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SAYC – Hohenstein 20

2C (Two Clubs) – stark ab 20 F

2 opening bid -strong:

The conventional responses are as follows.

Responder's Bid Meaning2 The negative response, showing 0-4 points2 5+ hearts, 5+ points and game-forcing2 5+ spades, 5+ points and game-forcing2NT Natural and game-forcing, with 5+ HCP3 5+ clubs, 5+ points and game-forcing3 5+ diamonds, 5+ points and game-forcing3NT Natural and game-forcing (of course), with 5+ HCP

Opener's rebids after hearing a 2 negative response are below.

Opener's Rebid After 2 Meaning

Any suit Natural, showing a 5+ card suit. Forcing to game. Responder isn't allowed to pass!

2NT Balanced, 20-21 HCP3NT Balanced, 22-23 HCP4NT Balanced, 26-27 HCP

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Transfer Walsh

Transfer Walsh is a method of continuation after a 1♣ open in a normal system, eg Acol with 5 card majors, or two over one, but not a strong club system. Why have something new? Consider some of the deficiencies of standard natural methods ...

You have a biddable but weak hand with 5 hearts. Can you show that your suit is 5 cards and weak? Or can you miss the 5/3 fit, or avoid a 5/1 fit? If opener always raises on a 3 card suit, then you are in trouble when you have only a 4 card suit. (Other simpler methods such as a major response that guarantees 5 cards can solve this particular problem, but have other deficiencies.)

You as responder have a weak hand with 5 spades and 4 hearts. Can you show the lengths in both suits, and the weakness, and play in the best fitting 2M contract opposite a balanced minimum opener?

This time you have 6 spades. Can you show precisely that length, at all strengths?

You find your major fit, but to invite game you bid 3M which opener passes. You have your combined 24 points, but on a bad break or losing finesses, you go one off. Wouldn't it be nice to use 2M as a game invitation, so that a weaker opener can play there?

OK, enough.

Transfer Walsh enables you to show, precisely, whether your majors are 4, 5, or 6 in length, and ALSO, whether you are weak, invitational, or game forcing. This is for all combinations, and for one or both majors. With the treatment described below, all game invitational responder hands are shown by a bid at the 2-level, opener knowing whether it is 4, 5, or 6, and if the invitation is declined you play at the 2-level. It is completely EBU legal at level 3 or higher.

You can play it with a weak 1NT or a strong 1NT. My preference is 1NT=15/16, and this article reflects that, but if yours is different, you can alter the rebid strengths accordingly. My 1C open if balanced is 12-14, or 17+.

Transfer Walsh at its basic level is simply a reply of 1♦ to show hearts, and 1♥ to show spades. The suit could be 4 cards or longer. This is NOT a transfer per se, as opener does not necessarily complete the transfer. There are many treatments and variations, but probably the key decision is what constitutes a transfer completion at the one level. There are essentially two alternatives when you do not have 4 card support - complete the transfer with 3 card support and break it by bidding 1NT with 2, ignoring strength; or complete the transfer with lower range strength (eg 12-14) and break it by bidding 1NT and higher strength (eg 17/18), ignoring whether 2 or 3. Having tried both strains, my preference is the latter. When responder is weak, playing in a 5-2 major fit at 1♥/♠ is better than playing in 1NT or higher.

These are the typical opener rebids after a major "transfer" : If you have 2 or 3 card support and a 12-14 count, you complete the transfer at the 1-level. Responder if less than invitational strength passes with a 5 card suit, but with only 4 bids

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1NT, or tries spades over hearts. Responder with stronger hands makes further moves. If you have 2 or 3 card support but a 17/18 count, rebid 1NT (or 2NT with 19+). If you have 4 card support, you jump to 2 of the suit with 12-14, or 3 of the suit with 17/18.

However, if you do not have 3 card major support, a rebid of 2♣ shows 6 clubs. (The 1♣ open is usually balanced, but can alternatively be a long suit.) When you have 6 clubs and also 3 card major support, and responder with only 4 of the major rebids 1NT after your major completion, you of course convert that to 2♣.

That's it in outline. If opener shows a 17/18 hand with 1NT, responder can transfer to show a 5 card suit. Opener will play in 2M with 3 card support, but with only 2 cards will rebid 2NT - the combined minimum count makes this safe. Whatever opener does, responder can of course raise to game now.

As responder with spades will bid 1♥, the initial response of 1♠ is now freed to have other meanings. If you use this as a relay, or to transfer to 1NT, this has advantages, as it both right-sides a NT contract, and enables you to have follow-on bids if you wish. Doing this then of course frees up a 1NT response to mean something else. You can use that 1NT, or the 1♠ bid if you want a natural 1NT, to show a diamond suit in a weak hand, that allows partner to pass/raise or correct to 2♦. However, there may be better uses ...

That is the basic essence of transfer walsh. Over opener's rebid you can play any method of your choice, such as xyz, transfers, or whatever. Discuss objectives, style, and continuations with your favourite partner. To give an idea of more complex methods that you might use, I present below the key points in the approach I use.

An example transfer walsh system that utilises more complex developments

Objectives : Convey immediately whether opener is balanced or has long clubs Convey balanced opener strength ranges (12-14, 17/18, 19/20) Convey responder strength ranges opposite a 12-14 (up to 10, 11/12, 13+) Show precise lengths of responder's major holdings within those ranges. Allow responder to describe minor suit holdings in those ranges, but without exact length definition Where possible to right-side the contracts so they are played by opener Where possible to express a game invitation such that if there is a major fit, but no game, it can be played in 2M Enable a weak responder to show a 4 card major, but if no fit is found, to play in 2♣ or 2♦ Cater for interference from opposition

Key treatments adopted :

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1♣ may be 6 card, or is balanced and guarantees at least a doubleton in each major. The balanced hands include a 20 count, so a 2NT open is therefore 21/22, and 2♣ then 2NT is 23/24.

The initial responses to 1♣ are: 1♦ shows hearts, at least 4 cards 1♥ shows spades, at least 4 cards 1♠ is a relay denying a 4 card major. Responder may be balanced, or have a long minor. This frees the 1NT, 2♣, 2♦ replies. 1NT shows {54} in the majors (either way) 2♣ is {44} both majors 11+ 2♦ is {55} both majors 2♥/♠ is natural 6 card, up to 8 hcp 2NT is {55} in the minors 3♣/♦ is natural, weak and preemptive

Apart from a weak {44}, "both major" responder hands show both suits immediately in one bid. This means that in competition both suits are precisely known immediately, and X is unambiguously for penalty.

Opener to a "1red" response with 4 card support completes the transfer with a jump. With 2 or 3 card support he completes the transfer with 12-14, rebids 1NT with 17/18, 2NT with 19/20. Over the NT rebids, stayman, minor suit stayman, and 4 suit transfers apply (normal responses to NT are on). Opener rebids clubs with a 6 card suit, but with 3 card support he initially completes but then converts a possible NT to clubs.

Responder on transfer completion can pass if weak with 5 cards, or "retransfer" to show 5 and invitational or better 11+. Opener will decline the invitation by rebidding NT on a doubleton, or the major with 3, (but responder can raise to game, or ace ask etc), or accept by bidding game. A fit declined is played in 2M. A 6 card responder shows 9-12 by raising the major, and 3M from opener therefore invites the 11/12 to bid game. Responder with 13 just bids game. A responder with a non-fit 4 card major can rebid 1NT or 2 of either minor to play, except that after a heart transfer, a spade/NT inversion is used so that opener plays 1NT in the sequence 1♣ 1♦ 1♥ 1♠ 1NT, and opener plays spades in the sequence 1♣ 1♦ 1♥ 1NT 2♠. After the inverted 1♠, responder with 4 hearts can then also make a game invitation in a long minor as below.

Opener to a "1♠" relay rebids clubs with 6, else bids 1NT 12-14, 2NT 17/18, and with 19/20 bids 2♥ to puppet 2♠ then rebids 2NT. (If he rebids 3♣ over 2♠, this shows a natural heart reverse.) "NT continuations" are off, because a minor is to play, and a major bid by responder (having already denied the major) is a slam invitation in the corresponding minor.

Responder after 1♣ 1♠ 1NT can pass or raise if balanced (eg 2NT on 11/12), bid 2♣ or 2♦ to play, bid 3♣ or 3♦ as GF, or bid 2M (having already denied the major) as a game invitation in

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the corresponding minor. This latter can be played in 2NT or 3m if opener refuses the game, depending on fit.

The "both majors" nature of some of the responses makes it easy to show both the hand strength and major length after 2nd seat opponent interferes with a 1-level bid. It is "system on", with X meaning "I would have bid that", so 1♣ (1♠) X is balanced or a minor. Higher bids are as uninterrupted. If the opponent bids a major, then the "both majors" meaning applies now only to the other major, so after 1♣ (1♥) responder shows his spade holding by : X = 4 spades exactly, up to 10 hcp 1NT = 5 spades exactly, up to 10 hcp 2♣ = 4 spades exactly, 11+ 2♦ = 5+ spades, 11+ 2♥ (cue) = 6 spades, 9/10 2♠ = 6 spades, up to 8

Discuss methods with your partner to design your own transfer walsh continuations, but I hope this gives you some ideas. If you would like a copy of my detailed system notes, please email me.

Try it. You'll have fun, and find it indispensible.

I've been playing transfer responses to 1♣ since November 2002 and they are probably the best thing we've introduced.

As mickyb said, "Majors are the most important suits. If you play Walsh, where you respond in a 4-card major rather than showing 4+ diamonds with a weakish hand, then you rarely bid 1♦ anyhow and logically it makes sense to use the cheapest responses to show the most important suits. Hence transfer responses to 1♣."

Our methods were originally derived from the Fallenius-Welland notes (PDF) that we found. Thus the responses to 1♣ are:

1♦ shows 4+ hearts, 4+ HCP

1♥ shows 4+ spades, 4+ HCP

1♠ shows 4+ diamond, 4+ HCP, denies a 4-card major unless game-forcing strength

1NT shows 5-10 HCP, denies 4-card major and 6-card diamond suit

2♣ is an inverted raise, showing 4+ clubs and 11+ points

2♦ shows 4+ hearts, 5+ spades, 0-7 HCP

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2♥/2♠ are weak, 6+ suit, 0-7 HCP

2NT is 16+ balanced

3♣ is pre-emptive, showing a hand that wishes to play here opposite a weak 1NT

In terms of opener's rebid after, say, 1♣ - 1♦:

1♥ shows 11-13 balanced, with two or three hearts. If three hearts then no ruffing values, essentially no weak doubleton.

1♠ is natural, implying 4+ clubs and 4+ spades and unbalanced.

1NT shows 17-19 balanced, may have 3 hearts

2♣ is natural

2♦ is a natural reverse

2♥ is a hand that would raise a normal 1♥ response to two. So for us this will be a balanced 11-13 with 3 or 4 hearts, or a minimum heart-club two-suiter

2♠ is natural, game forcing hand with spades and clubs

2NT shows 15+ points, with 3 hearts and 6 clubs, or 4 hearts and 5 clubs

3♣ is natural

3♦ shows 17-19 balanced with 4 hearts

3♥ is natural, but may be weaker than normal methods. Typically a good opener with hearts and clubs, unbalanced.

3♠ is a splinter

The advantages of the method, as we play them, are:

opener's 1NT rebid is 17-19. This permits very light responses to 1♣ without the concern of partner rebidding 2NT

opener's 2NT rebid is now available as something special, as it is not required to show 17-19 balanced. We use it to show the Bridge World Death Hand, strong with 3-card support with 6-card minor, or 4+ support with 5+ minor

it gives you more space to develop the auction

The disadvantage of the method is:

it allows a cheap double of a suit that the opposition could not bid at the 1-level. The benefits of this seem to be negligible in our experience.

Putting balanced hands, even with 5 diamonds and 2 clubs, into our 1♣ opener means that the 2NT rebid can be used in the same way over a 1♦ opener. Additionally you can play transfer

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rebids by opener.

Our notes on continuations are fairly comprehensive but the method comes up a great deal, so it is a good investment of time and memory especially compared to some of the esoteric things we play.

There are other schemes available.

http://www.geocities.com/gerben47/bridge/twalsh.html

you can complete the transfer with 3-card support, jump with 4-card support and leave the 1NT rebid to show 12-14 balanced with 1-2 hearts

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Bergen RaisesBergen raises are a form of major-suit raise when playing 5-card majors. After a 1 or 1 opening, responses of 3 / / / show different types of 4-card support.

Responses to 1I use the acronym "CLAP" to remember Bergen raises: "Constructive, Limit And Preemptive."

3 A "Constructive" raise, showing 7-10 points and exactly 4-card trump support. Example:

Q32AT54 9 JT876

3 A "Limit" raise, showing 10-12 points and exactly 4-card trump support. Example:

KJ4 AJT2 JT93 T9

3 A "Preemptive" raise, showing 0-6 points and exactly 4-card trump support. Example:

A32J643T97393

3 An "ambiguous spinter" raise. An unbalanced, game-forcing raise promising 12+ points and 4-card trump support, with an undisclosed singleton or void. With a balanced game-forcing raise, use the Jacoby 2NT convention instead.Example:

J32KQ93AKT872

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Partner is expected to bid 3NT as an artificial relay, after which responder will show his singleton/void suit at the 4-level. A 4 rebid by responder shows club shortness, 4 shows diamond shortness, and 4 shows spade shortness.

Responses to 1

3 A "Constructive" raise, showing 7-10 points and exactly 4-card trump support.Example:

QJ32KJ4 92 J976

3 A "Limit" raise, showing 10-12 points and exactly 4-card trump support.Example:

AQ54 J32KJ92 43

3 An "ambiguous splinter" raise. An unbalanced, game-forcing raise promising 12+ points and 4-card trump support, with an undisclosed singleton or void. With a balanced game-forcing raise, use the Jacoby 2NT convention instead.Example:

AQ72J6435AKT4

Partner is expected to bid 3 as an artificial relay, after which responder will show his singleton/void. A 3NT rebid by responder shows club shortness, 4 shows diamond shortness and 4 shows heart shortness.

3 A "Preemptive" raise, showing 0-6 points and exactly 4-card trump support. Example:

KT986543T9732

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Bergen raises are based on the Law of Total Tricks, which suggests that the partnership should bid to its number of total trumps. With a nine-card fit, for example, the partnership should bid to the 3-level.

Note that Bergen raises are commonly off by a passed hand. If partner opens 1 / in 3rd or 4th seat, then Drury is often used for conventional responses instead.

Openers Rebids After a 3 Response ("Constructive" Raise)

3 This is typically played as a help suit game try, showing game interest with 4+ diamonds and 14-16 points. (Alternatively, it can be played as a short suit game try, showing a diamond singleton or void and interest in game.) Responder is expected to sign off in 3 / with minimum values, or bid 4 / with maximum values.

Opener Responder

AT 8652AQ873 KT92AJT8 KQ463 T7

Opener 13 (2)

Opp 1 DoublePass

Responder 3 (1)4 (3)

Opp 2 PassAll pass

1. 3 is a constructive raise, showing 7-10 points and 4-card support.2. 3 is a game try.3. 4 places the final contract. Responder likes his diamond honors after hearing 3

.

3 If the agreed suit is hearts, then this is a signoff bid. If the agreed suit is spades, then this is typically played a help suit game try, showing game interest with 4+ hearts and 14-16 points. (Refer to the description of 3 .)

Opener ResponderKT93 AJ5AKJ43 QT52J8 95T5 9763

Opener1 3 (2)

Responder3 (1)Pass

1. 3 is a constructive raise, showing 7-10 points and 4-card support.2. 3 is a signoff.

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3 If the agreed suit is spades, then this is a signoff bid. If the agreed suit is hearts, then this is typically played as a strong and natural bid, showing 4+ spades and interest in slam. Responder is expected to do something intelligent at his next turn (sign off in 4 , cue-bid an ace, etc.).

Opener ResponderAK843 QJ52A932 KQ5J8 8762T9 53

Opener1 3 (2)

Responder3 (1)Pass

1. 3 is a constructive raise, showing 7-10 points and 4-card support.2. 3 is a signoff. Note that it would be a mistake to bid 3 , which would show

game interest and 14-16 points.

Openers Rebids After a 3 Response ("Limit" Raise)

3 If the agreed suit is hearts, then this is a signoff bid. If the agreed suit is spades, then this is typically played a "help suit game try", showing game interest with 4+ hearts and 14-16 points. (Refer to the description of 3 .)

3 If the agreed suit is spades, then this is a signoff bid. If the agreed suit is hearts, then this is typically played as a strong and natural bid, showing 4+ spades and interest in slam.

Opener's Rebids After 1 - 3 ("Preemptive" Raise)

Pass Shows less than 18 points.

4 Shows 18+ points in an uncontested auction. In competition, however, this may be a sacrifice.

Opener Responder83 T52AKQ32 J654J87 5AT9 Q7654

Opener1 Pass

Responder3 (1)

1. 3 is a preemptive raise, showing 0-6 points and 4-card support.

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Opener's Rebids After 1 - 3 (Game-Forcing Raise)3 is an unbalanced, game-forcing raise with a singleton or void. Opener can sign off in 4 with a minimum and no interest in slam. If opener is interested in slam, however, he can bid 3

as a relay bid asking for responder's short suit. The purpose of these "ambiguous splinters" is to avoid giving the defenders too much information when opener wants to sign off in game.

3 Artificial relay. Responder is expected to bid his singleton or void at the 4-level:

3NT - Club singleton/void 4 - Diamond singleton/void 4 - Heart singleton/void

Opener ResponderAK843 QJ52A5 KQ42T987 5KQ A65

Opener1 3 (2)

Responder3 (1)4 (3)

1. 3 is an unbalanced game-forcing raise. 2. 3 asks responder to disclose his short suit. 3. 4 shows a singleton or void in diamonds.

At this point, opener likes his hand because he can envision all his diamond losers getting ruffed in dummy. He can proceed with Blackwood or whatever slam methods the partnership uses.

Opener's Rebids After 1 - 3 ("Preemptive" Raise)

Pass Shows less than 18 points.

4 Shows 18+ points in an uncontested auction. In competition, however, this may be a sacrifice.

Opener ResponderAKQ843 T952AK32 Q5J8 8762T 653

Opener Responder

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1 4 (2)

3 (1)Pass

1. 3 is a preemptive raise, showing 0-6 points and 4-card support. 2. 4 is a good bet with 17 HCP and extra shape. Note that in standard bidding methods,

the auction might simply go 1 - Pass - Pass - Pass.

Opener's Rebids After 1 - 3 (Game-Forcing Raise)3 is an unbalanced, game-forcing raise with a singleton or void. Opener can sign off in 4 with a minimum and no interest in slam. If opener is interested in slam, however, he can bid 3NT as a relay bid asking for responder's short suit. The purpose of these "ambiguous splinters" is to avoid giving the defenders too much information when opener wants to sign off in game.

3NT Artificial relay. Responder is expected to bid his singleton or void at the 4-level:

4 - Club singleton/void 4 - Diamond singleton/void 4 - Spade singleton/void

Opener ResponderA5 KQ42AK843 QJ52KJT9 5T5 A983

Opener1 3NT (2)4 (4)

Responder3 (1)4 (3)Pass

1. 3 is an unbalanced game-forcing raise. 2. 3NT asks responder to disclose his short suit. 3. 3 shows a singleton or void in diamonds. 4. 4 is a signoff. Opener has 15 HCP but wasted values in diamonds.

In CompetitionBergen raises are on over an opposing double, but are otherwise off.

