[jules101]

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.... after East bid 2N (invitational) South was having a short think about bidding a lead directional 3♦.

West (a LOL - lil ole lady) bid 3N out of rotation BEFORE South made her 3!d bid.

Before the director made it to the table, the 3N bid was undone, South bid 3!d, and West now bid 3!s rather than rebidding 3N.


The director was now asked whether West may substitute her earlier 3N bid with 3♠.


I think Law 31A applies here - "Bid Out of Rotational at RHO's turn".


Is it correct that West may

* repeat her earlier bid (in which case her partner could bid again - not applicable here, but might be on other auctions]

or she may

* substitute her earlier bid with any legal bid (including pass), but her partner is now silenced?


So, for instance, if she bids 3♠ here, then this is where she plays if her oppo don't bid again.


It would have been better of course if the players had called the director to the table at the time of the bid out of turn rather than 2 bids later, but this didn't happen.

[blackshoe]

Did this happen online? The usage "the 3NT bid was undone" would seem to so indicate, but maybe not. No matter, the law's the same.

Players are not permitted to make their own rulings (Law 10A). If they do so, the director may allow or cancel any such ruling (Law 10B). In this case, I would cancel the table rectification, and apply Law 29. North can accept 3NT, in which case that's the end of it, although I would rule, if North does so, that South's 3♦ bid is UI to North. I doubt North will accept it, though. If not, 3NT is cancelled, the auction reverts to South, who will presumably repeat her 3♦ bid. Now I'd explain Law 31A to West. If West still bids 3♠, East must pass for the rest of the auction, and Laws 23 and 26 may apply (Law 31A2b). If instead she bids 3NT, repeating her original bid, East must pass at his next turn, and West's 3♠ bid is UI to East.

The alternative is to allow the players' rectification to stand, as far as it goes, and apply 31A to the 3♠ bid on the table. I would not ordinarily do that, unless EW are experienced enough that they should know better.

[Vampyr]

jules101, on 2011-August-05, 16:30, said:

West bid 3N out of rotation BEFORE South made her 3!d bid.

blackshoe, on 2011-August-05, 18:08, said:

Did this happen online?

Dunno. What do you think?

[blackshoe]

Thank you, Stefanie, for pointing out my utter stupidity in not remembering how things work in a milieu in which I haven't played in nearly twenty years.

[jules101]

Not online.

In local club with a playing director.

Given playing directors aren't always available immediately - they might be in middle of a tricky defence or declaring - I think others (wrongly) sometimes feel an onus to "sort things out" without calling TD. This often crates extra bother!

[bluejak]

I know: I was called to the table last week. The people there started telling me that they would not tell me the auction because I had not played the board, and as far as I can see were not really going to tell me the problem.

I suggested, very politely, that they let me worry about my problems, and just tell me what had happened. The third time I said this, they did.