[blml] 25 something ?

[raija]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Herman De Wael" <herman at hdw.be>
To: "blml" <blml at rtflb.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 5:52 AM
Subject: Re: [blml] 25 something ?


Now Ton's story becomes a bit more complicated ...

ton kooijman wrote:

>
> The nice thing here is that no other player assumed that the player in 
> question made a closing pass:  The player made a cue bid (5♦)on the way 
> to 6 or 7 spades, LHO doubled, partner passed, RHI passed and he, in a 
> blackout assuming the auction being closed asked his partner: 'have you 
> become ill?' and put his bidding cards in his box. His LHO within a split 
> second made the first lead.
>

The way the original was worded, the player in question did not make a
distinction between the "picking up bidding cards because the bidding
is over (4th hand)" and the "picking up cards to indicate a final pass
(3rd hand)". So while the player did not in fact pass, his opponents
could not be blamed for thinking the bidding was over and to make a lead.

In this version however, the player adds a comment "Have you gone
mad?" which should indicate, even to his partner, that he did not see
the double. In such a case, I would allow the partner to say "the
bidding is not over" and prevent opponents from leading.
If sufficiently clear, I might even rule that opening leader should be
sufficiently awake to realize that (presumed) declarer had not in fact
wanted to pass, ergo his assumption that picking up the bidding cards
meant passing was wrong and that he was therefor at fault for leading,
and consider penalizing him for it.


Assuming the lead was not gunshot-fast, there is nothing illegal or 
infractious (is this a word...)  in taking advantage of an opponents error. 
Nor does it - or should it - matter what the bidder "wanted" or "intended" 
to do.  He _did_ what he _did_, ie. in the OP case passed and ended up 
playing in a cuebid.  Things happen. Inattention is often costly and the 
laws should cater to those who are inattentive of the game, IMO.