[VixTD]

Scoring: MP

2♠..2NT(1)..3♥(2)...P
..P....P

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(1) South: "I think that's alertable"
(2) After looking at the convention card, intended as a cue-raise of spades

NS convention card has a system of two-suited overcalls of weak twos, including 2NT to show the two highest ranking (I think a cue-bid and 3♣ showed the other combinations)

Result: 3♥ (E) -6, NS +600

I think West claimed damage because 2NT wasn't actually alerted, just sort-of alerted, so she wasn't sure how East intended her bid. Anyone interested?

[Bbradley62]

West fully deserves her -600.

[bluejak]

I know it is difficult to persuade the players, but the EBU continues to try to persuade players to call the TD in potential MI positions - and continues to fail. If West had called the TD and said "I do not know whether 2NT was alerted" the matter would have been sorted. Of course, she could also have asked what 2NT meant.

EBU regulations apply in Wales in the main, which is why their comments on calling the TD are relevant.

Certainly I have little sympathy for West, but there is a problem in not adjusting: if South's confusing alert/non-alert has gained N/S a good board, I do not have much sympathy for South either!

I am not sure I can see my way clearly over this one.

Bbradley62, on Jul 9 2010, 02:53 PM, said:

West fully deserves her -600.

Yes, but does South deserve his +600?

[jdonn]

Sort of alertable? Lol south alerted! West is full of it. Director, they didn't alert emphatically enough so I didn't think to ask! And it was even on the convention card!

Seriously this one just made me laugh. Alerts are warnings to your opponents that the bid may not mean what they would normally expect. "Sort-of alerts" are the EXACT same thing. It shouldn't take an advanced degree to figure that out! West made ZERO effort to find out what the bid meant so he earned his side a bad score.

As for what south deserves, he deserves the luck of playing against this west on this hand in the sense that I deserve +1400 if my silly opponent decides to give it to me.

[FrancesHinden]

Maybe it wasn't done in the most obvious fashion, but I agree that South alerted. West must have noticed his partner looking at oppo's convention card before bidding. Didn't he think to do so too?

[VixTD]

The ruling was that the result stands, that West had done insufficient to protect herself.

If South knew full-well that 2NT was alertable I might consider a fine for failure to follow correct procedure, but I don't think I'd go as far as giving a split score.