Board 8 Vul: None Dealer: West West (Brescoll)	North (Greco)   6 4 2    A 10    K 4 2    9 8 7 6 5	East (Lien)
J   9 7 5 4 3 2   7 6 5 3   10 3		K 10 9 8 7 5 3   K J 8 6   --   A 2
	South (Hampson)   A Q   Q   A Q J 10 9 8   K Q J 4

Bidding

N        E         S       W      
                                P
P       1       X        P
2    2      4*    P
6    P          P       P

*Alerted by S, no question asked by W; North to East: "Probably a splinter." As or after the tray was passed, North told East "but it may be Blackwood." All oral. No disagreement about what was said.

After the hand, both North and South said they have no agreement in this auction.

Lead: A

Table Result: Making 6, NS +920

Director's Ruling: Result stands. No MI, as both statements by North imply lack of a firm agreement, together convey to East all of the information available to North and both statements were made well before the choice of lead.

Appeals Committee Ruling:

The committee upheld the directors’ ruling, seeing no new information or arguments that would suggest that it was incorrect. 

Appeals Committee

Ron Gerard, Chairman
Tom Carmichael, Member
 Kerri Sanborn, Member