Permitted methods and Conventions.

The rules for play are the same as those defined by the English Bridge Union (EBU) and published in the form of 'The Orange Book'. This is available as a pdf document on the EBU website.

Permitted conventions should conform to the level 3 requirements as published in this book. This permits all simple systems and will also allow league players to use and encounter methods that are playable up to the second division of the County League.

Exceptions to these rules for normal club play are:-

1. Convention cards will not be required, and

2. Any opening bid of INT which does not show the range 12 - 14 points should be announced.

Some particular points to note are as follows:-

Stop cards. These should be displayed for about 10 seconds and then returned to the box.

The next player should not bid until the card is returned.

Bidding should then continue at the normal tempo.

Alerting Any suit bid which does not guarantee a natural holding in that suit should be alerted (if below 3NT). Also, any bid below 3NT that carries additional information should be alerted.

Some specific rules about bidding and play

During the auction you should only enquire about the meaning of a bid if it affects your next action.

At the end of the auction, defender on lead may ask for an explanation of any bid or of the whole auction before choosing a lead card and placing it face down on the table.

Partner may then ask any further questions before the lead card is faced and the play continues.

If either declarer or dummy gives an incorrect explanation of the partnership agreement, their partner should correct this after the auction has finished but before the lead card is selected. If the defence believe that their bidding has been affected by the error they may call the director who may wish to adjust the score at the end of the board.

INT opening bids should normally show a hand without a singleton in a defined points range.

However, a partnership may agree to open 4-4-4-1 hands with any singleton, and/or 5-4-3-1 hands with a singleton honour within the same points range.

If this agreement is in place, the partnership must alert all INT opening bids.

In the immediate overcall position you must not double INT for take-out. The double must be for penalties. Your partner may choose to take out your double. A double of a suit bid at the 1 or 2 level should be for take-out. Please alert this bid if it is not the case.