Announcing Rules – Changes in red from 1 Aug

Bid                                           Announcement           

1NT opener                               State the point range.                

2NT opener                               State the point range e.g. 20 to 22.                                             

Artificial replies to 1NT               Announce simple Stayman as “Stayman”, and transfers to Hearts and Spades.

Artificial replies to 2NT               Announce simple Stayman as “Stayman”, and transfers to Hearts and Spades.

Natural 2 bid openings                Announce as “weak”, “strong, forcing” or “strong, non-forcing”.      

< 3 card  1C / 1D openings         Announce as “may be X”, where X is the lowest possible of 0, 1 or 2.

                                                (primarily for 5 card major users. Precision openings still alerted)

Remember that an artificial 2C opener, and artificial replies to a 1NT overcall, are alerted not announced.

Alerting Rules – a few reminders

Where they are not announced, artificial bids (or bids with a special meaning) up to 3NT are alerted.

Above 3NT, no bids are alerted except an artificial suit bid in the first round of bidding (e.g. 1S – 4C).

Doubles of a natural suit bid are alerted if they are not for takeout.

Doubles of a NT bid are alerted if they are not for penalties.

Doubles of an artificial suit bid are alerted if they do not show that suit.

Redoubles intended for “rescue” rather than “to play”are alerted.

                                                                                                                                                HHBC 2013