April 2021 - 52

Newer Players

Lessons Learned
Knowing the rules

I

could never follow the rules to my big
sister's games. She would invent these
sports that involved throwing balls at
objects (occasionally me) or scoring goals
or finding things. I would always think I
was winning, only to discover I had violated some rule, like I didn't hop on every
third step or had thrown the ball with my
right hand.
One time, I thought I had at long last
learned all the rules and played perfectly.
I was in the middle of a victory dance
when my sister broke the bad news: It
was opposite day!
Bridge is almost as complicated as
the games my sister devised. At least in
bridge, the rules should be consistent.
That doesn't mean that you have to read
the rulebook - that's why we have directors. That said, you should be aware of
how the rules can affect your play. After
going on a Regional at Sea which featured " Ask a Director, " I have some key
takeaways.

1. Directors are there to help.

Too many people worry that it's rude to
call the director. They worry that they are
calling the director on the opponents and
it will seem mean. In response to this fear,
director David Metcalf said, " I have never
been called 'on someone.' I am called to
the table. " Directors are there to help with
irregularities. If something strange has
happened or might happen, call the director to help. You should go out of your way
to not make rulings of your own; this is
like defending yourself in court or cutting
your own hair - sure, it might work out,
but often things will be worse. Be polite
and remember that all directors have the
same last name: " please. "

2. What to do when something
goes wrong with Alerts.

The Alert system is complicated, and

52 | Bridge Bulletin | April 2021

BY MICHAEL BERKOWITZ

michael@larryco.com

it can change from time to time.
Remember the point of Alerts: Alerts
are designed to help the opponents
understand the auction. We Alert our
partner's bid so the opponents know
the bid isn't natural. If you aren't sure
whether a convention is Alertable,
it's always good to err on the side of
Alerting. Remember that when you
Alert, all you do is say " Alert " and use
the Alert card in the bidding box to help
those people with hearing problems.
Only explain a bid's meaning if asked.

3. What should I do if my partner
gives incorrect information?

If your partner gives a mistaken explanation and you are the declaring side,
correct the explanation before a lead is
made. If you are defending, you should
tell your opponents after the play has
concluded that partner gave the wrong
explanation. If your partner gives an
explanation and you realize that the
explanation is right, but your bid was
wrong, then you might call a director
to help you out. The rule is that A - you
should bid like you never heard your
partner's information, and B - you do
not have to tell the opponents what is
in your hand.

4. What should I do if I'm not sure
what my opponents' bids mean?
Bridge is a game where we are entitled
to know everything the opponents
know. You can ask about any bid's
meaning - whether it was Alerted or
not - when it's your turn to bid. Don't
be embarrassed for not knowing. If
their explanation of what a bid means
is just to say the name of a convention (Michaels, Cappelletti, Jacoby,
Jordan, etc.), and that means nothing
to you, you should ask to explain what
it actually shows. If it doesn't matter to

you what your opponents' bids mean,
because you aren't about to bid or make
a lead-directing double, you are better
off waiting until the auction is completed to ask any questions.

5. What should I do if I'm not sure
what my partner's bid means?

Don't say anything! If asked, you can
answer that you aren't sure. The director may have to get involved to sort out
the issue, but that's why they get the big
bucks. Don't give any incorrect information if you can avoid it. A simple " We
haven't discussed this auction " is best
if you don't know. If you have discussed
it but can't remember, just say so. The
director may be able to help by taking
you away from the table and letting the
opponents ask your partner.

6. A director told me something
that sounds different from what I
have heard before. How do I know
what's right?
You always have a right to ask to see
the lawbook. Even if a director doesn't
have it on them, they can look up the
relevant law on the ACBL's website.
Some situations can seem similar but
are very different. For instance, there's
a big difference between a defender
accidentally failing to follow suit (and
realizing it immediately) and the same
thing happening to declarer. Similarly,
there's a difference between making a
mistaken bid (a bid that doesn't follow
your agreements) and making a mistaken explanation (an explanation that
doesn't follow your agreement). While
some players think that a director is
" after them, " the truth is that the laws
are clear about specific situations, and a
director should be able to help a player
understand why a particular ruling was
made.
https://www.larryco.com/bridge-learning-center/detail/761
April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2021
