Encrypted signalling

[jeroencottaar]

I know this is illegal pretty much everywhere, but is enctrypted signalling allowed on BBO?

[inquiry]

Hi.

 

I have carefully read the rules of the site, and found them quiet on this issue. If it is of any intrest, I have played against forcing pass, and against 2C as either strong hand or diamond preempt. I would therefore suspect encrypted signals would be legal. Of course, you would need to alert your opponents to this style. I suspect in tournment play here, they might be made illegal if anyone complained.

 

This is my personal view and does not represent any kind of final word on this issue. As frequent members here know, i am often wrong. :-)

 

Ben

[Free]

I have played against forcing pass, and against 2C as either strong hand or diamond preempt.

 

2C with a weak-2D hand is not illegal at all, it's pretty normal in our region. It's not even brown sticker because the weak suit is known. But ofcourse they have to alert when playing such systems. Forcing pass on the other hand is at most tournaments forbidden.

 

Btw, a 2C opening with weak-2D is not as powerfull as you think. I play it with a semi-gameforcing hand or weak with 44+ H-S. That's a lot harder to defend against. ;D

[paulg]

Rightly BBO appear to have very few, if any, restrictions on how you play the game so long as you alert correctly.

 

The WBF Systems Policy (http://www.worldbridge.org/dept/systems/policy.htm) is interesting in that it does not ban any systems but defines unusual methods and conventions, and then defines when (and how) they can be used in their competitions. This is the line I suggest that BBO could adopt (implicitly perhaps).

 

However the WBF does have the following sections:

 

2.5 Encrypted Signals

 

Additional to the restrictions on bidding methods and conventions above, players may not use signalling methods by which the message or messages conveyed by the signals are hidden from the declarer because of some key available only to the defenders (i.e. encrypted signals are not allowed)

 

2.6 Random Openings

 

It is forbidden to open hands which, by agreement, may contain fewer than 8 high card points and for which no further definition is provided

 

 

This suggests to me that these should be the accepted default behaviour and explicit agreement is needed from your opponents before you play methods including these two items.

 

However feel free to play them against me - just let me know

 

B)

[DrTodd13]

Bids that can show a variety of hand types are not "encryption" as

that term is used with respect to encrypted signals. I did a little

bit of thinking and despite the rules of full disclosure, encrypted

bidding is also possible! In a spiral scan, partners can know how

the A and K of a suit are divided even though the opponents do

not know and aren't entitled to that information, the partners could

make subsequent bids provisional on whether responder has

-,AK,A, or K of a certain suit (responder's longest?). The encrypted

meaning would probably be resolved when dummy is seen though.

 

I have no problem with encrypted signals either. If defender's are

smart enough to figure out an encryption key then they should get

the benefit of that intelligence. Often times though, defenders would

have to retain certain cards in order to not reveal the encryption

key to declarer. These cards are almost by definition not very

worthwhile and so will often have to be pitched at some point. So,

again, people smart enough to use encryption get some transitory

benefit.

[paulg]

There is an amusing article on encrypted bidding at

 

http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/crypto.htm