Bracknell Forest Bridge Club

Table Etiquette

To ensure maximum enjoyment for all players, could members and guests kindly take note of our protocols.

• Please sign in on arrival and be seated by 7.25pm for a 7.30pm start.
• Please remember to switch your phone off. If you need to leave it on, please set it to vibrate.
• It is north’s responsibility to manage the table. This includes verification of the boards, confirmation of the opponents, recording of the results and passing the cards to the next table. However, when playing a Howell movement, both pairs should check the Howell card at the beginning of each round to ensure they are playing at the correct table, against the correct pair and using the correct boards.
• Greet your opponents at the start of play and thank them at the end.
• As a courtesy to your new opponents please do not discuss the previous hands at your new table.
• All partnerships should have an identically completed convention card.  Partnerships playing non-standard systems (i.e. other than Basic or Benji Acol) must have an identically completed convention card. 
• Please count your cards before you look at them .
• Please leave the boards in play in the middle of the table and pointing in the right direction. 
• Please do not start a new board if the timer has announced ‘no new boards’.
• Ask the partner of the bidder any questions only when it is your turn to bid. Do not ask what a bid means unless the answer will genuinely affect your decision to bid. You are entitled to ask for a full explanation of all calls after the auction has ended.
• When making the initial lead, please do so prior to writing down the contract or entering information into the bridgemate (time is of the essence). Similarly, when you are dummy, put your hand down first then put away the bidding cards and write down the contract. Please make the opening lead face down to allow for questions from partner.
• Do not put your bidding cards away until the opening lead has been made.
• As declarer, if all remaining tricks are yours then please claim (with a clear explanation) rather than play.
• Please be respectfully quiet if you have finished play but others are still in play.
• Please do not hold long post mortems unless you are well ahead of the other players. Speak quietly as others yet to play the boards may overhear.
• If time allows, please share the bridgemate results with all players at the table.
• Please shuffle your cards before returning them to the board.
• Please remain in your seat and only move to the next table when asked to do so by the Tournament Director (TD).
• If your table is still in play when the move is called, dummy should pass completed boards to the next table.
• If you finish late please quickly update the bridgemate and move onto the next table. Complete your own records later and do not spend time reviewing the results.
• If you are late arriving at a table please take your hand and start bidding before writing down the new pair’s details in your personal score card.
• Please support and be extra patient with newer players.
• Where possible, please only leave the table when you are dummy.

Any player may call the TD at any time if there is a problem during the bidding or play -  the TD is there to help so please do not hesitate to call him or her.  However, if dummy is the only one to spot a problem, he or she should not say anything until play is complete when the TD must be called. This does not prevent dummy from trying to stop declarer from making an infringement.

A Tournament Director is in place at every club meeting to facilitate good practice. Please enjoy your bridge.                                                                                                                                                                                                     August 2015