Blum on Bridge Rules of the Road The Bidding
	Never during the 12 years I've written locally have I devoted my column to the "Laws of Contract Bridge." The reason has been that you, dear reader, or I would fall asleep from sheer boredom before reaching the halfway point in the article. Until now. I have found an excellent condensed summary of the most important irregularities in a paperback entitled "The ABCs of Bridge" by well-known author Bill Root. By the way, this book should be in the library of all beginners, advanced beginners, and some intermediates. No matter whether you are competing in a 10,000-table-a-week national tournament or a weekly one-table ladies lunch followed by afternoon bridge, game certain rules must be followed. I still remember my mother playing with the "girls" in her Thursday afternoon game that survived for over 40 years. Quite often they had to decide how to treat some discrepancy that would occur during the afternoon. Summarizing Root's book I will pass on to you some important laws that should be followed each time you sit at the table. A "redeal" is necessary if before the last card is dealt: the wrong player is dealing; a card is faced during the deal; the cards are incorrectly dealt. A redeal is necessary if before play is completed it is discovered that: the pack is incomplete and missing cards cannot be found; two hands are incorrect as one player has too many, the other too few. A redeal is not necessary if: the wrong player completed the deal. The deal stands; the player who dealt begins the auction and the player who missed his turn to deal has no redress; a player played more than once to a trick, or failed to play to a trick; a missing card is found elsewhere, not in a previous trick. It is restored to the deficient hand and "revoke" penalties may apply. Each player may ask for a review of the bidding at his turn to bid. An opponent should give this review. After the last pass any player except the dummy may ask for a review at his first turn to play. Subsequently no review of the bidding is allowed. However, any of the three active players may ask what the contract is. Changing a bid. There is no penalty if the change is made without pause for thought. When a change is made after some seconds: if the original bid was legal and the offender wishes to repeat it, partner must pass one time; if the offender substitutes any legal bid, partner must pass for the remainder of the auction. Lead penalties may apply. When a player makes an "insufficient bid" the opponent who calls next may accept it (accidentally or on purpose) by making any bid, double or pass, as though the insufficient bid were legal. If the next player refuses to accept the insufficient bid: the offender may make the bid sufficient by bidding the lowest possible number in the same suit or no-trump. (No penalty); Or, make any other legal call. This forces the offender's partner to pass for the rest of the auction, and there may be lead penalties. When a player makes a bid when it is not his turn to bid, the opponent who calls next may accept it (accidentally or on purpose) by making any bid, double or pass. The bidding continues as if no irregularity occurred. If the next player refuses to accept the bid out of turn follow this advice: if the irregularity occurred before the offender's partner turn to call, that partner must pass throughout the auction; if the irregularity occurred at right hand opponent's turn to call and that opponent passes, offender's legal bid is repeated without penalty. But if that opponent makes a legal bid, double or redouble, offender may make any legal call. If the call repeats the denomination bid out of rotation, there is a penalty. Offender's partner must pass one time. Any other action by offender forces partner to pass throughout the auction and lead penalties may apply. When a player passes out of turn, the opponent who calls next may accept it (accidentally or on purpose) by making any bid or pass. The bidding continues as if no irregularity occurred. If the next player refuses to accept the pass out of rotation, the penalty depends on whose turn it is to bid. If the irregularity occurred before any player has bid or at right hand opponent's turn to call, offender must pass one time at his next turn. But if the irregularity occurred after one or more bids have taken place and it was offender's partner turn to call, offender must pass throughout the auction. His partner may make any legal bid or pass, but he may not double or redouble at that turn.