[pirate22]

Scoring: IMP

---

Bidding proceeded West 1n/t-pass-2d(not alerted}annonced we Sayc. 2hts?
not alerted..... pass-pass........at this point a enquirey came up.
I do not know who queried,so typed in "Transfer" and my 2d bid is now highlighted,bidding proceeded pass pass pass.

Who is alerting who???????????its not the final result im complaining about ,but is it unfair for non offending side, to know which opp is asking for clarification.agreed as the 2d bidder i could now click the 2ht bid and also make an enquirey,knowing that i am going to pass anyway,but consider me asking will alert my partner that a wheel has fallen off,and i consider my action as unethical...comments plse.

WHY CANNOT WHEN AN ENQIREY IS MADE WHO---is asking
this situation comes up many times

[barmar]

This seems to be a BBO question, not a General Bridge question, wouldn't it be more appropriate in the BBO Suggestions forum?

Why didn't you alert and explain your 2♦ bid in the first place, then there wouldn't have been a problem? I think most places require alerts or announcements of transfers, so you should normally do this.

[gwnn]

Who is alerting whom? Furthermore, who is at fault?

[kenberg]

Not knowing who is asking makes online different from f2f. In my view it is an improvement, not a detriment. opponents are entitled to know your agreements and it is good for them to be able to determine tis w/o having to disclose which of them has the greater interest.

As to the specifics of this case, my own style online is to alert virtually all artificial bids. Of course more or less everyone plays 2D here as a transfer but you do not have to move far away from this situation for things to be different. Consider (1♠)-1NT-(Pass)-2♦. You may think "everyone" also plays this as a transfer and certainly most people do. But in at least some write-ups of SAYC this is played as natural. So my advice is just type in the alert as you make the call and then the issue does not arise.

[PassedOut]

pirate22, on Sep 15 2010, 01:35 AM, said:

i could now click the 2ht bid and also make an enquirey,knowing that i am going to pass anyway,but consider me asking will alert my partner that a wheel has fallen off,and i consider my action as unethical...comments plse.

Your partner cannot see your alerts in BBO. Your opponents can.

[hanp]

Agree with Csaba.

[gwnn]

Well that's a first for hanp. Finally he writes some sense.

[hanp]

Have I lowered myself to the level where even the gwnnests understand and appreciate my posts? Ouch!

[mycroft]

I like the self-alert feature of BBO. I like the fact that you can't *know* (but can usually guess) who asked for the explanation. I don't like the fact that it's very possible to play "lead-directional questioning", because *partner* knows when I make an enquiry...the answer shows up, and he didn't ask.

So, in my Alertable auctions, either I 1,"Forcing, 16+ unbal, 17+bal",♣, or (if it's a long series of Alertable calls) I [#],Alert,[suit],[click],explain (without being prompted). It doesn't always help - 1NT (10-12)-2D[ART GF]; 2H-4H; p "please explain 2D", I sigh and make a fuller explanation, and wait for the asked-for diamond lead; similarly with questioning of natural bids, again, usually a round or two later. But it stops most queries.

Note - this has worked in RL, too - 199x, when the ACBL switched from Alerting weak NTs to Announcing them, our average score went up by at least 1/2 board/night.

[pooltuna]

mycroft, on Sep 15 2010, 11:48 AM, said:

[snip] I don't like the fact that it's very possible to play "lead-directional questioning", because *partner* knows when I make an enquiry...the answer shows up, and he didn't ask.

[snip]

The cure for this is somewhat the same as the cure for the "autoplay singleton" feature where if you know what declarer is going to lead you can multiple click on the card you are going to play so that the otherside will either think you are playing a singleton or allow for the possiblity of your multiple clicking. Back to the "lead directional request" after you make a call, click on your bid and answer your own query .

[Bbradley62]

hanp, on Sep 15 2010, 10:08 AM, said:

Agree with Csaba.

But Csaba didn't express an opinion, he asked two questions. Does that mean you'd also like those questions answered?

[pirate22]

Having announced we were ply Sayc---does that mean one alerts Stayman---
and transfers i.e 2d/2hts are standard----but agree if one responds 2sp to pards 1n/t thats alertable {minor transfer} in my depicted hand why did the 2ht bidder not alert----and assume it was south that enquired,i think unethically

[gwnn]

I didn't ask any questions.

[jjbrr]

Gwnn didn't ask any questions.

[PassedOut]

What would you bid with the north hand if South doubles two hearts for takeout, as I would?

[pirate22]

If the 2d bidder, when it comes back to you x, they must be off their game,obviusley
there is something wrong---why allow opps to wiggle of the hook.

[PassedOut]

Sorry, misread the whole problem from the beginning.

[mycroft]

pooltuna, on Sep 15 2010, 11:36 AM, said:

mycroft, on Sep 15 2010, 11:48 AM, said:

[snip] I don't like the fact that it's very possible to play "lead-directional questioning", because *partner* knows when I make an enquiry...the answer shows up, and he didn't ask.[snip]

The cure for this is somewhat the same as the cure for the "autoplay singleton" feature where if you know what declarer is going to lead you can multiple click on the card you are going to play so that the otherside will either think you are playing a singleton or allow for the possiblity of your multiple clicking. Back to the "lead directional request" after you make a call, click on your bid and answer your own query .

and then when the question comes *again*, two rounds later,...?

If you read the rest of the post you quoted, you'll see I already do auto-explain, for Alertable calls. But still comes the query, just before the opening lead. I wonder why.