Sway Bridge Club Rules and Etiquette

General

• We do not accept any of our Members or Guests being rude or criticising their partner or opponents or being less than polite at a session. We expect our Members and Guests to respect this ethos.

• The committee reserves the right to terminate membership or decline membership without assigning a reason

• If there are any issues with play during the afternoon that cannot be easily resolved the director should be called. The director’s ruling in all matters is final.

• If there are any issues with the tablets please call the technical director for assistance

• If you have an issue with etiquette please raise the matter with a member of the committee so that the issue may be discussed generally

• Give credit when opponents make a good bid or play

• Ensure that your mobile phone is turned off

Before Play Starts

• Welcome players to your table, especially if they are new or inexperienced

• The player sitting North is responsible for the following:

  • Entering Player Numbers on the tablet to correctly identify players (1st round only)

  • On subsequent rounds ensuring details of players at the table are correct on the tablet

  • Ensuring the boards are in the correct compass direction and checking the correct board is being played

Auction

• Players should count their cards before looking at them.

• Bidding should be made smoothly without comment

• A player may ask the bidder’s partner the meaning of a bid, but only when it is his/her turn to bid. The opposition is entitled to a full explanation of a bid

• The bidder’s partner should announce the points range of a 1NT bid e.g 12-14, 15-17 etc.

• Conventions such as Stayman, Transfers, Weak Twos or Strong Twos should be announced by the bidder’s partner

• The Alert card should be used by the bidder’s partner for more complicated conventions, giving the opposition chance to ask what responder understands by his partner’s bid

• If your bid is a Jump bid please use the STOP card before laying your bid to alert the table. The Stop card should stay on the table for 10 seconds

• After the auction has been completed and prior to play, North should enter the resultant contract information on the tablet

• Bidding cards should be left on the table, in full view, until the lead card has been faced

Play

• Please keep the boards on the table whilst playing as this ensures the cards are always put back in the correct slot

• Play each hand at a reasonable pace to keep up with other tables

• When you are dummy keep silent, don’t touch or indicate any cards unless your partner names it

• Revoking is the most common mistake during play and can usually be resolved amicably by players at the table, otherwise the director can be called

• If you have not started to play a hand when the bell rings, do not start

• At the end of play, tricks should remain on the table until everyone has agreed the result 

• Players should shuffle their cards before returning them to the board in the correct place

Scoring

• North should enter the result into the tablet with East confirming the result

End of the round

• If you complete your boards before other tables have finished playing, please ensure any chatting or discussing of hands is kept to a quiet level

• North should pass on the boards to North at the following table

• At the end of the afternoon please put the tables and chairs away quietly if other tables are still playing