Pros and Cons

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The primary benefits of Bergen raises are that:

Opener receives more detailed information than if playing standard limit raises. The partnership reaches the 3-level faster than if playing limit raises; this "fast" arrival

may preempt the opponents. The Law of Total Tricks (also popularized by Marty Bergen) says that a pair should usually bid up to the 3-level when holding a combined 9+ trumps.

Good 4 / games are occasionally reached when responder makes a preemptive raise.

The main drawback of Bergen raises is that they give up the natural 3 / responses. However, this loss of strong jump shifts is marginal if playing a 2/1 system, because such hands can be shown by a simple 2 / game-forcing response.

See also ACBL District 6's expert panel discussion about Bergen raises, as well as my article with an obvious title, A Bergen Disaster.

OriginsBergen raises were created by American expert Marty Bergen. Read my interview with Marty Bergen too if you'd like.

What I've written above is just a primer. You can buy Marty's complete booklet on Bergen Raises directly from his website, which I like because he autographs everything. Mention BRIDGEBUM to get a special deal on books: buy 1 hardcover, get 2 softcovers free.

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BlackwoodBlackwood is the most well-recognized convention for slam bidding. When a player is interested in slam but afraid of missing two aces, and hence two tricks, he can bid 4NT to ask his partner how many aces he holds. The responses to 4NT are:

Response Meaning

5 Shows 0 or 4 aces

5 Shows 1 ace

5 Shows 2 aces

5 Shows 3 aces

All of the rebids made by the Blackwood bidder are natural, with the exception of 5NT. If the Blackwood bidder is contemplating a grand slam and needs to know how many kings his partner has, he can rebid 5NT. The responses to 5NT are:

Response Meaning

6 Shows 0 or 4 kings

6 Shows 1 king

6 Shows 2 kings

6 Shows 3 kings

There are a number of ways to show aces if 4NT is overcalled. One method is DOPI, which stands for "Double = Zero aces, Pass = 1." The cheapest available bid shows two aces, the second-cheapest bid shows three aces, and the third-cheapest bid shows four. Another method of showing aces is DEPO, which stands for "Double = Even number of aces, Pass = Odd number of aces."

Note that on occasion the responder to a Blackwood inquiry will have a void somewhere in his hand. Voids should not be treated as aces; how they are treated instead is up to partnership agreement.

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http://www.bridgebum.com/double_even_pass_odd.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/double_0_pass_1.php

OriginsBlackwood gets its name from its inventor Easley Blackwood, the late American player and writer.

Baby BlackwoodBaby Blackwood is a 3NT ace-asking bid after a major-suit fit is found. It is just like Blackwood, except that it's one level lower. Example auctions:

Opener Responder

1 3

3NT

Opener Responder

1 2

3 3NT

In these auctions, it's extremely unlikely that 3NT is needed as a natural bid. Hence the idea to save one level of bidding space.

Some partnerships also play 1 / : 3NT as Baby Blackwood, although I prefer to play 3NT as 13-15 HCP with 4333 shape. Rather than use Baby Blackwood in this situation, I find a Jacoby 2NT response more practical.

Responses to 3NTThe responses to 3NT are the same as Blackwood.

Response Meaning

4 Shows 0 or 4 aces

4 Shows 1 ace

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http://www.bridgebum.com/blackwood.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/jacoby_2nt.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/high_card_points.php


4 Shows 2 aces

4 Shows 3 aces

Alternatively, Key Card responses can be used.

Rebids by the 3NT bidderAfter hearing partner's response, a 4NT rebid is a king-asking bid. The responses follow the same pattern as the 3NT responses where 5 shows 0 or 4 kings, etc.

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http://www.bridgebum.com/roman_key_card_blackwood.php

Jacoby 2NT (Two No-Trump)The Jacoby 2NT convention is an artificial, game-forcing response to a 1 or 1

opening bid. The 2NT response shows 4+ trump support with 13+ points. It asks partner to describe her hand further so that slam prospects can be judged accordingly.

Jacoby 2NT is intended for use in 5-card major systems that employ limit raises for game invitations. Thus, Jacoby 2NT fills the need for a game-forcing raise with unlimited strength. It doesn't come up often, but is precious in its role.

Opener's RebidsAfter the auction begins 1 / : 2NT, opener's rebids are as follows.

Opener's Rebid

Meaning

3 Singleton or void in clubs.

3 Singleton or void in diamonds.

3

If are trumps, then this rebid shows 17+ points and interest in slam. It asks responder to describe his hand further.

If are trumps, then this shows a singleton or void in hearts.

3

If are trumps, then this rebid shows 17+ points and interest in slam. It asks responder to describe his hand further.

If are trumps, then this shows a singleton or void in spades.3NT Good 13-15 points, balanced, no singleton/void.

4 5+ clubs.

4 5+ diamonds.

4 If are trumps, then this rebid shows a minimum hand (11-14 points) and is a signoff bid.

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http://www.bridgebum.com/limit_raise.php

If are trumps, then this shows 5+ hearts.

4If are trumps, then this rebid shows a minimum hand (11-14 points) and is a signoff bid.

Note: Showing a 5-card side suit has priority over showing a singleton or void.

Responder's Rebids

After any 3-level rebid by opener, responder can bid any suit (besides the agreed trump suit) to show a first-round control - i.e. an ace or void.

After ANY rebid by opener, 4NT is Blackwood (or Roman Key Card Blackwood).

Example

Opener Responder

AK843 QJ52

A932 KQ

J A862

T98 Q53

Opener1 (1)3 (3)4 (5)Pass (7)

Responder2NT (2)4 (4)4 (6)

1. 1 shows 12+ points and 5+ spades 2. 2NT shows 13+ points and 4+ spades - game forcing! 3. 3 shows a diamond singleton or void 4. 4 shows first-round diamond control 5. 4 shows first-round heart control

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6. 4 shows a willingness to stop in game, and implies the club suit as a concern. With a club ace or void, responder would have bid 4 instead of 4 .

7. Pass shows that opener does not have anything extra to show, and is satisified with game.

In CompetitionJacoby 2NT is off in competition. After interference over opener's 1 / , a 2NT bid by responder is commonly used as a limit raise (the Jordan 2NT convention).

OriginsThe Jacoby 2NT convention is named for its American inventor Oswald Jacoby. See also Jacoby Transfers.

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http://www.bridgebum.com/jacoby_transfers.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/oswald_jacoby.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/jordan_2nt.php

Limit RaisesLimit Raises are used after partner opens the bidding with 1-of-a-suit. A jump raise (e.g. 1 :3 or 1 :3 ) shows 10-12 points and 4-card support. 5-card support is possible opposite a minor-suit opening.

Back in the old, old days, this sequence showed a strong game-forcing hand. Over time, players gradually realized that this approach was too uncommon and impractical. Hence the birth of the limit raise.

There is expert debate on whether 3-card limit raises are acceptable opposite a 1 / opening bid. This practice may occur if 1) playing a 5-card major system, and 2) holding 3-card support with unbalanced shape.

Opener can pass a limit raise with minimum values, or bid on with more. If playing a system that uses 3-card 1 and 1 openings, limit raises in those suits should should show good 4- or 5-card support.

Examples

Opener Responder

AQ987 KJ43

T92 A4

Q5 984

A98 Q632

Opener1Pass (2)

Responder3 (1)

1. Limit raise 2. Passing with a minimum

Opener Responder

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http://www.districtsix.org/Articles/Article%202010-12.aspx

6 KJ5

KQT84 A973

AK98 3

Q43 J9762

Opener14 (2)

Responder3 (1)

1. Limit raise 2. Bidding game with sufficient values

In CompetitionLimit raises are typically off in competition. Jump raises become preemptive, showing 0-6 points and at least 4-card support (or 5-card support in response to a minor). Using this method, responder can then use the Jordan 2NT over an enemy takeout double to show a hand worth a limit raise or better, or a cue-bid over an enemy overcall.

Three-card Limit Raises that Promise Four-Card Support (Dec/Jan 2010-11)Three-Card Limit Raises that Promise Four-Card Support I asked my expert panel: What are your thoughts on three-card limit raises in the following auctions? 1 - pass - 3 , 1 - pass -3 or if playing Bergen raises, one-of-a-major - pass - 3 (artificial four-card limit raise). This is assuming that you could also show three-card limit raises using some other method. What do you think of bidding 3 holding Axx xx Kxxxx KJx over 1 ?What do you think of bidding 3 holding xx Axx Kxxxx KJx over 1 ?

I’m a proponent for making unbalanced three-card limit raises. First we’ll hear from the defense, i.e. those who agree with me and think that a player who makes a direct three-card limit raise is not guilty of conspiracy to make a bad bid.

I’ll give you a simple lead problem. You hold 432 KQJ10 A32 432. The auction goes by the opponents 1 - 3 - 4 . Is there anyone who wouldn’t lead the K? Now, suppose the auction went 1 - 1NT - 2 - 3 - 4 ? Is there anyone who wouldn’t lead a trump? Too much information is bad for the offense and good for the defense. It’s much easier to defend against 1 - 1NT - two-any - 3 - 4 than 1 - 3 -4 .

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http://www.bridgebum.com/takeout_double.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/jordan_2nt.php

I’ll give you a bidding problem.You hold 4 AQ1065 A54 K543. The auction goes 1 - Pass - 1NT. Wouldn’t you bid 2 without much thought? Now, suppose the auction goes 1 - Pass 3 ? It’s scary bidding 4 .

There are experts who are witnesses for the defense.

Kit Woolsey---I have no problems whatsoever making a three-card limit raise if the hand looks right for it. Partner will find out how many trumps I have when I put the dummy down. The only thing wrong with a three-card limit raise is that it commits us to playing in the major -- 3NT is no longer in the picture. I play semi-forcing 1NT response, so I will never respond 1NT with three-card support and a singleton. With three-card support and a doubleton, it is a judgment call. I would probably choose a limit raise on the hands you gave.

Joe Kivel---The advantage: It makes it more difficult for the opponents to come in; the disadvantage: if they do come in, it distorts the bidding and makes it more difficult for partner to evaluate his offense and defense. Both your examples have shortness in the other major -- should that be a criterion? I recall that I've only done it one time in the last several years (and I had a singleton). I also recall that it was done against me once or twice.

I admit that if you make a three-card limit raise, you can’t play 3NT. I don’t make a three-card limit raise on all hands. I need either a singleton or a small doubleton. I need good trumps. Opposite a 1 opening bid, I don’t make a three-card limit raise, if I have four hearts. I don’t want to miss my 4-4 heart fit. Holding AKx KJxx xxxx xx, I bid 1NT and then bid 3 unless partner bids 2 . Holding AKx xx KJxx xxxx, I bid 3 . If you’re not playing two-over-one, it makes the auction much easier to bid 3 holding Axx xx KJxxx

QJx, then bidding 2 and then supporting spades.

Dan Morse---I promise four but could make an exception with the hands you listed.

Steve Bloom---If we have ways to distinguish between three and four trumps, then why would we ever pretend to have a four trump raise with a balanced hand and only three trump? As an illustration, I tend to accept a limit raise with any 5-4-3-1 hand. Thus, with KxxxxAKxx x Qxx, I would bid 4 after 1 -- 3 , but would pass after 1 - 1NT - 2 - 3 . Put this hand opposite your example (with or without the J): Kxxxx Axx AKxx xx x Kxxxx Qxx KJx or Kxx Game is quite marginal with the J in dummy, and very poor without it. In contrast, consider: Kxxxx Axxx AKxx xx x Kxxx Qxx KJx or Kxx Game is nearly cold with the J in dummy, and excellent without it. As a second example, consider this opening hand - KQxxx QJx 10xx AQ. Opposite your example (with or without the J), we want to be in 3NT, which is a much better game than 4 . We will never get to notrump when partner pretends to hold four trumps. At IMPs, 5-3-3-2 hands, opposite a balanced, three-card raise, should often play in 3NT. Several published studies, based on long simulations, found that bidding 3NT blindly rather than four-of-the-major, will win out substantially on such hands. By the way, this is one reason that Puppet Stayman is such an

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abused and misunderstood convention. Puppet Stayman is designed to describe the eventual dummy, keeping declarer's shape undisclosed to the defenders. It is not supposed to unearth a 5-3 fit. It is acceptable to pretend to hold four trumps on some unbalanced limit raises. A hand like x Axx Kxxxx Kxxx is quite suitable for the auction 1 -- 3 . The singleton makes up for the trump shortage, and 3NT is no longer a target game. Moreover, 3 is a good tactical shot, making it harder for the defenders to enter intelligently with hands like AJxxJxxx xx 10xx opposite Q10xxx x xx AQJxx. In fact, I would bid 1 - 4 with that hand, playing a club system. One final note: Playing Bergen raises, one can happily play one-of-a-major - 3 as a three- or four-card limit raise, with a 3 relay asking. I would much rather declare 4 after the auction 1 - 3 - 4 , rather than the revealing 1 - 1NT - 2 - 3

- 4 .

Playing semi-forcing 1NT, there are some hands with three-card support that you know don’t belong in 1NT. Playing forcing 1NT, you don’t have to worry about that.

Eric Greco---If your 1NT bid is forcing then I believe all direct or Bergen raises should have four-card support. The reason is that it makes slam bidding easier when there is no doubt about trump length, which often is key to the hand. If your 1NT is non-forcing (up to 12 points), then I think you can add in unbalanced limit raises (to your jump limit raise bid) such as Kxx AJxx x Jxxxx over 1 or 1 because you too often will go down in a 1NT contract and make at least three-of-the-major. Over a two-under Bergen limit raise you may be able to ask with the in-between step. Partner signs off with three (then next step asks shortness) and partner starts cuebidding with a four-card limit raise. I don't consider the example hands unbalanced (no shortness) and would bid 1NT if non-forcing or forcing. I certainly might go down in 1NT, but that is life. Also, this strategy tends to be much better at IMPs because playing 1NT with eight spades rates to be wrong with the example hands as too often I will make 90 or 120 vs. 140. So to be real detailed, you may actually change the strategy depending on the scoring.

There are other ways to make three-card limit raises other than going through 1NT. One way is to use a jump to 3 to show a three- or four-card limit raise. If opener cares how many trumps responder has, he can ask with 3 .

Adam Wildavsky---I'd make a three-card limit raise only when holding a side singleton. That's a hand I'd hate to hear partner pass my semi-forcing 1NT. Ideally I'll hold three strong cards in the suit and my singleton will be in the other major, e.g. KQx x Axxxx xxxx.

Holding three strong trumps is mandatory. Being on the top of limit raise strength can make up for the lack of a fourth trump.

Marty Bergen---I do not mind it nearly as much as my experienced students do.

Marty Bergen of Bergen raises says it’s OK to make three-card limit raises.

John Mohan---Since these are non-competitive auctions I think that a healthy three-card limit raise, both balanced and with fewer high cards, unbalanced, should be included with four-card limit raises; this further allows the partnership to bid 1NT semi-forcing.

Marinesa Letizia---I don't play Bergen raises. I will make a direct three-card limit raise if I'm unbalanced, because 1NT followed by three-of-the-major tends to be balanced, no shortness. I would bid 1NT followed by three-of-the major on both of your example hands, even though

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they're very suit-oriented.

Roger Bates---When playing forcing 1NT, I much prefer a limit raise to promise four-card support. When playing a semi-forcing 1NT by a passed hand, the limit raise must contain the three-card raises with shortness.

Mark Lair---I might consider a three-card limit raise with three good cards in the suit over 1 since I play 1NT as semi-forcing, but never after a 1 opening. I would start with 1NT and

follow up with 3 or 4 .

Jon Wittes---My strong feeling is to bid a forcing 1NT and then jump in partner's major at the next opportunity to show a three-card limit raise. It is just too important to guarantee four-card support for a direct limit raise especially in competitive auctions. Admittedly some three-card limit raises are better than others, but playing constructive raises, most three-card limit raises are on the higher end of the continuum anyway. If I were to make a direct three-card limit raise, I would have more sympathy for doing it with a hand with a singleton, which makes the hand almost as valuable as having four trumps.

Dan Gerstman---I would never do it with three spades and a limit raise as long as I can do two things: make a forcing 1NT bid, and if perchance partner actually jumped over that forcing 1NT bid, I could then show I had a three-card limit raise and not just a delayed noise raise. With hearts, and if I had only two spades, I might choose to get it up to the three-level ASAP and make it harder for them to bid.

Now, if I’m not playing forcing 1NT with partner, then it's a whole other story. I refuse to languish in 1NT with an eight-card major suit fit and the majority of the high cards, and have to settle for an IMP or two loss figuring the other table got to spades, or worse yet at matchpoints, figuring it's a near-zero. In addition there are a lot of hands that partner will like his hand more when he hears I have three-card support. He might even bid a minor that makes my hand so much more attractive that I might just shoot out game instead of stopping at the three-level--none of which might happen over a semi-forcing 1NT bid.

There's also the problem on the long end, when partner jumps, you have to be able to let him know you had a three-card limit raise so he now knows he's trying for slam and not just choice of games.

Recap: per your directions, there was some other way to show the three-card limit raise, so I'll trust that. With spades, nope. With hearts and only a doubleton spade, especially if partner opened in first seat, so LHO is an unpassed hand, I will try to get it up there faster so he has to risk 3 and not just two.

Bart Bramley---I've come around to thinking that direct three-card limit raises are OK almost all the time. Partner usually won't care how many trumps you have, as long as you have limit raise values of some kind. Where you can get hurt is if opener gets slammish; then the lack of the fourth trump can be critical. I especially like the direct three-card limit raises when I have distribution, like Axx x Axxxx xxxx for example. This way going through 1NT first always shows real high-card values and implies a flatter hand, and if partner passes 1NT, using semi-forcing 1NT, you'll be in an OK spot.

If 1NT followed by three-of-a-major shows a balanced hand, opener should suggest 3NT more often.

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Henry Bethe---I'm probably the wrong person to ask, as I do make three-card limit raises. I make them through 2NT, which I play as a limit raise or better. It’s the only way I have to show a limit raise, whether three or four cards. Having said that, I perhaps play single raises a little wider range than most, ranging up to a quacky balanced ten-count with three-card support, e.g. holding Qxx QJxx KJx Qxx I would raise 1 to 2 . I would probably only raise 1 to 2 also. I would not dream of doing anything other than making a limit raise with either of your example hands.

The Law of Total Tricks guru (Larry Cohen) doesn’t mind three-card limit raises.

Larry Cohen---I used to teach (as did most) that a limit raise such as one-of-a-major – three-of-a-major should promise four-card support. However, I have changed my tune. I think it is okay to make the bid with only three-card support if other actions are less palatable. This is especially so if you are playing 1NT as "semi-forcing" or "not forcing."

Now we’ll hear from the prosecution. There are at least two reasons why a limit raise should show four trumps. If opener is interested in slam opposite a limit raise, he’ll be very disappointed when dummy comes down with three trumps. Another reason is Q5432 is a reasonable holding opposite four trumps. With that holding, opener will be very disappointed when dummy comes down with three trumps. However, if opener has strong trumps and is not interested in slam, that won’t be a problem. Some experts use 2NT as a three-card limit raise. Knowing for sure that responder has only three trumps solves the above two problems.

Mike Lawrence---I would never offer an uncompetitive limit raise with only three-card support and, pursuant to your question of a few years ago, would not be caught dead using Bergen. If using a semi-forcing 1NT, I would agree that some three-card limit raises are going to be necessary. I see the Italians use 2NT as a three-card limit raise and doubt they would make up a crappy convention, so there might be merit there. However, any jump raise method I use will always be defined as to how many trumps I have (exception above perhaps).

Barry Rigal---You need to state whether a forcing or semi-forcing 1NT is in place, since it makes a big difference. Note that BART (an artificial forcing two-diamond bid used in this sequence: 1 - 1NT - 2 - 2 ) or the equivalent matters too. In either case, if forcing 1NT is in play, I would not make the limit raise--especially not if I’m playing Bergen raises with partner.

