Ethical question

[ahri]

Say you are playing a tournament for money. In free tournaments you probably wouldn't care.

You defend 3NT and your partner leads a spade, declarer winning the trick. You win the second trick, play another spade, declarer wins again but now you have established spades for your partner. Two tricks later, your partner disconnects.

 

TD replaces your partner and new partner hops on.

 

You are now aware your new partner has no slightest idea about play of the hand. He sees bunch of low spades in his hand. You are well aware 3NT goes down if he keeps them, and it makes if he doesn't. It's obvious this makes quite a difference on your tournament placement.

 

Do you think it's ethical to tell your partner that his spades are high?

Do you think it's ethical to review the play to your (new) partner? If yes, to how many details [does it include partnership agreements...]?

Any other solution you could suggest?

[gwnn]

talking to your partner is unethical, no matter what. declarer could be actively ethical by telling him about the the play before, but I don't think not saying anything is unethical.

[peachy]

If your sub asks, and opponents don't answer, then I would give the basic outline what happened so far. If a sub opponent appears, I think it is proper to give outline of key elements what happened so far if you are declarer. Little tricky, the laws don't cover this other than communication with partner other than through plays and bids is prohibited. In live play, subs don't jump in in the middle of a hand, and there are no online bridge laws to fall back on.

[TylerE]

Maybe the best compromise is to not say anything but ask for an adjustment after the hand?

 

On furthur reflection...this is actually a case when just throwing out the board via Avg/Avg might be the most fair adjustment, both to the two pairs involved and to the field. (Yes, I know that would be heresy in offline play).

 

Also, I'm not at all sure the action is UNethical, especially if you say how the tricks went (fact) vs. suggesting a line of play ("your spades are up"). I don't think the entry fee is a factor either. It's ethical or it isn't.

[gwnn]

If my sub partner asked about the hand, I would ask declarer politely for his/her permission and if he doesn't consent, stay silent. If I was declarer I would tell the sub what happened (to the best of my recollection).

[pooltuna]

If my sub partner asked about the hand, I would ask declarer politely for his/her permission and if he doesn't consent, stay silent. If I was declarer I would tell the sub what happened (to the best of my recollection).

the only possibly satisfactory solution is for the BBO program to allow the sub to review all previous tricks up to the current one until they play to the current trick.

[ahri]

I agree with pooltuna. Telling partner what happened obviously gives a hint.

 

 

p.s. This (obviously) happened to me. I asked TD after the board and he said I should have said to my partner that his spades are high.

[Oof Arted]

:(

 

IMHO the TD was wrong He should have been called and he should hold up play until HE (TD) has gone through the play thus far

 

:D

[movingon]

As opponent, if we are only 3 or 4 tricks into the hand, i will tell the opp what has been played.

 

I don't know if I am allowed to tell my new partner the same.. but I would think I would be able to.

[Scoti]

I sub a Lot. So from a subbing point of view ... I don't expect to be told by anyone & it creates another problem if P were allowed to tell the sub. That being that dutiful pairs P's Could simply disconnect anytime they forgot their count, have the sub told how to play it, then reconnect next hand. Probably wouldnt happen but why risk trading one impropriety for another potential.

Being told by declarer everything played would be nice & sporting & promptly forgotten by me and maybe throw him off his count.

Pooltuna's suggestion seems most ethical to me. And I would quit subbing forever, if expected to memorize the first 32 cards played while someone is saying "your play, your play". lol . Admittedly, in This case of the Poster, it probably does work very well tho.

But i wouldnt mind seeing an option to show past Honors (specifically) played and the rest as X's. And I might have time for that, since the guy saying "play play" IS the DIR often as not :) and it going to Adjust you pdq if you dont get moving.

No perfect solution perhaps. Now if Declarer disconnected, it would be nice if Dummy could take over the hand. imo

Another approach I favor is to ask ops outright "May I ask P XYZ info". If they say Yes then fine. (If not, so be it.) And if the info turns out to be wrong then there are no hard feelings that "declarer/ops misinformed me". But care would have to be taken not to convery "extra" info too; not approved by ops.

[Bbradley62]

As opponent, if we are only 3 or 4 tricks into the hand, i will tell the opp what has been played. 

 

I don't know if I am allowed to tell my new partner the same..  but I would think I would be able to.

I do this all the time in the MBC. It seems to piss everyone off, but I still think it's right.