Only announce partner’s bid if it is explicitly required to be announced.
Apart from the specific exceptions below, you should alert any artificial bid by partner up to 3NT. For example, the negative 2♦ response to an opening 2♣.
Preference bids are not considered artificial.
Opening Bids |
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| Opening Bid | Description | Announce | Alert | No Action |
| 1NT | Balanced | “12 to 14” | ||
| 2♣ | Acol | ✓ | ||
| 2♦ / 2♥ / 2♠ | Weak with the suit bid | “Weak” | ||
| 2NT | Balanced | “20 to 22” | ||
Sequences after 1NT and 2NT Opening Bids |
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| Sequence | Description | Announce | Alert | No Action |
| 1NT – 2♣ 2NT – 3♣ |
Stayman | “Stayman” | ||
| 1NT – 2♣ – 2♦ 2NT – 3♣ – 3♦ |
Denies 4 card major | ✓ | ||
| 1NT – 2♦ 2NT – 3♦ |
Transfer | “Hearts” | ||
| 1NT – 2♥ 2NT – 3♥ |
Transfer | “Spades” | ||
| Transfer completions are not alerted. (Over a 1NT overcall: Stayman-style 2♣ and the negative 2♦ response are both alerted; transfers are alerted but not the transfer completion.) |
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Doubles up to 3NT |
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| Opponent’s call | Meaning of opponent’s call | Meaning of your double | Alert | No Action |
| A suit at any level | Natural | Takeout | ✓ | |
| Other | ✓ | |||
| Artificial | Showing the suit doubled | ✓ | ||
| No trumps at any level | Any meaning | Penalty | ✓ | |
| Note that doubles of suit bids at the three level are alerted when they are for penalties. | ||||
This is based on the EBU August 2013 document, simplified for improvers using BfA Acol with transfers and weak 2’s but not splinter bids.