[nige1]

Vampyr, on Sep 24 2009, 09:11 PM, said:

nige1, on Sep 25 2009, 01:36 AM, said:

[*]It would be even better to extend the announcement principle to all calls. eg 1♠ ("Natural 9-19, 5+ cards") ...
[*] IMO, each of these protocols, progessively reduce the opportunity for unauthorised information.

Announcing all calls reduces the opportunity for unauthorised information? How so?

I think Vampyr may have detected a flaw in my claim, so I have edited my earlier answer below:

Announcing all calls provides less scope for unauthorised information than from the asker, in a alerting protocol. An asker can ask selectively. For example, only when he has a hand on which he is thinking of bidding. Or much worse -- to indicate a sacrifice or lead.

Admittedly there is more unauthorised information from the announcer to his partner; but a partnership should know its own methods, so (in theory at least) the announcements themselves provide no new information to the announcer's partner.

On reflection, I'm not sure about this because it must help the announcer's partner to know they are on the same wavelength.

Under the proposed protocol, however, if you suspect that opponents don't really know their own methods, you can switch off announcements.

A pious hope of law-makers is that players won't use the unauthorised information with which they are deluged. Most players try but few succeed. Most are unaware that they are using it. Many are unaware that they receive it. The mental gymnastics required are completely beyond the capabilities of some. Others don't understand relevant law.

[blackshoe]

Pious hope, is it? Pfui.

We have the alert and announcement procedure (announcements are a kind of alert) for good reason. What is the alternative? No alerts? No questions? Do you really think that would be any better for the game?

You're entirely too hung up on UI. Yeah, it happens. Yeah, people take advantage of it, almost always inadvertantly. And yeah, their opponents then often get the short end of the stick. So what? Nobody ever guaranteed that life would be perfect.

[barmar]

Alerts and announcements are a compromise, they're used in limited situations where the rule makers have decided that it's more important for the opponents to know something unspected may be going on than to avoid UI between the bidder and his partner.

Going all the way and announcing everything is a totally different type of game. You might as well get rid of bidding entirely, and just replace it with verbal descriptions. Maybe we could come up with a new game like this -- on the first round of bidding you state your HCP, on the second round you state your longest suit, etc. This could be an interesting game, but it's not contract bridge.

[nige1]

barmar, on Sep 25 2009, 05:34 PM, said:

Going all the way and announcing everything is a totally different type of game.  You might as well get rid of bidding entirely, and just replace it with verbal descriptions.  Maybe we could come up with a new game like this -- on the first round of bidding you state your HCP, on the second round you state your longest suit, etc.  This could be an interesting game, but it's not contract bridge.

I suggested you announce the meaning of partner's calls; barmar talks about announcing your own calls; but the effect is similar.
Barmar correctly states that this results in an interesting Bridge variant
Enjoy it online -- BBO with Full disclosure