what makes these bids alertable?

[pescetom]

This is a pet peeve of mine.

 

Related to this: bids in non-existing denominations, such a 3 bananas and 4 lemons. Here in New Zealand we even have to put up with bizarro fruits like tamarilos and feijoas.

 

And don't get me started with all the undergrad math students who show off by making bids like (2pi+ e^-3 i) spades. Last time I was TD I was called on a dispute about whether such a complex number bid could ever be deemed insufficient. Since it's a non-ordered set the question is probably not even meaningful.

 

Not to mention those who fail to make their final Pass call after 7NT Redoubled.

[pilun]

In Italy it's almost the same, the exception is only valid for 5-card majors (4-card is announced). I've been fighting to eliminate the exception which seems to me a pointless source of confusion, otherwise this scheme works well.

 

If our 2♥ opening shows either

a weak 2♠,

5-5 in ♦ & a major,

21-22 bal,

an Acol 2 in a major,

or any 4441 17-20,

 

what am I expected to announce?

[hrothgar]

If our 2♥ opening shows either

a weak 2♠,

5-5 in ♦ & a major,

21-22 bal,

an Acol 2 in a major,

or any 4441 17-20,

 

what am I expected to announce?

 

Sorry to go all meta, but is there a point to your question?

 

Assume for the moment that you are playing in a location in which you are required to announce your bids.

Do you honestly believe that you should be leaving out significant material information?

 

Alternatively, do you think that weird contrived examples are interesting in some way?

[pescetom]

If our 2♥ opening shows either

a weak 2♠,

5-5 in ♦ & a major,

21-22 bal,

an Acol 2 in a major,

or any 4441 17-20,

 

what am I expected to announce?

 

You are expected to alert that. The announcements are only for natural openings (you announce the minimum length of a suit or the range of NT) and for the most common artificial openings (including a 2♦ Multicolor).

[Vampyr]

How many North American countries do you think there are? Keep in mind that Central America, which is geographically part of North America, is a separate zone.

 

The zone which comprises the 20 other North American countries has a better claim to the name.

[pran]

If our 2♥ opening shows either

a weak 2♠,

5-5 in ♦ & a major,

21-22 bal,

an Acol 2 in a major,

or any 4441 17-20,

 

what am I expected to announce?

In Norway you are expected to announce precisely the same information that you would have given in response to a question (for instance after an alert).

 

In your example you shall announce:

"shows either

a weak 2♠,

5-5 in ♦ & a major,

21-22 bal,

an Acol 2 in a major,

or any 4441 17-20".

[barmar]

The zone which comprises the 20 other North American countries has a better claim to the name.

It depends on how you determine "better claim". if it's by the number of countries, you're obviously right. OTOH, US, Canada, and Mexico comprise 85% of the population of North America. It might even be a larger proportion of the bridge players.

 

So players in those other 20 countries might be better served by being part of a zone where they're not such outliers.

[blackshoe]

The zone which comprises the 20 other North American countries has a better claim to the name.

Zone 5 has 13 NBOs, not 20.

[pilun]

In Norway you are expected to announce precisely the same information that you would have given in response to a question (for instance after an alert).

 

In your example you shall announce:

"shows either

a weak 2♠,

5-5 in ♦ & a major,

21-22 bal,

an Acol 2 in a major,

or any 4441 17-20".

 

Thanks. I bring this up because I think that pairs who play a complex multi like this should be obliged to announce / explain the possible meanings in approximate order of likelihood. So it should not be acceptable to say

 

"shows either

an Acol 2 in a major,

or any 4441 17-20

a weak 2♠,

21-22 bal

5-5 in ♦ & a major"

 

Do your Regs have a rider like that?

[hrothgar]

Thanks. I bring this up because I think that pairs who play a complex multi like this should be obliged to announce / explain the possible meanings in approximate order of likelihood. So it should not be acceptable to say

 

"shows either

an Acol 2 in a major,

or any 4441 17-20

a weak 2♠,

21-22 bal

5-5 in ♦ & a major"

 

Do your Regs have a rider like that?

 

I have never seen such a regulation, however, it seems like a reasonable suggestion

[Vampyr]

In Norway you are expected to announce precisely the same information that you would have given in response to a question (for instance after an alert).

 

In your example you shall announce:

"shows either

a weak 2♠,

5-5 in ♦ & a major,

21-22 bal,

an Acol 2 in a major,

or any 4441 17-20".

 

All of this is announced? Bizarre. It seems that an alert would do nicely.

[pran]

In Norway you are expected to announce precisely the same information that you would have given in response to a question (for instance after an alert).

 

In your example you shall announce:

"shows either

a weak 2♠,

5-5 in ♦ & a major,

21-22 bal,

an Acol 2 in a major,

or any 4441 17-20".

 

All of this is announced? Bizarre. It seems that an alert would do nicely.

 

If that is indeed your agreement - yes.

And it does not matter if you use alert instead of announcements: The same (complete) information about your agreement must be given in response to a question after an alert.

 

BTW - if any of the many alternatives here may be weak (i.e. strength less than a King above average) while not promising at least 4 spades then the agreement will probably be classified as a brown sticker! (It certainly will in Norway)