[campboy]

gwnn, on 2012-October-18, 04:56, said:

If you square any prime number (greater than 3) and subtract 1, you get a number divisible by 24.

24 divides n²-1 if and only if n is not divisible by 2 or 3. Perhaps your observation is deeper than it appears, though, since when movement manuals talk about needing a "prime number" it is actually sufficient to use a number which isn't divisible by 2 or 3 (such as for rainbow movements, which work perfectly well with 25 tables should you be lucky enough to find 100 people who like individuals).

[Bbradley62]

ArtK78, on 2012-October-18, 06:59, said:

Pardon me if I put a damper on the 24 craze, but when I first started playing I frequented a club that played 11 2-board rounds, resulting in a 22 board movement. It also resulted in a 10 top which is easy to deal with.

Same here.

[nigel_k]

In New Zealand we normally play 26 board sessions. I'm not sure whether this is due to being in the southern hemisphere or is related to the exchange rate. Maybe gwnn has an explanation from number theory but I doubt it will be as simple as the 24 board one.

[paua]

nigel_k, on 2012-October-18, 15:54, said:

In New Zealand we normally play 26 board sessions. I'm not sure whether this is due to being in the southern hemisphere or is related to the exchange rate. Maybe gwnn has an explanation from number theory but I doubt it will be as simple as the 24 board one.

We're just faster

[jeffford76]

gordontd, on 2012-October-18, 14:45, said:

Unless you have three hosts, as some clubs do. But even then you can end up with a half table when three players come without partners and refuse to play with each other.

Interesting - at the club where I most frequently direct, players who come without partners who don't want to play with other people without partners typically get sent home.