[bobjan]

I am a little bit confused with the announcement procedure.
A week ago, my partner opened 1NT, I tapped the alert card and immediately said "fifteen to seventeen". LHO called TD, and TD said I had to keep quiet until opponents ask for our 1NT range.
I thought I had to announce right away without being asked.
The Bridge Law books don't go into such details (or I read wrong books).
Where can I find "alerts and announcement for dummies" explanation?

[Lobowolf]

www.acbl.org has an "alert chart." I may be outdated on this, but I believe that it's proper, per ACBL procedures, to announce the range of all 1NT opening bids. However, in club games, there's some discretion, and many clubs set "house rules" about things like not announcing the 1NT range if it's "standard."

This is generally misguided, as it stems from complaints by the NT openers, who either don't want to be bothered to announce their standard range, or don't want to "get in trouble" for forgetting to. What the 1NT openers generally don't realize is that the "announce all 1NT bids" guideline is for their benefit, to protect against defenders who convey unauthorized information by (intentionally or not) passing an unannounced 1NT with a bad hand, and asking about the range with a decent hand. The prevalent attitude when I ran club games was "Why do have to announce it if it's standard?", not realizing that announing the range was a safety precaution for them.

[JoAnneM]

From the ACBL Alert Chart:

Notrump Openings
Announce
State Range, if natural, for all 1NT openings


You did't mention if this occurred at a club or tournament, but I have to assume it was a club. No tournament TD would have ever told you that. This might have been a club that has done away with the announcement, and probably other things they consider bothersome. I bet their players have lots of fun at tournaments.

The ACBL Alert Chart can be easily printed from the website. I have it posted it our club. You might present it as gift to that director.

http://www.acbl.org/...alertChart.html

[Echognome]

It will probably help when answering the question to know which country you are in as the alert procedures vary by country.

[Cascade]

As JoAnne quoted all natural NT ranges should be announced.

The practice especially online seems to be that almost no one announces 15-17 but many of those players vociferously complain when their opponent doesn't announce some other range.

[blackshoe]

Hold on, Wayne. Echognome is right. Before we can correctly answer the question, we have to know the jurisdiction.

[Cascade]

Yes you are right I should have written in ACBL territory

[JoAnneM]

I just assumed the Simpson's played in ACBL land.

[NickRW]

JoAnneM, on May 29 2009, 05:13 AM, said:

I just assumed the Simpson's played in ACBL land.

As the OP got an answer for ACBL land and hasn't written to say, "No, I play in Timbuktu", then I assume you're right!