Jill Meyers---If I have other methods to show a three-card limit raise, I would not make a limit raise with this. Sometimes knowing partner has four-card support makes a big difference, especially when opener is light on high card points but big on distribution.

Eddie Kantar---I avoid a three-card limit raise in those sequences you presented. The fourth trump is too important. If I do it, it's because I don't want to bid a weak suit, which is misleading if slam is in the air. Also, I will have a maximum with three good trumps.

Chip Martel---I think it is useful to distinguish three- and four-card raises for partner's evaluation, so would not jump to the three-level and make what is normally a four-card raise on the given hands. Note that, over a limit raise, partner will usually bid game with a fairly minimum hand with a singleton (minor suit card), and that will not fit well with the given hands. I'd be more inclined to do it on a hand like x Kxx AJxxx Jxxx where partner's minor suit singleton is worth more, and it is good to get the support in immediately, though it

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might lead to us bidding 5 over a 4 bid by the opponents when we belong in 5 .

Larry Mori---I think it is very important to distinguish three- and four-card raises because knowing the minimum number of trumps is important. The difference between eight or nine is huge. I suppose you really mean in the question that you do not have other methods to show three-card limit raises, because I would not show four when I have only three cards in partner’s suit. It would create havoc in bidding games, and the winner and loser count is off by one. It is also rare that after an initial 1NT bid by responder, assuming that it could be passed, that a game would be missed, although we can always create the fitting hands to make the three-card limit raise effective; but it is a guess at that point. Besides, the hands partner will pass will be 12-13 point flat hands and game is unlikely.

Chuck Berger---Since I use forcing 1NT, I don’t need to jump to the three-level to make a three-card limit raise. In your sequences, the fourth trump is frequently crucial. Also, on some hands, I would bid a game over a minor response to 1NT by opener. As for Bergen raises, I like 3 for the limit raise and always with four or more cards in opener’s major.

Doug Doub---The presence of a fourth trump in responder's hand can make a very significant difference in opener's hand evaluation. I would not dream of using a limit raise as showing three or more trumps. Eddie Wold---Never! I think it is much too important to know about the fourth trump.

Zeke Jabbour---Don't know, never tried it. It has some definite advantages--mostly of a pre-emptive nature. I believe in identifying a fit as soon as possible after its discovery, and it would satisfy that criterion. It's hard for the opponents to come into the auction over 1 - 3. By the same token, it may be difficult to show your heart fit later if LHO has a pre-emptive hand. Philosophically, it does not fit the Bergen mold. Bergen is heavily invested in “The Law of Total Tricks” and determining the number of trump each side holds. That can be critical in a competitive auction--or even in uncontested auctions that involve the decision to try for game or slam. Max Hardy used to approve of three-card raises if responder had a singleton. There is also a treatment, which I have occasionally played, wherein when partner opens a major and the opponent overcalls at the two-level, a 2NT response shows specifically a three-card limit raise. But there is no system that I've played that calls for systemic three-card limit raises. I think, if I played it, I would like a guarantee that the 2NT bidder does not have four of the other major.

John Carruthers---For the past five years I have played in an occasional partnership with P.O. Sundelin. P.O. has some great ideas about bidding theory, one of which is that responder bids 2NT with any three+ -card raise in a (major) suit with limit raise values or greater. Opener can then ask for length and strength. In this way, when opener signs off in three-of-a-major or simply bids four-of-the-major, the defense is left in the dark as to dummy's trump length and its strength. Essentially, they don't know whether to attack or to go passive with a trump lead. I love the method, but also play in other partnerships, which delineate three- and four-card trump length, as well as strength, making it easier on the defense. So, no, I am not now a big fan of the definition you suggest. Nevertheless, I play 1NT forcing one round with some partners, and three-of-a-major after that shows the three-card limit raise, an immediate 2NT shows the strong four-card raise and three-of-the-major or three-of-a-minor shows the four-card limit raise.

Allan Siebert---Never, it’s too important to differentiate between eight- or nine-card fits, especially in competitive situations, and considering it’s so easy to show the difference even

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in most competitive auctions.

Carol Simon---NEVER under any circumstances. I feel strongly about this one, since I will always have alternative ways of showing an equivalent strength three-card raise.

Frank Stewart---In my curmudgeonly opinion, "three-card limit raise" is an oxymoron.

Kerri Sanborn---If it is within a partnership's parameters to make jump limit raises with three-card support, then the examples given fit that criterion nicely. I am, however, a believer in “The Law of Total Tricks,” and feel that knowing that one's combined total of trumps adds up to nine+ is extremely important for determining whether one has a game, or whether it is right to bid higher when the opponents interfere.

Billy Pollack---My primary rule is that there are no "absolutes", but this one is close to absolute -- these raises require four+ trumps. Sometimes, partner will be counting tricks, and lying about a trump in these auctions, or a Jacoby auction, is asking for trouble. I would NEVER make a limit raise without a singleton, and even then, it takes a very rare hand with no other palatable choice. Your examples don't come close -- you either hope that a semi-forcing 1NT bid isn't passed (and if it is, you likely have enough power to survive it), or force to game.

Richard Schwartz---I’m much more comfortable with one-of-a-major – three-of-a-major promising four-card support and using 3 and 3 for other purposes, usually natural and non-forcing invitational. “The Law of Total Tricks” seems to work for me, especially when part scores are involved. With three-card support, bidding 1NT forcing works well for me because partner’s rebid can help me evaluate what level to play at and partner will realize that. For example, on the two hands you gave, a 2 bid would get a four-of-a-major bid from me. I’m not a great theorist, but this seems to work for me.

The Law of Total Tricks is used only in competitive auctions. You can play 7 in a 4-4 spade fit. If it goes 1 - 3 , the Law is not involved.

David Berkowitz---I am 100% against it. Often the crux of the hand will be the fourth trump. I have a rule that I always accept a limit raise with a singleton (as opener). This would be ridiculous if I could not count on four or more-card support. I also, similarly believe that you cannot bid Jacoby 2NT with only three-card (even the AKQ) in support.

All the facts have been presented and it’s time for you the bridge playing jury to make your decision.When you hold AKx xx KJxx xxxx and bid 3 over partner’s 1 opener, you’re voting not guilty.If you go through 1NT first, you’re voting guilty. I know it’s illegal to tamper with the jury; however, I strongly suggest that you vote not guilty. You’ll probably get rewarded with extra masterpoints.

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Jordan / Truscott 2NT (Two No-Trump)Jordan 2NT (aka Truscott 2NT) shows an artificial limit raise or better by responder. It is used when partner opens 1-major and the opponents make a takeout double:

Opener 1

RHO Double

Responder 2NT*

In this auction, 2NT shows 4 spades and 10+ points. This frees up the jump raise of 3 to be a weak, preemptive raise (4 spades, 5-9 points).

With a natural 2NT bid (balanced shape, 10-12 points), responder simply redoubles over the opponent's double.

Opener's RebidsOpener's second bid is natural, barring any other agreed conventions. Note that opener's rebids are the same if the opponents pass or bid over 2NT.

Rebid Meaning

3

Shows 13+ points. Forcing to at least 3-major. Depending on partnership agreement, it shows one of the following types of club suits:

Natural (by default), showing 4+ clubs. Help Suit Game Try (showing 3-4 clubs) asking responder to bid

game with strong clubs. Short Suit Game Try (showing a singleton) asking responder to bid

game if he does not have wasted club values.

3 Shows 13+ points. Forcing to at least 3-major. Depending on partnership agreement, it shows one of the following types of diamond suits:

Natural (by default), showing 4+ diamonds. Help Suit Game Try (showing 3-4 diamonds) asking responder to

bid game with strong diamonds. Short Suit Game Try (showing a singleton) asking responder to bid

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game if he does not have wasted diamond values.

3If opener originally bid 1 , then this is a signoff.

If opener originally bid 1 , then this is natural, showing 13+ points (game-invitational values). Forcing for one round.

3If opener originally bid 1 , then this is a signoff.

If opener originally bid 1 , then this is natural, showing a good 14+ points and 4+ spades. Since opener has bypassed 3 , this is forcing to game.

Responder's Rebids

If opener has signed off in 3 / , then responder must pass. If opener has bid a new suit, responder can sign off in 3 / with 10-11

points. With a maximum 11-12 points, responder can bid 4 / .

Examples

Opener Responder

AT5 97

AQ873 KT92

AT2 KQ4

63 Q752

West 14

North DoubleAll pass

East 2NT (1)

South Pass

1. Limit raise or better

Opener Responder

KQ872 A953

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Q5 AK76

A97 QJ3

J73 85

West 13 (2)

North DoublePass

East 2NT (1)4 (3)

South PassAll pass

1. Limit raise or better 2. Signoff 3. Bidding game with extras

Opener Responder

AJ865 Q972

A975 J642

AT4 6

5 K873

West 1

North Double

East 3 (1)

South All pass

1. Preemptive raise

OriginsThis convention is known by two appellations for two American inventors: Robert Jordan and Alan Truscott.

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Takeout DoubleThe takeout double is a double that asks partner to bid one of the unbid suits. The double usually shows 11+ points and 3+ cards in each unbid suit. Some basic examples:

A532

KQJ5

AT93

7

West Pass

North Pass

East 1

South Double 1

(1) Takeout double, asking partner to bid diamonds, hearts or spades -- whichever suit he has the greatest length and strength in.

AQ32

K4

AT973

72

West 1

North Pass

East 1

South Double 1

(1) Takeout double, asking partner to bid diamonds or spades.

A532

KJT5

6

KQT3

West 1

North Pass

East 1NT

South Double 1

(1) Not for penalty; asks partner to bid clubs, hearts or spades.

Takeout doubles can also be made with strong one-suited hands (16+ points):

AKQ32

A4

KQ3

West 1Pass

North Pass1

East PassPass

South Double 1

1 2

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(1) Takeout double.(2) A new suit by the doubler shows a strong one-suited hand. However, this is not forcing.

Responses to a Takeout DoubleAfter hearing a takeout double from partner, the following actions are available:

Response Meaning

Pass Converts the takeout double into a penalty double.

At the one- and two-levels of bidding, Pass shows a very strong trump holding, general values, and no biddable suit. A low-level Pass should never be made on a weak hand that wants to be excused from bidding. It especially should not be made on a weak hand with a handful of little trumps.

At higher levels, the Pass can be based more on points and/or flat shape.

A "cheapest-level" suit response

Natural, 3+ cards (usually 4+ cards) and 0-8 points.

A jump shift in a suit

Natural, 4+ cards and 8+ points, forcing.

A double jump shift in a suit

Natural, 5+ cards, 13+ points, forcing.

A "cheapest-level"no-trump bid

Balanced with a stopper in the opponents' suit(s) and 8-11 points.

A jump shift in no-trumps


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3NT Balanced with a stopper in the opponents' suit(s), signoff.

Cue-bid 10+ points, artificial and forcing. Typically unbalanced without a better alternative bid. Doubler's rebids are natural.

Responses After InterferenceIf your right-hand opponent bids over partner's double, then any "free" bid shows 6+ points and at least a 4-card suit. If the takeout double is redoubled, all bids are natural but jump suit bids become preemptive, showing at least 5 cards and 0-8 points.

How high to play takeout doubles is a matter of partnership agreement. Many partnerships play takeout doubles through the 3-level and "optional" or penalty doubles higher.

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http://www.bridgebum.com/optional_double.php

Optional DoubleAn optional double is a double made over an opposing preempt. The double shows a (semi-)balanced hand and good strength. It says, "Partner, I have a good hand but am not sure whether we should play or defend." It's essentially a type of "cooperative" double. Partner is expected to pull the double with a long suit, or pass otherwise.

If you play optional doubles, this will naturally affect how high you play takeout doubles. Thus you must decide when low-level doubles stop being useful for takeout, and optional (or penalty) doubles become more practical.

How high to play optional doubles is up to partnership agreement. Some pairs play it over 3-level preempts, while others only play it over 4 and 4 preempts. The latter is recommended by Bill Root and Richard Pavlicek in their book "Modern Bridge Conventions." Root and Pavlicek recommend at least 3.5 honor tricks to double. Encyclopedia of Bridge, using standard point count methods, recommends 16 points in direct seat, or 13 points in the passout seat.

After you make a responsive double, partner has the option of either bidding a good suit or passing the double for penalties. Partner should not run with a bad hand.

Examples

965AK93AQ8A65

LHO Pass

Partner Pass

RHO 3

You Double 1

(1) An optional double if you play them at the 3-level. Note you cannot bid 3NT with three little spades. Partner is expected to pass or correct.

AJ6T52AK93A65

LHO 1

Partner Pass

RHO 4

You Double 1

(1) An optional double. You're allowed to whack preemptive jumps by RHO, not just opening bids.

A983J2KQ9

LHO 4

Partner Pass

RHO Pass

You Double 1

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A652(1) You can stretch in balancing seat if necessary. Preempts often do the most damage when your side's strength is evenly divided. It may be important to enter the auction if your partner holds a reasonable 10-12 points.

AQJ865KJ9AK98

LHO

4

Partner

Pass

RHO

Pass

You 1Double 1

(1) Although rare, you can also make an optional double after you open the bidding and the opponents preempt.

Other Considerations

Preemptive jump raises by the opponents, e.g. 1 : 4 , require partnership discussion. Doubling in these auctions tends to be more takeout-oriented because the opponents have a known fit, making it more likely that your side has one too.

Optional doubles are most useful after three-level (and higher) preempts. Weak two-bids are better defended with takeout doubles.

In the United States, the optional double is not alertable.

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http://www.bridgebum.com/weak_two.php

Weak Two BidsWeak Twos are opening bids that show 5-11 high card points and six cards in the bid suit. Ideally, opener has concentrated strength in his six-card suit and nothing in the other suits. The classic weak two bid looks something like this:

AQJTxxxxxxxxx

By opening 2 you make it harder for the opponents to find a fit in one of the other suits. See also the Rule of 2, 3 and 4, which is a guideline for determining when to open a weak two.

A weak two bid usually does not contain a side four-card major, although this is up to partnership agreement. The reason it is dangerous to preempt with a side four-card major is because the partnership may miss a good fit in that major, perhaps even a game contract, while they may have no fit in the weak two suit and may languish there.

Also, while the SAYC bidding system espouses 5-11 HCP as the range for a weak two, this technically conflicts with the Rule of 20. If you have 11 points and a 6-card suit, then you must have a 3-card side suit (or longer). Add that up and you get 20 points. So it's worth deciding if you and your partner want to open 11-pointers as a weak two.

Responses to a Weak Two

Response Meaning

A simple raise

Named "Raise Only Non Forcing", this shows 3 or 4-card support and approximately 6-13 points (insufficient values for a game contract). It is preemptive and completely non-forcing.

A jump raise

Usually shows a weak, preemptive hand (with at least 4-card support). It is also common to make a 4 / jump raise with 5-card support regardless of strength. However, a major suit jump raise may also be made by a strong hand that believes the game contract will succeed.

A new suit Natural and forcing for one round, typically showing at least a 5-card suit and denying support for partner's suit. However, this is up to partnership agreement; some pairs prefer to play a new suit as a non-

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http://www.bridgebum.com/raise_only_non_forcing.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/rule_of_20.php


http://www.bridgebum.com/sayc.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/rule_of_two_three_four.php


force.

2NT

Strong, artificial forcing bid. It is most frequently used when responder has 3+ card support. Opener is asked to show a feature in a side suit, i.e. an ace or king, by bidding that suit at the three level. Examples:

2 : 2NT3

3 shows the ace or king of clubs.

2 : 2NT3

3 shows a minimum hand with no side suit features.

See also Ogust, a convention with more detailed responses to 2NT.

In competition, the artificial 2NT response and rebids are on.

Example Auctions

AJ3

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T942

K542

West Pass

North 2 1

East Pass

You 3 2

1 Weak.2 An obstructive raise. Non-forcing.

AKJ

AT3

K9652

42

West Pass

North 2 1

East Pass

You 2NT 2

1 Weak.2 Artificial and forcing. With game-invitational values, South plans to rebid 4 unless partner shows a minimum hand via a 3 bid.

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High Card Points (HCP)High card points ("HCP") are the cornerstone of hand evaluation. They represent numeric values for each honor card:

Ace = 4 pointsKing = 3 pointsQueen = 2 pointsJack = 1 points

Thus, each suit contains a total of 10 HCP, and every deal (52 cards) contains a total of 40 HCP. The maximum for a single hand is 37 HCP, e.g.

AKQJ AKQ AKQ AKQ

Opening the BiddingFirst and foremost, HCP are used to decide if a hand is strong enough to open the bidding. The general rule is that you need at least 12 HCP to open the bidding at the 1-level. Example:

JT98 T2 A9 AK865

This hand contains 12 HCP and is strong enough to open 1 .

QJ987 A42 A92 76

In contrast, this hand only has 11 HCP and is not strong enough to open 1 .

TreatmentsA treatment is a partnership agreement about the specific meaning of a natural bid. Examples of treatments in Standard American opening bids:

1 / = 3+ clubs / diamonds 1 / = 5+ hearts / spades (i.e. 5-card majors)

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1NT = 15-17 HCP with "balanced" distribution (i.e. no singleton/void, and no more than one doubleton)

The following hand contains 16 HCP and therefore warrants a 1NT opening bid:

AK3 A98 AJ92 T76

Side note: in the old days, a 1NT opening bid promised 16-18 HCP. This is why bridge newspaper columns typically show 1NT bids containing exactly 16-17 HCP - to keep all readers happy.

High card points are also used to determine the appropriate response to an opening bid. 6 HCP are generally considered the minimum for responding to a natural 1 / / / opening bid.

ConventionsA convention is a partnership agreement about the meaning of an uncommon or artificial bid. High card points are frequently used to define conventional agreements. Examples of conventions in Standard American opening bids:

2 = Artificial, showing 22+ HCP or 9+ tricks 2 / / = A weak two bid, showing 5-10 HCP and a 6-card suit

Adjustments to HCP

All four aces. Many players add a point when holding all four aces. The rationale is that aces are slightly undervalued in the 4-3-2-1 HCP system.

Queens and jacks. Pretty much everyone agrees that queens and jacks are worth a bit less than 2 HCP and 1 HCP, respectively. Therefore, a hand with "soft values" that contains 12 HCP is commonly passed, e.g.:

QJ3 QT987 KJ4 QJ

Singleton and doubleton honors. Hands containing singleton and doubleton honors are often worth less than their HCP indicate. For example, a queen-jack doubleton is technically 3 HCP, but may provide little or no value if the opponents hold the ace-king of the suit. (The queen

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and jack simply get squashed when the opponents play their ace and king.)

Suit texture. The HCP system does not assign values to "interior" cards like tens and nines, but they are definitely worth some fractional value. For instance, would you rather hold KJT98 or KJ432?

Contextual auction considerations. Honor cards can increase or decrease in value, depending on the auction. For example, say you open 1 with:

KJ3 AQT98 A94 32

Now your left-hand opponent overcalls 1 . Your KJ3 has just lost some value because of the increased probability of your opponent holding AQxxx.

Related TopicsThe following bidding guidelines are closely related to HCP:

Distribution points Rule of 20 Pearson points

OriginsHigh card points were popularized by American bridge icon Charles Goren in the first half of the 20th century. They remain one of the most basic and essential guidelines today.

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http://www.bridgebum.com/pearson_points.php


http://www.bridgebum.com/distribution_points.php

o o Hilliard Mixed Pairs, 1943 o Master Individual, 1945

References1,3, 4, 5 Sports Illustrated. February 17, 1964. 2 Crimmins, Jeremy (1991, April 12). Bridge Columnist Charles Goren, 90. Chicago Tribune.

