By Bill Turner

 

NOTE: In the following I will use the definitions of “bid” and “call’ as used in the Law book:

A call is a bid, pass, double, or redouble. Pass, double, and redouble are calls, but are not bids.

 

I would like to begin with a common situation involving bidding boxes and inadvertent calls. Note that the following applies only after a player makes a call. A call is made when a player removes a card from the bidding box and places it touching or nearly touching the table, or holds it in a manner that indicates the desire to make that call. It is true that players are supposed to decide on their call before touching any card in the bidding box. However touching cards in the bidding box is only treated as unauthorized information until the call is actually made.

 

After you make a call, it may still be possible to change it without penalty. In order to do so:

1. Your original call must have been inadvertent - a “slip of the fingers” (but not a “slip of the mind”).

2. Partner must not have subsequently taken action (making a call or picking up one’s bidding cards after the auction is over constitutes “taking action”).

3. You must indicate to the table without pause for thought that your call was inadvertent as soon as you become aware of the call you actually made. (Note that there could be a time delay before you become aware of the call you made.)

 

A recent article from The Bulletin (May, 2002 Ruling the Game by Mike Flader, page 99) helps to clarify the difference between “slip of the fingers” and “slip of the mind.” In the example, the player’s call was “Pass” when she meant to bid “Two Hearts.” Mike Flader explains that when the desired call is in a different part of the bidding box from the call made, the call made is considered a “slip of the mind” and therefore is not inadvertent.

 

Bidding boxes have two parts. One part contains only the bid cards. The other part contains the pass, double, and redouble cards. Therefore the following must be true:

 

A pass cannot be changed to a bid without penalty (and vice versa).

 

Note that it is possible to change a pass to a bid with penalty. You might wish to do this if you feel that not changing it would result in a score of less than average-minus (average-minus is 40% of a top). However, in order to have this option, your LHO must not have acted.

This could result in a two-way score. Your opponents will receive the score achieved at the table, but your side will receive no score greater than average-minus.