Engineers Ireland Bridge Club

Bidding Boxes

Bidding cards and bidding boxes

There is a right way to place bids, and use the bidding box. Doing things differently may lead your opponents to think you are giving your partner unauthorised information!
Of course you don’t want to give that impression, so you should do the following:-
Only touch the bidding box after you have decided what to bid. A hesitation after touching cards in the box could be interpreted in lots of ways, probably not intended!
Place the bid parallel to your own table edge, with the bid facing your partner.
Every subsequent bid must be placed in exactly the same orientation, on top of the previous bid, with the previous bid visible to all. Place the cards gently on the table, with the same movement every time.

To do otherwise could be interpreted as an unauthorised signal to your partner.

  • Do not ‘indent’ bids or place them at different angles, compared to previous bids – keep them neat and tidy.
  • Do not throw the bid down with an air of finality - always place the bidding cards in the same way
  • Do not remove your bids, or gather them up, until all questions have been dealt with and the lead has been made.

If you hesitate before bidding, and then pass, or alternatively, if you bid very quickly, it could be interpreted as unauthorised information, so bid at a steady pace (but there is no need to speed up your normal rhythm.)