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CRASHCRASH (aka "CRO") is an overcall structure against an artificial 1 opening. The acronym stands for "Color, Rank and Shape", in reference to the types of two-suiters shown.

Multiple variations of CRASH exist. After an enemy 1 opening bid:

Variation #1

This is the original convention as created by American experts Kit Woolsey and Steve Robinson.

Overcall Meaning

Double Strength-showing

1 Two suits of the same Color, i.e. + or +

1 Two suits of the same Rank, i.e. + (the minors) or + (the majors)

1 Natural, may be light

1NT Two suits of the same Shape, i.e. + (the rounded suits) or + (the pointed suits)

Variation #2Overcall Meaning

Double Two suits of the same Color

1 Two suits of the same Rank



1NT Two suits of the same Shape


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Double Showing hearts


1 Two suits of the same Color




Double Showing hearts

1 Showing spades




CRASH Over 1NTCRASH can also be used over a 1NT opening bid:

Overcall Meaning

Double For penalty by an unpassed hand. By a passed hand, shows two suits of the same Shape



2 Natural

2 Natural

2NT By an unpassed hand, shows two suits of the same Shape

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OriginsCRASH vs. 1 is permitted by the ACBL General Convention Chart (GCC), but not allowed against 1NT.

46

Crawling StaymanCrawling Stayman is an extension of Garbage Stayman. It is used when the auction begins:

Opener Responder

1NT 2 1

2 2 2

1 Stayman, asking for a 4-card major2 Denies a 4-card major.

The 2 rebid by responder shows a weak 3-suiter short in diamonds. Some examples of hands suitable for Crawling Stayman:

T987A984--Q9832

Q653Q4325J832

Opener's RebidsAfter hearing a 2 response, opener responds as in regular Stayman:

Rebid Meaning

2 Denies a 4-card major.

2 Shows 4 (or rarely 5) hearts, and may have 4 spades.

2 Shows 4 (or rarely 5) spades, and shows fewer than 4 hearts.

Responder's Rebids

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http://www.bridgebum.com/stayman.php


http://www.bridgebum.com/garbage_stayman.php

Rebid Meaning

Over 2Bid 2 to show a weak 3-suited hand. Partner is expected to pass or correct.

Over 2 Pass.

Over 2 Pass.


By playing Crawing Stayman, you lose the ability to play the 1NT-2 , 2-2 sequence as natural, showing 5-4 hearts and spades.

Crawling Stayman is so named because the auction "crawls" along as each player takes multiple bids.

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Garbage StaymanGarbage Stayman is a rare but fun little variation of the Stayman convention. After a 1NT opening by partner, a 2 response shows a weak 3-suited hand that's short in clubs. Playing a strong 15-17 1NT, Garbage Stayman shows 0-7 points. The ideal distribution is 4-4-4-1 or 4-4-5-0, although 3-4-5-1 or 4-3-5-1 is also okay. Note that a weak hand containing a 5-card major (e.g. 5-4-4-0 shape) should simply use a Jacoby Transfer instead.

Some examples of hands suitable for a Garbage Stayman response:

T987A98487532--

Q653Q432T975J

J872JT4865439

With each of these hands, responder bids 2 like regular Stayman. However, responder intends to pass at his next turn. The idea is that the partnership will either locate an 8-card major suit fit, or a probable 8-card diamond fit if opener denies a 4-card major.

Opener's RebidsOpener's rebids are the same as in regular Stayman:

Opener's Rebid Meaning

2 Denies a 4-card major

2 Shows 4 (or rarely 5) hearts, and may have 4 spades

2 Shows 4 (or rarely 5) spades, and shows fewer than 4 hearts

Examples

West East

T3 8652

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AQ82 KT93

KJ7 8654

KQT5 2

West 1NT2

North PassPass

East 2All Pass

South Pass

This is the textbook hand that Garbage Stayman attempts to solve. You can cheaply find your 4-4 major suit fit rather than languish in 1NT.

West East

KT95 J87

AK3 Q642

A5 K9873

QJT9 2

West 1NT2

North PassPass

East 2All Pass

South Pass

On the other hand, you may also create some sticky situations with imperfect shape. Here 1NT was an acceptable contract but 2 will require some maneuvering.

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Jacoby TransfersJacoby Transfers are used after a player has opened or overcalled a natural 1NT and his partner holds at least one five-card major suit. Responder naturally wants his side to play in his long suit, but with a weak hand, he would prefer his partner to play the contract. The reasoning is this: If the weak hand plays the contract, the strong hand becomes dummy and exposes its high card points and tenaces to the defenders. If the strong hand plays the contract, however, the weak hand becomes the dummy and the opponents have a harder time locating the high cards.

Jacoby Transfers work as follows. In response to 1NT:

Response Meaning

2 Shows at least five hearts. Asks partner to bid 2 .

2 Shows at least five spades. Asks partner to bid 2 .

Opener's RebidsOpener must complete the transfer by bidding 2 or 2 . However, opener can make a super-acceptance bid of 3 or 3 if holding 4-card support and 17 points. Some experts like Marty Bergen espouse an approach of making a super-accept whenever holding 4-card support, in accordance with the Law of Total Tricks. Of course, this is up to partnership agreement.

Responder's RebidsResponder's rebids after

1NT : 2

2 : ?

Rebid Meaning

Pass A weak hand with at least five hearts.

2 Five spades, five hearts and 0-6 points. Nonforcing.

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2NT A balanced or semi-balanced (no singletons or voids) distribution, five hearts, and invites game. Partner can pass, sign off in 3 or bid 3NT.

3 At least five hearts, at least four clubs and game forcing.

3 At least five hearts, at least four diamonds and game forcing.

3 At least five hearts (usually six), invitational. Partner can pass or bid 4H.

3 N/A

3NT A balanced or semi-balanced (no singletons or voids) distribution with five hearts. Partner can pass or correct to 4 .

4 At least six hearts, signoff.

Responder's rebids after

1NT : 22 : ?

Rebid Meaning

Pass A weak hand with at least five spades.

2NT A balanced or semi-balanced (no singletons or voids) distribution, five spades, and invites game. Partner can pass, sign off in 3 or bid 3NT.

3 At least five spades, at least four clubs and game forcing.

3 At least five spades, at least four diamonds and game forcing.

3 At least five spades, at least five hearts and invitational. Partner can pass, sign off in 3 or bid 4 or 4 .

3 At least five spades (usually six), invitational. Partner can pass or bid 4 .

3NT A balanced or semi-balanced (no singletons or voids) distribution with five spades. Partner can pass or correct to 4 .

4 At least five spades, at least five hearts and game forcing. Partner can

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pass or bid 4 .

4 At least six spades, signoff.

Examples

Opener Responder

AJT 972

K76 QJ932

QT74 K5

AK3 654

Opener1NT 2 (2)

Responder2 (1)Pass

1. Jacoby Transfer to hearts 2. Completing the transfer

Opener Responder

AJT5 KQ832

K432 Q8

A9 T875

AJ7 92

Opener1NT 3 (2)Pass

Responder2 (1)4

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1. Jacoby Transfer to spades 2. Super-acceptance with 4-card support and a maximum

Opener Responder

93 AJT52

AK2 QT954

KJ32 9

KJ85 76

Opener1NT 2 (2)Pass

Responder2 (1)3 (3)

1. Jacoby Transfer to spades 2. Completing the transfer 3. Inviting game with 5 hearts

Opener Responder

KQ2 J9543

AKT J754

98762 A3

A7 QJ

Opener1NT 2 (2)3

Responder2 (1)2 (3)4

1. Use Stayman with 5-4 or 4-5 majors. Don't start with a transfer. 2. No 4-card major

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3. Showing 5 spades and 4 hearts

In CompetitionAfter 1NT is overcalled, transfers are off. If 1NT is doubled though, opinions vary. In "Modern Bridge Conventions," Bill Root and Richard Pavlicek say that a transfer "can never be preceded by interference." In the SAYC bidding booklet by the ACBL, however, transfers (and all conventional responses) are "on" over a double.

If the artificial transfer bid is doubled, the 1NT bidder can pass with only two-card support, redouble to show a good holding in the artificial transfer suit, or complete the transfer by bidding 2 or 2 with at least three-card support.

If the artificial transfer bid is overcalled, the 1NT bidder can pass with only two-card support, double for penalty or complete the transfer at the three-level with at least three-card support and a very good hand.

Extra Tips

1. Jacoby Transfers are also used after an opening bid of 2NT or 3NT, as well as strong notrump rebids by an opening 2 (artificial and strong) bid.

2NT : 3 /3

3NT : 4 /4

22NT

: :

23 /3

2 3NT

: :

24 /4

2. Note that Stayman, not transfers, should be used with hands that are 4-5 or 5-4 in the majors.

3. Beginners are prone to forget transfers when they come up, resulting in some very unhappy contracts. If you are a novice and decide to use transfer bids, be sure to remember them when they come up.

Origins

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Jacoby Transfers were invented by American expert Oswald Jacoby.

The Law of Total TricksIn bridge, the Law of Total Tricks (or simply "The Law") is a hand evaluation method for competitive auctions. Technically stated, the total number of cards in each partnership's longest suit is equal to the number of "total tricks" that either side can win in a suit contract.

This is pretty wordy, so I think it's best to jump into some examples...

Examples

North

AQT32

KQ3

West T9 East

54 AT3 976

AT985 J72

AK63 South 87

J8 KJ8 KQ976

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QJ542

542

West 1Pass

North 1Pass

East 2Pass

South 2

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This is a typical Law deal. East-West have 8 hearts and North-South have 8 spades. 8 hearts + 8 spades = 16 total trumps. That number happens to be the combined number of tricks that can be made in 2 and 2 . Playing 2 , West would make exactly 8 tricks after losing 2 spades, 2 hearts and a club. In 2 , North would also win 8 tricks against best defense, losing a heart, 2 diamonds and 2 clubs. 8 heart tricks + 8 spade tricks = 16 "total tricks".

The principle is the same if we move some cards around:

North

AQT32

K3

West T93 East

54 T83 976

AQT985 J72

AK6 South 87

AJ KJ8 KQ976

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QJ542

542

West 14

North 1Pass

East 2Pass

South 2 Pass

North-South still own an 8-card spade fit, but East-West now enjoy a 9-card heart fit. 8 spades + 9 hearts = 17. Playing 4 , West will win 11 tricks against best defense, losing only 2 spades. If North were allowed to play 2 , he would only win 6 tricks; East-West would score 2 diamonds, a diamond ruff, 3 clubs and a heart. 11 tricks + 6 tricks = 17, which is equal to the total number of spades and hearts in the deal.

The bidding in the above examples was clear-cut, with or without the Law. So let's look at a hand in which the Law may actually influence the bidding. Sitting East, you hold:

973

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KQ32 J2QT72

The auction begins:

Partner 1 (1)Pass

Opp 1 Pass2

You 2?

Opp 2 Pass

1. 5-card major.

Playing a natural 5-card major system, you have already described your hand with 2 , and it may seem obvious to pass. But the Law would actually suggest bidding 3 . The full deal:

Opp 1

AQT6

987

Partner Q985 You

54 A9 973

AJ654 KQ32

AT76 Opp 2 J2

K6 KJ82 QT72

T

K43

J8543

The opponents hold 8 spades, while your side holds 9 hearts. 8 + 9 = 17, so the Law says there should be 17 total tricks available. Therefore, if the opponents can make 2 (8 tricks), then your side can make 3 (9 tricks). That is the case in this deal.

This leads to the most important application of the Law...

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Bid Your Number of TrumpsIn my experience, this is most common and critical at the 2- and 3-levels. If you and your partner have an 8-card fit, then you are usually safe to compete to the 2-level in that suit. And if you own a 9-card fit, then you're usually safe to compete to the 3-level. The contract will either make, or be a good sacrifice against whatever the opponents can make.

1. Corollary: Get to the right level quickly. In the above auction, East bid 2 first, which allowed the opponents to compete in spades. Playing

Bergen raises, a bidding convention based on the Law, East could have shown 4-card support immediately. Moreover, Bergen raises allow a major-suit jump raise (i.e. 1 - 3 ) with 0 points, because of the Law's premise of a 9-card fit. This is something that standard bidding methods would never allow.

2. Corollary: Do not compete above your trump fit unless you have extra shape, points, or vulnerability in your favor. For example, South could bid 3 over 3 in the above auction. However, this is much more attractive if North-South are not vulnerable. If vulnerable, 3 doubled is -200 which is obviously a worse score than defending 3 .

3. Corollary: There are "adjustments" to the Law to consider when bidding. I am not a big fan of this, and consider it to be the major weakness of the Law. Depending on the distribution of the cards, sometimes the number of total trumps does NOT equal the number of total tricks. The Law is sometimes incorrect depending on how strong each side's trump holding are, and how many total trumps exist. Once a deal gets above 18 total trumps, the Law can be a little erratic. For example:

North

AQT32

K3

West T93 East

54 T83 9

AQT985 J742

AK6 South 872

AJ KJ876 KQ976

6

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QJ54

542

4.20 total trumps in hearts and spades but only 18 total tricks. 4 is cold for East-West, but North-South can only make 2 . Depending on the vulnerability, it may be correct for North-South to sacrifice in 4 - the 10 combined trumps recommends it. But clearly, something is amiss with the Law here.

5.

6. Origins7. The Law of Total Tricks was originally proposed by Jean-René Vernes in his 1966

book "Bridge Moderne de la Défense." He subsequently wrote a synopsis of the Law in a Bridge World article circa June 1969. More recently it has been popularized by American experts Marty Bergen and Larry Cohen. Cohen is the author of the title "To Bid or Not to Bid: The Law of Total Tricks."

8.9. External Articles

o Mike Lawrence. What is the Value of a Fourth Trump? - Article 1.o Mike Lawrence. What is the Value of a Fourth Trump? - Article 2.o Mike Lawrence. What is the Value of a Fourth Trump? - Article 3.

StaymanStayman is a convention used for locating a 4-4 major suit fit after partner opens 1NT. It is one of the oldest and most widely used conventions in the world,

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http://www.bridgeworld.com/indexphp.php?page=/pages/magazine/articlesampler/sampler-ltt.html

since a major suit contract is often preferable to no-trumps. A 2 response to 1NT normally shows at least a game-invitational hand with one or both majors.

Some examples of game-invitational (or stronger) hands opposite a 15-17 1NT:

A987AT84532QT

KQJ52Q432T97J

QJ32AQ9875T32

KJT3K4A532742

Opener's RebidsAfter 1NT: 2 , opener's rebids are as follows.


2 Denies a four-card major.

2 Shows four hearts, may have four spades.

2 Shows four spades, denies four hearts.

Responder's rebids after 2

Responder's Rebid

Meaning

2 Shows four spades and five hearts, invitational. Non-forcing.

2 Shows five spades and four hearts, invitational. Non-forcing.

2NT Invitational.

3 Game forcing with at least five clubs (usually six), does not guarantee a four-card major.

3 Game forcing with at least five diamonds (usually six), does not guarantee a four-card major.

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3 Shows four spades and five hearts, game forcing.

3 Shows five spades and four hearts, game forcing.

3NT Signoff.

4 Shows four spades and six hearts, signoff.

4 Shows six spades and four hearts, signoff.

4NT Quantitative, invites 6NT.


Responder's Rebid

Meaning


2NT Shows four spades, less than four hearts, invitational. Opener can pass, sign off in 3 with four spades, or bid 3NT.



3 Shows four hearts, invitational.

3 Game forcing with at least five spades and four hearts.

4 Signoff.



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Responder's Rebid

Meaning

2NT Invitational.




3 Shows four spades, invitational.

3NT Signoff, shows four hearts.

4 Signoff.


In Competition

If 1NT is doubled for penalty, 2 is a natural signoff, not Stayman. If 1NT is overcalled, responder can cue-bid the opponent's suit to ask for

a four-card major. If the opponents have overcalled in one major, a cue-bid asks partner for the other major. Opener can rebid 3 , if that bid is available, to deny a four-card major; otherwise, he rebids 3NT.

If 2 is doubled, opener can pass with four clubs and no four-card major. Redouble shows five (or four good) clubs and no four-card major. 2 , 2 , and 2 are normal responses to Stayman.

If 2 is overcalled, opener can double for penalty or show a four-card major at the two-level. With all other hands, he passes.


Stayman is usually not used with 4333 shape, since this distribution tends to be more conducive to playing in no-trumps.

In his book "50 Winning Duplicate Tips", Australian expert Ron Klinger recommends bypassing Stayman with a balanced 4432 when holding a

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combined 28-30 HCP. At pairs, the no-trump contract will typically yield the same number of tricks as a major-suit game, and offers an extra 10 points (e.g. 660 vs. 650).

Stayman is also used after a 1NT overcall, opening bids of 2NT or 3NT, and notrump rebids after a opening 2 (artificial and strong) bid.

2NT : 3

3NT : 4

2 : 22NT : 3

2 : 23NT: 4

Stayman is also used when responder is interested in a minor-suit slam but does NOT have a 4-card major. With a 5+ clubs or diamonds and 10+ HCP, responder can bid 2 Stayman, planning to rebid his minor suit naturally.

Examples

Opener Responder

KT93 AJ5

AKJ3 QT52

J8 A5

A52 9763

Opener1NT 2 (2)Pass

Responder2 (1)4 (3)

1. Stayman 2. Showing four hearts 3. Signing off in game

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Opener Responder

KT93 AJ53

AKJ3 Q5

T8 Q652

A52 976

Opener1NT 2 (2)3 (4)

Responder2 (1)2NT (3)

1. Stayman 2. Showing four hearts 3. Inviting game 4. Showing four spades, signing off. Opener knows responder must hold

four spades to have bid Stayman.

Opener Responder

KJ2 Q965

QT7 AK543

AK97 Q6

A64 T9



1. Stayman 2. Denying a four-card major 3. Showing five hearts and four spades 4. Bidding game with a maximum

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Opener Responder

K52 Q9

AQ97 KT

AK54 Q93

76 AKT982

Opener1NT 2 (2)3NT (4)


1. Stayman 2. Showing four hearts 3. Showing 5+ clubs, game-forcing 4. Signing off with poor club support

OriginsStayman is named for the late American expert Sam Stayman. The convention was actually invented by his partner George Rapee in 1944, but it was Stayman who popularized the convention shortly thereafter.

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Michaels Cue BidMichaels is a cue-bid that promises a two-suited hand, with at least five cards in each suit. There is no point minimum for making a Michaels overcall, although obvious factors like vulnerability should be considered. Some partnerships also agree to specific ranges (see "Other Considerations", below).

Michaels works well in conjunction with the Unusual 2NT, which is another convention for two-suited overcalls. See also Leaping Michaels, and the conventional Defense to Michaels.

Michaels Cue Bids

Overcall Meaning

A 2 overcall of 1Shows 5+ hearts and 5+ spades.


A 2 overcall of 1 Shows 5+ spades and an unspecified minor (5+ clubs OR diamonds)

A 2 overcall of 1 Shows 5+ hearts and an unspecified minor (5+ clubs OR diamonds)

As a simple example, consider the following auction:

Opponent 1 Pass

Partner Pass

Opponent 2 1

Overcaller 2

AT985KQ432482

2 is Michaels, showing 5+ hearts and 5+ spades.

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http://www.bridgebum.com/defense_to_michaels.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/leaping_michaels.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/unusual_2nt.php

The Michaels cuebid is forcing. Partner is asked to bid one of the two suits advertised.

