[blackshoe]

There is a small slot (actually, there are two) in the front corner(s) of the box. The alert strip is supposed to be inserted in the slot, so that it sticks up above the box. The action of tapping the alert strip is then quite noticeable — if anyone is paying attention.

Around here, though, the alert strip, along with the orange "tournament director" card, seems to have departed each and every box for parts unknown.

[barmar]

Lots of people remove the alert strip from the slot because it gets in the way of pulling bidding cards. This happens to people who hold their cards in the right hand and reach their left hand over to the bidding box, since the alert strip slot is on the left side of the box. When I'm EW, I hate following one of these people, since I have to put the strip back in the slot when I get to each table.

However, bidding boxes also contain an alert card (some bidding box designs ONLY have these). With these, you remove the card from the box and display it to the opponents while saying "Alert". IMHO, these are better -- they don't get in the way, and they're less likely to fall and get lost.

[blackshoe]

The boxes we have here have slots on both sides. And, as I said earlier, no strips, usually.

I do like the alert cards better.

[barmar]

I've seen some boxes with two slots, but most just have the left slot. And even if there are two slots, the strip is usually put in the left slot. If you're one of those who finds this in the way, and you need to remove it, the more convenient thing is to slip it into the section containing the pass/double/redouble cards, rather than go to the extra effort of putting it in the right slot (and this will just be in the way of the people who use their right hands).

All this pulling out and putting in is the likely reason why these strips get lost.

My regular club doesn't have club-owned bidding boxes (we don't have any storage space at the game site, and lugging a dozen sets of bidding boxes to and from the game would be onerous), so many of the players have bought their own and bring them. I got the boxes with the strip and card -- I threw out the strips and just use the cards.

[aguahombre]

There is a practical procedure for players who actually care whether the opponents are properly aware of alerts. This is a bit of a hi-jack, since it doesn't apply to the person in the OP.

Whether the blue thing is an Alert Card or an Alert Strip, doesn't matter and we avoid going into the bid-box when it isn't our turn.

Before we even remove the first hand from a board, we take out the alert card from the box and place it on the table just in front of the box. While alerting, we slide the blue thing out to where it is visible to all, then slide it back.

[Zelandakh]

I had a variant of this happen at the weekend. My RHO opened 1NT and I bid 2♣, alerted by my partner. LHO now starts taling to herself but due to a combination of turning her head slightly to the left and speaking a foreign (to me) language I did not catch what she said. My partner did though and I found out later she had said something like "That's the normal thing", which presumably meant Landy (it wasn't). However, what is of interest to me is whether I am allowed to know what was said, since this would be AI to me. After all, if I am not allowed then how can I judge whether RHO has used UI later on? (she probably did, rebidding 3♣ on her 3334 hand.) Would it make a difference if my partner was deaf, or if it was my partner who did not hear and I heard but did not understand (being in a foreign language)?

[pran]

Zelandakh, on 2012-July-16, 05:54, said:

I had a variant of this happen at the weekend. My RHO opened 1NT and I bid 2♣, alerted by my partner. LHO now starts taling to herself but due to a combination of turning her head slightly to the left and speaking a foreign (to me) language I did not catch what she said. My partner did though and I found out later she had said something like "That's the normal thing", which presumably meant Landy (it wasn't). However, what is of interest to me is whether I am allowed to know what was said, since this would be AI to me. After all, if I am not allowed then how can I judge whether RHO has used UI later on? (she probably did, rebidding 3♣ on her 3334 hand.) Would it make a difference if my partner was deaf, or if it was my partner who did not hear and I heard but did not understand (being in a foreign language)?

I think you must be entitled to know everything said by your opponents (when screens are not in use). One particular reason for this is your duty (Law 20F5b) to correct your partner's explanations if these in your opinion are incorrect in any way. You usually cannot tell for sure if your partner's answer is correct unless you know the question asked.

However, I don't think that you are entitled to request a repetition of what opponents have said other than at times when you yourself may ask questions.