Round Robin Play at Lawn Bowls

During the summer I was involved in the Mens’ Novice Pairs Ontario Provincial Championship. The first day of this tournament is a four team round robin in which the best two teams advance. There are only three possibilities for the outcomes among four teams in a round robin 3:2:1:0, 2:2:2:0, and 3:1:1:1. 

In such a playdown, two things are important:  first, winning at least two games if possible, and second, having high ‘points for’ in games among teams that end up tied with you. Regular strategy applies in the first two games. You play your best percentage shots trying to either win or keep the margin of loss slim.

But notice that in such a round robin, thirty three percent of the time you can advance even if you win only one game, so long as your ‘points for’ are enough! So, if, after you have played your first two games, you still have not had a win, your only chance is to win your final game while at the same time building up your ‘points for’.

 If you have been badly shut down in your earlier matches, you need lots of points in your final game; therefore, you must expose your side to extra danger whenever it will improve your chances of have big ends. If those extra risks cause you to lose a third game, you haven’t lost much. Most probably you were going home anyway.