When is a bid alertable?.

ONE: If a call is conventional, it must be alerted (unless it requires an announcement or is self-alerting). 

A call is conventional if it conveys a meaning other than willingness to play in the named suit, or high-card strength or length there. However, an agreement as to overall strength does not make a call a convention. Examples might be:

• A change of agreed suit meant as a game try
• 2♣ opening,
• 2NT if playing Unusual NT,
• a transfer after partner's NT bid,
• Jacobi 2NT, and so on.
• Checkback (2♣)or New Minor Forcing (NMF)

TWO: Two classes of natural calls must be alerted (unless they are self-alerting):
(a) There is an agreement by which the call is forcing or non-forcing in a way that the opponents are unlikely to expect.
(b) Its meaning is affected by other agreements, which the opponents are unlikely to expect. For example:

• a jump raise of opener’s one-level bid in an uncontested auction, or
• a bid which may be weak or pre-emptive, or
• a single raise of partner’s suit which may be strong or forcing .

These self-alerting calls carry their own alert and should not be alerted:

• Doubles and Redoubles
• Cue bids of an opponent’s denomination/suit
• All calls at the four-level or higher, except conventional opening bids. For example, 4♣ (Gerber) is not alertable.
• Any 2♣ response to a 1NT opening bid in an uncontested auction (Stayman).

Note that if your partner over calls with 1NT, your 2♣ Stayman becomes alterable!

A player is entitled (at their turn to call) to ask for an explanation, but bear in mind that unnecessary questions may be more helpful to the opponents than to the enquirer’s own side, and may convey unauthorised information thereby limiting partner’s options.

The full ABF Alerting Regulations a can be seen by clicking ABF Alerting Regulations in the menu on the left, anywhere on this item.

When is a bid alertable?. ..........