Summary of the Simpler Bridge Rules and Etiquette

Please note that the EBU has its Best Behaviour at Bridge Guidelines which the Club follows where they are pertinent to our Club, but they are not mandatory.

SYSTEM CARDS

Everyone is encouraged to use a sytem card. The EBU Simple Systems systems card is here. The Club allows any bid to be made but if it is not in accordance with the EBU's Simple System convention (according to the EBU's Blue Book) it should be written down on your and your partner's system card. If it is not written down on your and your partner's system card the Director may be called for an adjudication.

BOARDS

Boards are placed in the CENTRE of the table until play is completed. North is responsible for scoring and moving the boards - other players shouldn't interfere. North should also check that they have the correct boards and opponents before starting a new round.

CARDS

The responsibility for players to have thirteen cards rests with the player receiving the cards. When taking the cards from the board, before looking at them, first check that the curtain card belongs to you, then count your cards, then examine the faces of them and check from the curtain card that they are correct. You may not take the cards, or the curtain cards of other players out of the board during or after play without the permission of the director except to check on a revoke or to ascertain the number of tricks won or lost.

BIDDING BOXES

Starting with the dealer, players place their calls on the table in front of them, from the left and neatly overlapping, so that all calls are visible and faced towards partner. A call is deemed to be made when the bidding card is removed from the box with apparent intent. Players should decide which call they are going to make before touching any card.

A call may be changed without penalty ONLY if it is inadvertent - NOT a change of mind.

STOP: A bid which skips a level must be preceded by a 'Stop'. The card should be placed on the table before any jump bid and stay there for about ten seconds. The next player may not call until it is removed.

ALERT: This card is shown when your PARTNER makes a conventional call or one which carries a meaning of which the opponents may not be aware. When the card is required it should be taken from the box and shown to both opponents (making sure that it has been seen by both) before being replaced in the box. Please refer to the EBU summary on 'Announcing and Alerting'.

Either opponent may ask the PLAYER WHO ALERTED the reason for the ALERT at his/her turn to play AND NOT BEFORE. The player who made the conventional or artificial call may not remind his/her partner to alert or join in the explanation. If partner has failed to alert a bid or given a wrong explanation, you must do nothing until the end of the auction, otherwise you risk giving unauthorised information by telling him of the error. At the end of the auction if you are to be declarer or dummy your communication with partner is over so you should call the Director and explain the error. If you are to be a defender you must keep your peace until the end of the play and then call the director.

Not everyone has heard of SPLINTER BIDS, NEGATIVE DOUBLES, JACOBI, FLANNERY, BENJAMIN, ROMAN BLACKWOOD, ZINFANDEL, SHARPLES, JOSEPHINE and so on, so please remember to alert. Opponents, remember to ask if you don't understand, either prior to making your own bid or at the end of the auction. It is clearly unfair if you are disadvantaged in any way because information on the meaning of a bid is withheld wither by design or accident. However, also remember you are not obliged to ask. If your opposition are clearly in the mire because of 'noise' in their own systems, no bid or double and a discreet silence are often useful weapons. Also, you must not pass any unauthorised information to your partner, so if you think your partner will draw any inferences about your own hand from the question asked, you mustn't ask it!

At the end of the auction the calls should remain in place until the opening lead has been faced and all explanations have been obtained, after which they should be returned to their boxes. It is normal for the opener to ask his partner if he has any questions before facing the opening lead.

WHEN IS A CARD DEEMED TO HAVE BEEN PLAYED?

A defender's card held so that it is possible for his partner to see its face must be played. The test is whether it was POSSIBLE for the offender's partner to see it, NOT whether he did.

Declarer's card must be played if it is held face-up touching or nearly touching the table or held in a position to indicate it has been played. Declarer plays a card from Dummy by naming the card, after which Dummy picks up the card and faces it on the table. In playing from dummy's hand declarer may, if necessary, pick up the desired card himself.

DUMMY

Dummy is NOT ALLOWED to

Ask a Defender about a possible revoke.
Try to prevent an irregularity on the part of a Defender.
Draw attention, before the hand is over, to any irregularity.
Point out how many tricks have been won or lost.
Suggest the Director be called.
Take any part in the play of the hand except to play the cards as Declarer tells him/her.
Look at Declarer's cards or his curtain card.
Look (at his own initiative) at any card in a Defender's hand, ask any questions or make any comments on the hand.
Leave his/her seat to watch Declarer's play.
Look at an opponent's systems card during the play of a hand.

Dummy IS ALLOWED to

Keep track of tricks won or lost for his own information.
Try to prevent Declarer from committing an irregularity, for example: saying, "Are you not in Dummy?" when he is about to take a card from his hand, BUT it would be too late to warn him once he has played the card.
Try to prevent Declarer from establishing a revoke, for example, saying "Having no clubs?"
Call the Director if one of the other three players draws attention to an irregularity. Give information as to fact or law when the Director is present BUT not to ask questions even if Director is present.

SIGNALS AND DISCARDS

Please, please ask your opponents at the appropriate moment about any defensive information they exchange during the play. Does the high card that your opponent plays on his partner's lead show an encouraging attitude to the suit? Is the first discard showing a suit preference? This could be very helpful information! Try asking "What discards are you playing please?" If you don't understand their system, you may than ask what specific suit they are asking for. Again, remember that information available to opponents from signals and discards, should be available to you so that you are not unfairly disadvantaged.

PSYCHES

Our policy on psyches is here.

DIRECTOR

"Calling the director implies opponents are cheating". RUBBISH! The director is there to interpret rules, and failure to call him/her means you may not only penalise yourself but also other pairs. Selective application of the laws encourages the view that calling the director is an unfriendly act. Unless you regularly call the director when a problem occurs, and accept the results of proper application of the laws, it looks like sharp practice when you do call him/her. The director should always be called for such things as calls out of turn, insufficient bids, leads out of turn, revokes, possible illegal bids, etc. This is not optional - it is clearly laid out that the director alone has powers to assess or waive a penalty.

A further page on bridge etiquette is here. Please read it.

Updated: 23 May 2017