Vernon Bridge Club

Rules of Bridge Etiquette/Zero Tolerance

To help you enjoy playing with our Club, we are sharing some key rules of etiquette that are supported by the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) and the Club’s Board of Directors.

Our games are sanctioned by the ACBL and therefore we abide by their rules. Whether you are new, or a seasoned player, there are many good practices that should be followed throughout the game.

Etiquette is About Attitude – Enjoy the Company as well as the Game!

• be courteous to your partner, opponents, and the Director at all times
• avoid remarks or actions that may:
  • cause embarrassment to another player or your partner
  • interfere with their focus and/or enjoyment of the game

Etiquette Do’s

• turn off your cell phone before play begins
• be a good host or guest and welcome your opponents to the table
• play smoothly and in tempo during bidding and as you play

Etiquette Don’ts

• chat with partner or others during play or between hands
• show a lack of interest or boredom with a hand
• remove a card from your hand before it’s you turn to play
• prolong play unnecessarily

All participants, as a courtesy to the Director and other players:

• arrive with your partner and a completed convention card 15 minutes prior to the official start time
• pay the game fee and be seated at the table you’re assigned to
• wait for the Director to give the OK before starting the first hand and before moving to the next table

Zero Tolerance Policy

Our Club has adopted the ACBL’s Zero Tolerance (ZTP) Policy. The ACBL is attempting to eradicate unacceptable behavior to make the game of bridge enjoyable for all.

Following are examples of behavior that will not be tolerated:

• • badgering, rudeness, insinuations, intimidation, profanity, threats or violence
  • negative comments concerning opponents’ or partner’s play or bidding
  • constant and gratuitous lessons and analyses at the table
  • loud and disruptive arguing with a director’s ruling

Psych Bids, while an integral part of bridge, can be unsportsmanlike and contrary to the spirit of the game.  Any call that deliberately and grossly misstates a player’s honour strength, or suit length, is by definition a “psych” or a bid that bears little resemblance to a logical choice for the hand in either a natural sense or as a conventional or systemic partnership agreement.

They:

• give the opponents an abnormal opportunity to get a good score
• are used against inexperienced players or merely to create action at the table

Players utilizing a psych bid more than once per session may be subjected to penalty. 

If a player at the table behaves in an unacceptable manner, the director should be called immediately. For the full policy see:

 https://cdn.acbl.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/ZT-Handout-for-Clubs.pdf

Fragrance Free Policy

In consideration of others who may have allergic reactions, pleasure do not use scented products such as perfumes, colognes, hairspray, lotions or after shave on game days.

Convention Cards

• per ACBL policy, each partnership must have at least one completed convention card
• the card(s) should be readily accessible to your opponents
• you cannot look at your card during bidding or play of the hand

General Rules of Play

Wait until at least one of your opponents is at the table before you remove your cards from the board.

Count your cards before looking at them. If you don’t have 13 cards, alert the other players and call the Director.

When you make a bid, the opponent to your left, may ask your partner what your bid means. Your partner must answer – NOT YOU! If your partner doesn’t know or isn’t sure, they should not speculate as doing so will give you information about your partner’s thinking. They should simply say that they don’t know what it means.

Wait to touch the bidding box until you’ve decided what bid to make:

• decide on the bid, take it out of the bidding box, look at it to make sure you’ve pulled out the one you intended and then place it on the table

Never:

• make remarks, gestures, or facial expressions to show that you do not understand your partner’s bid, you don’t like it or that your own bid is based on indecision
• pick up your bid cards before the bidding has ended
  • it’s a signal to your partner that you expect them to pass

Always:

• leave the board on the table during bidding and play so everyone can see the vulnerability

• alert or announce bids as required on your convention card

As declarer or dummy, inform the opponents when the bidding is complete and before the opening lead is made, if your partner:

• fails to alert an alertable bid
• alerts a bid that was not alertable
• provides an explanation which is contrary to your convention card

As defenders, if you make either of these mistakes, it is your obligation to inform the opponents after the play of the hand is completed.

Play of the Hand Courtesies

When you are on opening lead, save time by making the lead before writing down the contract on your score sheet and:

• remove the card from your hand and lay it face down on the table
• ask partner if they have any questions
  • this prevents irregularities such as leading out of turn and allows your partner to ask questions about the auction and alerts without influencing your lead

A review of the bidding may be requested by each player at their turn to play to the first trick.

After the first trick, a player, at their turn, may only ask:

• what the contract is
• whether or not it was doubled

If declarer plays a card from the wrong hand, either defender or the Dummy may point this out.

• a lead from the wrong hand can be accepted by either defender

Play your card when it is your turn, not before.

Do not:

• remove a card from your hand until it is your turn to play
• pull up one card, push it back and then pull up another card

To prevent a possible revoke, when your partner fails to follow suit, you may immediately inquire, for example: “no spades?”

Once all the cards played to any trick have been turned face down on the table:

• you cannot ask to see what cards were played to that trick
• you may ask which hand won the trick to ensure a lead is made from the correct hand

When playing a card DO NOT snap, bend, toss or hold onto it. Place it fully and quietly on the table in full view of other players.

Claiming the Game

Once a claim has been made, play of the hand must stop. Call the Director if:

• the claim is invalid or uncertain
• there is trump outstanding and declarer makes no mention of pulling trump

When the final card has been played, leave your cards on the table until all players have agreed on total tricks taken.

Bridge is a timed event. The ACBL suggests that boards be bid and played in an average of 7 minutes:

• slow play is a major concern, please keep pace and don’t keep others waiting
• wait until the game is over for post-mortems

Last, and certainly not least, enjoy the game!

Four friends + a standard deck of cards = the best game you’ll ever play. Bridge!

Each deal in bridge is its own mini-adventure. You get to speak in and decipher coded language to determine if you will defend or attack. It’s North-South vs. East-West. And in the end, someone will pay! (In points anyway)

ACBL.org