APPEAL CASE 7 - Misinformation

 

Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs First qualifying session

 

Board - 2

Dlr: East

Vul: N-S

Ai-Tai Lo

♠ 9

10 6 4

 A 6 4 2

A Q 9 7 5

 

 

West         North         East          South

                                    Pass          1

2              3             3 ♠             Pass

4             Dbl            All Pass                       

 

Jim Munday

 A Q 8 7 2

 A Q 9 3 2

  7 5

 6

 

Bill Hall

♠ J 5 4 3

8 7

Q J 10

♣ J 10 8 2

 

Alan Schwartz

♠ K 10 6

K J 5

 K 9 8 3

♣ K 4 3

 

 

 

Facts: - - - - - The director was called after the auction. After leading (face-down), South explained that the 3bid was a transfer to diamonds. No other player at the table heard an Alert. Therefore, it was considered to be a failure

to Alert. West stated that he would not have bid 4had there been a timely Alert and explanation.

 

The Ruling: In accordance with Law 40C, it was decided that the lack of correct information did not cause any damage. Therefore, the table result of 4doubled by East down one, N-S plus 100, was allowed to stand.

 

The Appeal: Only E-W attended the hearing. The committee agreed that there was misinformation, especially since South was known by one member of the committee to occasionally mumble an Alert.  E-W played strong and weak Michaels' cuebids. West opted to treat his hand as a strong Michaels' hand. West asserted he bid 4as a tactical bid since he believed a standard 3bid was forcing and that North would reopen if he passed.

 

The Decision: The committee felt that no experienced partnership that played 3as natural and forcing in this situation would play that it promises a rebid. The committee found that West bid 4because of his decision to bid 2initially and because 4would have a good play opposite many East hands that would bid 3. Accordingly, the MI was not the cause of E-W's bad result. The committee allowed the table result of 4doubled by East down one, N-S plus 100 to stand.

 

DIC:  - - - - - - - - - -- - Henry Cukoff

 

Chairperson: - - -- - -  Richard Popper

 

Committee Members: Mike Kovacich and Hendrick Sharples