[blml] Minor/Major

[Herman De Wael]

Steve Willner wrote:
> 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?
> 

I don't see the point you are coming from. Yes, those rulings happen, 
and no, they do not pose a large problem.

> 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."
> 

But the point remains that it is a clumsy thing. And to strengthen the 
rules to the point of making some clumsy actions into "made bids" 
(with added UI that they were not intended) makes for bad regulation.
And then I don't mind having to decide upon intention once or twice.


-- 
Herman DE WAEL
Antwerpen Belgium
http://www.hdw.be