July 2019 - 36
Ruling the Game
rulings@acbl.org
MODERATOR: MATT SMITH
NATIONAL TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
Q
When I am on lead and we
are putting away our bidding cards, partner says, "I
have no questions." I wonder if this
is correct procedure. To sometimes
say "No questions" right away, but
sometimes wait for the opening lead
to be made face down because one
does have a question seems to impart
some concern by third hand. Players also sometimes say, "I do have a
question about the bidding once you
put your lead down," but most partners wait until the lead is made, and
leader asks, "Any questions?"
Should partner be saying anything
before the lead is on the table?
A
The ideal procedure is as
follows:
1. After the final pass, if the declaring
side missed any Alerts or gave any
mistaken explanations, they should
tell the defenders at this point. (Law
20F5b)
2. The opening leader asks any questions they have. (Law 20F2)
3. The opening leader places the lead
face down on the table. (Law 41A)
4. The opening leader's partner and
the presumed declarer ask any
questions they may have. (Law 41B)
5. The opening lead is turned face up,
and the dummy is placed on the
table, and play begins irrevocably.
(Law 41C)
Of course, if there are any missed
Alerts, incorrect explanations or other
questions, the director should be called
as soon as they are discovered.
36 Bridge Bulletin July 2019
Notice there is no provision in law
for the opening leader to ask if partner
has any questions, nor for the partner
of the opening leader to ask that partner lead face down or volunteer that
they have no questions to ask. While
in most situations such exchanges are
almost certainly harmless, you are
correct to have concerns that such
comments may impart unauthorized
information. One of the reasons the
laws on this subject are written this
way is to avoid that very thing. I can
certainly envision problems arising
from the partner of the opening leader
asking partner to lead face down. That
request makes it obvious that they
want to ask a question about the bidding, and depending on the auction, it
may be apparent to the leader which
bid they are interested in. That interest
is unauthorized to the leader, and could
restrict their legal options in choosing
an opening lead (Law 16B1).
Q
South is declaring a diamond contract and plays a
heart from dummy (North).
East ruffs with a low diamond, as
South and West play low hearts.
At that time, East discovers he has
revoked, and the director is called.
The director instructs East to play
the "discovered" heart, and the low
diamond becomes a major penalty
card. The director tells South that
he is allowed to change the card he
originally played with no penalty,
and he does so. West is allowed to
change his play, too, and he wins the
trick, but the heart he played originally is also now a penalty card.
So West now has a low heart penalty card and East has a low diamond
penalty card: Can South dictate
which penalty card takes precedence? In other words, with West
on lead, can South now exercise
East's penalty and force a diamond
lead from West, or must West follow
through on his own penalty card?
A
Well done for noticing that
Law 62C2 instructs that
West's originally played low
heart is a major penalty card. The short
answer to your question is that the lead
restrictions resulting from the penalty
card of the leader's partner always
takes precedence. The specifics are in
Law 50D1(b) : "The obligation to follow
suit, or to comply with a lead or play
restriction, takes precedence over the
obligation to play a major penalty card,
but the penalty card must still be left
face up on the table and played at the
next legal opportunity."
In your case, West has a low heart
penalty card, while East has a low
diamond penalty card. The lead restriction options arising from East's
penalty card take precedence over
West's obligation to play his penalty
card. If declarer requires the lead of a
diamond, East puts his penalty card
back in hand, and West must lead a
diamond if he has one; West's heart
remains a penalty card. If declarer
forbids the lead of a diamond or allows
West to lead anything, then West must
lead his penalty card.
