He said what?!? - advice requested on a BB@B situation.

JeremyChild

Realbridge, last board, last round, I get called to a table.

EW are unhappy about UI given by S to N. I look at this and make a ruling. There is clearly tension at the table.

While I'm there, EW say they are unhappy with the way NS behaved towards them when they raised their concerns - I didn't see this of course. At this point S leaves the table and we hear N's phone ring. He answers it and we hear what is obviously his partner on the phone say "what was the f**ing twt on about?" (or very similar).

Whilst it was not intended for the EW to hear, they did.

Should I do anything about the expletive ridden statement that was effectively within earshot? (N should have muted his mic before answering.)
Can I take it as evidence of the bad behaviour EW had complained about?

I'm not sure it's relevant, but E can be awkward at times.

Robin_BarkerTD

I think the expletive heard by EW is North's fault not South's. North should not have taken the call while at the table.

I would issue a procedural penalty for allowing the language to be heard.

I don't think it is worth trying to find evidence of the earlier bad behaviour - warn North that if he behaved as EW alleged, this is unacceptable - and report the whole incident the tournament organiser.

Senior_Kibitzer

For how long after the last card of the session should one not take calls? Surely play had ceased in order for Jeremy to give a ruling? If so, I would hold South primarily at fault as he should have known that by phoning North and swearing expletives, there was a significant chance that he would be heard.

Senior_Kibitzer

"EW say they are unhappy with the way NS behaved towards them when they raised their concerns - I didn't see this of course."

I would also want to know from the players how EW "raised their concerns". Some players can be quite inflammatory when doing so.

JeremyChild

@Senior_Kibitzer said:
For how long after the last card of the session should one not take calls? Surely play had ceased in order for Jeremy to give a ruling? If so, I would hold South primarily at fault as he should have known that by phoning North and swearing expletives, there was a significant chance that he would be heard.

S left while I was there dealing with the call, and then immediately phoned N. I think the bar on taking calls (or requirement to mute) should extend to when the director is dealing with a call at their table.

JeremyChild

@Senior_Kibitzer said:

I would also want to know from the players how EW "raised their concerns". Some players can be quite inflammatory when doing so.

Oh there's a high probaility that EW were inflammatory, but if NS don't call me to complain (or complain when I'm at the table), then there's little I can do about it.

JamesC

They might not have meant EW to hear it, but NS have failed in their joint responsibility to make sure EW don't hear these remarks, and I wouldn't be happy that South walked away from the table while I was ruling. I agree with Robin on this one, disciplinary penalty.

It's poor behaviour in itself, not really evidence of earlier poor behaviour. You just have to make a call on that one, and if the table situation is heated it's often hard to tell who is at fault. It sounds likely that the entire table could use a warning.

JeremyChild

@JamesC said:
They might not have meant EW to hear it, but NS have failed in their joint responsibility to make sure EW don't hear these remarks, and I wouldn't be happy that South walked away from the table while I was ruling. I agree with Robin on this one, disciplinary penalty.

Robin actually suggested proecedural penalty.