[mr1303]

Scoring: IMP

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Auction proceeded as follows:

1H (P) 2C (2H)*
3D (3S) 4D (P)
5D (P) P (X)
All pass

2H was alerted as spades and diamonds.

East (if you ask him) will say that he thought the opening bid had been 1D.

Table result is 5D X - 4, EW +1100

How do you rule?

[Vampyr]

Was an explanation given at the time of the alert? If not, the diamond bids by North and South seem bizarre. Although of course the 5D bid is bizarre no matter what N/S thought.

[pran]

Frankly I see no infraction at all here (assuming of course that the explanation of the 2H overcall agreement is correct)

[duschek]

There might be a problem with East's pass over 4♦, holding Kxx in a suit introduced on the three-level by his partner. Obviously, it is a big surprise for partner to bid 3♠ when he could not bid 1♠ during the first round of the auction, but at least you have to consider whether East has a logical alternative to passing.

[bluejak]

3♦ is also bizarre with or without an explanation. However, despite N/S's actions being beyond 'wild or gambling', there is the UI question of East's failure to raise 3♠ to 4♠ with three card support and a singleton.

I had not seen duschek's post when I wrote this. But I agree!

[helene_t]

West's 3♠ bid after a failure to overcall 1♠ first is strange (from the POW of East if he didnt know he had shown spades himself) and maybe East has sufficient AI that his 2♥ bid was misunderstood. Maybe he really thought that the opening bid was 1♦ bit realized it was 1♥ at this point.

I would let the result stand but have a chat with East about UI.

[bluejak]

There have been many posts in many different threads that suggest strange bids from partner might wake a player up. While it is possible, in my 47 years of duplicate bridge there have been an amazing number of unbelievable bids. Partner - often me! - has been dismayed, amazed, angry, disbelieving, sflabbergasted, resigned and have assumed partner is an idiot, deaf, blind, incompetent and so on. But just about never has a player gone back to the auction and thought "Perhaps I have got the auction wrong". So while it must be vaguely possible, I am unconvinced about an adjustment based on a player realising he has done something wrong, because in my experience it does not happen.

[barmar]

There have been a number of times when the auction went strangely, and it caused me to realize that I'd pulled the wrong card from the bidding box (or misclicked on BBO). I'm thinking "Why is my previously passed partner suddenly bidding spades like crazy?", then I look down and see a spade bid where I thought there should be a heart.

However, if my misbid had been alerted, I don't think I can wake myself up. Even if the alert didn't actually wake me, I'm probably ethically required to act as if it did. And since I'm not allowed to take advantage of that wakeup, I have to continue bidding as if I'd bid what I thought I bid.

[Mbodell]

barmar, on Jan 17 2010, 10:12 PM, said:

There have been a number of times when the auction went strangely, and it caused me to realize that I'd pulled the wrong card from the bidding box (or misclicked on BBO). I'm thinking "Why is my previously passed partner suddenly bidding spades like crazy?", then I look down and see a spade bid where I thought there should be a heart.

I second this. I've had this happen to me a number of times. And a number of other times I've noticed I pulled the wrong card on my own with no "surprising" action by anyone else, just me glancing down before making my next call.

[pran]

If a player "could demonstrably be"awakened by his partner's action other than legal calls (or plays) then he must be very careful with the prescriptions in Law 16.

But nothing in the laws prevents a player from being awakened solely by his partner's legal calls or plays, or for instance by discovering his own previous misbids.

Barmar shows IMHO the correct understanding of Law 16

[duschek]

helene_t, on Jan 17 2010, 05:42 PM, said:

I would let the result stand but have a chat with East about UI.

I think this is attacking the problems in the wrong order. I think we should begin by asking East about the reason for passing, then, if relevant, have a chat about UI and consider adjusting the score.

[campboy]

Personally, I would not consider raising 3♠. The bid makes no sense at all in view of the previous pass, but I am not going to play partner for an overcall he didn't make. It doesn't matter whether I wake up to my misbid or not (I don't suppose I would).

Having said that, I am probably not a suitable person to poll since I strongly disagree with the 2♥ bid even if the auction was as he thought.

[edit] In other words I agree with those who say I am not allowed to wake up to my misbid because of the alert; however, I do not think 4♠ is an LA even if the player continues to think the auction started with 1♦.