A Guide to Pairs Scoring (MPs vs IMPs)

Matchpoints Scoring (MPs)

 The scoring system at a regular duplicate a club is almost always called “Pairs” or “Matchpoints”.

It is a slightly strange scoring method because the size of the score isn’t important, how many pairs you beat is important.

Usually you get two points for each pair that you beat and one point for each pair that you get the same score as.

These points are called matchpoints, and are divided by the best possible score to give you a percentage.

Here are some examples:

(Example ONE) If there were only 3 tables playing,

                                                       MPs                                 %              %

Contract           Made Score                                              NS              EW

3NT                    10         430       4 (beat two)                   100            0

4H                      10         420       2 (beat one)                   50              50

3NT                    9           400       0 (beat no one)             0              100

 Notice?

The size of the score doesn’t matter, only the relative placement of the score.

If your opponents have a terrible bidding misunderstanding and you play in 3NT redoubled and make 10 tricks, then you score (+1000). You would get a top board.

Similarly, if you played 4H poorly and only made 9 tricks (-50) then you would get a bottom

 (Example TWO)….. Then add the new upper & lower. If there were now 5 tables playing,

                                                       MPs                                 %              %

Contract           Made Score                                              NS              EW

3NTX                 10         1000     8 (beat four)            100           0

3NT                    10         430       6 (beat three)                 75             25

4H                      10         420       4 (beat two)                   50              50

3NT                    9           400       2 (beat one)                   25              75

4H                      9           -50        0 (beat no one)         0              100

 

Notice how now, for the same first 3 scores, their MP percentage has changed?

 

How Does that differ to IMP scoring (see also the “Butler” scoring article)?

Normally the best and worst scores are removed, and the average is calculated, and then rounded (down I believe).

So, on the first 3 boards we remove the best & worst, and get the average … 420.

Then we compare the difference for all scores to the average, and look at the IMP table to see the result.

(Example THREE) If there were only 3 tables playing,

                                                       MPs      %          %              IMP avg 42o

Contract           Made Score                   NS         EW              Diff       NS         EW

3NT                    10         430       4           100        0                 10           0           0

4H                      10         420       2            50        50                  0           0           0

3NT                    9           400      0             0         100             -20         -1            1

Notice? In IMPs, the result is IDENTICAL for 2, and only 1 IMP on the third board.

How about if we now do the same calculation on the 5 board hand?

(Example FOUR)                        MPs      %          %              IMP avg 42o

Contract           Made Score                   NS         EW               Diff       NS         EW

3NTX                 10         1000     8        100         0               580       11         -11

3NT                    10         430       6           75         25                  10           0           0

4H                      10         420       4           50         50                  0            0           0

3NT                    9           400       2           25         75                -20         -1            1

4H                      9           -50        0           0        100           -470       -10        10

 

In IMPs, the size of the score does matter, as this affects it’s distance from the average. The relative placement of the score is effectively irrelevant.

 

In both methods, a good board is still a good board, and a bad board is a still a bad board, but in MPs, it is the relative placement, in IMPs it is the distance from the average.

 

Remember the 4 things I said last week for when playing IMP based scoring?

–        Declarer’s top priority is making the Contract

–        Play the Safest Contract

–        Bid Your Games

–        Defender’s top priority is to defeat the contract rather than simply try to limit the overtricks

PLUS, after looking through the scores,

DON’T DOUBLE unless you are confident taking off the contract, but if confident the contract is going down, then DOUBLE (bigger distance from the average)

Be confident in your sacrifices but don’t give away big scores.

If you know your scoring, then these can be good sacrifices vs a game contact (but terrible vs a part score game)

             1 down VUL vs NV (300 vs 420)

             Or 2 down VUL vs VUL (500 vs 620)

             Or 3 down NV vs VUL (500 vs 620)

If the opposition sacrifice, you should double.

