[blml] The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep is sick [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]

[Robert Geller]

richard.hills at immi.gov.au writes:
>
>Suppose that you and partner have been playing simple Blackwood for
>many years, and partner has never previously made a mistake in
>responding to simple Blackwood.
-> Not very realistic in this day and age when 99.44% of the field plays RKB,
but OK, let's assume this for the sake of argument.


>You use the old Black, and partner responds 5S, showing three aces.
>You find this slightly disconcerting since you hold two aces
>yourself.  Now an opponent asks you about the meaning of partner's
>5S bid. 
-> This is really farfetched.  I can't imagine any even marginally competent
oppts who would ask about 5S during the autction, rather than waiting till
it's over and then asking. 

> Do you respond:
>
>(a) pard is showing three aces?
>{Law 75C School of describing your partnership agreement}
>
>or
>
>(b) pard is showing two keycards and the queen of trumps?
>{De Wael School of describing your best guess to prevent UI}

-> Obviously (A) is the only correct answer.  We should all follow the laws 
or we'll have anarchy.  If "the law is an ass" let's agitate to get the laws
changed by the appropriate authorities, but let's not break the laws as
they now exist.

Furthermore, what possible problems could arise in this case by giving
the lawful answer?  Partner will perhaps become aware that there has been
a misunderstanding/error, but the 4NT bidder is the captain here and the
responder to 4NT is merely a robot who must go along with whatever his
partner decides.    (I suppose, having answered the question either way 
if the 4NT bidder then bid 5NT to ask for kings 
an ethical tightrope has been set up  for responder....   Let's not go here.)

-Bob

 

-----------------------------------------------------
Robert (Bob) Geller,     Tokyo, Japan        geller at nifty.com