Forum Question 19 – Misunderstanding in bidding
Misunderstanding in bidding
This question was asked to: David Stevenson
Question
If declarer has made a mistake in the bidding, eg 1nt x 2h p p p where declarer was thinking he was transferring to spades and partner says it is natural showing 4 hearts when asked by opps, does declarer have to tell opponents his mistake before the opening lead is made.
Answer
This depends on who made the mistake. The opponents have a right to know your system but not necessarily the contents of your hand!
So if the player who bids 2H realises he was wrong and this is not a transfer position then he does not need to say anything. The opponents have been told the system correctly.
But if they do play transfers so the explanation was wrong then he must tell the opponents immediately on becoming declarer or dummy. If they finish up defending then the player should wait until the end of the hand. It is a good idea to call the director before telling the opponents.
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