To ask or not?

[glen]

The opponent held:

 

♠ 43

♥ Q854

♦ 84

♣ AQJ84

 

The bidding started P-P-1♠-P;-2♣-? to the opp, and there were no alerts. Many in this event would play 2♣ as Drury.

 

At this point the opp asked what is 2♣?

 

Reply was "natural, non-forcing, we play a weak two in diamonds, and then by a passed hand two diamonds is Drury, not two clubs"

 

Should the opp have asked what two clubs is, or should he have checked out the convention card, or just waited for the auction to continue?

[BunnyGo]

According to the appeals report in the daily bulletin, they didn't ask what 2♣ was.

[kenberg]

I would assume that an unalerted 2♣ is a natural 2♣ and pass. Asking would just cause trouble, and it is the Director's job to protect me if the unalerted 2♣ was Drury. If the auction continues with 2♠ on my left, passed around to me, I would pass since, to my mind, 2♣ was/is still natural. If after my my pass the rho informs us that there was a missed alert, I call for the director to let him sort it out. If nothing has been said and partner leads, I still do not ask. If a dummy with spades but not clubs comes down, I now call the director. Surely I would have a good case: Lho should have alerted and rho should have announced the missed alert.

 

As I have often said, I don't spend my time reading the laws but this makes sense to me.

[barmar]

The big sticking point in this issue was ACBL's directive that experienced players are expected to protect themselves if they have reason to believe that the opponents failed to alert.

 

But the AC recognized two things: 1) If the player asks, and it's not Drury, it practically bars his partner from leading the suit. 2) Many players don't play Drury, and holding AQJxx doesn't mean that RHO can't have a natural 2♣ bid.

 

Today my partner opened 4♠, and one of the opponents held ♠AKxxx; I and the other opponent were both void.