Titchfield Bridge Club - Rules & Ethics

Bridge is played at the Club for the enjoyment of all and in accordance with the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge 1997 and the Directives of the English Bridge Union as set out in the Orange Book. This document does not replace them, but highlights for the benefit of members, a number of points which may cause confusion. It is the hope of the Committee that these notes will be of some help or touch upon some aspects of the Laws of which you were unaware.

All members are strongly recommended to obtain their own copy of the Laws for reference purposes.

1: Laws & the Director.

The Laws lay down the correct procedure for the game and also the procedures for dealing with irregularities. When any irregularities occur the Director should be called. Calling the director does not in any way imply censure, but it ensures that the decision they make, takes account of all players not just those directly involved. A good director will see their role as helping the players understand the laws and enjoy their game, exercising unobtrusive authority without appearing like a tyrant.

2: Dealing.

It is not permitted to deal the cards in other way than one by one. The legal way of increasing the interest in the hand is by thorough shuffling. The board should then be left in the centre of the table during play. It is not permitted to redeal any hand that has been passed out.

3: Convention Cards.

Every player should fill in a Convention Card or the front of his/her score card to show the conventions being used, and have it available on the table. Each pair should have matching convention cards which, of course, may be looked at by the opposition during bidding but NOT by you. If you do not have a Convention Card of your own, then you are obliged to play a basic ACOL system. Failure to do so may cause the Director to rule against you in the event of a bidding problem.

Unless agreed by the Committee for a particular competition or evening, conventions allowed in Club play will be restricted to EBU permitted conventions.

4: Bidding Boxes.

A call is regarded as made when a Bid or Pass card has been taken out of the bidding box with apparent intent. The player is obliged to make up his/her mind before he/she touches any Bid or Pass card in the box. Do not fiddle with the box - you may pass unauthorised information. If you pull out the wrong card by mistake, then you can change your bid only when ALL the following conditions are fulfilled:-

a) You have inadvertently taken out the wrong bidding card (e.g. another card has stuck to the one you wanted to take out).

b) You correct, or attempt to correct, your mistake without pause for thought as soon as you realise what you have done, and

c) Your partner has not yet called after the mistake.

Note: You cannot take advantage of this rule if you bid as a result of a misapprehension (such as forgetting your system or failing accurately to notice the auction so far).

5: Alerting.

The purpose of alerting is to draw your opponents’ attention to any call by your partner that may have a special meaning. A bid that has any meaning other than its natural meaning (i.e. conventional), must be alerted by the bidder's partner showing the appropriate card from the bidding box. Alerting is compulsory at all levels of bidding. The detailed rules of alerting are as laid out in Section 5 of the Orange Book. An explanation must NOT be given unless asked for.

6: Psychic Bids.

Players have a perfect legal right to bluff by departing from what is on their card, but it is not permitted if done frequently, especially if a particular type of bluff is repeated, or if the partner's response gives indication of NOT taking the bid at face value. (i.e. indicating unauthorised information). Systematic psyching of any kind is not permitted and must be reported to the Committee.

7: Stop Bids.

Any jump bid must be prefixed by the "Stop Card". The next player MUST not bid until the stop card is removed (approx 10 seconds after it is placed on the table).

8: Questioning opponents system.

A player has the right to ask for an explanation of opponents system of bidding or play but persistent questioning of every detail can amount to harassment and may improperly alert the questioner's partner. Before asking, consult their Convention Card. The right to ask questions is not licence to do so without consequences.

To do so when there is no intention of bidding should be avoided, so that unauthorised information is not inadvertently passed to your partner. It is recommended that all questions where you are "Not Bidding" are deferred until the auction is over and you are about to lead, or your partner's lead is face down on the table. This is the more ethical approach and eliminates time wasting during the auction. Seek information about your opponents system before bidding commences, particularly the 1 NT range, slam bidding methods and leads and discards. Do not question a bid when it is not your turn to call, as to do so could pass unauthorised information to your partner. Wait for your turn to ask a question.

9: Undue emphasis in bidding and play.

This or any other such action is obviously quite wrong. If any remark or gesture is inadvertently made, the partner should make the strongest effort possible not to be influenced. Partners should not look at each others faces during bidding or play.

10: Hesitations.

You are allowed to think about your calls if you need to do so but, if you hesitate markedly this may give your partner an ethical problem. If you take a long time over a bid your partner knows that you had alternatives to the call you eventually choose but he/she must ignore everything except the call you finally made. A hesitation does not prevent your partner from bidding but he/she may not choose an option which may have been suggested by the knowledge that you had a problem. If your partner hesitates and the Director thinks that the hesitation could have influenced your call then he/she will rule against you unless he thinks your action would have been taken by 70% of similar standard players without the hesitation. Hesitations are worse if you fiddle with the bidding box whilst you are thinking, as that may well tell your partner not just that you have a problem but what it is. Always then bid smoothly and without comments.

11: Opening lead.

The face down lead may not be withdrawn unless, on the instruction of the director, to correct an infraction. (e.g. an incorrect explanation during the auction).

12: Played card.

A player may not of his own initiative withdraw a card that he has played (e g wrong defender makes lead). If an irregularity has occurred the Director must be called. A card is played if it has been named or if it has been touched in dummy with intent to play or if it is a defenders card held so that the other defender might have seen its face or if it is a declarer's card face up on or near the table.

13: Declarer's lead from wrong hand.

Comes under the foregoing rules and in addition neither declarer nor dummy should draw attention to an attempt by a defender to lead incorrectly. The director must be called. (Note: dummy may warn declarer to stop him/her from leading from the wrong hand but it must be done before the lead is made)

14: Play of dummy.

Dummy must not, at his own initiative, play a card from dummy. An exception may reasonably be made for a singleton but even so it must not be played out of turn. Declarer must nominate the card to be played.

15: Deliberate hesitation in play.

Deliberate hesitation when there is nothing to hesitate about is unethical. A player who genuinely needs time to think about future tricks is advised do so when he has played to the current trick face down.

16: Turned card.

Until a lead is made to the following trick, Declarer or either Defender may re-examine their own card played, taking care not to expose it to any other player. A player who has not yet turned over their card may require all cards just played to the trick to be refaced.

Once all cards are turned down from the previous trick they may not be faced again except:

a) There is a genuine doubt about that trick or

b) After a revoke has been established and is under review by the Director.

17: Finished board.

Cards and curtain cards of a completed board should not be touched without the opponents’ permission and with great care. Preferably they should not be touched at all.

a) N/S should check that they have the correct boards and they are presented in the correct orientation (remember that in general, on the first round, the highest numbered board will be table number times number of boards to be played per round and then North/South will play them sequentially)

b) Count your cards before looking at them!

a) Count your cards again before replacing them in the Board.

b) North at each table is responsible for moving the completed boards to the proper table for the next round.