As a public service I considered it important to comment on this example of the rarely used Baloney Sandwich convention.
Board #23
South dealer
Both sides vulnerable
| | North
♠ J 4
♥ K 9 8 5 4
♦ 10 4 3 2
♣ 10 4
| | West
♠ 10 9 8 3 2
♥ 2
♦ 9 6
♣ A Q 8 7 6
| | East
♠ A 7 5
♥ Q 10 6
♦ K Q 8 7
♣ K J 5
| | | South
♠ K Q 6
♥ A J 7 3
♦ A J 5
♣ 9 3 2
| |
|
| | | | |
| South | West | North | East |
| 1♣ | P | 1♥ | 1NT |
| 2♥ | 2♠ | P | 2NT |
| 3♥ | P | P | 3NT |
| Dbl | 4♣ | P | 4♠ |
| Dbl | P | P | P |
I sat North. Because Ken and I play a weak NT, he was forced to open a minor. I could easily have passed, but I decided to tell him about my five-card heart suit.
East bid 1NT, which was alerted as "Sandwich," which indicated that she had four or more cards in the two unbid suits but was two weak to double. If Ken's hand were just a little stronger, he would have bid 3♥. He settled for a simple raise. West freely bid 2♠, I passed, and East bid 2NT. At this point everyone at the table knew that either East or West had made a mistake.
Ken felt comfortable bidding 3♥, which was passed to East. Considering that West had made a free bid in East's weakest suit, East bid 3NT, which was doubled. West tried 4♣, which East corrected back to spades, and Ken doubled again.
We set the contract one. If Ken had discarded a diamond instead of a heart, we would have gotten it for -300.
Misunderstandings like this can often cause ethical problems for bridge players. If you realize at any point before the end of the auction that you have provided inaccurate information to your opponents, you must immediately notify them of this. However, you must adhere to your agreements even if you are pretty sure that your partner has gone off the rails.
If, on the other hand, your partner gives incorrect information, you are not allowed to correct him/her until the auction is completed. If you find that you are defending, you may not correct until the play is completed.
If the opponents give incorrect information, it is usually a good idea to call the director. Over the years I have been involved in situations like this several times in tournaments. In San Francisco last week, I mistakenly identified my partner's lebensohl 2NT bid as natural. After I had made my bid (3NT), I realized my mistake and corrected myself. The director was called. We finished the auction and played out the contract, in which my partner heroically made 4♣. However, the director eventually rolled back the contract to 3NT down 1. This was enough to cost us the match and, as it turned out, prevent us from winning the event!
One word of advice if you find yourself in such a tricky situation: Do not volunteer anything; answer the director's questions as simply as possible. If you have not previously discussed a situation, say so, even if you have a strong suspicion of what your partner might have been doing or thinking.