'The most interesting questions from visitors to the Dutch sister site bridgevaria.nl'

Dear Martin,

I played a card but another one had stuck to it and dropped face-up at the table. I won the trick with the card I intended to play. Was I now obliged to play back the unintentionally played card or...?
I would like to know the consequences of what happened.
I await your reaction.

Kind regards,
A.G.O. Groot

Reply Martin Sinot

Dear A.G.O. Groot,

It depends on whether you are declarer or defender.

1. You are declarer
In declarer's case a card is considered to have been played if he holds it face-up in such a way that it either (almost) touches the table, or if it is clear otherwise that he intends to play that card.
A card that has been dropped unintentionally does not belong in that category. Therefore you may take it back without repercussions (declarer cannot have a penalty card), so you don't have to lead that card to the next trick. The only consequence is that the opponents now know that you have that card. They are allowed to take advantage of that knowledge.

2. You are a defender
In that case the dropped card becomes a penalty card, which you have to leave face-up on the table.
There are two possibilities:
- The card in question is an honour (ten or higher)
In that case the card is a major penalty card. You have to play it at the first legal opportunity. And since you are on lead, that means now. So in this case you have to lead the card in question to the next trick.
- The card in question is a small one (nine or lower)
In that case the card is a minor penalty card. This means that you don't have to play it now. To the next trick you may lead what you like, but there is one limitation: if you want to lead (remember: you are on lead) the suit of the minor penalty card, you will have to lead either an honour or the minor penalty card. So another small card in that suit is not allowed. If you decide not to play the minor penalty card, for the rest of the play the ruling applies that you are not allowed to play another small card in the minor penalty card's suit before you have played the minor penalty card itself.
There are no limitations for partner (so declarer can neither order nor forbid him any play), except that he has to pretend not to see (have seen) the minor penalty card.
Note: only one minor penalty card is possible. If you were to drop more than one card, all of them become major penalty cards.

Kind regards,
Martin Sinot