[blml] Minor/Major

[Steve Willner]

SW> why not make the bidding box rules similar to
SW> those of declarer playing a card?

> From: Herman De Wael <hermandw at skynet.be>
> Because it is very hard to detach a sticking extra card from the pack 
> you are holding when you have cards in your left hand, and a beer in 
> your right one. These things were not designed to be easy to handle, 
> and they are not. Putting the cards on the table and detaching the top 
> one is the more easy way of dealing with them, and in your regulation 
> that would be forbidden. Or do you want to adapt your rule and add 
> "deliberate" and "intent" in there again?

Oh, come on, Herman.  You direct a lot.  How often do you face a dispute 
over whether declaer's card is played?  And how often is it a difficult 
ruling?

The point is to eliminate intent from the ruling.  Yes, accidents and 
fumbles happen with bidding cards, but they don't typically result in an 
unintended bidding card "held touching or nearly touching the table." 
And even that frequency would go to nearly zero if players knew they 
couldn't have any "take-backs."