, active members can be listed in the Top 10. However, I think that the Top 10 will consist of such members, many of whom will also be taking part in the Tour as they chase those extra Grand Prix points.

Q: Why have you included the Wicklow tournament in the tour? Isn't it supposed to be a British backgammon tour? Surely you should be including tournaments only in England, Scotland and Wales?

A: You don't appear to have read the title of this page or understood what the letters, BBT, stand for. It is the Biba Backgammon Tour. Biba, via the BBT is supporting local backgammon and giving those that do well in the Tour a chance to win a few quid without having to pay to do so. I am hoping to include some more 'home-based' events next year. If you have a local club and want to hold a tournament with BBT status, please get in touch.

Q: I was an entrant at the Liverpool Open 2010 and although I didn't make the last 8 I was an entrant and would have earned 1 appearance point. This lost point might prove crucial towards the end of the tour. Is there any way that attendance points be given if not actual tour points?

A: I understand your frustration but I regret I cannot award any points at all for Liverpool. It was a club decision not to be part of it this year, and even though I could award points, I respect their decision. Don't forget, you do have four more events in which to recoup that lost AP and perhaps even increase your overall score.

Q: I notice from your calendar that the Liverpool Open isn't part of the 2010 Tour. Why not?

A: Liverpool were invited to join a few months back. The club had a meeting and held a vote and it was decided that they would not take part this year but would do so in 2011. It was felt that with it being retrospectively applied their members were not able to fully benefit from the entire Tour.

Q: Will the sponsors be putting any added money into the Tour? If not cash, what about online credit?

A: Not to my knowledge; however, should they decide to do so then I would be delighted to add it to the Finals. There is a possibility of online credit - but that is at their discretion.

Q: Now that you have an online games server sponsoring the BBT do the entrants have to be members of bwin.com/wsob to play in or qualify for the tour?

A: No, not at all. You are under no obligation to join or play online, that is entirely up to you. At (some) of the Biba staged BBT events bwin.com/wsob will have a desk and will be pleased to answer your questions regarding their backgammon and poker site and sign you up if you wish to do so.

Q: Isn't it a bit like 'sleeping with the enemy' having a sponsor who can be seen as a rival?

A: Interesting thought. I don't see bwin.com/wsob as a rival, more as a partner. They are dedicated more to online events whereas Biba is solely about the social side of backgammon and face-to-face matches. We each depend upon the other to a certain degree and we have a mutual interest in promoting backgammon. bwin.com/wsob looks like a really exciting new online platform and an excellent partnership for Biba. bwin.com/wsob is not a gambling site, it is a skill gaming site with lots of tournaments, which is what Biba does. Already bwin.com/wsob have made an announcement on their NEWSROOM about the partnership and this can be seen as a positive for all backgammon.

Q: Do the 8 qualifiers have to be Biba members?

A: No. The Tour is open to any backgammon player. It is designed to promote regional backgammon and (hopefully) increase entry levels for them. Of course, if any of the finalists in January are not members of Biba they could join if they wanted to.  To get the Tour going this year Biba has added a few 'extra' events which will be replaced next year with more local ones.

Q: Why are you restricting it to the last 8 of each event?

A: Not all events have a last 16; however, I have decided to extend it (where appropriate) and the points allocated will be 5 for 9th to 16th. The leader board reflects this with the Scottish Open results.

Q: It is possible that two or more of those topping the chart at year end could share the same number of points thus giving a greater field of 8 qualifiers. How would you decide who is in the Final?

A: Good point! I have decided to add 'attendance points' (AP) as a tie-breaker. All event entrants will get 1 AP for each event they enter. Those that support the tour the most will have more AP than those that enter only one or two events. Of course, if any entrants are not in the top 16 (or top 8) of any event then I might not have a record of their attendance, therefore it is incumbent upon such entrants to ensure the event TD informs Biba of their attendance or to notify me themselves.