[smerriman]

Huibertus, on 2025-May-25, 02:58, said:

Apart from that, it's not hard. Weak NT's need to be announced, not just once but when the occur

So do strong NTs. There's nothing at all special that suggests a lack of announcement implies a strong no trump.

As I said, the lack of announcement makes it clear E/W's score gets rolled back, but that doesn't mean N/S get a double shot for free.

[mycroft]

Variable NT: That was my go-to argument (apart from "Announcements defanging WeaSeL improving my club results by a board a night") for "all NTs are announceable and should be".

Board 1: 1NT opening by North (Announced "10-12").
Board 2: p-1NT by South. No Announcement. What's the range?

Back in the 18-month period in the ACBL before "all NTs are Announced", if you said "15-17, because N-S know how to Alert and we can trust them to get it right", well, you'd be right (what's different about N-S on board 2?). This time. If you said "10-12, because they said it last time and didn't think they needed to remind us again" - well, you'd be right on a different day, I promise you, against a different pair. Just not this one.

When I put that question to players and fellow directors I was having this (usually frustrated) discussion with, my experience was that it was about 50-50 what they'd answer. Maybe 60-40 in favour of 15-17.

"Okay, so you only can not Announce if it's "15-17 at all vulnerabilities and seats". So then you get the "you don't have to say that any more, you know." "Yes, we do." game that was so much fun back in the "introduction of Announcement" days when it went 1NT ("12-14")-p-2♦ ("Alert") "you don't Alert any more, you just say 'Transfer'." "Thank you. Alert." Frequently there would be two or three rounds of that before we got frustrated enough to violate the rules and say "it's not a transfer. Maybe you should ask?"

[blackshoe]

I'd ask them if they've actually read the regulation. I'd expect "no, but..." to which I'd reply "What should I do if 2♦ is not a transfer?" If they reply "don't say anything" I'd say "so there are only two possible meanings for 2♦ here, natural diamonds, or hearts?"

People who opine from ignorance need a slap upside the head.