CONVENTIONS/ALERTING PROCEDURES

1. It is an essential principal of the game of bridge that you may not have undisclosed agreements with partner whether in bidding or in play. Your agreements must be fully available and fully disclosed to your opponents
2. A full list of acceptable conventions is contained in the current NZ Bridge Inc Manual held in the Club rooms. Generally for Club play conventions used should be confined to those permissible for Junior and Intermediate grade tournaments. Almost all conventional bids should be alerted.
3. There are 3 stages of alerting:
   1. Announcing - Define basic bidding system, HCP range of 1NT opener and length of 1 club opener.
   2. During Auction - Alert conventional bids. Note doubles, redoubles, cue bids or any bid at the 4 level are deemed to be self alerting but need to be pre-alerted if unusual or used in an unexpected way.
   3. After the Auction - Alert the unusual or unexpected meaning of a bid which is self alerting and explanation has not been sought.

Full details of the recommended alerting guide lines are contained in the current years NZ Bridge Inc Manual and on the NZBridge website.  It is recommended that those players who participate in tournaments are fully conversant with alerting requirements

PROPRIETIES - SLOW PLAY IS SELFISH PLAY

The following should be carefully avoided:-

1. Varying the formula in bidding by special emphasis.
2. Passing or Doubling with exceptional haste or reluctance.
3. Making a call with undue delay which may result in conveying improper information to partner.
4. Indication by facial expression or in any way showing approval or disapproval of partner's call or play.
5. Giving by word, manner or gesture an indication of the hand held.
6. Giving unauthorised information as to an incident of the auction or play.
7. Volunteering information which should be given only in response to a question.
8. Playing a card with special emphasis or playing a card with undue delay when it does not need consideration.
9. Detaching a card from hand before it is one's tum to play or lead, or detaching a card and then replacing it.
10. Remarks or mannerisms which may deceive opponents.
11. Dummy must not touch a card from his hand unless directed to do so by declarer.
12. Dummy should remain seated at the table during play of the hand.
13. A trick which has been discharged (ie. turned down by all players) may not be reviewed.
14. If a hand, after dealing, is passed all round it may not be re-dealt.
15. While occasional "psychic" bids are part and parcel of the game, it is bad for the game when strong players make a point of psyching against weak players.
16. Players should be polite at all times and particularly avoid any remarks or actions that could cause embarrassment or annoyance.

VISITORS

Any member shall be entitled, with the consent of a member of the Committee, to invite a guest to play at the Club on any occasion, PROVIDED THAT no guest shall play on more than three occasions in any one financial year of the Club unless authorised by a resolution of the Committee. A member, playing with a visitor, cannot qualify for Club Competitions but both may qualify for "C" Points provided the appropriate conditions are satisfied by both players. Likewise two visitors playing together may qualify for "C" Points provided the appropriate conditions are satisfied by both players