◾
July 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2019
In First Seat - Paul Linxwiler
Inbox -Letters to the Editor
From the President
Come Play with Us
A Game for All Ages
Jeopardy James
Wuhan Chan
Breakthrough
Capital Improvement
General Membership Meeting
Underexposed
Product Review
Club News
Ruling the Game
The Bidding Box
It's Your Call
Card Play 101 - by Phillip Alder
Parrish the Thought - Adam Parrish
Reasoning with Robert - Robert Todd
Startup Bridge by Lynn Berg
Ask Jerry - by Jerry Helms
Bidding Basics by Larry Cohen
Teacher, Director Courses
Mike's Bridge Lesson - Mike Lawrence
Better Bridge with Bergen-Marty Bergen
Misplay these Hands with Me - by Mark Horton
West Hands - The Bidding Box
Boehm on Bridge - R is for Reverse- by August Boehm
The Real Deal - by Larry Cohen
East Hands -Bidding Box
Challenge of the Month
Club and Cruise Director Courses
Chalk Talk- Eddie Kantar
Bidding Matters - by Karen Walker
Test Your Play- Eddie Kantar
Mike's Advice - by Mike Lawrence
Nominations
Teacher, Director Courses
My Bridge and Yours - by Frank Stewart
Dear Billy - by Billy Miller
Nominations
Bridge with the Abbot - by David Bird
George's World - by George Jacobs
Big Games
Crossword Puzzle
Life Master Milestones
New Life Masters
In Memoriam
Obituaries- Thomas F Ciacio
Obituaries- Bruce Noda, Col Dewitt H Hudson, Judith Litchter
Tournament Directory
Schedule of Events
Personal MP Profile
July 2019 - 1
July 2019 - 2
July 2019 - 3
July 2019 - 4
July 2019 - 5
July 2019 - In First Seat - Paul Linxwiler
July 2019 - Inbox -Letters to the Editor
July 2019 - 8
July 2019 - From the President
July 2019 - Come Play with Us
July 2019 - 11
July 2019 - A Game for All Ages
July 2019 - 13
July 2019 - Jeopardy James
July 2019 - 15
July 2019 - Wuhan Chan
July 2019 - 17
July 2019 - 18
July 2019 - 19
July 2019 - 20
July 2019 - 21
July 2019 - 22
July 2019 - 23
July 2019 - Breakthrough
July 2019 - 25
July 2019 - 26
July 2019 - 27
July 2019 - Capital Improvement
July 2019 - General Membership Meeting
July 2019 - Underexposed
July 2019 - 31
July 2019 - Product Review
July 2019 - 33
July 2019 - Club News
July 2019 - 35
July 2019 - Ruling the Game
July 2019 - The Bidding Box
July 2019 - 38
July 2019 - 39
July 2019 - It's Your Call
July 2019 - 41
July 2019 - 42
July 2019 - 43
July 2019 - Card Play 101 - by Phillip Alder
July 2019 - Parrish the Thought - Adam Parrish
July 2019 - Reasoning with Robert - Robert Todd
July 2019 - Startup Bridge by Lynn Berg
July 2019 - Ask Jerry - by Jerry Helms
July 2019 - Bidding Basics by Larry Cohen
July 2019 - Teacher, Director Courses
July 2019 - Mike's Bridge Lesson - Mike Lawrence
July 2019 - Better Bridge with Bergen-Marty Bergen
July 2019 - West Hands - The Bidding Box
July 2019 - Boehm on Bridge - R is for Reverse- by August Boehm
July 2019 - East Hands -Bidding Box
July 2019 - Club and Cruise Director Courses
July 2019 - Chalk Talk- Eddie Kantar
July 2019 - Bidding Matters - by Karen Walker
July 2019 - Test Your Play- Eddie Kantar
July 2019 - Mike's Advice - by Mike Lawrence
July 2019 - Teacher, Director Courses
July 2019 - My Bridge and Yours - by Frank Stewart
July 2019 - Nominations
July 2019 - Bridge with the Abbot - by David Bird
July 2019 - George's World - by George Jacobs
July 2019 - Big Games
July 2019 - Crossword Puzzle
July 2019 - Life Master Milestones
July 2019 - 69
July 2019 - 70
July 2019 - New Life Masters
July 2019 - Obituaries- Thomas F Ciacio
July 2019 - Obituaries- Bruce Noda, Col Dewitt H Hudson, Judith Litchter
July 2019 - Tournament Directory
July 2019 - 75
July 2019 - 76
July 2019 - 77
July 2019 - 78
July 2019 - 79
July 2019 - 80
July 2019 - Schedule of Events
July 2019 - 82
July 2019 - 83
July 2019 - Personal MP Profile
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