[gnasher]

There are a number of candidates, but I'd probably change the one that says you can't look at the previous trick once you've turned your own card over. About 80% of players seem to think that they are already allowed to, and it seems to cause tension if they ask to see the last trick and I refuse.

I've never done this, but I suspect that it would cause rather more tension if RHO asked to see a quitted trick, LHO turned his card back over, and I called the director and argued that the knowledge of what LHO played to the previous trick was now UI.

[jeremy69]

Quote

There are a number of candidates, but I'd probably change the one that says you can't look at the previous trick once you've turned your own card over. About 80% of players seem to think that they are already allowed to, and it seems to cause tension if they ask to see the last trick and I refuse.

I've never done this, but I suspect that it would cause rather more tension if RHO asked to see a quitted trick, LHO turned his card back over, and I called the director and argued that the knowledge of what LHO played to the previous trick was now UI.

In the club I just turn them over. In a tournament I either say no or stare vacantly into space. One occasional partner reacts badly. He would refuse the request unless the requester was over 90 or so but occasionally there is no requset and his card is seized for a look. The seizer needs to be quick otherwise the bang of the fist on the table will take their fingers off!

[bluejak]

This rule seems to be generally ignored at all level of play. When it was brought in players used to regularly turn their cards down, then decide to see the last trick, then turn them down, then ask to see the last trick...... It was a pain and became much better since they brought this Law in. So now it is much much better and yet the Law is usually ignored. Perhaps despite it not really working, the alternative would be worse so we should not change it.

[gwnn]

In Hungary there is one pair that is rumoured to transmit information by the card flipping, they only ask to look again if they have a singleton.

[iviehoff]

In Lukasz Slawinski's amusing (but long) tale, Bridge in the Roman Empire, he makes a number of suggestions to "improve" the game. You can read it here.

http://bridgewars.com/Roman/index.htm

One of the best and simplest of those ideas was that the quitted tricks should remain face up and clearly visible to everyone.

[matmat]

iviehoff, on Sep 2 2009, 09:47 AM, said:

In Lukasz Slawinski's amusing (but long) tale, Bridge in the Roman Empire, he makes a number of suggestions to "improve" the game. You can read it here.

http://bridgewars.com/Roman/index.htm

One of the best and simplest of those ideas was that the quitted tricks should remain face up and clearly visible to everyone.

that seems like a terrible idea.

[blackshoe]

I've spent a lot of effort working on my ability (such as it is) to remember what's been played without seeing all the quitted cards. I'd hate to see all that effort go to waste.

If I read you right Jeremy, you have a player "seizing" another player's card? I'd take a finger or six off myself!

[Trinidad]

blackshoe, on Sep 2 2009, 11:02 AM, said:

I've spent a lot of effort working on my ability (such as it is) to remember what's been played without seeing all the quitted cards. I'd hate to see all that effort go to waste.

If I read you right Jeremy, you have a player "seizing" another player's card? I'd take a finger or six off myself!

If you have never seen this type of "seizing" happen before, you have never played club bridge.

Rik

[blackshoe]

To be honest, I don't recall whether I've seen it or not - but it certainly wouldn't surprise me. I'd still take a finger off. Or a hand.

[JoAnneM]

I don't remember anyone ever grabbing one of my cards to look at it, and I have played lots of club bridge.

One point is that the software for sanctioned games online allow for both trick and bidding review. Bidding review is a great aid to one's game when declaring or defending. And, yet, the games all award points and now they are talking about Sectionals and Regionals. So maybe it is not so outrageous for it to be available ftf also.

[TimG]

I don't think the rule about not seeing the last trick after it has been turned is about a memory aid, but rather about transmitting information to partner. A defender, for instance, might be more likely to ask to see the last trick again when he signaled honestly and he thinks his signal is important.

Given that, I don't see any reason why online players shouldn't be able to look at the last trick.

I do find it odd that the auction remains visible during online play of the hand. While a well timed ftf request for a review might pass information, I think of this rule as more of a memory aid rule.

[cherdanno]

The reason why you can reasonable look at the previous trick on BBO is much simpler - in real life, when you are distracted during a trick (e.g. by them discussing how you can make 6♦ on the board you are going to play next), you can wait with turning over your card until you have actually noticed everyone else's card. On BBO, the trick turns over automatically.

[Oof Arted]

gwnn, on Sep 2 2009, 09:44 AM, said:

In Hungary there is one pair that is rumoured to transmit information by the card flipping, they only ask to look again if they have a singleton.

I do not think any Law will cover this type of player

If they are going to try to Cheat they wil whatever the Law

[bluejak]

Moreover, their action is illegal under some other Law. This Law does not make it legal to turn it over to pass information.

I do not think that F2F should follow OLB. If OLB does not wish to follow F2F [or it is impractical for them to do so] then so be it.

[JoAnneM]

All I was pointing out was that there is an inconsistency there if it ever gets to the point of awarding anything other than colorless points. And for some that might be an issue. Not me, I think points won at KO's and pairs are already inconsistent enought, IMHO.