By Val Rhead
Sometimes, players inadvertently make the wrong bid. Unfortunately, this can give UNAUTHORIZED INFORMATION to their Partner. It’s not a case of punishing the person who bid incorrectly, it’s a matter of restoring equity. As Bridge, particularly Duplicate Bridge, is a competitive game where people who bid and make the best contracts receive the highest score, it would be unfair if players who make an error should profit from these lapses. Many Social Bridge clubs are kinder to offenders and may ignore the mistake, but it does give the offender’s Partner an advantage.
For example, if a player opens One Spade in a Duplicate game, and the opponent bids Two Diamonds, and then her Partner bids Two Clubs, this is an insufficient bid. What is the resolution? If Partner intended to bid Three Clubs, it is likely a slip of the fingers or tongue and not of the mind. The partnership may continue to play at Three Clubs and no correction is necessary.
This situation always reminds me of the sailors of the ships that were attacked by pirates in the Operetta, The Pirates of Penzance. The pirates were moral men and, at one time, all had been orphans. After each capture, the pirates would release orphans. The pirates would ask their captives if they were orphans. Of course, all said they were (they weren’t stupid), so the pirates released them. Similarly, bridge players sometimes protest that their Two Club bid made in a similar situation was a slip of the fingers or tongue rather than of the mind. This is believable in the first case because the Two Club and Three Club bids are close to each other in the bidding box. But it defies belief if the two bids in question happened to be Two Clubs and Three Spades which are widely separated.
If the error is a slip of the mind, the opponent side may elect to let the lower bid stand. The lower bid allows the opponent side to bid at a lower level which may be favourable for them. Otherwise, in this case, if Partner makes the bid sufficient, Three Clubs, then all is well. They just carry on with the play.
However, what happens if Partner, for any reason, does not want to bid Three Clubs and the opponents do not accept the Two Club bid. There are other options available to Partner. He may substitute any legal bid including PASS or DOUBLE but with a stiff penalty for the Opener. She is barred from the rest of the bidding because she is in possession of UNAUTHORIZED INFORMATION and must PASS at each opportunity to bid.
She has UNAUTHORIZED INFORMATION because she knows Partner’s Two Club bid at the two level shows an unlimited hand with at least ten points and at least a five-card Club suit. So if Partner bids anything else, Opener would have two bids from Partner for the price of one, putting the opponents at a disadvantage. That is the reason for the stiff penalty. The player in possession of the UNAUTHORIZED INFORMATION gets the penalty, not the offending player. It is all part of keeping the game fair for everyone. However, it’s a tough penalty for the player when her Partner was the one who made the mistake.
If you wish to promote an activity in your bridge group or ask a bridge question, send the information to [email protected] and I will try to include it in this column.
HUNTSVILLE DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB
Games at the Huntsville Club are Tuesday 7:15 start, Trinity United Church 33 Main Street. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For partners and information call Jan Roberts 705 635-2522 or email [email protected]
The following winners are for Tuesday, Sept 19 with 14 pairs playing a Mitchell movement. A special congratulations to Liz Barnes and David Bryce for their noteworthy 70% game. North-South 1. Jim Smith and Ralph Mitchell; 2. Susan Larson and Bent Larson; 3. Chris Karn and Vern Foell; 4. Mary Hogarth and Albert Eatock; East-West 1. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 2. Mary Simonett and Kel Andresen; 3. Julianne Guselle and Val Rhead; 4. Ann Cassie and Bruce Cassie
MUSKOKA DUPLICATE BRIDGE CLUB (Bracebridge)
Games for the Bracebridge Club are Mondays 7pm, Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Taylor Road. Please arrive 15 minutes before game time. For information or partnerships, call Brian at 705-645-5340 [email protected]
The following winners are from Monday, Sept 18 with 17 pairs playing a Mitchell movement. North-South 1. Fay MacDonald and Mary Whitehead; 2. Mary Luke and Donna McIntosh; 3. Kel Andresen and Jim Smith; 4. Liz Barnes and David Bryce; 5. Pamela Jardine and Ralph Mitchell; East-West 1. Carol Anne Robinson and Nancy Barber; 2. Betty Fagin and Kelly Andresen; 3. Joanne Garvey and Jane Insley; 4. Frank Vagnoni and Gerry Lawrence; 4. Art Insley and Don Evans
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