[blml] Insufficient rebid

[Adam Beneschan]

Richard Hills wrote:
 
> Eric Landau noted:
> 
> >>Indeed, most ACBL players do seem to think
> >>that it *is* illegal to condone an
> >>insufficient bid.  How else can one explain
> >>the fact that most insufficient bids in the
> >>ACBL are followed, immediately upon being
> >>noted, by a correction to a sufficient bid,
> >>without the director first being called or
> >>any other allowance made for the possibility
> >>that the opponents might choose to condone
> >>it?
> 
> Richard Hills:
> 
> There are similar immediate correction habits
> amongst Aussie bunnies.
> 
> At my table West started an attempt to correct
> his insufficient bid to 2H before I stopped
> him, informing him that I accepted his 1H bid.
> 
> But at least in Australia bunnies are in fact
> aware that a condonation of an insufficient
> bid is legal.  It is just that Aussie bunnies
> are locked in the mindset that accepting an
> insufficient bid "must" be poor strategy - why
> give an opponent a free shot at more bidding
> room? - not realising that more bidding room
> might sometimes be useful for the non-offending
> side.
> 
> Since an Aussie bunny would never condone an
> insufficient bid, an infracting bunny opponent
> naturally falls into a habit of saving time by
> automatically and immediately correcting their
> insufficient bid.

I doubt that it's necessary to imagine this sort of reasoning takes
place---i.e. people correct the bid because they think condoning the
bid is illegal (Eric) or because they think it would be illogical and
poor strategy (Richard).  I'll bet that the "thinking" is more along
the lines of, "I did something wrong and I have to fix it".  That's
human nature kicking in, unless you're trained to do otherwise.  And
since insufficient bids are very rarely condoned, and too many
opponents just tell them "insufficient" and give them a chance to
correct without calling the director, that training often doesn't take
place.  Anyway, that's my theory.

Personally, I think it's best just to call the TD right away when an
opponent makes an insufficient bid.  Don't tell them it's
insufficient, until after you've called the TD and stopped play.  Most
of the bunnies *will* know not to do anything until the TD gives them
instructions.  Hopefully.

                                -- Adam