Bridge

Bridge Etiquette

In social bridge, or when learning, you don’t really need to concern yourself too much with the etiquette of the game.  But when you venture out to play competitively, even just to a night at the local club, there are certain practices you should definitely adopt.  Some of them are rules prescribed by the game’s governing bodies; others are niceties that are recommended if you wish to be a popular partner or opponent.  We refer to all of them here as “rules” for simplicity.

Most of them are basic common sense, and should be observed in social bridge too.  We suggest therefore that you make it your business to learn them and practice them at all times.  But keep them in perspective, and don’t get yourself into a tizzy about them, especially when you are still new to the game.  Remember above all that bridge is a game, played for enjoyment, not as a penance!

 

Rule 1; Be Polite

Be polite, courteous, and sporting … both to your partner and to the opposition.  Greet the opponents on arrival at the table.  As Declarer, thank partner when they put down the Dummy hand.  Congratulate the opponents on good play or defence, and be quick to commiserate with partner when things don’t work out. 

 

Rule 2; Don't Delay

Bid and play as speedily as you can, and above all don’t dally at the table when others are waiting.  Social interaction is important, but secondary to the bridge.  And, as in golf, you have a responsibility to the other players to keep things moving.

 

Rule 3; Communication with Partner  

You can communicate with your partner during play via the bids you make, and the cards you play.  That’s all.  Avoid looking at partner (enter a bridge room and you will instantly note the fixed stare at the wall, floor, or ceiling adopted by most), and avoid sighing, glaring, snarling, and all other forms of self-expression.  Try to eliminate mannerisms such as tapping your fingers or adjusting your glasses, which might give the impression of trying to influence partner somehow.  When you are Declarer, you are off the hook on this, since Dummy is effectively out of commission, but the obligations continue to apply to the defenders.

 

Rule 4; Don’t Hesitate in Bidding or Play

Bid and play in tempo, that is at a consistent pace, in as much as you can.  Any unnatural hesitation you make sends a message to partner that you are undecided about something, and this unauthorised information, as it is known, may compromise your partner in any decision they may subsequently face.  Again, as Declarer you are released from your obligations here, since Dummy cannot by definition be influenced.

Bridge is a complex game, and we all need to think for longer than normal in some situations.  But keep it to a minimum, and, having taken time to think, bear in mind that your hesitation may compromise partner. 

After your partner has hesitated, you have an obligation to ignore the pause, and to act strictly on the merits of your own hand.

For example, the bidding has gone:

North	East	South	West
1♦	1♥	2♦	2♥

If North now pauses for an unnaturally long time, and then passes, and East passes, South should bid again only if they have a clear and unequivocal justification for doing so based on their own hand.  Presumably North was thinking about bidding on, but South should eliminate that from their thought process.  And if South does bid on, East-West may have the right to an adjustment of the score in their favour if the Tournament Director decides that South was influenced by the unauthorized information transmitted by North’s pause.

To coin a phrase, the partner of he who hesitates may be lost.  So you should try to avoid it.  In particular, never hesitate unnecessarily, when you have no decision to make, to try to mislead the opponents (for example when you have a singleton in the suit led).  Bridge is not poker, and this is regarded as the height of sharp practice.

Get into habit also of not touching the cards in the bidding box until you have decided what bid you are going to make.  Fumbling between several cards in the box sends the same message to your partner that you are undecided between options.

 

Rule 5; Observe the Alert & Stop Cards

The bidding boxes contain two cards which are not themselves bids, but are made in conjunction with bids – the “Alert” card and the “Stop” card.

Alert Card: There are no secrets at the bridge table.  Every partnership is obliged to explain its bidding system to the opponents, and to draw their attention to bids which are not standard.  The latter is done via the Alert card.

If your partner makes a bid which is not standard (including most conventional bids), you must draw the opponent’s attention to that fact, by placing the Alert card on the table or waving it so both opponents can see it.  You should not volunteer any information until you are asked.  Either defender can ask you to explain the alert, at their turn to bid (or at the end of the bidding).  If you are asked to explain, your obligation is to give a full and detailed explanation of the agreed meaning of the bid.  Note that the bidder’s partner, not the bidder themselves, must explain the alertable bid.

Non-standard bids above the level of 3NT should not be alerted at the time of the bid, but should be explained when the bidding is over.

Stop Card: The Stop card is used to indicate a skip or jump bid (ie one which skips a level in the sequence of bids, for example 1♥ - 2♠).  The Stop card should be placed on the table at the time of making the skip bid, and requires the next bidder to pause for a noticeable period (approx 10 seconds) before making their bid.  The purpose of the “stop” is to enforce a pause on the next bidder after the presumably surprising jump in the bidding.

 

Rule 6; Make the Opening Lead Face Down

When the bidding has concluded, the opening leader should always place the card they wish to lead face down on the table.  This is done for two reasons.  Firstly, it gives the leader’s partner a chance to ask any questions they may have about the bidding, and secondly, it protects against the possibility that the wrong defender has chosen to lead.  If that happens with the lead face down, the defender simply puts the card back in their hand and the correct defender can lead, whereas if the card has been revealed, the defending side may face penalties.  So make it a habit always to play the opening lead face down.

 

Rule 7; Call the Tournament Director

This is the Golden Rule
If you are in doubt about anything to do with the bidding or the play, call the Tournament Director; they are there to adjudicate in cases of uncertainty, or where there has been an infraction of the rules.  Explain the situation calmly, and non-confrontationally, and let the Director make a ruling.  Once the ruling has been made, accept it graciously and move on.

Treat calling the Director as a routine way to request information or deal with an irregularity, not as a diplomatic incident or an assault on anyone’s integrity. 

 

On Competition Night

Arrive on time (preferably at least 10 minutes before the start time)
Take your place quickly – the Tournament Director can only set the movement when they know how many tables there are, and latecomers can upset the calculations
Turn off your mobile phone
Play at the required pace
North looks after all the arrangements – if you are North:

• when scoring, place the scoresheet in the middle of the table where all can see it

• keep the boards on the table, and at the right orientation, to avoid the possibility of misboarding (which is very disruptive to the competition, and will be penalized)

Keep the bidding cards on the table until the opening lead is played (face down)
As Declarer, wait until your left-hand opponent has played before playing from Dummy (a common discourtesy even among experienced players)
Shuffle your own cards briefly before returning them to the boards
Tidy up bidding boxes and other paraphernalia at the end of the night

 

Remember Bridge is a Partnership Game

Always be courteous to your partner, even whey they go astray.  We all make mistakes, and no-one ever does so on purpose.  Criticising partner, especially at the table or in public, (a) just increases the chances of another mistake as partner becomes angry or nervous, (b) undermines your partnership, and (c) will make you an unpopular partner and opponent.

Work on your agreements (and your disagreements!) privately, away from the table.  Remember that you are playing with a person presumably because you respect their skill and enjoy their company.  So don’t put that in jeopardy (especially if your partner in bridge is also your partner in life!).

 

And above all, enjoy yourself!

 

Kindly supplied by Dermot O'Brien