Peter0000

In Australia, at the table, you only have to alert agreements that you have with your partner. And of course, it is your partner, not you, who alerts. A common situation is that you make an unusual bid, and the opponents ask what it means. Your partner may then say "We have not discussed this. I can guess what it means, but we have no agreement." And that's the end of the matter. No more is divulged. Is this the situation in USA? In Europe? Most people on BBO expect EVERY artificial bid to be alerted and explained. This causes me much grief. I sit at a table. It is immediately apparent to the opps that we have no agreements because we have not chatted much and I just arrived. Say I make a double in a complex competitive auction. Is it penalty? Takeout? Just values? Who knows? Pard does not! But the opps sometimes insist that I tell them what the X means. Or maybe I bid 2C over 1C, which I think should be the majors. Why should I tell the opponents when my partner does not know? That is so unfair. I remember a time when my pard made a psyche (I think that is bad form on BBO). The opps later complained that the psyche was not alerted! Really! I've never heard anything more absurd. It should only be required to alert a bid WHEN YOU HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH YOUR PARTNER. That is how I would like to see the BBO aletring rules changed. Peter Jeffery. Peter0000 peterm_jeffery@hotmail.com