Restoring Equity after a Revoke

by David Stevenson, Liverpool, England, UK

When you revoke, sometimes the Law makes you lose no tricks, sometimes one, sometimes two, and occasionally more. Why is this? Is it fair? The Law on revokes tries to do two things:

1. Punish the offenders to stop them doing it again
2. Make sure that the non-offenders do not lose from the revoke (called restoring equity)

However, the aim is not to punish too harshly, so often there is no punishment on top of restoring equity. The rules for the basic number of tricks to be transferred are (summary taken from Duplicate Bridge Rules Simplified by John Rumbelow & David Stevenson):

PROCEDURE WHEN A REVOKE IS ESTABLISHED

How many tricks did the OFFENDING SIDE win from the revoke trick onwards (INCLUDING the revoke trick)?

• NONE: there is no Penalty
• ONE: PENALTY: ONE TRICK transferred
• TWO or MORE: Did the revoke card win the revoke trick?
  • YES: PENALTY: TWO TRICKS transferred
  • NO: Did the OffENDER (not his Partner) win a subsequent trick with a card that could have been legally played to the revoke trick?
    • YES: PENALTY: TWO TRICKS transferred
    • NO: PENALTY: ONE TRICK transferred

Tricks are transferred as shown to the opponents at the end of the hand

Note: this refers to "a card that could have been LEGALLY played to the revoke trick", not necessarily reasonably!

This a lottery: sometimes the revoke makes no difference but two tricks are transferred! Best is not to revoke, then you will not suffer! If the revoke penalty is insufficient compensation for the non-offenders then there is RESTORING EQUITY. Suppose 3NT was making an overtrick but it goes 3 off because a defender revokes and kills dummy's long suit. Now the revoke cost declarer four tricks, and the Director will give those four tricks back: he has "restored equity".

Editor's note:

• If you want to comment on this article, why not write direct to David Stevenson?
• I shall be pleased to hear from you!
• Duplicate Bridge Rules Simplified is published by Mr Bridge
• Chuck Whidden asked for articles for the Unit 114's Director's Corner.
• This article, and Hesitations in high level competition and Unauthorised information during the defence were written for him.

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