Responses to a 2 Cuebid (Hearts and Spades)

Response Meaning

2Natural, showing a very good diamond suit (usually 6+) since the Michaels cue-bidder usually has only 0-2 diamonds. Tends to deny 3+ card support for either suit. Non-forcing.

2A non-forcing sign-off. May have 0 points, since the Michaels overcall is a forcing bid. Note that with equal support for both majors (e.g. xxx xxx), the cheaper suit (hearts) should be bid.

2 A non-forcing sign-off.

2NTNatural and invites partner to bid 3NT IF the partnership has agreed to a specific point range for the Michaels overcall.

3Artificial, and shows game or slam interest in hearts or spades. Forcing.

3 A very strong diamond suit (6+ cards), and is forcing. Rare.

3 Preemptive and usually shows 4 hearts. Non-forcing.

3 Preemptive and usually shows 4 spades. Non-forcing.

3NT

A natural sign-off. Shows a big balanced hand with no interest in major-suit game. This bid may occur IF the partnership has agreed to a specific point range for the Michaels overcall. Otherwise, it is quite rare since it is so unilateral. >


Response Meaning



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3Natural, showing a very good club suit (usually 6+) since the Michaels cue-bidder usually has only 0-2 clubs. Non-forcing.




3NT A natural sign-off.

Responses to a 2 Cuebid (Spades and a Minor)

Response Meaning


2NT

Asks the overcaller to bid his minor suit at the 3-level. 2NT may be bid on a variety of hands, but is most commonly used to try signing off in 3 / . Holding xx xx Qxxx Jxxxx , bid 2NT to identify the minor suit fit.

3Natural, showing a very good club suit (usually 6+) since the Michaels cue-bidder will usually hold 5+ diamonds, not clubs. Non-forcing.

3Natural, showing a very good diamond suit (usually 6+) since the Michaels cue-bidder will usually hold 5+ clubs, not diamonds. Non-forcing.

3Artificial, and shows game or slam interest in spades or a minor. Forcing.



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Responses to a 2 Cuebid (Hearts and a Minor)

Response Meaning

2NT Asks the overcaller to bid his minor suit at the 3-level.



3 A natural sign-off.

3Artificial, and shows game or slam interest in hearts or a minor. Forcing.


Overcaller's Rebids

If partner raised the cue-bid, e.g. (1 ) 2 : 3 , the Michaels cue-bidder is expected to bid his cheapest suit at the cheapest level (in this case, 3 ) with a weak hand of around 0-10 points. All other bids show at least 10 points and are game forcing.

If partner has bid 2NT asking for overcaller's minor suit, e.g. (1 ) 2 : 2NT, the Michaels cue-bidder is expected to bid his minor. If he has clubs, he bids 3 ; if he has diamonds, he bids 3 .


When responding to Michaels with equal length in both of the cue-bidder's suits, bid the cheapest suit first, especially when holding only two doubletons. If partner shows hearts and spades and you hold Kx xx, do not make the mistake of bidding spades, thinking that your king will make spades a better trump suit. If you get doubled in 3 , there is no turning back, whereas if you bid 3 , you can run to spades if necessary.

Some players only use Michaels on weak hands (around 0-10) and strong hands (around 16+). With the intermediate two-suiters of 11-15 points,

70

they bid the higher-ranking suit first and hope they can rebid the other suit at their next turn. Other players simply use Michaels on hands of all point ranges, believing that it is more important to immediately show shape than to only show one suit first and then hope the auction allows them to show the other suit and their 11-15 point range.

When the opponents have bid TWO suits, there are a couple of possible agreements.

The ACBL's SAYC system stipulates that a cuebid of either suit is Michaels. Easy enough.

However, some experts treat a cue bid of opener's suit as Michaels, while a cue bid of responder's suit is NATURAL, showing an extremely good suit and a decent hand. The latter approach is espoused in Bill Root and Richard Pavlicek's fine book "Modern Bidding Conventions". For example:

Opponent 1 1

Partner Pass

Opponent 2 1

Overcaller 2

62QT9832AKT98T

2 is Michaels, showing 5+ diamonds and 5+ hearts. Note that a takeout double would show lesser distribution, e.g. 4 diamonds and 4 hearts.

Opponent 1 1

Partner Pass

Opponent 2 1

Overcaller 2

AKJ932A2QT928

Playing the Root/Pavlicek style, 2 is NATURAL. It shows a very good spade suit of at least six cards, and sufficient values for a two-level overcall.

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Over an opening weak two bid, a cue bid promises two unspecified suits and a good hand, with at least five cards in each suit.

Opponent 2

Overcaller 3

KQJ532void63AKQT9

3 is Michaels, but since it is over a preempt it only promises a good hand with two suits other than diamonds. Partner is expected to bid 3 with heart tolerance. Hopefully the cue-bidder can clarify which two suits he holds at his next opportunity; if he has spades and clubs, for example, he can now bid 3 .

Do not confuse this bid with a Western cue bid.

OriginsThe Michaels convention is named for its inventor, Mike Michaels (1924-1966) of Miami Beach, FL. In their book Modern Bridge Conventions, Bill Root and Richard Pavlicek list Michaels as a "bridge writer, lecturer and prominent player." I also received a helpful email from his niece Cassie Stern: "He was an excellent bridge player who unfortunately died in 1966 at the early age of 42 of throat cancer. Charles Goren and he were partners and he ghost wrote for Charles Goren in the newspaper."

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Defense to MichaelsThere is a conventional defense against the Michaels Cuebid. After an enemy cuebid that shows a two-suited hand, responder's conventional bids are:

Responder's Bid Meaning

Double Natural with interest in penalizing the opponents in either of their suits.

Raising partner's suit A raise to the 3-level is a constructive raise (7-10 points) . Shows 3-card support for a major, or 4-card support for a minor. Non-forcing.

A jump raise to the 4-level is weak and preemptive, showing 4+ card support. Non-forcing.

Cuebidding the opponents' "known" suit

If the opponents only promise one suit, e.g. a 2 cuebid to show spades and a minor, then cuebidding their specific suit (spades) is a limit raise or better. Forcing.

Cuebidding the opponents' "higher" suit

If the opponents show both suits, e.g. a 2 cuebid to show hearts and spades, then cuebidding the higher-ranking suit (spades) is a limit raise or better. Forcing.

Cuebidding the opponents' "lower" suit

If the opponents show both suits, e.g. a 2 cuebid to show hearts and spades, then a cuebid of the lower-ranking suit (hearts) shows 10+ points and 5+ cards in the "fourth" suit. Forcing.

Bidding the "fourth" suit

If the opponents show both suits, e.g. a 2 cuebid to show hearts and spades, then bidding the "fourth" suit is natural, 7-10 points, with at least a 5-card suit. Non-forcing.

Responder's priority is to show major-suit support, either via a direct raise or cuebid. Below are all the responses in greater detail.

The Double

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Natural with interest in penalizing the opponents in either of their suits. Shows about 7+ points, and typically a balanced hand. Denies 3-card support if partner opened 1 / . Note that this gives up the ability to play negative doubles in this situation.

Opener Responder

84 AJT2

AKJ96 T8

A752 J43

T8 KJT9

Opponent 1 Pass

Opener 1

Opponent 2 2 (1)

Responder Double (2)

1. Michaels , showing spades and an unspecified minor. 2. Double shows an interest in penalizing the opponents in spades or one of

the minors.

Raising Partner's SuitA 3-level raise is natural, showing 7-10 points. A 4-level raise is preemptive. Both bids are non-forcing.

Opener Responder

K84 J6

AQT92 K87

A72 J3

T8 K97652

Opponent 1 Pass

Opener 1

Opponent 2 2 (1)

Responder 3 (2)

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1. Michaels , showing spades and an unspecified minor. 2. 3+ hearts, 7-10 points. Non-forcing.

Opener Responder

K842 5

5 K872

AK72 Q9854

AJT2 865

Opponent 1 Pass

Opener 1

Opponent 2 2 (1)

Responder 4 (2)

1. Michaels , showing spades and an unspecified minor. 2. 4+ diamonds (frequently 5+), preemptive. Non-forcing.

Cuebidding the opponents' "known" suit

Opener Responder

AQT92 KJ64

432 J6

A7 K984

K87 A96

Opponent 1 Pass

Opener 1

Opponent 2 2 (1)

Responder 3 (2)

1. Michaels , showing hearts and an unspecified minor 2. A limit raise or better in spades. Responder's strength is unlimited.

Forcing.

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Cuebidding the opponents' "higher" suit

Opener Responder

QJT 65

432 AQ

A7 KQJT

AQT92 KJ876

Opponent 1 Pass

Opener 1

Opponent 2 2 (1)

Responder 2 (2)

1. Michaels , showing hearts and spades. 2. A limit raise or better in clubs. Responder's strength is unlimited. Forcing.

Cuebidding the opponents' "lower" suit

Opener Responder

QJT 53

432 A9

A7 KQJT62

AQT92 K64

Opponent 1 Pass

Opener 1

Opponent 2 2 (1)

Responder 2 (2)

1. Michaels , showing hearts and spades. 2. 10+ points (game-invitational values) with 5+ cards in the "fourth" suit,

i.e. diamonds. Forcing.

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Opener Responder

QJT 53

432 K9

AQT92 843

A6 KQT987

Opponent 1 Pass

Opener 1

Opponent 2 2 (1)

Responder 3 (2)

1. Michaels , showing hearts and spades. 2. Natural, 5+ cards, 7-10 points. Non-forcing.

Opener Responder

AQT92 53

432 K9

QJT 843

A6 KQT987

Opponent 1 Pass

Opener 1

Opponent 2 2 (1)

Responder 3 (2)

1. Michaels , showing hearts and an unknown minor. 2. Natural, 5+ cards, 7-10 points, non-forcing. When the enemy's minor suit

is unknown, then 3 and 3 are both natural, not cuebids.

Opener's Rebids

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Opener's rebids are generally natural. However, a cuebid of either enemy suit typically asks for a stopper in that suit. Partner is asked to bid 3NT with a stopper.

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Dig-OutDig-Out is a bidding method after your side opens 1NT and the opponents double for penalty. It emphasizes the spade suit, with immediate 2 / / bids showing 2-suiters with spades. This theoretically maximizes the opportunity to locate spade fits and consume the enemy's bidding space.

Partner Opp 1 You Opp 2

1NT X ?


1NT Pass Pass X

?

After the opposing double, the runouts are:

Bid Meaning

Pass Requires partner to make an artificial redouble. Shows a two-suiter without spades:

Clubs and diamonds (4-4 or better). After partner's redouble, bid 2. Partner can pass or correct to 2 .

Clubs and hearts (4-4 or better). After partner's redouble, bid 2 . If partner tries correcting to 2 (see above), rebid 2 .

Diamonds and hearts (4-4 or better). After partner's redouble, bid 2.

XX Requires partner to bid an artificial 2 . Shows a one-suited hand. With clubs, simply pass partner's 2 bid; otherwise, correct to 2 / with a 5-card suit.

Alternatively, opener can make the following rebids instead of redouble (to consume bidding space while still following the Law of Total Tricks):

2 shows 4+ clubs. Responder can correct to 3 . 2 shows 4+ clubs and diamonds. Responder can correct to 3 / .

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2 Shows clubs and spades (4-4 or better). Partner can pass with club tolerance, or correct to 2 with longer spades.

2 Shows diamonds and spades.

2 Shows hearts and spades.

2 Natural, 5+ spades, signoff.

2NT 5-5 or longer in the minors.

3x Preemptive, 6-7 card suit, signoff.

Opener's alternative rebids after responder redoubles have been termed "paradox" bids, which are artificial bids of "a suit you haven't got in response to a conventional bid that shows ambiguously one of two suits."

OriginsDig-out was created by British expert Chris Ryall.

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DONTDONT (Disturbing Opponents' No Trump) is a conventional defense against an opposing 1NT opening. It sacrifices the natural penalty double in order to show all possible one- and two-suited hands.

After an opposing 1NT:

Overcall MeaningDbl Any one suit (5+ cards), relays to 22 Clubs and a higher suit (At least 4-4 in the two suits)2 Diamonds and a higher suit2 Hearts and a higher suit (spades)2 5+ spades, weaker than a double followed by a 2 rebid

After hearing a double, partner is expected to bid 2 , which is completely artificial. (He may, however, bypass the 2 relay and bid a very strong 6-card suit of his own.) The 2 bid allows doubler to then show his suit: he passes with clubs and bids his suit otherwise. A jump bid by either player is strong and invitational, but not forcing. A raise of doubler's suit is also invitational but not forcing.

After hearing a 2 or 2 overcall, partner usually passes with support for the bid suit; otherwise, he can bid the next-highest suit to try correcting the contract. For example:

Opp1 Overcaller Opp2 Partner1NT 2 ! Pass 2 !

The 2 bid denies support for clubs and asks for overcaller's other suit. With diamonds, overcaller passes; with a major, overcaller bids it.

A 2NT response by partner at any time is strong and forcing for one round. Depending on partnership agreement, it can be an intricate shape-asking bid, but if a simpler version of DONT is preferred, it can just show support for overcaller's suit and ask him to bid more with extra values.

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DOPI (Double 0, Pass 1)DOPI is the acronym for "Double = 0, Pass = 1." It is a convention used after partner bids 4NT Blackwood or 4 Gerber to ask for aces, but the next player overcalls (usually in a sacrifice attempt). Using DOPI, responder has the following calls available:

Call Meaning

X 0 aces

Pass 1 ace

Cheapest bid over the overcall 2 aces

Second-cheapest bid 3 aces

Third-cheapest bid 4 aces

If playing Roman Key Card Blackwood, the responses are:

Call Meaning

X 0, 3 or 5 keycards

Pass 1 or 4 keycards

Cheapest bid over the overcall 2 keycards without the trump queen

Second-cheapest bid 2 keycards with the trump queen

If partner bids 4NT followed by 5NT, he is making a Blackwood query for kings. All other rebids by partner are natural signoffs.

Other ConsiderationsDOPI is more informative than DEPO, but the drawback is that it can't be played when the opponents compete above 5 of your trump suit. For example:

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5

KQT5

AT987

A63

You 1?

Opponent 1 3

Partner 4NT

Opponent 2 6

When this occurs, it's better to switch to DEPO, or to simply play DEPO all the time

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Double-Barreled StaymanDouble-Barreled Stayman is a variation of the Stayman convention. A 2 response to 1NT is game-forcing Stayman, showing at least one 4-card major. Using this approach, the 2 response to 1NT is made with weak or invitational hands.

Opener Responder

1NT 2

Responder's hand:

AKT9KQ53KTJ98

2 shows game-forcing values (minimum strength determined by the opening 1NT range). It asks partner to bid his cheapest 4-card major, if he has one.

Opener's RebidsOpener's first priority is to show a 4-card major. Lacking one, he should bid 2NT or a minor suit.

Rebid Meaning

2 Shows 4 hearts.

2 Shows 4 spades and denies as many as 4 hearts.

2NT Denies a 4-card major or 5-card minor. Opener's shape is 4432 or 4333.

3 Shows a 5-card club suit, and denies a 4-card major.

3 Shows a 5-card diamond suit, and denies a 4-card major.

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Other ConsiderationsThe major drawback of Double-Barreled Stayman is losing the ability to play 2 as a Jacoby Transfer to hearts.

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DruryDrury is a conventional 2 response by a passed hand after partner opens 1 or 1 in third or fourth seat. The 2 bid is artificial, showing a limit raise with 10-12 support points and 3+ card support.

Playing Drury, responder can keep the bidding low at the 2-level instead of making a jump raise. Since many partnerships open light in third or fourth seat, responder wants to bid conservatively opposite a weak hand.

Opener's RebidsAfter opening 1 and hearing a 2 response, opener's rebids are:


2 A sub-minimum hand (10-12 points)

2 A normal opening bid (12+ points)

All other bids Natural, with normal opening values (12+ points)

After opening 1 and hearing 2 :


2 A sub-minimum hand

2 Natural, 4+ hearts, but does not guarantee a full opening bid

2 A normal opening bid

All other bids Natural, with at least normal opening values

Examples

North South

86


864 AJ92

AKT QJ987

A752 6

T83 QJ2

West PassPassPass

North Pass2 (1)2 (3)

East PassPassAll Pass

South 12 (2)

1. Drury, showing 3+ hearts and 10-12 points. 2. Showing minimum strength. 3. Signing off.

North South

K864 AJ952

K6 A98

A752 KQ6

T83 92

West PassPassPassAll Pass


East PassPassPass

South 12 (2)4 (4)

1. Drury, showing 3+ spades and 10-12 points. 2. Showing a sound opening bid. 3. A natural help-suit game try. 4. Bidding game with good diamonds.

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In CompetitionIf 1 or 1 is doubled or overcalled, Drury is on if 2 is an available bid for responder. Examples:

West Pass2

North Pass

East 1

South Double

West Pass2

North Pass

East 1

South 1

If the Drury 2 is doubled, Drury is on if 2 is an available bid for opener. If 2 Drury is overcalled, Drury responses are off, but a partnership may agree to play stolen bid responses. Examples:

West Pass2

North PassDouble

East 1 2

South Pass

West Pass2

North Pass2

East 1 Double (1)

South Pass

1. Double shows a hand that would have responded 2 .


Drury is very easy to forget, since players often do not pay attention to the seating as it pertains to the auction. If you decide to play Drury, be sure to remember it when it comes up.

Origins

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Drury is named for its Californian inventor, Douglas Drury, a prominent player in the 1950's and 1960's.

89

Exit TransfersExit Transfers are a "runout" convention after your side has opened 1NT and the opponents double for penalty. They are similar to Jacoby Transfers, except that they allow responder to transfer to any of the four suits.


1NT X ?


1NT Pass Pass X

?

After the opposing double, the conventional bids are:

Bid Meaning

Pass Requires partner to make an artificial redouble. Shows any two-suiter (at least 4-4). After partner's redouble, the rebids are very similar to DONT overcalls:

Pass shows a desire to play 1NT redoubled. 2 shows clubs and a higher suit. Partner can pass with club

tolerance or bid 2 to fish for the higher suit. 2 shows diamonds and a higher suit. Partner can pass or bid 2 . 2 shows hearts and a higher suit (spades). Partner can pass or bid 2

. 2 is not used.

XX Shows 5+ clubs. Partner must bid 2 .

2 Shows 5+ diamonds. Partner must bid 2 .

2 Shows 5+ hearts. Partner must bid 2 .

2 Shows 5+ spades. Partner must bid 2 .

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2 Not used.

After the transfer is completed, it is possible to raise the suit with invitational or game-going values.

Exit transfers are fairly easy to remember, especially if you already play Jacoby transfers. As with all transfer bids, what I like about them is that they allow opener to play the hand to protect his/her tenaces.

OriginsAmalya Kearse refers to Exit Transfers in her book "Bridge Conventions Complete" but I cannot find any earlier documentation about them. I'm guessing that they originated in the United States based on their name and close relationship to Jacoby transfers.

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Four-Suit TransfersFour-suit transfers are a method of transferring into any suit after partner opens 1NT. The transfer bids are:

Response to 1NT

Meaning

2 Jacoby transfer to

2 Jacoby transfer to

2 transfer to

2NT transfer to

Because Jacoby transfers are already discussed separately on this site, let's focus on the minor suit transfers. The 2 and 2NT bids are used on the following types of hands:

A weak hand with a 6+ card minor lacking interest in game. The purpose is to let the strong hand (opener) play the contract and conceal high cards from the defenders.

A strong hand with a 5+ card minor with interest in slam.

Note the gap in values between "weak" and "strong" hands. If responder has values for game but not slam, she should either begin by bidding 2 Stayman with a 4-card major, or by bidding 3NT immediately.

Examples

Partner You

1NT (15-17) ?

