Alerts and flannery

[ArtK78]

 

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3. On this hand, I am very uncertain that alerting and explaining our agreements would have helped, and I can well imagine an opponent wondering a bit about my intent if, after I explain that the spade holding can be on any four cards, he leads a spade and I show up with AKx.

 

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Whether to alert or not has nothing to do with the actual holding that either you or your partner have on the given hand. If you have an agreement that requires an alert, an alert should be given. If an explanation is requested, it should be given.

 

Experienced players should not believe that you had any motive in properly alerting and explaining an agreement, regardless of the holding that you have in the suit.

[rduran1216]

Since the majority of your posts are in the "Advanced- and Expert-Class Bridge" forum, I suppose you claim this because you are at such a high level that you only bother to play WBF events and nothing else.

 

However, in the jurisdictions we mere mortals usually play in, this is not the case. For instance, in my jurisdiction, and I know you will find this incredible, a 2♣ opening showing 6+ clubs and 11-15 points is alertable!

 

because the standard treatment of 2C is artificial and strong.

 

look I play against people who routinely raise majors on 3 cards because of their 2NT response which is 3344. 1D 1S 2S is not alertable even though its frequently on 3 cards, but the 2NT bid and the follow ups are alertable. Similar thoughts here. 2D opener of flannery is alertable, but the 1H 1S is not because it falls into the realm of a standard treatment.

[mrdct]

In all jurisdictions it is extremely rare to get in trouble for alerting something that turns out to be non-alertable; but it is quite common to get into trouble for failing alert something that is alertable. I think the best advice is that apart from things that your NBO explicitly deems as self-alerting or non-alertable, if you are in any doubt you should err on the side of alerting.

[aguahombre]

FWIW, I believe we have sufficiently confused the issue for those who respond 1S with four simply because they don't open Flannery with 4-6 in the majors. I know it is different than the OP's agreements, since they sometimes do and sometimes don't.

 

Nevertheless, those who are reasonably sure of current ACBL and other jurisdiction alert regulations should clarify. Even though I know a pair is using Flannery, I still assume when they don't alert 1♠ that it doesn't show five; because that is what I am used to. Should I get used to something different?

 

The problem I have with MrDct's "when in doubt" answer is that if one style is alertable, and the other is not...then alerting the non-alertable variable could mislead the opposition who will assume you alerted as required.

[awm]

I'm extremely certain that if a 1♠ response to 1♥ shows at least four spades and is forcing, it is not alertable. It does not matter whether it shows four spades or five spades, or with which hands (if any) including four spades you might choose not to respond 1♠.

 

This is justified by specific indication that 1♠ response showing five is not alertable, and by the general rule that negative inferences alone do not make a bid alertable.

[mrdct]

... and by the general rule that negative inferences alone do not make a bid alertable.

That may well be true in some jurisdictions, but when it comes to explaining bids if and when asked, Law 20F1 (which applies where ever you are) requires disclosure "... about relevant alternative calls available that were not made, and about relevant inferences from the choice of action where these are matters of partnership understanding".

 

In my country, our regulations require alerts where "the call is natural, but its meaning is affected by other agreements, which your opponents are unlikely to expect".

 

The problem I have with MrDct's "when in doubt" answer is that if one style is alertable, and the other is not...then alerting the non-alertable variable could mislead the opposition who will assume you alerted as required.

The only thing an opponent can reasonably infer from a bid being alerted is that it potentially carries an unexpected meaning. If they choose not to ask and it's not something I was required to pre-alert under my NBO's alerting regulations, they do so entirely at their own risk. Also, I don't think there would be a single bid in bridge where only two "styles" were in use in the game. I can think of at least three common meanings of 1♥:1♠.