Auction of To-day Part 21

94. In all cases where a penalty has been incurred the offender is bound to give reasonable time for the decision of his adversaries.

NEW CARDS

95. Unless a pack is imperfect, no player shall have the right to call for one new pack. If fresh cards are demanded, two packs must be furnished. If they are produced during a rubber, the adversaries shall have the choice of the new cards. If it is the beginning of a new rubber, the dealer, whether he or one of his adversaries is the party calling for the new cards, shall have the choice. New cards must be called for before the pack is cut for a new deal.

96. A card or cards torn or marked must be replaced by agreement or new cards furnished.

BYSTANDERS

97. While a bystander, by agreement among the players, may decide any question, he should not say anything unless appealed to; and if he make any remark which calls attention to an oversight affecting the score, or to the exaction of a penalty, he is liable to be called upon by the players to pay the stakes (not extras) lost.

ETIQUETTE OF AUCTION BRIDGE

In Auction Bridge slight intimations convey much information. A code is compiled for the purpose of succinctly stating laws and for fixing penalties for an offense. To offend against etiquette is far more serious than to offend against a law; for, while in the latter case the offender is subject to the prescribed penalties, in the former his adversaries have no redress.

1. Declarations should be made in a simple manner, thus: "One Heart,"

"one No-trump," or "I pa.s.s," or "I double"; they should be made orally and not by gesture.

2. Aside from his legitimate declaration, a player should not give any indication by word or gesture as to the nature of his hand, or as to his pleasure or displeasure at a play, a bid or a double.

3. If a player demand that the cards be placed, he should do so for his own information and not to call his partner's attention to any card or play.

4. No player, other than the declarer, should lead until the preceding trick is turned and quitted; nor, after having led a winning card, should he draw another from his hand before his partner has played to the current trick.

5. A player should not play a card with such emphasis as to draw attention to it. Nor should he detach one card from his hand and subsequently play another.

6. A player should not purposely incur a penalty because he is willing to pay it, nor should he make a second revoke to conceal a first.

7. Players should avoid discussion and refrain from talking during the play, as it may be annoying to players at the table or to those at other tables in the room.

8. The dummy should not leave his seat for the purpose of watching his partner's play, neither should he call attention to the score nor to any card or cards that he or the other players hold, nor to any bid previously made.

9. If a player say "I have the rest," or any words indicating the remaining tricks are his, and one or both of the other players should expose his or their cards, or request him to play out the hand, he should not allow any information so obtained to influence his play nor take any finesse not announced by him at the time of making such claim, unless it had been previously proven to be a winner.

10. If a player concede in error one or more tricks, the concession should stand.

11. A player having been cut out of one table should not seek admission into another unless willing to cut for the privilege of entry.

12. No player should look at any of his cards until the deal is completed.

DECISIONS BY THE CARD COMMITTEE OF THE WHIST CLUB OF NEW YORK

Since the adoption of the foregoing code, the Card Committee of the Whist Club of New York has rendered the following decisions, interpreting certain laws that have caused discussion. The cases in question have arisen in various localities,--Number 6, for example, coming from St. Louis, Number 7 from Northern New York, and Number 8 from Mexico.

CASE 1

A bids out of turn. Y and Z consult as to whether they shall allow the declaration to stand or demand a new deal. B claims that, by reason of the consultation, the right to enforce a penalty is lost.

DECISION

Rule 49 does not prohibit consultation. It provides that "either adversary may demand a new deal or allow the declaration to stand."

This obviously only means that the decision first made by either shall be final. The old law prohibiting consultation has been stricken from the code, and the action seems wise, as such a question as, "Will you enforce the penalty, or shall I?" is really a consultation, and consequently an evasion of the law.

There does not seem to be any sound reason for preventing partners ent.i.tled to a penalty or choice of penalties from consulting, and as the laws at present stand, there is unquestionably nothing prohibiting it.

B's claim, therefore, is not allowed.

CASE 2

A bids two Hearts, Y bids two Diamonds,--B demands that the Y declaration be made sufficient. Y says, "I correct my declaration to three Diamonds." B pa.s.ses, Z bids three No-trumps. A claims that Z has no right to bid.

DECISION

Law 50 provides that "in case of an insufficient declaration ... the partner is debarred from making any further declaration." This exactly covers the case in question. True it is that Law 52 provides that, prior to the next player pa.s.sing, declaring, or doubling, a declaration inadvertently made may be corrected. The obvious intent of this law is that it shall apply when a player says, "Two Diamonds--I mean, three Diamonds"; or, "Two Spades--I mean two Royals"; and that such correction shall be allowed without penalty if the declaration has really been inadvertently made and neither adversary has taken any action whatever. We interpret 52 by reading into it the additional words, "or either adversary calls attention to the insufficient declaration." The construction put upon 52 by Y would result in nullifying a most important part of 50.

The claim of A is sustained.

CASE 3

At the conclusion of the play the cards are turned face downward preparatory to the next deal. It is then discovered that the pack contains two Queens of Clubs and no Knave of Clubs. The score has been claimed and admitted, but not recorded.

Is the deal which has just been completed, void?

DECISION

Rule 39 provides that "If, _during the play_, a pack be proven incorrect, such proof renders the _current_ deal void, but does not affect any prior score."

"Current" may be defined as "in actual progress," "belonging to the time immediately pa.s.sing."

It seems clear, therefore, that as the discovery of the imperfection did not occur during "the current deal," the result of it becomes "a prior score," which under the terms of the rule is not affected.

CASE 4

A player belonging to one table expresses his desire to enter another, and cuts in. At the end of the rubber he claims that he is not obliged to cut with the others.

DECISION