[Free]

In my local club with one of my partners, we play 1NT 14-16 balanced. Last week, I had the following hand:

Scoring: MP

---

The bidding went:
1NT - all pass.

I alerted 1NT as 14-16, my hand came on the table and my LHO said my partner should alert that I can have 9HCP . She usually knows a lot about regulations, but this is imo insane, since it's just hand evaluation. I asked her if you play 15-17 NT if you have to alert when your partner can pass with 8HCP and she said 'yes'.

Is this correct? I mean, this hand is not even close to a 9 count worth imo, but it does have 9 'HCP'...

Note: no TD or anything was called, she just mentioned it and didn't make a big deal out of it.

[helene_t]

Hand evaluation is not alertable of course.

Only if you frequently psyche a pass with a strong hand, hoping opps will balance so you can punish them, maybe a case could be made for alerting.

[hrothgar]

I think that you already know the reply to this one...

Does she really think that players should respond to a 15-17 HCP 1N opening holding

Qx
Qxx
Qxxx
Qxxx

or some such?

[FrancesHinden]

The usual answer is that alerting regulations depend on where you are playing, so we cannot answer your question.

However I can't imagine any location where the pass would be alertable. If you frequently passed a 14-16 1NT opening on 9+ HCPs and your partner frequently psyched a 1NT opening with an 8-count you'd be in trouble, but that's a different matter.

There is an English regulation that you need to alert the pass if it denies a zero count. Some pairs have an agreement that they would never pass out a (weak) NT with less than a 3-count - they would try Stayman, or psyche a transfer. In that case the pass must be alerted.

[inquiry]

The meaning of this pass is "I want you to play 1NT". It is self explainatory. It has no special meaning, it is NOT ALERTABLE.

[hrothgar]

Its worth noting that I can envision cases where a pass would require an alert.
Some players like to "trap pass" when competing against aggressive balancers.
Its possible that your opponent was worried that you and your partner had a similar agreement.

However, with the hand in question, I think that the pass is "normal"

[Gerben42]

Well you all get the Basil Fawlty prize for saying the bleeding obvious. Pass is not alertable. Duh!

Side note: A 9 count with a singleton Jack is an 8 count.