 

Note also, in Matchpoint scoring, each board is worth about 2.5% of your total percentage score. (100% divided by 25 boards played (usually 24 to 27 boards))

LOOK AT THESE 2 BOARDS FROM 07/03/19 at SBC)

 

BOARD 1				SCORES		Calc.	IMPs		MPs  No.	%
	Bid	By	Making	NS	EW		NS	EW	NS	EW
1	5SX	S	11	650	–	230	6	-6	40	100.0%
2	5S	S	13	510	–	90	3	-3	37	92.5%
3	4S	S	13	510	–	90	3	-3	37	92.5%
4	4S	N	12	480	–	60	2	-2	24	60.0%
5	5S	S	12	480	–	60	2	-2	24	60.0%
6	4S	S	12	480	–	60	2	-2	24	60.0%
7	4S	N	12	480	–	60	2	-2	24	60.0%
8	4S	S	12	480	–	60	2	-2	24	60.0%
9	4S	S	12	480	–	60	2	-2	24	60.0%
10	5S	S	12	480	–	60	2	-2	24	60.0%
11	4S	N	12	480	–	60	2	-2	24	60.0%
12	5S	S	12	480	–	60	2	-2	24	60.0%
13	4S	S	11	450	–	30	1	-1	11	27.5%
14	4S	S	11	450	–	30	1	-1	11	27.5%
15	4S	S	11	450	–	30	1	-1	11	27.5%
16	5S	S	11	450	–	30	1	-1	11	27.5%
17	4S	S	10	420	–	0	0	0	8	20.0%
18	5C	N	11	400	–	-20	0	0	6	15.0%
19	5DX	W	9	300	–	-120	-3	3	4	10.0%
20	5S	S	9	–	100	-520	-11	11	2	5.0%
21	3H	E	10	–	170	-590	-11	11	0	0.0%
				8260	100
Total excluding top & bottom				8160
Total / 19 (Average)				429	or say	420	420
							IMPS same, MPs different
Note Prs 17 & 18… 0 IMPSs here = terrible MP score							Small IMP diff. huge MP difference

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BOARD 19				SCORES		Calc.	IMPs		MPs No.	%
	Bid	By	Making	NS	EW		NS	EW	NS	EW
1	3NT	E	7	200	–	200	5	-5	37	92.5%
2	3NT	E	7	200	–	200	5	-5	37	92.5%
3	2♠	E	6	200	–	200	5	-5	37	92.5%
4	3NT	E	7	200	–	200	5	-5	37	92.5%
5	3♥	E	8	100	–	100	3	-3	30	75.0%
6	2♥	E	7	100	–	100	3	-3	30	75.0%
7	2NT	E	7	100	–	100	3	-3	30	75.0%
8	2♦	S	8	90	–	90	3	-3	26	65.0%
9	2♦	S	7	–	50	-50	-2	2	23	57.5%
10	1NT	S	6	–	50	-50	-2	2	23	57.5%
11	1NT	E	7	–	90	-90	-3	3	17	42.5%
12	1NT	E	7	–	90	-90	-3	3	17	42.5%
13	1NT	E	7	–	90	-90	-3	3	17	42.5%
14	1NT	E	7	–	90	-90	-3	3	17	42.5%
15	2♦	S	6	–	100	-100	-3	3	10	25.0%
16	2♦	S	6	–	100	-100	-3	3	10	25.0%
17	2♦	S	6	–	100	-100	-3	3	10	25.0%
18	2♠	E	8	–	110	-110	-3	3	6	15.0%
19	2NT	E	8	–	120	-120	-3	3	4	10.0%
20	1NT	E	9	–	150	-150	-4	4	1	2.5%
21	1NT	E	9	–	150	-150	-4	4	1	2.5%
				990	1140
Total excluding top & bottom				-150
Total / 19 (Average)				-7.89	or say	0	0
							IMPS same, MPs different
							Small IMP diff. huge MP difference