5428393KJ8763

Bid 2 , intending to pass after partner bids 3 .

5 Bid 2NT, and pass after partner bids 3 .

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83QJT8737632

KJ83AQ9854763

Bid 3NT. Your side has a combined 25-27 HCP, which is good enough for game but not for slam.

K2AJ3AQ987763

Bid 2NT. You have mild slam interest opposite a good diamond fit. Note that you only need a 5-card suit when transferring with a strong hand.

Opener's RebidsOpener normally bids responder's suit. The only exception is if opener has a good hand and wants to make a "super-acceptance" with 4-card support and maximum strength. In that case, opener makes the lower-ranking bid below responder's suit:

You Partner

1NT (15-17)?

2NT

A9KQ92K652KQ5

Bid 3 with 17 HCP and excellent diamond support.

A97A952K65KJ5

Bid 3 with a lesser hand.

Responder's Rebids

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With a weak hand, responder will pass whenever opener completes the transfer. If opener happens to make a super-acceptance, responder corrects to the trump suit to ask opener to pass.

With a hand interested in slam, responder can do one of two things...

Responder's Rebid

Meaning

3NT Natural, showing a balanced hand. Non-forcing.

A new suit Up to partnership agreement. This may be a natural suit, OR shortness. The latter is part of Bridge World Standard.

The Invitational 2NT ResponseWhen asked which bridge convention he disliked the most, the late Bobby Goldman once answered, "Any use of 1NT - 2NT which is not natural." Nevertheless, four-suit transfers require responder to describe a natural 2NT invitation by alternative means. This is done by running game-invitational hands through Stayman first, and then rebidding 2NT.

Partner You

1NT (15-17) 2

2 ?

A97K2JT76T763

Bid 2NT. Your original 2 was supposedly Stayman, but your 2NT bid shows a natural invitation to 3NT. It does not promise four spades.

To show a 4-card spade suit, responder must use Stayman and then rebid 2 , like so:

Partner You

1NT (15-17) 2

2?

AT97K2JT76

Bid 2 to show your 4-card suit. Opener should raise with 4 spades or correct to no-trumps

94


T76

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Fourth Suit ForcingFourth Suit Forcing occurs when a partnership bids all four suits in the first two bidding rounds. The fourth suit bid is artificial with game-invitational values (10+ points). Although some partnerships play it as game-forcing, this description will explain the more flexible "one-round force" approach.

Example auctions:

Opener 12

Responder12

Opener 11

Responder12

In each auction, the last bid suit is Fourth Suit Forcing, showing game-invitational values or better. It does not necessarily show or deny an actual suit.

Opener's RebidsOpener's rebids are natural. However, the priorities are:

1. Showing 3-card support for partner's major 2. Rebidding a suit to show extra length 3. Bidding no-trumps with a stopper in the fourth suit 4. Raising the fourth suit with 4 cards in that suit (rare)

If playing Fourth Suit Forcing as a one-round-force (not game-forcing), then opener must make jump bids to show extra values and commit the partnership to game.

1. Showing 3-card support for partner's major

Opener should strive to show 3-card support if partner's FIRST suit was hearts or spades.

Opener Responder

JT3 KQ952

96

KQT54 A2

A J32

KJ52 A87

Opener 12 2 (2)

Responder 1 2 (1) 4 (3)

1. Fourth Suit Forcing. 2. Opener shows 3-card support and minimum strength. Note that he could

bid 3 with 15-17 points. 3. Responder jumps to game with 14 points.

2. Rebidding a suit to show extra length

Opener can rebid his first suit to show 6-4 shape, or he can rebid his second suit to show 5-5 or longer.

Opener Responder

KQT7 652

J AKT98

KQT985 64

K2 AT5

Opener 11 2 (2)3NT (4)

Responder 1 2 (1) 2NT (3) Pass

1. Fourth Suit Forcing. 2. Opener shows his 6-card diamond suit. Note that with a stronger hand

(15+ points), he could bid 3 instead. 3. Responder invites game with his balanced hand and club stopper.

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4. Opener accepts the game invitation with 14 points.

3. Bidding no-trumps with a stopper in the fourth suit

Opener can rebid no-trumps if he lacks 3-card support for partner's major suit.

Opener Responder

7 KQ942

AJT94 63

A95 K63

KQJ3 AT2

Opener 12 3NT (2)

Responder 1 2 (1) Pass

1. Fourth Suit Forcing. 2. Opener jumps to 3NT with a diamond stopper and 15-17 points.

4. Raising the fourth suit with 4 cards in that suit

This occurs when opener holds a 3-suiter which is short in partner's first-bid suit.

Opener Responder

9 AQ542

AT84 KJ9

A975 K43

KQ63 87

Opener 12 3 (2)

Responder 1 2 (1) 3NT (3)

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Pass

1. Fourth Suit Forcing. 2. Opener shows a 4-4-4-1 or 5-4-4-0 pattern. Note that he could not have

bid hearts at his second turn, because that would have been a reverse promising 17+ points.

3. Responder knows that opener has a 3-suiter, but chooses to bid 3NT with a balanced minimum.

When Fourth Suit Forcing Is OffFourth Suit Forcing is OFF if any of these conditions apply:

Responder is a passed hand. The opponents overcall or make a takeout double. The partnership bids all four suits at the 1-level (rare):

Opener11

Responder11

In this auction, responder's 1 bid is natural and forcing for one round. However, it is not Fourth Suit Forcing (i.e. artificial).

Opener has made a reverse, showing 17+ points:

Opener12

Responder13

In this auction, opener's 2 bid was a reverse (forcing), because he bypassed 2 . Therefore, responder's 3 bid is natural.

Responder makes a jump-shift in the fourth suit. This is a natural bid, not Fourth Suit Forcing:

Opener12

Responder13

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Responder is showing a 2-suited hand (at least 5-4).

Responder makes a 2-over-1 response at his first turn. His second bid (the fourth suit) is natural, not Fourth Suit Forcing:

Opener12

Responder22

Responder is showing a 2-suited hand with longer clubs.

When to Use Fourth Suit ForcingFourth Suit Forcing should only be used when responder does not have another attractive bid available, such as:

Rebidding a 6-card suit Bidding no-trumps with a stopper in the fourth suit Making a delayed 3-card raise of partner's major suit opening bid Raising partner's second suit with 4+ card support

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Gambling 3NTThe Gambling 3NT is an opening 3NT bid showing a solid 6-8 card minor suit. It typically denies a void or 4+ card side suit. Side suit strength depends on partnership style. Opener may have anywhere from 0-3 outside suits stopped. Let us call these the aggressive, moderate and conservative approaches.

Aggressive844273AKJT763

ModerateQ32A829AKQ975

ConservativeAK43KTAKJT872

The aggressive style is more preemptive by definition. With the example hand above, it's clearly more obstructive to open 3NT instead of 3 . This hand type is also more common than the conservative hand with a running minor suit AND all side suits stopped, which appears about as often as Halley's Comet. However, the disadvantage of an aggressive approach is that it may wrong-side the contract when partner holds stoppers (tenaces) in the side suits.

ResponsesThere are several flavors of responses to play. Below is a summary of some common approaches.

Responder's Bid

Meaning

4 There are a couple ways to play this:

1. A weak bail-out bid, asking partner to pass or correct to 4.

2. Artificial, strong and forcing. Shows interest in slam. Asks opener to clarify her hand.

4 Again, a couple ways to play this:

1. Gerber , asking for aces. Responder should have a clear vision of what the final contract might be.

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2. Artificial, strong and forcing (if 4 is weak).

4 Natural, showing a good 6+ card heart suit.

4 Natural, showing a good 6+ card spade suit.

4NT Quantitative, inviting 6NT.

5 Bail-out bid, showing major-suit weakness but good support for both minors. Asks opener to pass or correct to 5 .

Opener's RebidsThere are multiple ways to define opener's rebids.

1. In response to a strong 4 ask, opener may: o Bid 4 Gerber. o Bid 4 / to show a side-suit ace. o Bid 4NT with a minimum.

The same rules can apply over a strong 4 response, except that opener cannot use Gerber.

2. Alternatively, opener's rebids may describe suit length. In response to a strong 4 ask, opener can:

o Bid 4 / / to show a singleton in that suit. o Bid 4NT with a semi-balanced hand, i.e. 2-2-2-7 or 2-2-7-2. o Bid 5 to show long diamonds with a singleton club.

The same rules apply when replying to a strong 4 inquiry, except that opener must bid 5 instead of 4 to show long clubs with a stiff diamond.

In Competition

If the opponents double 3NT for penalty (how unsporting!), responder may bid 4 as a runout bid, asking opener to pass or correct to 4 .

If the opponents overcall, a 4NT bid by responder is natural. It is neither quantitative nor Blackwood.

102




GhestemIn bridge, Ghestem is a conventional two-suited overcall that shows at least 5-5 distribution. The convention is named for its inventor, the late Pierre Ghestem of France. The overcalls differ if the opponents opened 1 vs. any other 1-level bid.

Over 1 , the conventional overcalls are as follows.

Overcall Meaning

2 At least 5-5 in and

2NT At least 5-5 in and

3 At least 5-5 in and

Over any other one-level opening:

Overcall Meaning

2NT At least 5-5 in the two lowest-ranking suits

3 At least 5-5 in the two highest-ranking suits

Cuebid At least 5-5 in the top and bottom suits

Point strength needed for Ghestem depends on partnership agreement. Here are three possible approaches:

Constructive, showing 12+ points Any strength, 0+ points Weak (0-10 points) or strong (16+ points). With an intermediate hand of

11-15 points, begin with a simple overcall and bid your second suit later.

Ghestem vs. MichaelsCompared to the Michaels cuebid, Ghestem always specifies exactly two suits. A Michaels major-suit cuebid, on the other hand, shows the other major and an unspecified minor.

103


But Ghestem has its own drawbacks. The 3 jump overcall loses its weak preemptive meaning and also forces the bidding up to the 3-level. Compare this to Michaels, in which a 2-level minor-suit cuebid lets the overcaller compete at the 2-level.

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Help Suit Game TryA help suit game try (aka weak suit game try) may occur after an auction begins 1 : 2 or 1 : 2 .

When opener holds game-invitational values (15-17 points), she can bid a new suit at the cheapest level to say, "Partner, I'm interested in game, but I have weakness in this suit. Please bid game if you have a good holding in this suit." Partnership styles vary, but examples of suits meriting a help suit game try are:

xxx(xx) Jxx(xx) Qxx(xx) QJx(xx) Kxx(xx) KJx(xx) Axx(xx)

Note that a help suit game try can be made with only a three-card suit, but it does not need to be alerted under ACBL tournament rules.

After hearing a help suit game try, responder should bid game with 0 - 1.5 losers in the suit. (In other words, a first or second round control.) With 2 - 2.5 losers, responder must exercise judgement. And with 3 losers (e.g. a worthless tripleton), responder should sign off in 3 / .

Examples of responder's possible holdings in the help suit:

Holding # Losers Responder's action

voidAKx Ax KJxx

0 losers0 losers1 loser1 loser1.5 losers

Bid game

xxKxxQTxx

2 losers2 losers2.5 losers

Bid game with a maximum

xxxTxxxJxxxx

3 losers3 losers3 losers

Sign off in 3 /

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A drawback to help suit game tries is that they help inform the defense's opening lead, especially when responder stops below game.

Examples

Opener Responder

6 AJ8

AKT53 987

KQJ A763

Q743 962

Opener13 (1)Pass

Responder2 3 (2)

1. A HSGT in clubs 2. Signing off with a poor club holding, despite 9 HCP

Opener Responder

JT9 A63

KQ8632 J94

AJ 6543

A2 K54

Opener12 (1)Pass

Responder2 4 (2)

1. A HSGT in spades

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2. Bidding game with a help suit control (the ace)

Opener Responder

AJT62 9754

AT5 KQ2

975 6

AK J8543

Opener13 (1)Pass

Responder2 4 (2)

1. A HSGT in diamonds 2. Voids and singletons count as first and second round controls,

respectively

Other ConsiderationsAfter 1 : 2 , a 3 may or may not be a help suit game try. This requires partnership discussion:

Opener Responder

AJT62 KQ8

AQ65 KT73

7 J65

A96 532

Opener13 (1)

Responder2 4 (2)

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Pass

1. Natural and forcing with 15+ points 2. Bidding the heart game with 4-card support

This sequence is natural because a 4-4 fit is often preferable to a 5-3 fit. These two hands play better with hearts as trumps, because the spades can be used to pitch club losers from dummy. Declarer can draw trumps in three rounds, run the spades, and then ruff a club in dummy for an overtrick. With spades as trumps, 10 tricks are the limit.

Note that this problem does not occur when the auction begins 1 : 2 and opener rebids 2. This is because responder should not be holding 4 spades and 3 hearts. With that distribution, he should initially reply 1 , not 2 . So there is no need for opener to probe for a secondary 4-4 spade fit.

Lastly, the adoption of help suit game tries means that opener's 3 / rebids ask for help in the trump suit:

Opener Responder

AK6 J82

J8532 T74

3 KQJ2

AKJ3 Q65

Opener13 (1)

Responder2 Pass (2)

1. My hearts are lousy 2. Mine too!

As an alternative to help suit game tries, see short suit game tries.

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Short Suit Game TryA short suit game try may occur after an auction begins 1 : 2 or 1 : 2 . When opener holds game-invitational values (15-17 points), bidding a new suit at the cheapest level shows a singleton or void. It asks responder to bid game without wasted values in that suit.

Short suit game tries must be alerted under World Bridge Federation (and many other) tournament rules.

Examples of responder's possible holdings in the short suit:

Suit Holding Responder's action

xxxJxxxAxxxx

Bid game

QJxxKJxx


KQJxAKxxAKJx

Sign off in 3 /

One disadvantage of short suit game tries is that they may indicate a safe opening lead for the opponents. Another danger is that the opponents may find a sacrifice. An opponent doubles with length and strength in the short suit, his partner finds himself holding 5 cards in the suit, and suddenly 5 / becomes an attractive obstruction.

Examples

Opener Responder

KQT 53

AKT53 987

6 AKJT

109

K953 T876

Opener13 (1)Pass

Responder2 3 (2)

1. A SSGT in diamonds 2. Signing off with wasted diamond strength

Opener Responder

KJ3 QT2

KQT632 J94

A32 KJT

5 7643

Opener13 (1)Pass

Responder2 4 (2)

1. A SSGT in clubs 2. Bidding game with strength in the other suits

Other ConsiderationsAfter 1 : 2 , a 3 may or may not be a short suit game try. This requires partnership discussion:

Opener Responder

AJT62 KQ8

AQ65 KT73

110

7 J65

A96 532

Opener13 (1)Pass

Responder2 4 (2)



Note that this problem does not occur when the auction begins 1 : 2 and opener rebids 2. This is because responder should not be holding 4 spades and 3 hearts. With that distribution, he should initially reply 1 , not 2 . So there is no need for opener to look for a secondary 4-4 spade fit.

Lastly, the use of short suit game tries means that opener's 3 / rebids ask for help in the trump suit. In the following example, opener could make a 3 short-suit game try, but she isn't really interested heart or club support. Inquiring about responder's spades seems more useful.

Opener Responder

T9876 AQ5

AK5 876

3 Q8764

AKJ3 42

Opener13 (1)

Responder2 4 (2)

1. Asking about trump quality 2. Good trumps

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As an alternative to short suit game tries, see help suit game tries.

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Intermediate Jump OvercallsIntermediate jump overcalls are more constructive than weak jump overcalls. A jump overcall at the 2-level shows a 6-card suit and 11-15 points. A jump overcall at the 3-level shows a 7-card suit and 11-15 points.

Many players consider intermediate jump overcalls to be more effective against good opponents, whereas weak jump overcalls may be more useful against bad ones. As a middle-of-the-road approach, expert Marshall Miles has noted in his book "Competitive Bidding in the 21st Century" that he prefers intermediate jump overcalls only when vulnerable. Thus, weak jump overcalls can still be played in the safer waters of white-on-white or white-on red vulnerability.

Examples of intermediate jump overcalls:

QJ

T98

AKJ862

Q7

WestPass

NorthPass

East1

You?

Bid 2 with a 6-card suit and 13 HCP.

5

KQT543

AT9

A63

West1

NorthPass

East1

You?

Bid 2 . It does not matter if one or both opponents have bid.

853

6

AK

WestPass

NorthPass

East1

You?

Bid 3 with a 7-card suit.

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AQJ8752

AQ8765

54

KQ7

K8

West1

NorthPass

EastPass

You?

Jump overcalls in the balancing seat need partnership discussion. Most players agree that they show a 6-card suit and a good hand. Bidding 2 seems pretty sensible here. However, exact point ranges vary by agreement.

KJ852

9

Q763

A54

West1

NorthDouble

East1

You?

Intermediate jump overcalls are off if partner has bid. Opposite a takeout double, bid 2 to show 4+ spades and 10+ points.

ResponsesThe responses to an intermediate jump overcall are as follows.

Response Meaning

2NT In response to a 2-level jump overcall, 2NT is artificial and forcing with 10+ points and game interest. (See below).

New suit Natural, nonforcing. Usually denies 2+ card support.

Single raise Preemptive. Partner is expected to pass.

Double raise Natural, signoff. May be strong or preemptive.

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The responses to the artificial 2NT query depend on a partnership's agreements. The Ogust set of conventional responses works well. If not playing Ogust, however, a three-level new suit can show a control (ace or king).

Examples

North South

K84 Q2

AQT942 K85

A7 98432

T8 K97

West 1All pass

North 2 (1)

East Double

South 3 (2)

1. Intermediate jump overcall. 2. A non-forcing raise.

North South

KQJ732 AT6

53 KJ4

AKJ3 762

5 KJ72

West 1PassAll pass

North 2 (1)3 (3)

East PassPass

South 2NT (2)4

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1. Intermediate jump overcall. 2. Artificial inquiry. 3. Playing Ogust responses, this shows a maximum hand with 2 of the top 3

spade honors.

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Inverted MinorsInverted minors flip the traditional meaning of single and double minor-suit raises. Playing inverted minors, a single raise of a 1 /1 opening bid is strong and a jump raise is weak. To paraphrase the late Grant Baze, how often do you hear a traditional auction go 1 : 2 - All pass? Basically, never. Hence the popularity of inverted raises. You can preempt your opponents with bad hands while bidding more slowly and constructively with good hands.

The Strong Raise (1 : 2 and 1 : 2 )The single raise (i.e. 1 :2 and 1 :2 ) is forcing for one round. The requirements are:

10+ points At least 4-card support No 4-card major

Responder will often be unbalanced, since he can make notrump responses with balanced hands.

JT3

9

AQ75

AT643

Partner1

You2

Your 2 bid shows 4+ card support and 10+ points.

976

AT9

KQ875

AK

Partner1

You2

There is no upper point count limit for a strong raise.

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J98

Q76

A65

K853

Partner1

You1NT

1NT with 4-3-3-3 shape is more descriptive than an inverted raise.

The Weak Raise (1 : 3 or 1 : 3 )Conversely, the requirements for a weak jump raise (i.e. 1 :3 or 1 :3 ) are:

0-6 points At least 5-card support No 4-card major

J93

874

52

KQ732

Partner1

You3

3 shows 5+ card support and 0-6 points.

975

2

QT987

T754

Partner1

You3

Ditto.

Opener's Rebids After 1 : 2

Rebid Meaning

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2 Natural, 4+ cards. Implies imbalanced shape since opener could rebid no-trumps with 2-3-4-4 or 3-2-4-4. Forcing.

2 / Natural, 3+ cards. Some experts play this as stopper-showing only. Forcing.

2NT Balanced 12-14 HCP. Not forcing. (Note: If playing weak no-trumps, this would show 15-17 HCP instead.)

