alerts

[hilton1]

IN ACBL games to alert a convention, you give a short description.Some conventions have a name. A director told me that it is insufficient to give the name without describing the convention. In speedball you don't have the time nor the space to fully describe the convention. For example, "puppet. Try describing that.

[barmar]

In f2f games you should give a complete explanation. Since time is precious in speedballs, I usually just put the name when I'm bidding, and the opponent can easily ask for an explanation if they want more details.

[sfi]

Puppet is easy enough to describe succinctly. How about '4/5 M ask'.

[BudH]

It's not that hard to give a short description not using the name

 

For Jacoby 2NT, instead of Jacoby, you could type "art gf raise".

[pilowsky]

Sounds like 1st world problems to me. instead of 'puppet', 'I have hearts+spades', instead of Jacoby 2NT (who is Jacoby anyway) strong support in hearts or spades. What is it with bridge players and saying things that mean nothing. I sometimes write 'not enough points to bid' when I pass and alert that - takes no time at all. If u really want to go ott, your computer provides u with text shortcuts.

or on a mac, it's under 'keyboard'. - I don't use windows so I can't guarantee the method described. Worth remembering when playing online (and in the Club) that opps will have a variety of skill levels, language levels and tolerance for my kind of humour (and spelling). This means that something that is obvious to you may not be to them. Remarks that may seem innocent to you may come across as unpleasant to another person. Just saying.

[mycroft]

"♣ + ♥".

"GF spade raise"

"2, no ♥Q"

"no 5cM, could have 4cM"

"8+, 5+♠, GF"

"<Qxx ♦, <4 AKcontrols"

"to play 2♦, or various inv+"

Notice I didn't have to (or want to, in at least two of those cases) give the convention name. Notice it didn't take "any" longer than typing out the convention name. Notice it fits really nicely in the space allotted. Really, this isn't the problem people think it is (and yes, IRL, where they do have time and space, they still "say the name of the convention" when it's explicitly stated as insufficient explanation). Signed, someone who played Precision with Asking Bids in ACBL speedballs and never lost a board to time (and gave explanations for all bids).

 

To the OP, and to that last point, from the current Alert Procedure (my emphasis):

When asked, the bidding side must give a full explanation of the agreement.

Stating the common or popular name of the convention is not sufficient.

 

And from the new Draft Procedure:

Upon the request of an opponent a player must fully explain the meaning of any of their partner’s calls including any inferences from related auctions and from partnership experience.

 

(Note to myself: ask to have the "stating the name is explicitly not 'fully explain'" comment put back in. Didn't notice it was gone)

 

So the TD was absolutely correct, and you're not the only person she's told this, and you're not the only person that was surprised about it. YAthing we don't actually teach when we teach bridge. Going back to my examples, if I typed "EHAA 2" or "Keri" or "Beta ask" (or "Power Double" or "Roman Gerber" or "Roman J/O" or...) - is that sufficient explanation? Sure those are obscure, but should we not protect the players who have never played DONT, or Jacoby 2NT, or 1430, or...? Also, even for those, how do I know you play them the same way I do (or how do you know, for that matter?)

 

Do the description. Just do it.