THE LAWS QUIZ ANSWERS

ANSWERS: TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
OF THE (ACBL) LAWS

by Morris Jones and Gary Porter

In general, whenever something unusual happens at the bridge table, it is appropriate and correct to call the director. After all, you pay card fees for the benefit of having a director. And most of the time, the director is bored and really looking for something to do. Make his day!

FALSE - The first option is for the next player to accept the insufficient bid and continue the auction. Don't allow the insufficient bidder to automatically correct without considering this. (Law 27A.)
TRUE - (Note the key word, "opponent.") There is one exception: If the opponent making the hesitation has no problem and could have known that his hesitation would confuse you to his benefit, then the hesitation is illegal. (Law 73D1.)
FALSE - The rule depends on whose turn it was to bid. The first option is for the next player (following the offender) to accept your pass out of turn and continue. If it is not accepted, then you will be required to pass at your first turn to bid, but partner will not be barred. The ruling will be different depending on whether the call out of turn was a bid or a pass, and whose turn it was at the time. Call the director! (Law 30A.)
TRUE - Strong artificial opening bids may not be psyched. (ACBL convention chart.)
TRUE - (ACBL convention chart.)
FALSE - Well, really half right. Psyche bids are perfectly legal within limits, and the limits are not strictly defined, as follows: Frequent psyche bids may constitute an implicit partnership agreement, or frivolous play, and are not allowed. It is also illegal to have an agreed way to "catch" a psyche, or any controls on psyching, such that you must psyche any time you hold less than x HCP and partner has not bid. The only way for the director to enforce this law is to have psyche bids called to his attention. (Law 75B, and Duplicate Decisions.)
TRUE - (Law 41A.)
FALSE - The cards must be dealt in rotation (Law 6B) - specifically, one card at a time to each hand in turn - no back and forth, no two or more at a time, no changing direction.
FALSE - Declarer's right hand opponent may ask for a review of the bidding before playing to the first trick. Declarer can also get a review before calling for the first card from dummy. (Law 20C2.)
TRUE - In addition, explanation of defender's signals can also be obtained at any time during the play. (Law 20F2.)
TRUE - It is possible that dummy might call attention to something of interest on the opponent's card, and affect declarer's line of play. Dummy may not, in general, take any action which might affect declarer's play of the hand. (Law 43A1c.)
FALSE - You may always ask what the contract is, but you may not ask for a review of the auction. You can also find out if the contract is doubled or redoubled, but not which player did the doubling. (Law 41C.)
FALSE - If the director determines that the insufficient bid may have been a conventional call (as in this example), and it is not accepted by the next player, the call must be substituted with any legal call (other than double), and his partner must pass for the remainder of the auction. Not all cases are as clear-cut as this one, so always consult with the director. This is an important rule to know! (Law 27B2.)
FALSE - As a defender you must wait until the end of the play to call attention to a failure to alert. Otherwise, your announcement could affect your partner's defensive play, and that is not allowed. If your side is declaring, you must call attention to a failure to alert before the opening lead is faced. (Law 75D2.) (On the other hand, if you suddenly realize that you should have alerted a bid, you should say so immediately, even if it isn't your turn to call or play.)
TRUE - Surprise! (Law 66B.)
FALSE - Dummy may not help declarer play the hand. Correcting the trick record could well affect declarer's line of play. (Law 43A1c.)
FALSE - Dummy must not initiate a call to the director. Doing so forfeits any right to a penalty. If dummy notices an irregularity during the play, he should call the director only after the last trick is played. (Law 43A1a.) (This limitation does not apply to any of the other players.)
TRUE - This is one of dummy's rights. Dummy may attempt to prevent declarer from leading from the wrong hand, and may question a possible revoke by declarer. (Dummy cannot call attention to a possible revoke by a defender, since declarer may not have noticed, and it could change declarer's line of play.) (Law 42B1 and 2.) But dummy must not habitually remind declarer which hand has the lead. (Law 42B2b.)
TRUE - Either defender may accept a lead from the wrong hand by declarer. (Law 55A.)
TRUE - Count your cards before looking at them. (Law 7B1.)
FALSE - However, each player is responsible for seeing that the correct 13 cards are returned to his pocket. You could be penalized if the next table discovers that the board has been fouled. (Law 7C.)
TRUE - It doesn't matter if the defender's partner saw the card or not. If the card is in a position such that he could have seen it, it is considered "played." (Law 45C1.) (Declarer has a different rule!)
TRUE - A minor penalty card must be played before any other small card (9 or below) from the same suit, and does not have lead penalties. (Law 50C.)
FALSE - The revoke rule is complicated, and the penalty depends on the situation. The penalty could be two tricks, one trick, no tricks, or more than two tricks, depending on who won the revoke trick, and what happened afterward. Always ask a director. (Law 64.)
FALSE - After making a claim, declarer is not allowed to continue play. If there is doubt, the director must be called to decide the resolution of the remaining tricks. Any subsequent play after a claim is canceled. Remember that declarer must make a statement regarding his line of play. (Law 68D.)

How did you do?

25 NABC Director

20-24, Legal Eagle

15-19, Keepin' 'em honest

10-14, Just playing for fun

0-9, Rules, what rules?