AUCTION BRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 133, 7 June 1929, Page 6

AUCTION BRIDGE.

EXPOSED CARDS

(By A. E. MANNING FOSTER.)

Many mistakes are made about exposed cards, and I find very few players know and understand exactly the laws on the subject. A card is exposed when its face is shown on or above the level of the table. A card dropped on the floor or elsewhere below the table is not an exposed card. The penalties attached to exposing a card differ ioi\ the four players. Essentially a card is exposed only when the partner of its owner sees its face. A player can expose a card, or all his hand, if he wishes, to an adversary without penalty so longas his partner does not see them. The Declare? also cannot be penalised because he has no partner who can be benefited by seeing his cards. He can throw his entire hand face up on the table if he wishes and play it from that position. And, further, none of his exposed cards can be called by the adversaries. But notice that _if the Declarer exposes his hand, or part of his hand, on the table he cannot pick the cards up, but must play them from the table. The points to notice concern exposed cards (a) prior to the bidding; (b) during the bidding; (c) during the play. (1) Prior to the bidding. In drawing for partners or for right of entry to a tabic, if a player exposes more than one card, he must draw again. (2) If in shuffling, cutting or dealing a card be exposed or be found faced in the pack there must be a fresh shuffle, cut or deal. (3) During the bidding. After the deal, but before the final declaration has been made, a player exposes a card from his hand. Penalty: Plaver on his left may demand a new deal after looking at his cards. If he does not exact this penalty the exposed cards may be taken up and cannot be called. (4) After the final declaration, but before a card has been played a card is exposed. Penalty: Against Declarer or Dummy none. Against an opponent, card must be left face upwards on the table subject to call by Declarer. If the offender be the initial leader, Declarer may forbid the initial lead of the suit exposed, or may name a suit to be led. If he does so the exposed card can be taken back into the hand and cannot afterwards be called. (5) During the play. After the bidding is closed and during the play of the hand a card is exposed 'by an opponent. Penalty: It must be left face upwards on the table subject to call by Declarer at any time it becomes the owner's turn to lead or play, (fi) A card led or played in error is an exposed card. If, before the initial lead, partner of the initial leader leads or exposes a card, Declarer may require initial leader to lead a particular suit, or may 'treat card led in error as exposed. Either penalty may be exacted, but not both. And note that Declarer, while entitled to ask for a suit to be led, must not ask for a particular card of the suit or for the highest or the .lowest. If he does he forfeits the penalty. [ (7) If, after the first lead, an opponent leads out of turn, Declarer may call the lead of a suit the ! first time it becomes" the turn of either opponent j to lead, or he may treat the card led in error as exposed. (8) Should the two opponents lead simultaneously the card led in error by his partner becomes exposed. (9) If two or more cards are played at the same time both or all are exposed, and Declarer may call any one of them to !>e played to the trick, and the remaining card or cards are still exposed and can be called on subsequent rounds. (10) If a player fails to follow suit when he could, and the error is discovered in time, he can withdraw the card played in mistake, but may be required by the Declarer to play his highest or lowest card of the suit led. Or the Declarer may treat his card played in error as exposed. (11) If Declarer claims "the rest are mine" and throws his cards on the table, and his opponents thereupon expose their cards, the Declarer may not call any of the cards so exposed. Nor should he, if the hand has to be played out, take any advantage from the information obtained by their exposure, since he was the cause of it. This situation constantly arises and is often the subject of discussion. Declarer, after five or six rounds of play, claims the remainder of tricks and exposes his hand. His opponents do likewise and then discover that Declarer's claim is not correct and ask him to play the cards. He must I then state how ho proposes to play them and I should, of course, play them as he would have | done if his opponents had not exposed their hands.