[jillybean]

ACBL
You are called to the table and told the following

The auction started PASS PASS. Player in 3rd seat pulled a pass card out of the bidding box and concealed the pass card behind the cards held in hand,thought for 15 seconds, reached for the bidding box, removed the 1C card, which was placed on the table and then returned the pass card to the bidding box.

[mw64ahw]

Can the ACBL really make Laws; maybe rules and regulations? Semantics maybe country dependent, but I thought Laws are reserved for sovereign states and their legislative bodies. On the basis perhaps the rulebook is inadmissible?

[pescetom]

 mw64ahw, on 2026-February-24, 01:50, said:

Can the ACBL really make Laws; maybe rules and regulations? Semantics maybe country dependent, but I thought Laws are reserved for sovereign states and their legislative bodies. On the basis perhaps the rulebook is inadmissible?

The Laws are made by WBF for the whole world, although ACBL likes to pretend they are ACBL Laws.

The twist is in how the regulations of an RA (like ACBL) about use of bidding box interact with the Laws.

Unfortunately some RAs (like FIGB) say that the call is made only when the bidding card is placed on the table: so now we are not in L25 as the Pass was never made. I would handle it as if the player had said "I'm tempted to Pass, but..." and then bid 1C. A 73B penalty for brazen illegal supply of information and then stay at the table with L16 ready to judge potential use of the UI.

Not sure how it works in ACBL.

[blackshoe]

Pretty much same way as in FIGB.

COC, App. G said:

BIDDING BOXES (no screens)
1. Players must choose a call before touching any card in the bidding box. A call is considered made when a bidding card is removed from the bidding box and held touching, or nearly touching, the table — or maintained in such a position to indicate that the call has been made.
2. Once a call has been made, the provisions of Law 25 (parts A and B), as written, govern changes of call.

[pescetom]

 blackshoe, on 2026-February-24, 16:03, said:

Pretty much same way as in FIGB.

Thanks. I remember now because that modification (adding "or nearly touching" etc) was evidenced by ACBL in a clarification recently discussed on that other forum. My comment then was that it would have been more logical and just to adopt the laws criteria for play of a card by a defender (in such a way that partner might have seen) rather than the more liberal criteria for declarer.

[jillybean]

blackshoe, on 2026-February-24, 16:03, said:

Pretty much same way as in FIGB.

How do you rule?

[mycroft]

Simple. LOTS of UI, "pass" was a call not made, 1♣ stands. What did partner do?

In England and other places in the world, one hopes the director was called when the pass card ended up behind the player's cards and the rest of the story didn't happen.

[pescetom]

mycroft, on 2026-February-25, 13:18, said:

Simple. LOTS of UI, "pass" was a call not made, 1♣ stands. What did partner do?

As the man said.
Plus a penalty for the brazen act with Pass, as I said (and yes, even if a beginner, because this wasn't a mistake and certain tendencies are best stopped early).

[jillybean]

mycroft, on 2026-February-25, 13:18, said:

Simple. LOTS of UI, "pass" was a call not made, 1♣ stands. What did partner do?

In England and other places in the world, one hopes the director was called when the pass card ended up behind the player's cards and the rest of the story didn't happen.

Partner was cautioned not to take any inference from initial 'pass'
LHO bid 1nt which ended the auction

---

EW +180

[pescetom]

jillybean, on 2026-February-25, 16:28, said:

Partner was cautioned not to take any inference from initial 'pass'
LHO bid 1nt which ended the auction

Partner did not use the UI but opponents might well have found 3NT without these antics, adjust score and double the penalty.

[jillybean]

pescetom, on 2026-February-25, 16:40, said:

Partner did not use the UI but opponents might well have found 3NT without these antics, adjust score and double the penalty.

I like that, but not for North America
North/South are "A" players

[barmar]

pescetom, on 2026-February-25, 16:40, said:

Partner did not use the UI but opponents might well have found 3NT without these antics, adjust score and double the penalty.

Looks to me like East contributed to their own damage. 1NT is a definite underbid with 20 HCP, assuming the typical 15-18 range for a 1NT overcall. The proper bid is double, and then when partner bids 1NT you can raise to 3.

Is this a situation where we could award a split score: +180 for EW, -430 for NS?