Rules & Etiquette
When to alert conventional bids
When your partner makes a 'conventional' bid, you must play your Alert card immediately, so that both opponents see it. When you are sure that both your opponents have seen the Alert card, put it back in the bidding box.
Do not wait until after your LHO to bid or pass before alerting your partner's bid. If you wait until it is your turn to bid before playing your Alert card, your LHO is entitled to change his call in the light of knowing your partner's bid was conventional. His partner can use both the original and the changed call when deciding what to bid, this would not count as unauthorised information.
You must alert any bid that is not part of standard Acol. This includes (but is not limited to):
- Stayman
- You must alert the 2♣ bid (or 3♣ over a 2NT opening)
- You must alert a 2♦ response (or 3♦ following a 2NT opening).
- You do not need to alert a 2♥ or 2♠ response
- If you play extended Stayman, you must alert a 3♦ reply
- Blackwood (including Roman Key Card Blackwood and Revolving Blackwood)
- You must alert the 4/5NT bid
- You must alert the response
- Gerber
- You must alert the 4/5♣ bid
- You must alert the response
- Transfers
- You must alert the response to 1NT
- You must alert opener's completing bid
- Weak/Benjamin Twos
- You must alert any weak 2 opening bid
- You must alert an Ogust 2NT response to a weak 2, and the reply
- You must alert a 2♣ or 2♦ bid that means 20–22 points but does not specify a suit
- Weak jump overcalls
- Unusual 2 No Trump / Michael's Cue Bid / Ghestem
- Acol 2♣ opening bid
- and a 2♦ negative reply
- Multi 2♦ opening bid
- Cue bids
- Splinter bids
- An opening 1♣ bid when you are playing 5-card majors
- Fourth suit
- Forcing
- Asking
- Landy 2♣ overcall
You do not need to alert:
- A strong 1NT opening bid (any 3 point range from 12–18)
- A 1♥ or 1♠ opening promising a 5-card suit
- A take-out or negative double
- A pre-emptive 3- or 4-level opening bid or overcall
If you are not sure whether to alert or not, play safe and play the Alert card. Remember, you must alert any bid that gives information about strength or distribution other than prescribed by your basic system.