BISQUE BUNDLES – A PATH TO POSITIVE PLAY
Some rule changes would be needed to cover situations that do not currently arise, so it may be best to use bisque bundles in a coaching setting only. The allocation of initial bundles would be as below. HALF BISQUES ARE ADDED AS A SEPARATE BUNDLE OF HALF A BISQUE The table is set up so that a player using their largest bundle then has bundles remaining that match the original allocation.
For example a player with 12 bisques (1 1 2 2 3 3) using a bundle of 3 then has 9 bisques (1 1 2 2 3) as in the table. Of course, not using the largest bundle will lead to an allocation not in the table. Again, the player with 12 bisques (1 1 2 2 3 3) using a bundle of 2 then has 10 bisques (1 1 2 3 3) which differs from the table. Since the overall allocation of 12 bisques will eventually be used in 6 bisque turns the order in which they are used is not particularly significant.
Alan Locket Beverley & East Riding Croquet Club
Coaching AC beginners should emphasise the positive use of bisques. Rather than using bisques one at a time, in a negative way, the emphasis should be on using several in succession to set up a 4 ball break and continue it as far as possible. It is a lesson not easy to learn as a beginner and some players develop a negative playing style. This entails using one bisque, at most, to recover a poor shot, blobbed hoop or to split opponent’s balls. It might achieve the running of a single hoop but rarely many more. This approach will not serve the player well as their handicap reduces and bisques become scarcer. For the low handicap opponent, giving away many bisques, this is a frustrating process and, especially in time limited games, involves a long wait before getting any good opportunities to make progress. Often very little time remains after the opponent runs out of bisques. As a way of encouraging a positive use of bisques the proposal is to split a player’s bisques into bundles. For example a player receiving 12 bisques would have them split into six bundles 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3. When players signal for a bisque they must specify which bundle to use, and must use all bisques in the bundle. There are only two opportunities to use a single bisque, rather than 12 if the bisques are all single, as normal. The plan is to encourage players to use multiple bisques for some of their turns. As usual, players may signal for another bundle if one has been expended. So, a player may signal for a bundle of 1 and then follow it with a bundle of 3 if good progress is being made. Players might be encouraged to use the larger bundles early in a game, saving the bundles of 1 for final turns.
Bisques
Bundles
24
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
4
23
1
1
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
22
1
1
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
21
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
20
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
19
1
1
2
2
3
3
3
4
18
1
1
2
2
3
3
3
3
17
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
3
16
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
15
1
1
2
2
3
3
3
14
1
1
2
2
2
3
3
13
1
1
1
2
2
3
3
12
1
1
2
2
3
3
11
1
1
2
2
2
3
10
1
1
1
2
2
3
9
1
1
2
2
3
8
1
1
2
2
2
7
1
1
1
2
2
6
1
1
2
2
5
1
1
1
2
4
1
1
2
3
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1 HALF BISQUES ARE ADDED AS A SEPARATE BUNDLE OF HALF A BISQUE
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