[jh51]

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Over the weekend, this occured in a team game at a Sesctional Tournament. The bidding was approximately the above. (West might have been dealer and passed, and South might have bid 1♠ instead of 1♥).

While East was contimplating his lead. West asked to look at my convention card. I allowed it and he asked whether my 1C was a short club. (The card is clearly marked 3+ promised.)

I was intent on calling the director if a club were now led, but I got some other lead. I took 10 tricks in the other 3 suits before I finally had to lead a club, and West took the final 3 tricks.

After the hand was done, East said to his partner, "Sorry, I did not have a club to lead." I am not going to call this pair cheats, as that is not proper, but it seemed to me that the question was deliberate UI, and that it was likely this pair has done this sort of thing before and likely gotten away with it.

Since there was no damage on this occassion, I never called the director, but wondered later if I should have so that this pair would at least be informed of their ethical responsibilies, if not issued a PP or haveing a recorder report taken.

Would this have been the best thing for me to do?

[gordontd]

jh51, on 2012-September-24, 13:58, said:

After the hand was done, East said to his partner, "Sorry, I did not have a club to lead." I am not going to call this pair cheats, as that is not proper, but it seemed to me that the question was deliberate UI, and that it was likely this pair has done this sort of thing before and likely gotten away with it.

Since there was no damage on this occassion, I never called the director, but wondered later if I should have so that this pair would at least be informed of their ethical responsibilies, if not issued a PP or haveing a recorder report taken.

Would this have been the best thing for me to do?

If he said it in your hearing, it's quite possible that he didn't realise, and you could just have said, pleasantly, "you know you're not actually allowed to do that".

[RMB1]

At multi-session / multi-section event a year or two ago, there was a pair using UI in much this sort of way: asking "leading" questions and getting the right lead.

Sometimes the TD was called but usually there was no damage - sometimes the TD did warn them for asking the questions in the way they did. But then they would move to up and down the field to a different section and there would be new TDs - more warnings were given but no procedural penalties - until eventually there were two occurrences in the same 8-board match/round - the same TD was called and re-called and adjustments were assigned.

I think the message is - yes, you should call the TD - the pair may have already been warned and the TD will now penalise them.

[gnasher]

gordontd, on 2012-September-24, 14:40, said:

If he said it in your hearing, it's quite possible that he didn't realise, and you could just have said, pleasantly, "you know you're not actually allowed to do that".

I think players should be discouraged from telling other players what they're allowed to do, especially when there's an implication of impropriety. The right person to do this is the director, because he can do so impartially, authoritatively, and just as pleasantly as anyone else.

[bluejak]

jh51, on 2012-September-24, 13:58, said:

Since there was no damage on this occassion, I never called the director, but wondered later if I should have so that this pair would at least be informed of their ethical responsibilies, if not issued a PP or haveing a recorder report taken.

Would this have been the best thing for me to do?

In principle, call the TD, and let him explain.

But the advantage of being in the ACBL [and I believe the same applies in Australia] is the Recorder system, which provides an alternative. You can give the facts to the Recorder and let him worry.

[jh51]

gordontd, on 2012-September-24, 14:40, said:

If he said it in your hearing, it's quite possible that he didn't realise, and you could just have said, pleasantly, "you know you're not actually allowed to do that".

He said it at the table (we had a couple more boards to play) and I remarked that if had been able to lead a club and done so, I would have indeed called the director.

I should be more aware of the recorder system. A good friend and former frequent partner (now infrequent since we have now both moved away from where we met) recently started a new job as the NABC Assistant Recorder. She has a number of titles, that being one of them. Her favorite is "Disciplinary Coordinator", which I told her sounds like she should have a whip or a flogger. Not surpirisingly, I was not the first to make such a remark to her.

[aguahombre]

Has the recorder system become effective in Australia or in the ACBL in recent times?

IMO, a good start would be for TD's to have confidential access (computerised, perhaps).