Microsoft Bridge Club Conduct and Ethics Guidelines
	Purpose The purpose of these guidelines is to create a friendly yet competitive atmosphere for all Bridge players on the Internet Gaming Zone. Recognizing that Zone Bridge players represent a diverse group, with many Bridge players from all over the world, we felt it was necessary to provide general guidelines of acceptable behavior to ensure an enjoyable online Bridge experience for everyone. Ethics Do Not Discuss Privately with Partner Privately telling partner your hand or how to play or defend a hand (via ICQ, ZoneFriends, or telephone, for example) is a serious breach of our ethical standards. Public Accusations Are Unethical Accusing someone of being a cheat or being unethical is, in itself, a violation of our ethical standards. If you have serious concerns about a player or pair, either avoid playing against them or, in the case of tournaments, gather sufficient evidence to support your accusation and forward it to the organization that has sanctioned the event. Do Not Quit in the Middle of a Hand Bidding disasters happen. When they do, the ethical thing to do is play the hand out, accept your poor result, and get on with the next hand. Quitting is not acceptable behavior. Occasionally players can lose their Internet connection. Before quitting you should allow sufficient time for those players to rejoin the table and complete a hand. Do Not Skip a Hand Without Opponents' Consent The player in charge of the table controls should not skip a hand without first getting the agreement of opponents. Since we do not have an UNDO feature to correct mouse-clicking errors, skipping may sometimes be the only appropriate way to rectify them. However, in all situations, everyone at the table must concur, with one exception. Skipping is always appropriate when a new player joins in the middle of a hand, since that new player may have played or seen the cards before. Conduct MSN Gaming Zone Code of Conduct Read it now! These guidelines include all inappropriate behaviors listed there. Start Bidding and Play Promptly When you sit at a table, a brief discussion such as "SAYC, partner?" is sufficient to get things started. Work out the details later. The opponents should not have to put up with an extended bidding discussion. When a hand is completed, some partnerships frequently like to discuss what happened. This is fine provided it does not unduly delay the next hand. In other words, be considerate of your opponents. Pre-alert Opponents as to Any "Unusual" Systems Most SAYC and 2/1 treatments need not be pre-alerted. But if you are playing unusual methods (forcing club system, weak NT opening, multi 2D, etc.), let your opponents know before starting to play. If you join a table and the people already there do not want to play against your system, it will be your responsibility to leave and find another table. Self Alert When making an alertable call, click the Alert button before making the bid. This allows you to alert your own bids, not your partner's. Asking/Answering Questions About Bids Online, if you want to know the meaning of a call or self alert, you ask the person who made the call or self alert, not the person's partner. If you are asked about a bid, answer as fully as you can in a reasonable amount of time. Dummy Should Observer Quietly Apart from GLP ("good luck, partner") or other friendly statements, dummy should remain quiet during the play of the hand. Dummy may only draw attention to an irregularity after the play of the hand is done. Claim When You Can When you know the exact outcome of a hand, use the Claim button. This keeps the game moving along at a good pace. Remember when claiming to be sure, if there are alternate lines of play available, to state the line you plan to take, particularly when there are trumps outstanding. The onus to get it right is on the person claiming. Penalties Depending on the severity of the infraction, a player who does not adhere to the Conduct and Ethics Guidelines may, at the sole discretion of Microsoft? Be warned by a Sysop or Bridge Game Administrator Be suspended from playing in the Bridge Club or game room for a specified period of time Be permanently prohibited from playing in the Bridge Club by Zone Operations Personnel. In the context of games for ACBL Masterpoints, the ACBL reserves the right to investigate any impropriety during a game. The ACBL reserves the right to refuse Masterpoints to any player. Note: The Zone and its Sysops have final say over what constitutes a violation of this Code. The Zone reserves the right to change its policies at any time. Check this page for updates to the Microsoft Bridge Club Code of Conduct.