How would you decide?

[jahol]

See the deal...

 

[hv=d=e&v=n&n=sk8hkq943dj742c62&w=sj732haj105d9caj74&e=sa965h8762daq83c10&s=sq104hdk1065ckq9853]399|300|Scoring: IMP[/hv]

 

The bidding was

 

North-------East-------South-------West

..---...........pass........2C(1).........pass

2H(2).........pass........3C(3)........pass(4)

pass........double........pass

 

(1) - Precision, 10-14PC, 6+cl or 5+cl + exactly 4 in some major suit

(2) - non forsing, may be raised with 5+cl + 4H

(3) - after some small hesitation

(4) - after approximately 10 seconds of waiting

 

All other bids were made a tempo. The result: down two, -500, -8I MPs from point of view of N-S.

 

The director was called immediately after the double bid. The decision: everything was OK, the result stands. Your opinion?

 

Let us mark the whole story and the bid description (4) as alternative "A". let us have two more alternatives:

 

Alternative B:

(4) - four minutes of waiting, looking into cards, eating sandwich, then "I am sorry, it is my turn, is not it...!?", then 10 more seconds of thinking, passing finally

 

Alternative C:

(4) - detailed asking about the meaning of 2C and 3C bid, then three minutes of waiting, looking into cards, eating sandwich... the rest the same as in alternative B.

 

Would the difference between the alternative A and the other alternatives influcence your estimation of the situation?

[Gerben42]

I give the player a PP in alternative #2 for not paying attention!

Otherwise I don't adjust anything.

[MFA]

I don't care if west is eating a sandwich or not.

If he stops to think over 3♣, east cannot double with this hand.

[pclayton]

I think East has an auto balance.

[whereagles]

East has had a chance to dbl 2♥ for take-out, a much, much safer bid than doubling 3♣. But he didn't dbl 2♥.

 

In my view this is a clear case for adjustment. I would also seriously consider a procedural penalty on EW for making use of unauthorized information.

[Adebisi]

Exactly whereagles, wanted to make same post!!

[MFA]

East has had a chance to dbl 2♥ for take-out, a much, much safer bid than doubling 3♣. But he didn't dbl 2♥.

 

In my view this is a clear case for adjustment. I would also seriously consider a procedural penalty on EW for making use of unauthorized information.

No. I disagree completely with a procedural penalty.

 

East's double is certainly a bridge bid and could easily have been the choice also without the break of tempo. However, pass is a logical alternative IMO, and thus double becomes illegal. But a procedural penalty is out of bounds as I see it.