Bill Goichberg wrote:

The colors don't work for player 2 either, and 1 vs. 2 in a group of 5 is
hardly a natural pairing. The natural pairings are for 1and 2 to play 4 and
5-if they play each other instead, that is over a 400 point switch for both.

This is much better. Sure, it's a 239 point switch to drop 3 instead of 5,
but
this beats a 400 point switch.

400 point switch? Does this mean I have to figure out pairings BEFORE figuring
out the odd player? Somehow this didn't make sense to me when I was looking at
it.

So what? When all the possibilities are in violation of something, you
choose
the least of evils. A 239 point switch with good colors is far better than a
400+ point switch with bad colors.

I still don't follow exactly where the 400 point thing is coming from, since
determining the odd player is one of the first things it covers.

You can't always do what you "should." No pairing rule is absolute in cases
where the alternative is worse. Also, dropping player 3 is correct even
without considering colors. The fact that it balances colors is just a bonus.

Bill Goichberg

Is this in the rules anywhere? Or is this one of those cases where if I make an
effort to follow the letter of the rules, I'm toast because they are both too
long and they often contradict each other.

I find it amusing, I've been often excoriated for straying from the USCF's
published rules and making the "right ruling", and now I find that when I
attempt to follow USCF's published rules to the letter, that I end up making
the wrong decision.

I admit, I'm very confused here.

John Fernandez