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You and your partner should have a Convention Card filled out - so that both you, and your opponents, know what you are playing
at the table. (After all, it's only fair! The general rule is that after having played together three times, you're an "established partnership". . .and that requires
you to each have a card when you play.) Here's a look at what the Convention Card details, and what goes where. Keep in mind that you and your
partner must have the same convention card filled out for each of you; meaning an opponent can ask to see either card (yours or your partner's) and it will say the same
things on it. Many
bids and bidding sequences are all about "partnership agreements," meaning (for example) when you overcall by bidding the opponent's suit your bid may not mean the same
thing as when someone else overcalls by bidding the opponent's suit. The Convention Card is the way to keep everything straight between you and your partner, so when
things go horribly awry at the table, after the bidding you can reference the card, correct any information that's needed to be corrected for
the opponents*, and determine who owes who lunch.
Move your mouse over any part of the Convention Card below for information on how to use your Card.
If you click on any part of the card, you'll be taken to the ACBL's Conventional Wisdom series on how exactly to fill it out;
just hit "back" on your browser to return to this page.
RED boxes and RED lines are red so that you remember to ALERT those bids.
Remember never to alert your own bid; it is always your partner that must alert a bid that you make.
Why is that? Sometimes your partner forgets the more complicated bids that require an alert. . .and when you alert your
own bid, you may be "waking up partner" and reminding them it's a special bid. That's unfair to the opponents and is
not allowed.
And when you do alert your partner's bid, remember not to explain what the bid means unless the
opponent asks you to explain and only when it is their turn.
BLUE boxes and BLUE lines are blue so that you remember to ANNOUNCE those bids.
*Misinformation and How To Go About Correcting It:
Keep in mind that ACBL rules do not allow you to reference your Convention Card during the bidding; this can lead to hilarious consequences,
but more often than not it results in confusion and possibly misinformation given to the opponents.
Three very important things about correcting information that your partner may give out during the bidding regarding your partnership agreements:
First, you must always correct misinformation about a partnership agreement before the opponent's lead when you are on offense. When they ask
what a bid means and they're given information that isn't your partnership agreement, you must correct this before play begins. Failure
to do so can result in an adjusted score after the hand.
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For example, during the bidding your opponents open 1NT and you overcall 2♥, which your partner alerts.
You and your partner
have an agreement that 2♥ is a natural, long heart suit. (And this is properly marked on your Convention Cards.)
When your left-hand opponent asks your partner what 2♥ means, your partner says "he has hearts and a lower suit!" This is not your partnership agreement, but do not say anything yet.
If you end up with the contract - and only if you do - then before the opponent's opening lead you must correct the misinformation by saying "I want to correct some misinformation. Our partnership agreement
is that the 2♥ bid means I have a natural suit of long hearts." |
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Second, you must never correct misinformation about a partnership agreement right before the lead when you are on defense. If that happens at the table, the Director
should be called immediately. When you are on defense, and you correct misinformation about your partnership agreement, you are giving your
partner unauthorized information. In other words, if your partner says "that bid means he has hearts and spades," and you correct the explanation
that your partnership agreement is that "no, it means I have long clubs!" this is not fair to your opponents and will likely result in an adjustment
of the score. NOTE: Of course, during the bidding, if one of your opponents asks "is that correct?" you must correct the explanation of
your partnership agreement. However, if they don't ask, and the bidding is over, and you're on defense, you must not tell.
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For example, during the bidding your opponents open 1NT and you overcall 2♥. You and your partner play
have an agreement that 2♥ means you have hearts and clubs (typically a 5-5 hand, five of each suit). (Again, this is properly marked on your Convention Cards.)
When your left-hand opponent asks your partner what 2♥ means, your partner says "he has a six-plus heart suit." This isn't your agreement, but you must not say anything yet. Don't even frown at your partner.
When the contract is over, if your opponents are playing the hand and you are on defense, when your partner leads you must not blurt out the correction of your partnership agreement.
The reason why you mustn't correct your partner? Your partner thinks you have long hearts and does not remember that your bid means you have a distributional hand with a second suit. If you now correct the information, it's true you are correcting it for your opponents - but you
are also telling your partner what's really in your hand. That is an advantage for your partner which isn't allowed. Only after the hand has been played out can you correct any misinformation when you are on defense.
In the event that there is misinformation corrected by players on defense at your table, call the Director immediately.
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Third, your opponents are entitled to the correct explanation of your partnership agreement, but if there is a misunderstanding they are ONLY entitled to the correct explanation of your partnership agreement; they are NOT entitled to know what's in your hand.
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For example, let's say you make a mistake - when your partner bids 4NT you respond with 5♦, saying you have one ace, because you do have just one ace (and you're playing Blackwood). The mistake
you've made is that you play 1430 Keycards with this partner - not Blackwood, but you've forgotten that. (It happens to all of us, really.) If the
opponents ask your partner what the 5♦ bid means, let's say your partner says "we play 1430 Keycard, so I expect my partner to have 3 or 0 Keycards," which is
a correct explanation of your partnership agreement. So far, so good.
Now one of the opponents ask you if that's correct - do you really have 3 or 0 keycards?
You must respond "that is a correct explanation of our partnership agreement."
However, you must never say "no, I meant I have one ace, not three or zero keycards. I was playing Blackwood." The opponents are entitled to the correct explanation of your partnership agreement,
but they are not entitled to know exactly what's in your hand in this case. As long as everyone is misled
at the table, including your partner, it's okay (although you may have some explaining to do to your partner when it's all done.).
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Remember, if you and your partner are NOT in the bidding, then don't ask what bids mean until after the auction. Your opponents may forget what they are playing, and if you are just passing all the time, you don't want to invite their explanation to remind them what mistakes they are making.
Finally, when you are on offense (playing the hand) the opponents are on defense - and since they're on defense, they are never to correct misinformation. If you ask them about a bid, once the bidding is over,
and whether or not you were given the correct explanation, now you've allowed them the possibility of providing each other with unauthorized information. . .except you've just authorized it. So when you're on offense, don't ask them about their bids if there is the potential for such unauthorized information.
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