BudH

Thanks for finding that. I thought I had or found every document associated with the 2017 law changes and had been looking for a passage similar to what you found. That at least gives some evidence to what we expected we should do. I still think the laws themselves should clarify the clarification period and disposition of exposed cards.

I never said that (for exposed cards happening "during the auction". You are stating that the exposed card happened during the auction. Law 24 clearly covers this case.

True, when I put this on BridgeWinners as a poll, I knew those being polled would be on average a higher standard than the West in question. Although since I know the West player, she is at a pretty decent level for an average Flight A club player. What I think it does show is how clearly 5D is likely a logical alternative even for a moderately high club player skill level. And that 3D even for a club game was probably too much influenced by the UI.

"Presumed Declarer: The player, who in the absence of an irregularity, would become declarer." "Defender: An opponent of (presumed) declarer." So it appears the term "defender" becomes defined when the auction (presumably) ends, although we know misinformation might lead to the non-offender's final pass being changed and the auction therefore continuing. It appears to me if Law 24 (CARD EXPOSED OR LED DURING THE AUCTION) was instead titled "CARD EXPOSED OR LED DURING THE AUCTION OR CLARIFICATION PERIOD" with a minor change to the wording of this law, it would additionally cover the clarification period for accidentally dropped (or deliberately exposed) cards.

Under the 2007 laws CHAPTER VI — The Play is Laws 41 to 71. This is a strong indicator that Laws 49 and 50 apply only to the play period.

I included some key definitions and laws below. (I did paraphrase in some cases and didn't include every word.) Note that Law 24, applicable during the auction, is not applicable between the final pass and the facing of the opening lead. Law 50B (DISPOSITION OF PENALTY CARD, Major or Minor Penalty Card) presumably applies only during the play of the hand (following facing of the opening lead). Nor does Law 49 (EXPOSURE OF A DEFENDER’S CARDS) apply. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Auction Period: (1) from removal of cards from board to first call of auction, plus (2) auction period, plus (3) clarification period. Auction period: from when a partnership removes one of the two hands from the board to the facing of the opening lead Clarification period: from the final pass to the facing of the opening lead (that is, the latter part of the auction period) Auction: from the first call of the auction to the final pass of the auction Law 16D (Extraneous Information from Other Sources) 1. "When a player accidentally receives extraneous information about a board he is playing or has yet to play ... by seeing a card belonging to another player at his own table before the auction begins, the Director should be notified forthwith ...." 2. "If the Director considers that the information would likely interfere with normal play he may, before any call has been made, ... allow completion of the play of the board standing ready to award an adjusted score if he judges that the extraneous information affected the result." Law 24 (CARD EXPOSED OR LED DURING THE AUCTION): "When ... during the auction, because of a player’s own error, one or more cards of that player’s hand were in position for the face to be seen by his partner, the Director shall require that every such card be placed face up on the table until the auction ends. Information from cards thus exposed is authorized for the nonoffending side but unauthorized for the o‘ending side (see Law 16C)." Law 50B: (Major or Minor Penalty Card): "A single card below the rank of an honor exposed unintentionally (as in playing two cards to a trick, or in dropping a card accidentally) becomes a minor penalty card. Any card of honor rank, or any card exposed through deliberate play (for example in leading out of turn, or in revoking and then correcting), becomes a major penalty card ...."

For accidentally dropped card(s) during clarification period: Law 16D applies for accidentally dropped card before the start of the auction. Dropped card(s) do NOT become penalty cards. Law 24 applies during auction (from first call to final pass). Dropped card(s) become penalty cards if offender becomes a defender. Does Law 16D apply during the clarification period? If the opening leader accidentally drops a card(s) as he is making his face down lead, will the dropped cards not become penalty cards? If they do become penalty cards, which law specifies that?

One issue that comes into play is ATTRIBUTABLE meanings of 2NT: 1. 2NT was bid thinking the opening bid was 2!H, not 1!H. (perhaps good 15 to bad 19 HCP) 2. 2NT was bid thinking he was dealer or that RHO had passed. (perhaps 20-22 HCP) 3. Something else

BridgeWinner poll: 4 votes for 3D 7 votes for 4D 20 votes for 5D

My error - West. Corrected.

If you were given a problem on paper and told you hold with nobody vulnerable as dealer ♠T9 ♥9xx ♦QJ98x ♣Axx with an auction Pass-1♥-2NT-Pass-?, I would expect with a group of good players given this problem that few of them are going to choose 3♦ and a significant minority or majority are bidding 5♦. If I had been West and had this happen to me, I would have felt that a significant number of good players would bid 5♦ and I would have felt obligated to commit possible suicide by bidding 5♦.

The only two answers that you could choose that had any chance of being correct were: 1. Play continues, no rectifications, OR 2. Play continues, but Director may adjust score if North-South gain from the infraction

Let's assume the Director is called and let's assume the Director takes East away from the table, at which point East tells the Director: "at the last moment, I realized my 2NT bid would be taken as the minors and immediately changed to a double. If my double is withdrawn, since I am aware of my error prior to my partner's next call, am I allowed to know my partner's next call will be required to assume I hold the minors? And can I try to make calls getting partner to bid notrump so that I can pass it, since if I bid notrump you may adjust the score?"

Let's pretend this was part of a written exam on the laws and that it said "when dummy (North) puts his cards on the table, West calls the director because he can see two ♠A. It becomes clear that dummy's ♠A was from the previous board. The extra ♠A is put back where it belongs. Besides that, what should be the director's decision?

Law 13C - Surplus Card - "Any surplus card not part of the deal is removed if found. The auction and play continue without further rectification. No adjusted score may be awarded unless such a card is found to have been played to a quitted trick." The auction ends and when dummy is displayed, one of the defenders calls the Director because there are 14 cards in dummy. All other players have 13 cards. After the Director investigates, dummy's spade ace is removed (it was from the previous board). Declarer and the other defender know there is an excellent chance that defender who called the Director holds the spade ace. That being the case, does it make any sense that "no adjusted score may be awarded"?