The cards must be dealt face down, one card at a time, into four hands of thirteen cards each; each hand is then placed face down in one of the four pockets of the board. The recommended procedure is that the cards be dealt in rotation, clockwise.
There must be a new shuffle and a redeal if it is
ascertained before the auction begins for both sides (see Law 17A) that the cards have been incorrectly dealt or that a
player could have seen the face of a card belonging to another hand.
Each player takes a hand from the pocket corresponding to his compass position.
1. Counting Cards in Hand before Play
Each player counts his cards face down to be sure he has exactly 13; after that, and before
making a call, he must inspect the face of his cards.
2. Control of Player's Hand
During play each player retains possession of his own cards, not
permitting them to be mixed with those of any other player. No player
shall touch any cards other than his own (but declarer may play
dummy's cards in accordance with Law 45) during or
after play except by permission of the Director.
Each player shall restore his original 13 cards to the pocket
corresponding to his compass position. Thereafter no hand shall be
removed from the board unless a member of each side, or the Director,
is present.
The Director instructs the players as to the proper movement of boards
and progression of contestants.
2. Responsibility for Moving Boards
The North player at each table is responsible for moving the boards
just completed at his table to the proper table for the following
round, unless the Director instructs otherwise.
In general, a round ends when the Director gives the signal for the
start of the following round; but if any table has not completed play
by that time, the round continues for that table until there has been
a progression of players.
The last round of a session, and the session itself, ends for each
table when play of all boards scheduled at that table has been
completed, and when all scores have been entered on the proper scoring
forms without objection.