[joker_gib]

Pass

Not a great stopper and not enough for 3NT or dbl

Alain

[Blofeld]

Echognome, on May 23 2005, 09:58 AM, said:

I think Marlowe brings up a good point. I certainly applaud the in tempo passers. It would be difficult at the table when you are thinking of your bid if RHO passes (1NT? (forcing or not), 2♣ if SAYC or Acol?) and what you are going to do if Partner bids X number of spades. Then, RHO jams 3♥ into the auction and if you can come out of that with an in tempo pass... perfect. If you huddle, then you have a really tough problem, to which 3NT may be the solution. Partner still may bid 4♠. The advantage of passing is that you are more likely to find 3NT when it's right.

Doesn't the stop card offer you some measure of protection in this regard?

Perhaps not enough, though.

[han]

I never bid in tempo after a preempt, so as usual, I will wait 10 seconds and pass.

[Fluffy]

Around here stop card is worth nothing at all, people jsut ignore it and pass quickly when they want, haven't seen anybody calling director for that because it is quite common, so I guess it will keep happening forever.

I have though of a way to avoid it, not sure if it is ethical though, What I think of is to get the call of the bidding box, hold it in your hand without releasing it, but in a position that everybody can see it, LHO cannot bid since you haven't bid yet, but has the time to think of his bid even if he doesn't want to.

[Echognome]

My point about tempo was relative to the stop card. I admire those that pass the hand within the normal allocated ten seconds. That was my point. Sometimes you just have a tough call and you have to choose something else give your partner potential UI problems.

I'm not taking any stand on the stop regulations. I usually find that the better the competition, the fewer the irregularities.

[Blofeld]

I always try to look like I'm thinking after someone preempts.

[pclayton]

I try to look honestly interested too after a preempt as well.

Some feel they have to bid in the same tempo in all bidding and card play situations. Buts its acting over preempts, high level competitive auctions and prebalancing where you really need to try to stay within an acceptable tolerance of what is considered appropriate tempo.

Your partner will thank you if you do.

[Free]

Jlall, on May 26 2005, 02:52 PM, said:

"in tempo" is a relative term. Bidding in tempo in this case IS waiting 10 seconds, bidding quicker is breaking tempo. The stop card is totally irrelevant, you should wait 10 seconds no matter what. Some may say that in practice this does not happen, thus giving the stop card some use. But lets be real, in practice people either look bored while the stop card is out and they have to wait the mandatory 10 seconds, or they are definitely thinking and everyone knows it. I know this should not happen and the players should always act like they're thinking, but we all know it does. This defeats the point of the 10 second pause and there's no need for stop cards.

Stop cards are actually a protection for your opponents, not to bring over UI... It has nothing of use for your own partnership if you use it. So if opps don't want to use this 'time to think legally', it's actually their problem, not ours.

If opponents don't use a stop card then UI might be debatable if you 'wait/think' for 10 seconds. That's why it's use is obligated over here, so if opps don't use their stop card, they're at fault...

What strikes me the most is that you're not allowed to pass quickly, but you may bid without waiting! Ok, when you bid chance is small you give away UI, but cheaters can still make a difference in timing.