Bidding box pet peeve

Unfortunately, I see many players have developed a lazy habit of failing to use the bidding box at all times – almost always towards the end of an auction. And the other players at the table usually accept this lapse in due process, which is leading the game down the wrong path in my opinion.

Although I do not approve, it is less heinous to fail to place your pass card on the table when you are last to speak (the bidding having gone pass pass to you). Many players simply tap the table or pick up their bidding cards to indicate a pass. Personally I always use the pass card in such situations, and urge my partners and opponents to do the same.

{ Also, it’s not hard to imagine scenarios whereby if the table is tapped, partner may draw one type of inference, but if the pass card is placed on the table, partner may draw a different inference}

What really upsets me though is players tapping the table to indicate they are passing when the auction is still live – i.e. when there has only been one pass to their right.

It seems to me this happens more often in competitive auctions – which to my mind, makes the transgression worse – since there is an increased likelihood of further bidding. And if all players tacitly accept the table tap as a pass, and then the final bidder (to the left of the table tapper) makes a call other than pass, the whole scene can deteriorate quickly.

A respected director recently advised me this sloppiness has led to ugly disputes in some instances over whether or not a final contract was doubled.

I played in a large duplicate game earlier this week where this in fact happened – in a live auction, my RHO tapped the table, and I planned to take a further call.

When I asked her nicely to please use a bidding card, my LHO got prickly with me and said ” we run a friendly table here!”

Well so do I, but the rules are there for a reason lady, so let’s all please abide by them.