Self Alerts in Bridge Base Online (BBO)

(Click on Screen Shots to enlarge them.)

Online you must ALERT your OWN bids! Here how:

Here is my hand and my Partner has opened the bidding 1NT.

I have a long ♥ suit. My partner and I play Jacoby Transfers so in order to show my ♥ suit I must bid 2♦. Playing in a club game my Partner would then say "Transfer". Not online! Online I must alert my own bids.

On your bidding box there is a spot down below beside Alert: to type in what you want to tell the Opponents.

To "activate" that I first click on the "2"

Now I can type in the "Explain" section the word "Hearts".

I then complete my bid by clicking on the ♦.

A little box will pop up to tell the OPPONENTS that my bid meant I have ♥.

Note that PARTNER will NOT get your Alert. You will NOT get your Partner's Alerts. So you just have to trust your Partner DID tell the Opponents.

That's it!

Common ALERTS are Jacoby Transfers.

ACBL recently changed the Alert procedure.

Now when there is a 2♦ bid that means ♥ you no longer type "Transfer" you now say the SUIT you have -- so you type "Hearts".

Now when there is a 2♥ bid that means ♠ you no longer type "Transfer" you now say the SUIT you have -- so you type "Spades".