3 Natural with a 5+ card suit. Not forcing.

3 Natural, minimum with a 4+ card suit. Forcing.

3NT Balanced 18-19 HCP.

Opener's Rebids After 1 : 2

Rebid Meaning

2 / Natural, 3+ cards. Some partnerships treat this as stopper-showing only. Forcing.

2NT Balanced 12-14 HCP. Not forcing. (Note: If playing weak no-trumps, this would show 15-17 HCP instead.)

3 Natural with a 4+ card suit. Probably imbalanced shape. Forcing.

3 Natural, minimum with a 5+ card suit. Not forcing.

3NT Balanced 18-19 HCP.

In CompetitionIn competition, inverted minors are off for most partnerships. A single raise is weak with 4-card support, and a jump raise is weak with 5+ card support.

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Other ConsiderationsBecause inverted minors uses 0-6 points and 10+ points for the weak and strong raises respectively, responder will sometimes be stuck for a bid with 7-9 points. These hands, which would traditionally make a single raise, can no longer do so. The typical approach is to respond 1NT even with unbalanced shape.

92

87

AQ75

JT732

Partner1

You1NT

Ugh. You must temporize with 1NT because your hand doesn't qualify for anything else.

OriginsInverted minors were originally part of the Kaplan-Sheinwold bidding system that employed 5-card majors and a 12-14 1NT. Although intended to be used with a weak no-trump, inverted minors are compatible with any 1NT range.

120

Kamikaze 1NT (One No-Trump)The Kamikaze 1NT (aka "mini" no-trump) is a 1NT opening bid that shows a balanced hand with 10-12 HCP. Since it is such a weak opening bid, subject to frequent penalty doubles by the opponents, an escape system such as Meckwell Escapes or Touching Escapes is a necessary adjunct. In addition, it was originally intended to be played only in first or second position. The reason is because the odds of having a good hand increase after the first two or three players pass to you. Also, there is no preemptive value in opening a 10-12 1NT in fourth seat.

Example of Kamikaze 1NT openings:

KQTA98Q74JT62

KT975432AQJ75

76KQ8T98AQ642


If integrating the Kamikaze notrump into your system, it is also important to consider its effect on natural sequences such as

1 : 1

1NT/2NT

1NT here normally shows around 12-14 HCP, while 2NT would show around 18-19 HCP; the 15-17 HCP between the two rebids must be resolved in one way or another.

As expert Danny Kleinman notes in his book "The Notrump Zone":

Do the benefits of the Kamikaze notrump outweigh the costs? Here is what I believe. No, not against sound opponents, even if the Kamikaze notrump sometimes steals the pot; this is because of the loss of accuracy on the good

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http://www.bridgebum.com/touching_escapes.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/meckwell_escapes.php


hands that the Kamikaze notrumpers can't open some other kind of notrump is too great. Yes, against opponents who think that opener's weakness makes their own hands stronger, or who are obsessed with penalizing the Kamikaze notrumpers. Alas, such opponents may be the majority these days....

The main disadvantage of the Kamikaze notrump - the obvious cost - is the burden it puts on other openings and rebids. Remove from your toolkit one of the ways of describing a very common class of opening-strength hands, and many of your other tools work less efficiently.

For a more favorable philosophy toward a mini notrump, read 1NT: The Ultimate Preempt by Tony Melucci about the merits of a 10-13 1NT.

OriginsThe Kamikaze 1NT was invented by American player John Kierein.

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Kantar Cue BidKantar Cue Bids are used after opener starts the bidding with 1-of-a-suit and the next player makes a suit overcall. A cue-bid by responder shows a three-suited hand (at least four cards in each suit), a singleton or void in the enemy suit, and 8+ points. Subsequent rebids by opener and responder are natural.

The use of Kantar Cue Bids precludes the more common approach of cuebidding to show a limit raise or better for opener's suit.

Examples

OpenerResponder

AT72 5

AQJ73 KT92

985 KQ72

K 8742

West 13 (2)

North 1Pass

East 2 (1)4

South PassAll pass

1. Showing a 3-suiter short in spades with 8+ points. 2. Help-suit game try.

Opener Responder

AJT8 KQ52

Q875 J

123

AQJ K985

762 T854

West 12 (2)

North 1All pass

East 2 (1)

South Pass

1. Showing a 3-suiter short in hearts with 8+ points. Note that a negative double, by inference, would exclude this hand type.

2. Correcting to the known 8-card fit.

OriginsThe Kantar Cue Bid is named for its inventor, American expert Eddie Kantar.

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Keri Response to 1NTKeri is a conventional response to 1NT. Devised by Australian expert Ron Klinger, it is a more scientific alternative to Stayman. After a 1NT opening, a 2

response is an artificial relay to 2 . This is part of a complete 1NT response system detailed by Klinger.

Response Meaning

2Artificial relay to 2 . May have long clubs, diamonds OR a game-invitational hand with a 4 or 5-card major. See below.

2Transfer to 2 . However, this also includes 5-4 and 4-4 hands that wish to invite game. With 5 spades and 4 hearts, OR with 4-4 majors, responder rebids 2 as a game invitation.

2Transfer to 2 . However, this also includes game-forcing hands with 5 spades and 4 hearts. In the latter case, responder rebids 3

.

2

Artificial, asking opener if she has a minimum or maximum. Intended as a probe for 3NT. Opener is expected to bid 2NT with a minimum (responder can pass), or 3 with a maximum (committing to the partnership to game).

2NTTransfer to clubs. Responder can rebid 3 with a game-forcing hand with both minors. Responder can also rebid a 4-card major at the 3-level to force game.

Responder's Rebids After 2 : 2Responder's rebids after the 2 : 2 relay are as follows.

Responder's Rebid

Meaning

Pass 5+ diamonds, weak.

2 4 or 5 hearts, invitational, non-forcing.

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2 4 or 5 spades, invitational, non-forcing.

2NT Stayman, game-forcing.

3 6+ clubs, invitational, non-forcing.

3 6+ diamonds, invitational, non-forcing.

The main benefit here is the ability to stop in 2 / with a 5-3, 4-4 or even 5-4 major suit fit. In contrast, traditional Stayman necessitates major-suit game invitations at the 3-level.

In his book "Bid Better, Much Better After Opening 1 No-Trump", Klinger provides the following example from the 2000 Bermuda Bowl:

Opener Responder

Q72 J953

AKT6 J754

Q982 A3

A7 QJ8

Opener1NT 2 (2)Pass

Responder2 (1)3 (3)

1. Stayman 2. 4-card major 3. Invitational

In the France vs. Norway match, both tables produced the same auction resulting in 3 down one. Playing Keri, responder could have stopped in 2 :

Opener Responder

Q72 J953

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AKT6 J754

Q982 A3

A7 QJ8

Opener1NT 2 (2)Pass

Responder2 (1)2 (3)

1. Keri, relay to 2 2. Completing the relay 3. Invitational

However, Keri also forces you to play an occasional 4-3 fit. Additionally, a hand that would normally start with a Jacoby transfer may wind up declaring the hand. This may wrongside the contract or at least cause a potential swing. Keri may also cost you other methods like Garbage Stayman.

Opener's Responses After Responder's 2 RebidAfter 1NT : 2 , 2 : 2 ...

Opener's Rebid

Meaning

Pass 3-4 hearts, minimum.

2 Natural showing 2 hearts, 4 spades, minimum strength.

2NT 2 hearts, denies 4 spades, minimum, signoff.

3Artificial, 4 hearts, minimum. Responder is encouraged to bid with 5 hearts.

3 Any 4-3-3-3 shape, maximum.

33 hearts, maximum. Responder can bid 3NT with a 4-card suit, or 4 with a 5-card suit.

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3Natural showing 2 hearts, 4 spades, maximum strength, game-forcing.

3NT 2 hearts, denies 4 spades, maximum, signoff.

4 4 hearts, maximum, signoff.

Opener's Responses After Responder's 2 RebidAfter 1NT : 2 , 2 : 2 ...

Opener's Rebid

Meaning

Pass 3-4 spades, minimum.

2NT 2 spades, minimum, signoff.

3Artificial, 4 spades, minimum. Responder is encouraged to bid on with 5 spades.

3 Any 4-3-3-3 shape, maximum.

3 5 hearts, maximum, game-forcing.

33 spades, maximum. Responder can bid 3NT with a 4-card suit, or 4 with a 5-card suit.

3NT 2 hearts, denies 4 spades, maximum, signoff.

4 4 spades, maximum, signoff.

OriginsKeri was created by Australian expert Ron Klinger and described in depth in his book "Bid Better, Much Better After Opening 1 No-Trump."

See also

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Crawling Stayman A convention for showing a weak hand with 4-4 shape in the majors.

Double-Barreled Stayman A convention for distinguishing non-forcing and forcing Stayman hands.

Garbage Stayman A method of showing a weak 3-suiter short in clubs.

Minor Suit Stayman A method of showing 4-4 shape or better in the minors.

Puppet Stayman A variant of Stayman for identifying 5-3 major-suit fits.

Smolen An extension of Stayman for showing 5-4 shape in the majors.

Stayman The original convention for responding to 1NT to find a 4-4 major-suit fit.

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http://www.bridgebum.com/smolen.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/puppet_stayman.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/minor_suit_stayman.php


http://www.bridgebum.com/double_barreled_stayman.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/crawling_stayman.php

LandyLandy is a convention for use after the opponents have opened 1NT. A 2 overcall shows at least 5-4 in the major suits and 10+ points. The point count minimum may be relaxed at favorable vulnerability. On the flip side, extra strength is needed for a 5-4 overcall because of the slightly decreased chance of a fit.

Some examples of hands suitable for a Landy overcall:

KQT82A9854A53--

KJT9KQ432A745

Q9732KQ8765T7

AJ872AQT45392

Responses to 2The responses to a Landy 2 overcall are as follows.

Response Meaning

2Artificial, showing equal length in the majors. Partner is requested to correct to 2 or 2 .

2 Natural, signoff.

2 Natural, signoff.

2NTArtificial and forcing for one round. May or may not have major-suit support. Shows 12+ points and asks partner to clarify his hand. (See below.)

3 10-12 points with 4-card support. Invitational to game.

3 10-12 points with 4-card support. Invitational to game.

Overcaller's Rebids After 2 : 2NT

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Approaches vary after partner makes a forcing 2NT inquiry. Here is a sensible structure from "Bridge Conventions in Depth" by Matt and Pam Granovetter. Minor suit rebids show different types of 5-4 hands, while the majors and 3NT all show 5-5 length (or better).

Overcaller's Rebid

Meaning

3Medium strength with 5-4 or 4-5 majors.Partner has the option of rebidding 3 to ask for the 5-card major.

3 Maximum strength with 5-4 or 4-5 majors.

3 Minimum strength with 5-5 majors.

3 Medium strength with 5-5 majors.

3NT Maximum strength with 5-5 majors.

Per the Granovetters, your definition of "minimum", "medium" and "maximum" strength will vary depending on how aggressively you use Landy. A rough guideline is:

Minimum - 6 to a bad 10 points Medium - 10 to a bad 12 points Maximum - 12+ points

In CompetitionIf the 2 overcall is doubled, then partner's conventional responses are:

Response Meaning

Pass Natural and non-forcing. Shows 5+ clubs.

RedoubleArtificial and forcing, showing equal length in both majors. This is alertable! Partner is expected to pick a major.

2 Natural and non-forcing. Shows 5+ diamonds.

2 Natural, signoff.

2 Natural, signoff.

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Examples

North South

KQJT9 872

QJ873 954

Q A972

T83 KJ2

West 1NTPass

North 2 (1)2

East PassAll Pass

South 2 (2)

1. Landy. 2. Artificial and forcing, asking overcall to choose a major.

North South

AK98 T764

AJ542 KQ9

763 AK

J 8754

West 1NTPass

North 2 (1)4

East PassAll Pass

South 3 (2)

1. Landy. 2. 10-12 points, 4-card support. Invitational.

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North South

QJT73 962

AQJ3 T85

74 KQ932

A5 42

West 1NTPass

North 2 (1)2

East DoubleAll Pass

South Redouble (2)

1. Landy. 2. Showing equal length in the majors, and asking partner to choose a suit.

North South

AJ54 962

KQT86 AJ

6542 AKQ

-- J9874

West 1NTPassPassAll Pass

North 2 (1)3 (3)3 (5)

East PassPassPass

South 2NT (2)3 (4)3NT (6)

1. Landy. 2. Strong, artificial and forcing. 3. Showing 5-4 or 4-5 shape with approximately 10-12 points. 4. Artificial, asking for partner's 5-card major. 5. Disclosing the 5 hearts. 6. Signoff.

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OriginsLandy was invented by American player Alvin Landy. See also Multi-Landy as a modern twist.

Multi-Landy (Woolsey)Multi-Landy (or the Woolsey Defense to 1NT) is a convention used after the opponents open 1NT. It gets its name from the use of the Landy 2 overcall and Multi 2 convention. It is attributed to American expert Kit Woolsey.

The 2-level overcalls are the same as Cappelletti, except that the meanings of the 2 and 2 bids are reversed. The purpose is to more precisely identify major-suit fits. Playing Cappelletti, responder simply signs off in 2 with equal length in the majors and hopes for the best. Playing Multi-Landy, responder has an extra bid - 2 - to describe his major suits. The tradeoff is the inability to stop in 2 with a natural diamond suit. But frankly this may be a small loss since the opponents will strain to find a major-suit fit over a natural 2 bid anyway.

The conventional calls over 1NT are as follows.

Overcall Meaning

Double Varies depending on partnership agreement:

Penalty (particularly against a weak 1NT). A 4-card major with a longer minor. 5+ clubs or diamonds, may have a 4-card major.

If playing double for penalty, then the Gates Double can be used by a passed hand.

2 At least 5-4 or 4-5 in hearts and spades.

2 5+ hearts or 5+ spades (no side suit).

2 At least 5-5 in hearts and a minor.

2 At least 5-5 in spades and a minor.

2NT At least 5-5 in clubs and diamonds.

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http://www.bridgebum.com/gates_double.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/weak_1nt.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/cappelletti.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/multi_2d.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/landy.php

http://www.bridgebum.com/multi_landy.php


Responses to the Double (if it promises a 4-card major)

Response Meaning

2 Shows club tolerance and willingness to play in clubs. Partner can pass or bid his major suit.

2 Artificial relay asking partner to bid his major suit. However, partner is allowed to pass with good diamonds.

2 Natural, 6+ hearts, nonforcing.

2 Natural, 6+ spades, nonforcing.

2NT Artificial, forcing. Asks the overcaller to clarify his hand. Overcaller's responses are:

3 shows 4 hearts, minimum strength. 3 shows 4 spades, minimum strength. 3 shows 4 hearts, maximum strength. 3 shows 4 spades, maximum strength.

3 Natural, 6+ good clubs, nonforcing.

3 Natural, 6+ good diamonds, nonforcing.

3NT To play.

Responses to the 2 Overcall

Response Meaning

Pass Natural, 6+ good clubs, nonforcing.

2 Usually shows equal length in the majors. Asks partner to pick one. With 5-4 in the majors, for example, partner will correct to the 5-card major.

2 Natural sign-off, showing a preference for hearts even if partner is 5-4

135

in spades and hearts.

2 Natural sign-off, showing a preference for spades even if partner is 4-5 in spades and hearts.




Response Meaning

2 Natural signoff if overcaller has hearts. However, this bid may also be made with game-invitational values in spades. If overcaller corrects to 2 , then partner is allowed to raise to 3 .

2 Natural signoff if overcaller has spades. However, this may also show game-invitational values in hearts. If overcaller corrects to 3 , then partner is allowed to raise to 4 .


3 shows 5+ hearts, minimum strength. 3 shows 5+ spades, minimum strength. 3 shows 5+ hearts, maximum strength. 3 shows 5+ spades, maximum strength.


Response Meaning

Pass A weak hand with tolerance for hearts.

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2 Natural, 6+ good spades, no heart support, nonforcing.

2NT Artificial, no heart support, asking for partner to bid his minor suit at the three level.

3 Natural, 6+ good clubs, no heart support, nonforcing.

3 Natural, 6+ good diamonds, no heart support, nonforcing.

3 Preemptive, 3+ hearts. Nonforcing.

3 Natural, preemptive, 6+ good spades, no heart support. Nonforcing.

3NT To play.

4 To play.

4 To play.


Response Meaning

Pass A weak hand with tolerance for spades.

2NT Artificial, no spade support, asking for partner to bid his minor suit at the three level.

3 Natural, 6+ good clubs, no spade support, nonforcing.

3 Natural, 6+ good diamonds, no spade support, nonforcing.

3 Natural, 6+ good hearts, no spade support, nonforcing.

3 Preemptive, 3+ spades. Nonforcing.

Responses to the 2NT Overcall

137

Response Meaning

3 A weak hand with tolerance for clubs.

3 A weak hand with tolerance for diamonds. Tends to deny club support.

3 Natural, 6+ good hearts, no support for either minor, nonforcing.

3 Natural, 6+ good spades, no support for either minor, nonforcing.

3NT To play.

4 3+ clubs, invitational to 5 .

4 3+ diamonds, invitational to 5 .

4 To play.

4 To play.

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Leaping MichaelsLeaping Michaels is a conventional 4 or 4 jump overcall of a weak 2 or 2 . It promises a good two-suited hand with at least 5-5 shape. As an extension of the Michaels cuebid, it's named for the "leaping" or "jumping" aspect of the overcall.

A 4 jump overcall shows clubs and the unbid major. A 4 jump overcall shows diamonds and the unbid major.

Additionally, Leaping Michaels can be used over minor-suit preempts:

After an enemy 2 , a 4 jump overcall shows clubs and an unspecified major.

After an enemy 3 , a 4 jump overcall shows diamonds and an unspecified major.

The 4 Jump Overcall4 shows clubs and the unbid major after the opponents open 2 or 2 .

AKT98

void

AT

KQJT52

Opponent 1 Pass

Partner Pass

Opponent 2 2

Overcaller 4 (1)

(1) Leaping Michaels, showing clubs and spades (the other major).

...And here's an example of Leaping Michaels over a 2 preempt. Partner can bid 4 to ask for the major suit, if desired.

void

AKT98

AT

KQJT52

Opponent 1 PassPass

Partner Pass4 (2)

Opponent 2 2Pass

Overcaller 4 (1) 4

(1) Leaping Michaels, showing clubs and a major.(2) What's your major?

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The 4 Jump Overcall4 shows diamonds and the unbid major after the opponents open 2 or 2 .

AT

AQJ53

AJT85

7

Opponent 1 2

Partner Pass

Opponent 2 Pass

Overcaller 4 (1)

(1) Leaping Michaels, showing diamonds and hearts (the other major).

Here's an example of Leaping Michaels over a 3 preempt. Partner is allowed to pass (or raise) 4 if he has diamond tolerance. Alternatively, partner may bid 4 if he has support for both majors. This asks overcaller to pass or correct to spades.

AKJ85

A

QJT762

7

Opponent 1 PassPass

Partner Pass4 (2)

Opponent 2 3Pass

Overcaller 4 (1) 4

(1) Leaping Michaels, showing diamonds and an unspecified major.(2) Pass or correct


Playing Leaping Michaels, a 3 or 3 cuebid (over 2 or 2 , respectively) shows a strong balanced hand. It asks partner to bid a 3NT with a stopper in the enemy suit.

See also Phillip Alder's column on Leaping Michaels in the New York Times.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/crosswords/bridge/12cards.html

Lebensohl (After a 1NT opening bid)Lebensohl is a bidding convention used when the opponents interfere over 1NT. After partner opens 1NT and the next opponent doubles or bids up to 2 , a 2NT bid is an artificial relay bid asking partner to bid 3 . Responder then clarifies his hand with his second bid.

