Etiquette of Auction Bridge
In Auction Bridge slight intimations convey much information. A code is compiled for the purpose of succinctly stating laws and for fixing penalties for an offense. To offend against etiquette is far more serious than to offend against a law; for, while in the latter case the offender is subject to the prescribed penalties, in the former his adversaries have no redress.
1. Declarations should be made in a simple manner, thus: “One Heart,” “one No-trump,” or “I pass,” or “I double”; they should be made orally and not by gesture.
2. Aside from his legitimate declaration, a player should not give any indication by word or gesture as to the nature of his hand, or as to his pleasure or displeasure at a play, a bid or a double.
3. If a player demand that the cards be placed, he should do so for his own information and not to call his partner’s attention to any card or play.
4. No player, other than the declarer, should lead until the preceding trick is turned and quitted; nor, after having led a winning card, should he draw another from his hand before his partner has played to the current trick.
5. A player should not play a card with such emphasis as to draw attention to it. Nor should he detach one card from his hand and subsequently play another.
6. A player should not purposely incur a penalty because he is willing to pay it, nor should he make a second revoke to conceal a first.
7. Players should avoid discussion and refrain from talking during the play, as it may be annoying to players at the table or to those at other tables in the room.
8. The dummy should not leave his seat for the purpose of watching his partner’s play, neither should he call attention to the score nor to any card or cards that he or the other players hold, nor to any bid previously made.
9. If a player say “I have the rest,” or any words indicating the remaining tricks are his, and one or both of the other players should expose his or their cards, or request him to play out the hand, he should not allow any information so obtained to influence his play nor take any finesse not announced by him at the time of making such claim, unless it had been previously proven to be a winner.
10. If a player concede in error one or more tricks, the concession should stand.
11. A player having been cut out of one table should not seek admission into another unless willing to cut for the privilege of entry.
12. No player should look at any of his cards until the deal is completed.