In article
<9515333.1482.1328975553751.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@vbmh19>,
blackshoe <
blac...@mac.com> wrote:
> I think David's problem with the new regulation is that, because the
> announcement was not changed, if an opponent opens 1C, and his partner
> announces "could be short" (this is the correct procedure if the club suit
> could have fewer than 3 cards), you have to ask for further information in
> order to determine whether the opening is this new natural one, or still
> artificial (that is, it could be made on 2 clubs and some other distribution
> that 4=4=3 in the other suits). You can still play an artificial defense to
> the artificial meanings of the "short club", just not to the natural one. But
> if you ask, you may be deemed to have passed UI to partner, constraining his
> actions.
This is the same UI you potentially pass whenever you ask about an
opponent's alert, so it's not exactly a new problem. You can avoid it
by always asking, whether or not you would take action over one or the
other responses. If you think this is excessive, you could mostly only
ask when you need to know, but occasionally ask when you don't, so the
UI would not be as obvious.
However, if you ask when you don't actually need to know, you could run
afoul of the Law against deliberately misleading the opponent. Damned
if you do, damned if you don't.
--
Barry Margolin
Arlington, MA