A player I coach has recently played in 2 events, but the most recent was rated first. Both have the same starting rating . I thought the most recently calculated rating was used and then about every 6 weeks or so the events were sorted in order and then rated again. Has something changed or is my understanding incorrect?
If the most recent tournament was rated first (because, for example, it was submitted first) then, after both tournaments are rated, there will eventually be a re-rate (maybe in a month or two) in which everything will be redone in chronological order.
Bill Smythe
We currently run a rerate every Tuesday, plus another one just ahead of when we cut the next monthly ratings list, which recently has been on the 1st Friday of the month.
How far back do you usually rerate?
Let me answer my own question by saying that as far back as the earliest event was submitted since the last rerating.
The weekly rerates go back as far as needed to pick up any new or corrected events (but no further back than events rated since 1/1/2004, which is the rerate ‘window’.)
The last few months I’ve run a full rerate (ie, going back to 1/1/2004) just ahead of the rating list cutoff. This sometimes causes some changes even though no events from early 2004 were added or corrected, I think that’s probably due to changes in birthdates that affect the initial estimate for unrated players who are under 24.
Quick question, being unrated, how many games to I have to play in order to get some sort of rating? 
Four.
Actually, just a little nitpicking: You’ll have a rating even after just one game. However, you will not have an official published rating until you have played four games.
True. You can find it on the MSA. But it won’t show up in the downloadable databases, and in theory should not be used for pairing or prize purposes. If a rating falls in the forest …