Pre sight of Traveller
A table is sharing boards. North takes some boards from the other table and not sure which had been played takes out the Traveller of an un-played (by her table) board and sees the contracts played by others. All this happens in plain site of all at the table i.e. it wasn't a sneeky attempt to cheat it was just air headed stupidity. What is the ruling?
Comments
I did this absent-mindedly about 25 years ago and was extremely embarrassed but my nice opponents (one of whom was recently a board member of the EBU while I was in my current role) just said to carry on playing. The law that applies to this is:
Law 16 D. Extraneous Information from Other Sources
1. When a player accidentally receives extraneous information about a board he is playing or
has yet to play, as by looking at the wrong hand; by overhearing calls, results or remarks; by
seeing cards at another table; or by seeing a card belonging to another player at his own
table before the auction begins (see also Law 13A), the Director should be notified
forthwith, preferably by the recipient of the information.
2. If the Director considers that the information would likely interfere with normal play he
may, before any call has been made:
(a) adjust the players’ positions at the table, if the type of contest and scoring permit, so that
the player with information about one hand will hold that hand;
(b) if the form of competition allows of it order the board redealt for those contestants;
(c) allow completion of the play of the board standing ready to award an adjusted score if he
judges that the extraneous information affected the result;
(d) award an adjusted score (for team play see Law 86B).
The most likely part to be applied is 16 D 2(c)
Thanks Gordon - by 'awarding and adjusted score' does that mean adding or deduction one/two tricks to the the other side?
'award an adjusted score' can mean any adjustment e.g. changing 4H making for NS into 4S-2 for EW, or vice versa.
A key point is the second part of that clause "if he judges that the extraneous information affected the result."
Let us imagine that the traveller showed 3NT= NS at all tables so far. The board is played and the result is 3NT= NS. It's unlikely that sight of the traveller affected the result. No adjustment.
Let us imagine that the traveller shows 4H making for NS but a couple of EW pairs sacrificed in 4S getting the best score, say 4SX-2 EW instead of a vulnerable 4H= for NS. If the player who saw the traveller is EW and bids the 4S sacrifice the director would likely adjust the score to 4H= for NS.
The goal of the adjustment being to restore equity for the non-offending side.
I have seen this a couple of times at the club with shared boards and electronic scoring via tablets - someone doesn't enter the board number and scores their hand as an incorrect board... normally everyone sees the result... we scored 3NT by N making, but everyone else scored either 3NT+3 or 6NS by E.... oops we played board 20 and we are looking at the result of board 21.
Correct the score for the actual hand we played, but now it is known that E can make a slam on board 21... what next?
This happened at my table a number of years ago, director called and ruled (incorrectly I think) that we should play the hand and not take advantage. Okay... ops failed to bid the slam! and went on to play the hand really badly and only made 11 tricks!