BRIDGE
ETIQUETTE AND RULES
For
The
1. Once the bidding has begun, general conversation is
not encouraged at the bridge table. All players need to understand that
duplicate bridge is a very competitive game and thus each player needs to
respect the rights of all other players. Before the first board begins exchange
pleasantries with partner and the opponents. The use of a foreign language is not
allowed while the cards are out of the board.
2. At no time should there be any discussion of the
hands. Wait until the game is over for post-mortems. Not only is it illegal to
discuss hands in front of opponents, it is usually not in the best interest of
a partnership effort. When North scores the result on the Bridgemate and traveler
then offers it for the others to see, there should be NO discussion of the results.
3. Keep your mannerisms and intonations consistent at
all times. Neither partner nor the opponents are entitled to information gained
from deviations in behavior or voice fluctuations. It takes a great deal of
effort to master a uniform tempo of play and a steady voice level, but without
them, the opponents obtain much more information that you need to give them.
4. Avoid hesitations by being consistently deliberate
in your bidding and play. An acquired habit of playing smoothly and evenly
(even on very bad hands) will always give you more time to think. Remember that
a hesitation followed by a pass, places an extra burden on partner as any bids
by him or her must be very clear cut. Do not be upset if an opponent calls the
director to monitor the auction in this situation as it is the proper thing to
do. Also develop the habit of making skip bid warnings and be courteous of the
opponents by honoring their skip bid warnings.
5. Playing deliberately is not the same thing as "slow play".
The latter comes about mostly because of bad habits such as
a) too much general conversation
and waste of time,
b) not thinking about bridge
when the opponents pause to think about bids or plays,
c)
wasting the other players' time by such things as entering on the
Bridgemate or writing down the contract, before putting your hand down as
dummy, and too much time spent studying the traveler from the last board and
discussing the results among the players at the table. Remember that unduly
slow play is subject to penalty at the discretion of the director.
6. Any player, except the dummy, must call the director when law
infractions, hesitations, rude behavior, or problems of any kind occur. The
director's responsibilities include handling all law and rule infractions as
well as running a smooth and pleasant game. Directors try to be knowledgeable
and impartial in applying bridge laws that are not generally known nor easily
understood. It is also in your best interest as a bridge player to learn the
basic bridge laws covering such things as dummy's rights and penalty cards as
well as those concerning your responsibilities as a participant at the table.
7. There are certain table manners and rules that all bridge players
should know. Some of these are:
a) The cards should not be taken
out of a board until all players are present. When you have removed your hand,
but before looking at the cards, count them to ensure that you have exactly
thirteen.
b) All players should have
completed The Links Basic System Card and those of partners should match. The
opponents should review each others' convention cards for general approach
before bidding or play begins. It is wise to look at carding agreements related
to defense and opening leads, no-trump ranges, types and ranges of opening
two-bids, and other non-alertable calls that may be of
importance.
c)
It is inappropriate to grab an opponent's convention card during the
auction period. However, when it is your turn to call, you may ask to see a
convention card and may then ask any questions about alerts or the auction.
Inquiries concerning alerted calls can only be made at your opportunity to call
or before you have played to the first trick when play commences. Be careful
about asking about alerted calls during the auction as players have been known
to become confused or to forget their agreements; however, it is usually in
your best interest to know what is going on before you make a competitive call
and before play starts.
d) The North player is
responsible for the proper observance of all procedures and for maintaining
proper conditions of play at the table. For examples, North is responsible for
turning the boards and South, East, and West may not touch the boards without
North's permission. Nobody can reach under the top board to get their hand from
the next board.
e) After a board has been
played, you may not remove someone's hand to look at it
f)
When play commences, do not detach a card from your hand until it is
your turn to play and you have decided to play that card. Do not pull up a
card, push it back into your hand, and then pull up another card. Nor should
you detach a card and then replace it to play another card. Also do not detach
your card before it is your turn to play and never rearrange your hand when you
are out of a suit. All of these maneuvers provide additional valuable
information to the declarer.
g) When you are on opening lead, detach a card
from your hand and lay it face down on the table. This prevents irregularities...such
as leading when it is not your turn to do so and allows questions about the
auction and any alerts to be answered. All players, except dummy, may now
request a review of the auction and an explanation of any alerted calls. You,
as the opening leader, should ask before you make your faced lead. Other
players may also ask for a review of the auction at their first opportunity to
play.
h)
As dummy you may not call the director.
You may not call declarer's attention to anything other than he is about
to lead from the wrong hand, to ask if he is out of the suit being played or
that he has a faced card incorrectly orientated before he plays to the next
trick. As dummy you may not play or touch any card in dummy (even a singleton)
until declarer calls the card. If declarer designates a suit, but not the rank,
he is deemed to have called for the lowest card of the suit indicated. If
declarer designates a rank but not a suit, he is deemed to be continuing the
suit in which dummy won the last trick.
i)
A requirement at The Links is for the players to sort the cards at the
end of the tournament, all players are expected to complete this duty prior to
leaving the table.
8. In bridge as in other competitive endeavors it is extremely important
to learn how to win and to learn how to lose. While it is acceptable in tennis
or football to do "high fives" when completing a successful maneuver,
it is not proper behavior at bridge. In fact, it is not even proper to commend
partner for an extraordinarily good play or defense in front of the opponents.
On the other hand, it is also poor behavior to berate partner when he or she
plays less than perfectly. Likewise, it is not proper to chastise the opponents
when a poor play turns out to be lucky or a good play provides you with a bad
board.
9. And last, but certainly not least, please ENJOY THE GAME