Bridge; its Principles and Rules of Play Part 17

CARDS EXPOSED BEFORE PLAY

67. If, after the deal has been completed and before the trump declaration has been made, either the dealer or his partner expose a card from his hand, the eldest hand may, without consulting with his partner, claim a new deal.

68. If, after the deal has been completed and before a card is led, any player shall expose a card, his partner shall forfeit any right to double or re-double which he otherwise would have been ent.i.tled to exercise; and in case of a card being so exposed by the leader's partner, the dealer may either call the card or require the leader not to lead the suit of the exposed card.

CARDS EXPOSED DURING PLAY

69. All cards exposed by the dealer's adversaries are liable to be called, and such cards must be left face upward on the table.

70. The following are exposed cards:

1st. Two or more cards played at once.

2d. Any card dropped with its face upward, or in any way exposed on or above the table, even though s.n.a.t.c.hed up so quickly that no one can name it.

3d. Every card so held by a player that his partner can see any portion of its face.

71. A card dropped on the floor or elsewhere below the table is not an exposed card.

72. If two or more cards be played at once, by either of the dealer's adversaries, the dealer shall have the right to call which one be pleases to the current trick, and the other card or cards shall remain face upward on the table and may be called at any time.

73. If, without waiting for his partner to play, either of the dealer's adversaries should play on the table the best card or lead one which is a winning card, as against the dealer and dummy, or should continue (without waiting for his partner to play) to lead several such cards, the dealer may demand that the partner of the player in fault, win, if he can, the first, or any other of these tricks, and the other cards thus improperly played are exposed cards.

74. If either or both of the dealer's adversaries throw his or their cards on the table face upward, such cards are exposed and are liable to be called; but if either adversary retain his hand he cannot be forced to abandon it. If, however, the dealer should say, "I have the rest," or any other words indicating that the remaining tricks are his, the adversaries of the dealer are not liable to have any of their cards called should they expose them, believing the dealer's claim to be true, should it subsequently prove false.

75. If a player who has rendered himself liable to have the highest or lowest of a suit called (Laws 82, 91, 92 and 100), fail to play as directed, or if, when called on to lead one suit, lead another, having in his hand one or more cards of the suit demanded (Law 76), or if called upon to win or lose a trick, fail to do so when he can (Laws 73, 82 and 100), he is liable to the penalty for revoke, unless such play be corrected before the trick is turned and quitted.

LEADS OUT OF TURN

76. If either of the dealer's adversaries lead out of turn, the dealer may call the card erroneously led, or may call a suit when it is the turn of either adversary to lead.

77. If the dealer lead out of turn, either from his own hand or dummy, he incurs no penalty; but he may not rectify the error after the second hand has played.

78. If any player lead out of turn and the other three follow him, the trick is complete and the error cannot be rectified; but if only the second, or second and third play to the false lead, their cards may be taken back; there is no penalty against anyone except the original offender, who, if he be one of the dealer's adversaries, may be penalised as provided in Laws 60 and 76.

79. In no case can a player he compelled to play a card which would oblige him to revoke.

80. The call of an exposed card may be repeated at every trick until such card has been played.

81. If a player called on to lead a suit have none of it, the penalty is paid.

CARDS PLAYED IN ERROR

82. Should the third hand not have played and the fourth play before his partner, the latter (not being dummy or dealer) may be called upon to play his highest or lowest card of the suit played, or to win or lose the trick.

83. If anyone, not being dummy, omit playing to a former trick and such error be not corrected until he has played to the next, the adversaries may claim a new deal; should they decide that the deal stands good, the surplus card at the end of the hand is considered to have been played to the imperfect trick, but does not const.i.tute a revoke therein.

84. If anyone (except dummy) play two cards to the same trick, or mix a card with a trick to which it does not belong, and the mistake be not discovered until the hand is played out, he is answerable for any consequent revokes he may have made. If during the play of the hand the error be detected, the tricks may be counted face downward, in order to ascertain whether there be among them a card too many; should this be the case, the trick which contains a surplus card may be examined and the card restored to its original holder, who (not being dummy) shall be liable for any revoke he may meanwhile have made.

THE REVOKE

85. A revoke occurs when a player (other than dummy), holding one or more cards of the suit led, plays a card of a different suit. The penalty for a revoke takes precedence of all other counts.

86. A revoke is established if the trick in which it occurs be turned and quitted, _i.e._, the hand removed from the trick after it has been gathered and placed face downward on the table; or if either the revoking player or his partner, whether in his right turn or otherwise, have led or played to the following trick.

87. The penalty for a revoke is three tricks taken from the revoking player and added to those of the adversaries.

88. The penalty is applicable only to the score of the game in which it occurs.

89. Under no circ.u.mstances can the revoking side score game in that hand. Whatever their previous score may have been, the side revoking cannot attain a higher score toward game than twenty-eight.

90. A player may ask his partner whether he has not a card of the suit which he has renounced; should the question be asked before the trick is turned and quitted, subsequent turning and quitting does not establish a revoke, and the error may be corrected unless the question be answered in the negative or unless the revoking player or his partner has led or played to the following trick.

91. If a player correct his mistake in time to save a revoke, any player or players who have followed him may withdraw their cards and subst.i.tute others, and the cards so withdrawn are not exposed cards. If the player in fault be one of the dealer's adversaries, the card played in error is an exposed card, and the dealer can call it whenever he pleases; or he may require the offender to play his highest or lowest card or the suit to the trick in which he has renounced.

92. If the player in fault be the dealer, the eldest hand may require him to play the highest or lowest card of the suit in which he has renounced, provided both adversaries of the dealer have played to the current trick; but this penalty cannot be exacted against the dealer when he is fourth in hand, nor can it be enforced at all from dummy.

93. At the end of a hand the claimants of a revoke may search all the tricks. If the cards have been mixed the claim may be urged and proved if possible; but no proof is necessary, and the revoke is established if, after it has been claimed, the accused player or his partner mix the cards before they have been sufficiently examined by the adversaries.

94. A revoke must be claimed before the cards have been cut for the following deal.

95. Should the players on both sides subject themselves to the revoke penalty neither can win the game by that hand.

96. The revoke penalty may be claimed for as many revokes as occur during a hand; but the acc.u.mulated penalty shall in no event exceed thirteen tricks. (See Law 7.)

GENERAL RULES

97. There should not be any consultation between partners as to the enforcement of penalties. If they do so consult, the penalty is paid.

98. Once a trick is complete, turned and quitted it must not be looked at (except under Law 84), until the end of the hand.

99. Any player during the play of a trick or after the four cards are played and before they are touched for the purpose of gathering them together, may demand that the cards be placed before their respective players.

100. If either of the dealer's adversaries, prior to his partner's playing, should call attention to the trick, either by saying it is his, or, without being requested so to do, by naming his card or drawing it toward him, the dealer may require that opponent's partner to play his highest or lowest card of the suit led, or to win or lose the trick.

101. Either of the dealer's adversaries may call his partner's attention to the fact that he is about to lead out of turn, but if he make any unauthorised reference to any incident of the play the dealer may call a suit from the adversary whose turn it is next to lead.

102. In all cases where a penalty has been incurred, the offender is bound to give reasonable time for the decision of his adversaries; but if a wrong penalty be demanded none can be enforced.

103. The partner of the eldest hand may inform him that their adversaries have incurred a penalty, but may not give any further information. Should he suggest the penalty, or demand the enforcement of it, such action shall be deemed a consultation, and no penalty can be enforced.

NEW CARDS