The purpose of an alert is to draw the opponents’ attention to any call by your partner that may have a special meaning. The simplest example is Stayman, where you need to alert partner’s 2C bid.

If you do not alert, then the opponents can assume that the call does not have a special meaning.

A Director will not necessarily rule against you because you failed to alert. If the opposition claim to have been damaged because you failed to alert a call, and it is reckoned that he was aware of its likely meaning, he would fail in his claim if he had the opportunity to ask without putting his side’s interest at risk. eg. if you failed to alert a Stayman 2C bid.

You should always alert (and the list is not exhaustive) :-

All Conventional bids.

A Stayman bid of 2C & the rebid of 2D

An Acol 2C opening bid.

A Transfer bid and the response to the transfer bid.

A negative (Sputnik) double

A game trial bid.

Blackwood, Gerber, Key Card Blackwood.

Any Competitive or Responsive double

Any rescue bid if your opening 1NT is doubled.

A weak two bid, or Strong-but-not-forcing 2-level opening bid, and a Multi two diamond bid.

Please do remember that if, at your turn to call, you do not need to have a call explained, it is in your interests to all questions until the proper time when the auction has finished. Because a call has been alerted does not necessarily mean that you should ask for an explanation at your turn to bid. Only ask for explanations if your side is, or could be, involved in the bidding.

You should not alert your partner’s opening 1NT bid. It is the duty of the opponents to ask about it when they sit down at the table. At level One (see note below), 1NT is limited to a 3 point range between 12 and 18 honour points. At level Two, the minimum agreement for opening a natural 1NT is 10 honour points.

You should not alert :-

A weak jump overcall.

A 5-card major opening bid.

2. A PSYCHE, A DEVIATION, A MISBID.

A Psyche is a gross and deliberate misrepresentation of the hand-, such as making an overcall over opponents’ 1C bid with a bid of 1S, having two spades and 2 points. This is perfectly legal. You may not psyche an opening Acol 2C or a Benji 2C /2D or a Multi-2 opener (up to level 3 )

A Deviation is a minor misrepresentation, such as opening a 12-14 notrump with 10 or 11 points. Again, this is perfectly legal.

A Misbid is an unintentional misrepresentation, such as opening an Acol two with 8 playing tricks & forgetting that you are playing weak twos. It is inadvertent whereas a psyche is deliberate.

Although a psyche is not illegal, partner must bid normally & make no allowance for a possible psyche (said to be fielding the psyche). Partner must always assume that his (psyching) partner has the strength etc shown by his bid. If partner fields the psyche, the Director will cancel the score and award the offending side 30% maximum and the non offending side 60% minimum.

Generally, a misbid does not lead to intervention by the Director, unless the opposition reckons that they have been damaged.

I was questioned recently about two separate incidents regarding a 1NT opener. In the first case, the 1NT opener had only 10 honour points. From above, you will see that this is a deviation & is legal. In the second case, the 1NT opener had a singleton. This is perfectly legal and may be recorded as a psyche or a deviation.

The important point about both cases is that there must be no partnership collusion. As far as partner (and the opposition) is concerned the psyche or misbid must have the meaning of the proper Acol bid. There should also never be a pattern of regular use by a partnership.

In our own Club, the committee have decided and made known, that stronger players should not psyche against a weaker partnership. If a partnership realises that a psyche has been made against them, then it is always advisable to call the Director at the end of the hand. He will decide if any further action is needed.