A key detail in initial level setting which can’t always be worked out is the partner ratio. If the same two players play together continuously, unless someone sets their level manually, the system doesn’t know how the partners compare to each other as it has nothing to go on.
When you play with your first partner we pop up a partner survey to help us adjust individual player levels based on how you perceive the level of their partner compared to you. This is done in the guise of if two player A’s played 2 player B’s what would the score be. This allows us to assess the ratio between you and your partner and adjust your respective starting levels accordingly. See our What is the partner questionnaire? FAQ for more details.
Here’s how it works:
For example, if Bob Smith and Sarah Jones have played as a team, we’ll ask both players what they expect the score to be if they played each other:
- Sarah might say, “I’d win 6-2, 6-2.”
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Bob might say, “Probably lose 6-4, 6-4.”
We then combine these views and use the information to adjust the player-partner ratio in our starting level calculations. In this case we calculate the average partner ratio to be 1.35:1 and use that to adjust both Sarah and Bob’s starting level so that Sarah is 1.35x better than Bob.
We will only ask each player once and only if they have only had one partner. If you have had multiple partners, then the system has a little more to go on.
This method allows us to set more accurate initial levels based on each player’s performance within their team.
See our Understanding Initial Levels FAQ for more details.