Vampyr, on 2011-October-13, 19:56, said:
Yes, he keeps using it instead of "taking time to think". LOL
I don't think its funny (or BS for that matter Ed).
Of course bridge is a thinking game. No one disputes that.
You can think and frequently have to when it is your turn to play. If the opponent has played a card in front of you then you don't always know what the card was going to be until it has been played. And sometimes it surprises you. If you are the leader then you may have some choices and need to think.
You can think when others are playing their cards.
You can think when others are thinking.
The point of dispute is can you force the other players to stop playing at any time so that you can think? Obviously they have to wait for you when it is your turn to play.
But can you make them wait when it is another player's turn to play?
I do not believe that the laws support this practice. You can't stop mid-trick at another player's turn and stop them playing so you can think. Can you really do this after one trick has been played and before the next has been led to?
I have yet to see a convincing argument that this practice however common others think it is is supported by the laws as they are currently written.
For the record I played another session today and not once did i notice any player delaying or attempting to delay the game by keeping their card face up. There was only one time when a player, my partner, asked to see the completed trick after some players had quit their trick. I will try and observe how common this practice is at the three session tournament I am playing in the weekend.
It appears to me to be a practice that is practiced only by a minority.