[pescetom]

mikeh, on 2026-March-13, 17:52, said:

In fact I defy anyone to play O/E when following suit without often giving partner illicit information.

With all due respect, I consider that hyperbole. As a Director in Italy I get very few calls where it is alleged that illicit information was transmitted by a tempo variation related to signalling and when it does happen the laws are there to handle it. It is much less of an issue than is tempo of bidding without screens. People learn to make the decision in time and in advance when possible, just like any other close decision: the only difference is that you cannot allow yourself to break tempo and think it out better.

[Cyberyeti]

pescetom, on 2026-March-14, 09:38, said:

With all due respect, I consider that hyperbole. As a Director in Italy I get very few calls where it is alleged that illicit information was transmitted by a tempo variation related to signalling and when it does happen the laws are there to handle it. It is much less of an issue than is tempo of bidding without screens. People learn to make the decision in time and in advance when possible, just like any other close decision: the only difference is that you cannot allow yourself to break tempo and think it out better.

Played a match against somebody playing prism signals, has the same problem, if you don't have the right cards, there's a tempo break

[mike777]

I cant speak for the platinum or vandy but otherwise seems tempo break almost in every hand, even at the nationals...I did my fair share. If we define a tempo break of more than ten or eleven seconds.

[pescetom]

Cyberyeti, on 2026-March-14, 10:54, said:

Played a match against somebody playing prism signals, has the same problem, if you don't have the right cards, there's a tempo break

Maybe they were still adjusting to the new signals... or maybe they were simply unethical and would have used tempo whatever the signals (perhaps even more so if their method only allowed two responses). If you are willing to break tempo because you don't have the right cards, then you will do so with any set of signals (and you are the problem for your ethical partner, not the method).
But there is nothing inherent in odd-even (or upside down, or humpty dumpty or whatever) that makes it inevitable for a competent player to fail to maintain tempo. It seems to me unrealistic to argue this and the facts of real life tournaments involving odd-even do not back it up.