bridgetalk.com forums :: Laws & Rulings

1 posts
bridgetalk member

Extra card in dummy ( 11:56:08 SunMay 4 2003 )

Country: Ireland

Half way through the play of the hand it was discovered that dummy had fourteen cards and declarer had only 12.

What procedure should be adopted here?

Thanks

Pat
[EMAIL=pryan@cbswex.iol.ie]

mycroft

67 posts
bridgetalk member

Re: Extra card in dummy ( 01:13:35 TueMay 6 2003 )

Country: Canada

Duplicate rules, the opening of Law 13:

"When the Director determines that one or more pockets of the board contained an incorrect number of cards, *) and a player with an incorrect hand has made a call, then when the Director deems that the deal can be corrected and played normally with no change of call, the deal may be so played with the concurrence of all four players. Otherwise, the Director shall award an artificial adjusted score and may penalize an offender."

*)with the footnote being if three hands are correct, L14 applies instead. Doesn't apply here.

So, first the Director decides if the deal can be corrected. If it was dealt 14-12, even if it's the fourth round before it was noticed, sorry, it can't be corrected.

Assuming it could be corrected, the Director decides if it will play "normally" after correction.

If she does so believe, if any of the players disagree for any reason, or feel uncomfortable, or think they will get a better score assigned than if they play it, or just want to get to the bar earlier, they may say "sorry, I don't want to play this."

If you get through all of those steps, then play it out. I would suggest it isn't very likely if they're halfway through play...

So the director awards an Artificial assigned score, which would depend very strongly on how the 14-12 came about:

Average Plus if a pair is completely not at fault;
Average if a pair is partially at fault;
Average Minus if the pair is directly at fault.

Note: I don't know about Ireland, but in the ACBL, we have a regulation stating that all contestants must count their cards face down before looking at them. I assume the IBU has something similar, in which case declarer and dummy are already "at least partially at fault", for not doing so.

Note 2: if it went 14-12 at a previous table, the people that caused this can be hit with a procedural penalty. If it was a normal accident, fine - "please be more careful in future?" If it was because somebody at a previous table pulled the two hands out after play to harangue partner for his play, then the penalty may be a little steeper...

Michael.

172 posts
Forum Host

Reply

Re: Extra card in dummy ( 03:49:19 TueMay 6 2003 )

Michael is pretty much correct, I think - except for the bit about counting your cards before you look at your hand. That's not an ACBL regulation, it's Law 7B1, which is applicable everywhere, not just in the ACBL.

mycroft

67 posts
bridgetalk member

Re: Extra card in dummy ( 17:01:38 TueMay 6 2003 )

Country: Canada

Argh, I was pretty sure that was a Law, but I couldn't find it. Was looking too late in the Laws. Guess I should check my index...

Thanks Ed.
Michael.

bluejak

427 posts
Forum Host

Reply

Re: Extra card in dummy ( 01:58:57 WedMay 7 2003 )

Michael was very slightly wrong in one other matter. The responsibility to have the correct number of cards lies with the recipients - the WBF made this very clear some years back - so it would not be normal to give a Procedural Penalty to the previous table unless they made a habit of getting it wrong.

As to whether you can let play proceed I would never do so once dummy has appeared - it is just too late. So in the given case declarer's side get average minus, and the defenders average plus.

---
David Stevenson <laws2@blakjak.com>
Liverpool, England, UK
http://blakjak.com/lws_menu.htm

Dan Neill

Re: Extra card in dummy ( 12:47:15 ThuMay 8 2003 )

Country: USA

So assuming it is the fourth round and the proper players are penalized, what happens with that board for the rest of the session?

Thanks

172 posts
Forum Host

Reply

Re: Extra card in dummy ( 22:18:29 ThuMay 8 2003 )

Assuming the board can be restored to its original state, and in that state each hand had 13 cards, it's played normally at the remaining tables. Otherwise, it's a fouled board (see Law 87).

6 bridge player(s) online in the last 15 minutes - 1 bridgetalk member(s), 0 incognito and 5 guest(s).
(The most ever was 52 09:45:43 Fri Feb 14 2003)
bluejak

Total Members: 393, Newest Member: edm.

International Bridge Laws Forum

If you need help with the Laws or rulings from
any country in the world, this is the place!

Hosted by David Stevenson
Senior Consultant Director
English Bridge Union

International Bridge Laws Forum

If you need help with the Laws or rulings from any country in the world, this is the place!Hosted by David StevensonSenior Consultant DirectorEnglish Bridge Union

If you need help with the Laws or rulings from
any country in the world, this is the place!

Hosted by David Stevenson
Senior Consultant Director
English Bridge Union