[gambolero]

I live in small town and learned to play casual rubber bridge with some friends and coworkers. A friend and I have gotten reasonably good playing online. We have never played duplicate in a live setting.
We are starting to use quite a few bids that I know require an alert but I'm not sure how to do that!
Say partner opens 1C, RHO passes and I bid 3C! (inverted).
Does partner alert or do I? What exactly does the alerter do with the blue card? When asked for an explanation, who does the explaining?

[blackshoe]

Online, you alert your own bids. Face to face, you alert your partner's bids, not your own. Bidding boxes usually have a blue alert card. They're supposed to have a blue "alert strip" that goes in a slot on the box so it sticks up. The ACBL regulation says you say "Alert" (and nothing else) while at the same time tapping the alert strip. Since someone seems to have gone around and stolen all the alert strips (at least around here) wave the alert card so that both opponents see it instead of tapping the strip. In practice, almost nobody bothers with the card or the strip - apparently that requires too much effort.

If an explanation is requested, the person making the alert should give the explanation. Note that an unexpected alert or failure to alert may convey unauthorized information to the bidder*, and that may constrain his future actions.

*Basically, you're not allowed to use any information provided by your partner except his bids and plays in deciding on your own bids and plays.

[SteveMoe]

A reference you might find useful: Alert Procedures http://www.acbl.org/...procedures.html

More Rules etc.: http://www.acbl.org/play/charts.html

[Lorne50]

SteveMoe, on 2013-December-29, 01:22, said:

A reference you might find useful: Alert Procedures http://www.acbl.org/...procedures.html

More Rules etc.: http://www.acbl.org/play/charts.html

Do not forget that alert rules are different in different countries, although it does seem that anybody not stating where they play is nearly always in the USA so your reference is likely to be applicable in this case.

[SteveMoe]

Lorne50, on 2013-December-30, 06:03, said:

Do not forget that alert rules are different in different countries, although it does seem that anybody not stating where they play is nearly always in the USA so your reference is likely to be applicable in this case.

Perhaps those from other jurisdictions might post their regulations for comparison. Perhaps the OP will look for more information in their region if not North America.