Newent Bridge Club

    2)  it allows partner to question the opposition about any alerted bids which may

         have been made during the auction.

If the opening leader wishes to ask any questions, these may be made before selecting the lead from her/his hand. If you have given an explanation to your partner's bid, or partner has given an explanation and it is wrong, you must correct the explanation before the lead is faced

DUMMY'S RIGHTS

Dummy has very few rights.

Dummy is there to carry out Declarer's instructions as 'agent' and must not touch a card until it is nominated by Declarer. If your hand hovers over a card, you are suggesting that Declarer should play it; this is not allowed. Nor may you question a play. Once a card is nominated it is a played card, unless without pause for thought Declarer changes the inadvertently nominated card. In this case the Director must be called for a ruling.

Dummy may not call the Director until the end of play of the hand.

Dummy may not speak about the play during the play except to ask Declarer (if he/she has not followed suit) "having no * partner?".

DEFENDERS

Defenders may not speak to each other about the play of a hand during the play and in particular may not ask, if partner has not followed suit, "having no * partner?". To do so will establish a revoke prematurely if one has taken place at that trick.

TABLE ETIQUETTE

    1)  Always greet new opponents arriving at your table;

    2)  Never have protracted discussions with your partner at the table;

    3)  Save post mortems until the end of the round, if there is time;

    4)  Don't discuss the play and result of a board so that another table might hear;

    5)  Never discuss a hand you have just played while joining another table, they

         may not have played it;

    6)  Be sympathetic of partner's errors - yours may be next!;

    7)  Never tell your opponents what they should have done.

SLOW PLAY

A board should be played in 7/8 minutes and persistent slow play spoils the game for the other players, particularly those waiting at the table. The Director has the discretion to penalise persistent slow play by awarding an adverse score to the offenders.