STOP cards at clubs
Hi
Just curious. Do you use Stop cards at club sessions ? Are they available on the table, and are they used ?
regards
Latest Posts on this Thread
- Brad Johnston16 Apr 2019 at 09:23PM
The Otago Bridge Club supplies stop cards at all tables and for all sessions.
They're typically used pretty well [for a club], with people using them before they make a skip bid and waving them in front of their LHO.When people open a strong 2 [2C or 2NT sort of thing], it's somewhat less common for them to be in use.
Some people don't understand the purpose of the stop card. Many people lean with their pencil, ready to bid as soon as (or before) I've removed the stop card; or make motions to that effect such as thanking me multiple times or saying "yes I'm ready" - all of which undermine the purpose of the card. Another issue is when people wait until the stop card is removed to ask about the (alerted) bid, and start thinking about their bid.As a style, I frequently fail to alert sequences such as p p p 1NT; p 3NT ap. With two passed opponents it's unlikely anyone will disturb 3NT. I am very vigilent in using a stop card properly in (potentially) contested auctions; such as 1H p 3H [weak] or an opening pre-empt.
- JOHN O'CONNOR19 Apr 2019 at 06:34PM
The only club session that I have ever attended at which stop cards were not used was when I participated as a mentor at the Auckland club beginner's night. Incidentally, I would rate my mentoring sessions there as amongst the most rewarding times of my bridge history.
- GILES HANCOCK21 Apr 2019 at 08:56PM
Thanks guys. I was told that our club, Akaroa, was the only club that used them :) Not true of course.
Agree that they are too much for Beginners. Agree that players should learn to use them properly, it's in their own best interest.
regards, Giles
- Dougal WATSON14 Jun 2019 at 01:50PM
I play at a number of clubs and they all have stop-cards available at the table, except sometimes when they're forgotten by the table-setter-upper-ers.
Sometimes at a club session, when the cards are missing or hard to find, a player will make an exaggerated hand gesture ... simulting the deliberate placement of a stop card ... and everyone will understand what it means. Sometimes they even mime their removing the stop card so bidding can continue - very cute.
I agree, though, that at club level the use and understanding of stop cards is very variable.
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