The entire convention is as follows. If you start feeling dizzy, I know how you feel.

Responder's Bids

Double -- A double of the opponents' overcall is for penalty. It typically shows 4+ cards in the opponents' suit. Responder may choose to double instead of inviting or bidding 3NT in the following scenarios (particularly at favorable vulnerability):

o The hand is too weak to invite game, but is strong enough to collect a penalty from the opponents. For example, the opponents overcall a 15-17 1NT with 2 . Double with Q2 KQ952 873 842.

o The hand is too unbalanced to invite game. For example, the opponents overcall a 15-17 1NT with 2 . Double with KQJ5 T

843 KT532. o A penalty double looks more profitable than game. For example,

the opponents overcall a 15-17 1NT with 2 . At favorable vulnerability, it looks right to double with AQ T5 AJ976 QT53.

Redouble -- This is up to partnership agreement, and not part of Lebensohl. I'm only including it for the sake of completeness. Typically, a redouble after an artificial double shows interest in penalizing the opponents, whereas a redouble after a penalty double is part of an escape system (see Meckwell Escapes as an example).

2 / / / -- Natural, 5+ cards in the bid suit, non-forcing. Minimum HCP depends on the 1NT range and vulnerability.

2NT -- This is the heart of the Lebensohl convention. It is artificial and shows one of the following hand types:

o A one-suited hand that wants to sign off in 3 / / / o A one-suited hand that wants to invite game o A Stayman-type hand (at least one 4-card major with game-forcing

values) with a stopper in the opponents' suit o A hand that contains a stopper in the opponents' suit and wants to

sign off in 3NT

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3 / / / / -- A new suit (not a cuebid) shows 5+ cards in the bid suit, and is forcing to game. Responder may need to make a jump bid to force game. For example, a 2 bid over an opposing 2 is non-forcing, but a 3

bid would be game-forcing. Cuebid of the opponents' suit -- This is used as Stayman, showing at least

one 4-card major with game-forcing values. It asks partner to bid a 4-card major suit. It denies a stopper in the opponents' bid suit.

3NT -- shows a hand that would have normally bid 3NT in the absence of interference, but denies a stopper in the opponents' suit. Partner is expected to run to a cheaper suit if he/she does not hold a stopper, either.

Note that the mnemonic device for remembering a direct 3NT bid (as opposed to 2NT, followed by a 3NT rebid) is "slow shows". In other words, bidding 2NT and then rebidding 3NT "shows" a stopper in the opponents' suit.

Opener's Rebids

After responder bids 2NT and the next opponent passes, opener must rebid 3 . This is artificial and asks responder to clarify his hand type.

After responder cue-bids, modified Stayman responses apply: o If the cue-bid is 3 , then a 3 rebid by opener denies a 4-card

major. A 3 rebid shows 4+ hearts (and does not deny 4 spades), while a 3 rebid shows 4+ spades (and denies 4 hearts).

o If the cue-bid is 3 , then opener must rebid 3 / with a 4-card major, or 3NT without a 4-card major.

o If the cue-bid is 3 , then opener must rebid 3 with 4 spades, or 3NT without a 4-card major.

o If the cue-bid is 3 , then opener must rebid 4 with a 4-card major, or 3NT without a 4-card major.

After responder makes a game-forcing jump bid, e.g. 3 over a 2 overcall, then opener's rebids are natural.

Responder's RebidsAfter opener rebids 3 , responder's rebids are:

Pass - Shows 6+ clubs and less than game-invitational values. This is a signoff bid.

3 / / - This is either: o A natural signoff if responder could not have bid the suit at the 2-

level. For example, after a 2 overcall of 1NT, a 2NT Lebensohl

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response followed by a 3 rebid is a signoff. This shows 6+ cards in the bid suit and less than game-invitational values, such as T5

93 KQT853 A32. OR... o A natural invitation to game if responder could have bid the suit at

the 2-level. For example, after a 2 overcall of 1NT, a 2NT Lebensohl response followed by a 3 rebid invites game (3NT or 4

). This shows a good 5+ cards in the bid suit with game-invitational values. Playing a 15-17 1NT, an example hand is T98

KQT872 K2 52. With a weaker hand, responder would simply bid 2 directly over the opposing overcall. OR...

o A cuebid of the opponents' suit - Stayman. Unlike a direct cuebid, it promises a stopper in the overcalled suit. If the overcall was in a major suit, then a cuebid asks opener to bid his 4 cards in the other major at the cheapest level. If the opponents have bid a minor, then this asks opener to bid his lowest 4-card major at the cheapest level. In either scenario, opener can rebid 3NT if he does not have a 4-card major.

3NT - Natural, to play. Promises a stopper in the opponents' suit.

Over Artificial InterferenceHere are some general suggestions if the opponents make an artificial overcall.

RHO shows a two-suiter, but only one suit is known

RHO may make a DONT 2 bid showing clubs and a higher suit. Or a Cappelletti 2 bid showing hearts and a lower suit. In this case, Lebensohl is on. Bid as if the opponents have only shown one suit.

RHO shows a two-suiter, and both suits are known

RHO may bid something like a Cappelletti 2 showing hearts and spades. In this case, Lebensohl needs to be modified because a Stayman cuebid is no longer needed. Responder also needs a way to show a stopper in one particular major suit. Over 2 , responder can:

"Cue-bid" 2 to show a heart stopper and interest in no-trumps "Cue-bid" 2 to show a spade stopper and interest in no-trumps Bid 2NT followed by 3NT to promise stoppers in both suits Bid 3NT immediately to deny stoppers in both suits (very unlikely if

responder has enough values for game)

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The same principle applies if the opponents make a DONT 2 bid promising hearts and spades. Responder just has to cue-bid 3 to show a heart stopper.

Examples

Opener Responder

AJ42 987

65 A87

AQ53 K42

AQ2 K9853

Opener 1NT3 (2)Pass

Opp 1 2PassPass

Responder 2NT (1)3NT (3)

Opp 2 PassPass

1. 2NT is Lebensohl, artificial. 2. 3 is an artificial relay. 3. 3NT is natural and shows a heart stopper.

Opener Responder

AT42 98

KJ93 Q54

AQ2 K8764

JT6 KQ9

Opener 1NTPass (2)

Opp 1 2Pass

Responder 3NT (1)

Opp 2 Pass

1. 3NT is natural, but denies a spade stopper.

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2. Pass shows a spade stopper and willingness to play 3NT.

Opener Responder

KQ4 J62

AT8 KJ432

J42 T9

AK92 843

Opener 1NTPass

Opp 1 2Pass

Responder 2 (1)

Opp 2 Pass

1. 2 is natural, showing 5+ hearts and no interest in a game contract.

Opener Responder

QJ6 A942

AK92 Q3

J4 KT2

AT86 Q432

Opener 1NT3 (2)3 (4)Pass (6)

Opp 1 2PassPassPass

Responder 2NT (1)3 (3)3NT (5)

Opp 2 PassPassPass

1. 2NT is Lebensohl, artificial. 2. 3 is an artificial relay. 3. 3 is Stayman, and promises a diamond stopper. 4. 3 shows opener's cheapest (and in this case, only) 4-card major. 5. 3NT is a signoff. This may or may not make; such is life.

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6. Pass denies 4 spades. Opener knows that responder must have 4 spades if he/she used Stayman but was not interested in playing in hearts. If opener had 4 spades, he/she could correct to 4 .

Opener Responder

K42 A8

AT32 KQJ4

62 T73

AKQJ T642

Opener 1NT3 (2)Pass

Opp 1 2PassPass

Responder 3 (1)4

Opp 2 PassPass

1. 3 is Stayman, and denies a diamond stopper. Game-forcing. 2. 3 shows opener's cheapest (and in this case, only) 4-card major. 3. 4 places the final contract.

Opener Responder

QJ6 A94

AJ92 KQ3

J4 932

AQ86 J532

Opener 1NT4 (2)

Opp 1 2Pass

Responder 3NT (1)Pass

Opp 2 PassPass

1. 3NT is natural, but denies a diamond stopper.

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2. 4 is a scramble bid. Lacking a diamond stopper as well, opener bids his cheapest 4+ card suit.

OriginsLebensohl was originally attributed to a successful bridge player in the 70's named Ken Lebensold. He denied any responsibility though, possibly foreseeing the thousands of Lebensohl bidding accidents to come. The true origin of the strange appellation is therefore unknown.

Lebensohl Over Weak Two BidsLebensohl over Weak Two Bids is used when your left-hand opponent (LHO) preempts, your partner makes a takeout double and your right-hand opponent (RHO) passes.

West 2 / /

Partner Double

East Pass

You ?

Your responses may be ambiguous under normal methods. What would a 3 response mean? Is it weak, invitational or even forcing?

This is where Lebensohl comes in. Lebensohl is an artificial 2NT bid that shows a wide variety of hands. It offers greater flexibility in describing your strength. Of course, you lose the ability to make a natural 2NT response.

Lebensohl should be viewed as part of an entire response structure, rather than just the 2NT bid. So, I’ve outlined the whole structure below.

Bad Hands (0-7 Points)With a bad hand, your objective is to get out as cheaply as possible. Bidding a new suit at the 2-level is a signoff that shows 0-7 points.

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QJ83

542

T94

J52

West 2

North Double

East Pass

You 2 1

1 0-7 points, signoff.

If you can't bid your suit at the 2-level, then you can bid 2NT as an artificial relay to 3 . You can then pass (with clubs) or bid your suit.

982

KT832

T9

765

West 2Pass

North Double3 2

East PassPass

You 2NT 1 3 3

1 Lebensohl.2 Artificial relay.3 0-7 points, signoff.

Playing normal methods, you'd be forced to bid 3 and hope that partner passes. But with Lebensohl, you can bid your lousy hand with confidence.

Invitational Hands (8-11 points)Buckle in. This is where Lebensohl gets interesting.

Lebensohl is not only used to show weak hands, but invitational ones too. You can bypass a 2-level sign-off and bid 2NT Lebensohl to show 8-11 points. After partner bids 3 , you bid your suit naturally.

AK863

J4

864

T32

West 2Pass

North Double3 2

East PassPass

You 2NT 1 3 3

1 Lebensohl.2 Artificial relay.3 Natural, invites 4 .

If you had a bad hand, you would've bid 2 immediately. But by going through Lebensohl,

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you're promising invitational values. (Note: A direct jump to 3 would be game-forcing, which is discussed further below.)

Now a corollary. If you bypass Lebensohl to bid a new suit at the 3-level immediately, then you're showing 8-11 points and inviting game.

864

Q9

8642

AQJT3

West 2

North Double

East Pass

You 3 1

1 Natural, invitational values.

In the above sequence, you would have bid 2NT Lebensohl to sign off with a weak club hand. But by skipping 2NT, you're showing game-invitational strength.

Game-Forcing Hands (12+ points)Jumping in a new suit is natural and game-forcing.

J8

AK932

87

KQ76

West 2

North Double

East Pass

You 3 1

1 Natural, game-forcing.

Here's the wrinkle, though. With good balanced hands, you may be interested in no-trumps instead. Lebensohl provides two ways of describing your values.

The first is an immediate jump to 3NT, natural. This denies a stopper in the opponents' suit.

952

AJ9

K87

AJT3

West 2

North Double

East Pass

You 3NT 1

1 Natural, denies a spade stopper.

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Partner can pass with a spade stopper, or start scrambling at the 4-level without one.

With that in mind, using Lebensohl en route to 3NT promises a stopper in the enemy suit.

A832

KJ7

Q543

KT9

West 2Pass

North Double3 2

East PassPass

You 2NT 1

3NT 3

1 Lebensohl.2 Relay.3 Natural, promises a stopper.

Just remember, "Slow implies, fast denies."

Other ConsiderationsWhen Doubler has a Good HandIf the doubler has a good hand and hears 2NT Lebensohl, she's allowed to bid a new suit, thus bypassing the 3 relay.

Lebensohl in Balancing SeatHow you respond to takeout doubles in balancing seat is up to you and your partner. The easiest method is to keep Lebensohl on, but to increase the point requirements for invitational or game-forcing hands.

Lebensohl After a 1NT OpeningLebensohl is also played after partner opens 1NT and the next player interferes. The approach is quite similar. To learn more, please read Lebensohl (After a 1NT opening bid).

OriginsLebensohl was originally attributed to a successful bridge player in the 70's named Ken Lebensold. He denied any responsibility though, possibly foreseeing the thousands of Lebensohl bidding accidents to come. The true origin of the strange appellation is therefore unknown.

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Lightner DoubleA Lightner double is a lead-directing double of an enemy slam contract. It frequently implies a void, and asks partner for a ruff. Generally speaking, partner is asked to:

1. Lead dummy's side suit, if one has been bid 2. Lead declarer's side suit, if one has been bid 3. Make any other unusual lead - usually partner's longest suit to get a ruff

Additionally, the double asks partner to NOT lead any suit that your side has bid.

Examples

5432

653

AT9876

void

Opponent 113

PartnerPassPass

Opponent 226

YouPassDouble (1)

(1) A Lightner double. This requests a club lead because your right-hand opponent bid clubs.

762

void

AT987

K9842

Opponent 116

Partner3Pass

Opponent 23Pass

You5Double (1)

(1) A Lightner double. This asks your partner to NOT lead a club (your side's suit) and to find an unusual lead (in this case, a heart).

A762

void

76

Opponent 114NT6

PartnerPassPassPass

Opponent 235Pass

YouPassPassDouble (1)

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T876532(1) A Lightner double. Hopefully partner can find a heart lead.


The Lightner double is not in effect if the opponents are sacrificing at the 6- or 7-level. In those situations, it's more practical to use regular penalty doubles.

Playing Lightner doubles, the opening leader can also infer what to lead if his partner did NOT double. For example, if the opponents bid a side suit en route to a slam contract and partner does not double, the inference is that partner does NOT want a lead of the enemy side suit.

OriginsThe Lightner double is named for its creator, American player Theodore Lightner.

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Maximal DoubleA maximal double is a type of cooperative double used when your side has found a major-suit fit in a competitive auction. It distinguishes major-suit game tries from competitive bids at the 3-level. The following two hands illustrate the problem that the maximal double attempts to remedy:

KQJ873

93

A53

Q2

You 1?

LHO 2

Partner 2

RHO 3

You want to make a competitive 3 bid in accordance with the Law of Total Tricks. However, you don’t want to encourage partner to bid game.

AK873

92

AJT9

KJ

You 1?

LHO 2

Partner 2

RHO 3

With a stronger hand (15-17 points), you want to bid 3 as an invitation for partner to game.

How can partner know the difference? A maximal double in these auction is a game try, saying “Partner, please sign off at the 3-level with a minimum hand or bid game with a maximum.”

As a corollary, bidding 3 in the above auctions would merely be competitive, not invitational. Partner would not be expected to bid further.

Lastly, note that the maximal double is alertable since opponents will otherwise naturally think that your double is for penalty.

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When to Use a Maximal DoubleThe maximal double applies to two specific auctions:

You 1Dbl

LHO 2

Partner 2

RHO 3

You 1Dbl

LHO 2

Partner 2

RHO 3

In both auctions, your side has bid and raised 1 Major - 2 Major. Meanwhile, the opponents have bid and raised the suit directly below yours to the 3-level.

If the opponents bid and raise any other suit, then your other agreements apply (e.g. Help Suit Game Tries or Short Suit Game Tries).

Maximal Doubles with OvercallsTo add a twist…. You can also use maximal doubles if your side OVERCALLS 1 Major - 2 Major. Examples:

RHO 13

You 1Dbl

LHO 2

Partner 2

RHO 13

You 1Dbl

LHO 2

Partner 2

The conditions are basically the same as when your side opens the bidding. You may want to bid your 3-level suit competitively, or make a game try. The maximal double gives you both options.

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When NOT to Use a Maximal DoubleLastly, here are auctions where the maximal double doesn't apply:

You 1Dbl

LHO 2

Partner 2

RHO 3

You and your partner haven’t agreed on a major suit. Therefore double is penalty, or a support double if you play it.

You 1Dbl

LHO 2

Partner 2

RHO 3

The opponents have bid and raised a suit that is not directly below yours. Double is penalty. (Note: Some partnerships prefer to play this as a maximal double too. It's up to you.)

You 1Dbl

LHO 1

Partner 2

RHO 2

The opponents have bid and raised a suit above yours. Double is penalty. (Again, some partnerships treat this as a maximal double as well.)

You 1Dbl

LHO 2

Partner 2

RHO 3

The opponents have not agreed to a suit. Double is penalty.

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Meckwell EscapesMeckwell Escapes comprise an escape system for use after your side has opened 1NT and the opponents have doubled for penalty. They're named for American experts Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell. After the opposing double, responder bids as follows:

Bid Meaning

Pass Shows clubs or diamonds or both majors. Partner is required to bid 2 .

XX Natural.

2 At least 4-4 in clubs and a higher suit. Partner can pass or correct to 2 asking for the higher suit.

2 At least 4-4 in diamonds and a higher suit. Partner can pass or correct to 2 asking for the higher suit.

2 Natural, at least five hearts.

2 Natural, at least five spades.

Meckwell escapes are relatively easy to remember. Redouble is natural. Direct suit bids are natural (with minors promising a higher suit). The forcing pass handles all other hand types.

Responder's Rebids After 2Responder's rebids after making a forcing pass and hearing opener rebid 2 :

Rebid Meaning

Pass Shows at least five clubs.

2 Shows at least five diamonds.

2 Shows at least 4-4 in hearts and spades. Partner can pass or correct to spades.

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With 4-3-3-3 shape, responder can either treat his four-card suit as a five-card suit, or he can treat his four-card suit and his best 3-card suit as a two-suiter. In these situations, pray that your opponents elect to introduce a suit of their own.

ExamplesThe following examples assume a strong 1NT opening. However, you can naturally tweak these hands for your own 1NT range.

Opener Responder

Q3 642

KQ92 65

JT7 K9852

AKJ4 T87

Opener 1NT2 (3)

Opp 1 Double (1)Pass

Responder Pass (2)2 (4)

Opp 2 PassAll pass

1. For penalty. 2. Artificial relay to 2 . 3. Completing the relay. 4. Showing a diamond one-suiter.

Opener Responder

AT 8652

AQ73 KT92

AJT8 973

632 T7

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Opener 1NT2 (3)


Responder Pass (2)2 (4)

Opp 2 PassAll pass

1. For penalty. 2. Artificial relay to 2 . 3. Completing the relay. 4. Showing 4-4 in the majors.

Opener Responder

KJT Q543

A932 876

KT J9743

AQ83 5

Opener 1NT2 (3)


Responder 2 (2)2 (4)

Opp 2 PassAll pass

1. For penalty. 2. Diamonds and a higher suit. 3. I don't like diamonds. What's your higher suit? 4. Spades.

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Michaels Cue BidMichaels is a cue-bid that promises a two-suited hand, with at least five cards in each suit. There is no point minimum for making a Michaels overcall, although obvious factors like vulnerability should be considered. Some partnerships also agree to specific ranges (see "Other Considerations", below).

Michaels works well in conjunction with the Unusual 2NT, which is another convention for two-suited overcalls. See also Leaping Michaels, and the conventional Defense to Michaels.

Michaels Cue Bids

Overcall Meaning



A 2 overcall of 1 Shows 5+ spades and an unspecified minor (5+ clubs OR diamonds)

A 2 overcall of 1 Shows 5+ hearts and an unspecified minor (5+ clubs OR diamonds)

As a simple example, consider the following auction:

Opponent 1 Pass

Partner Pass

Opponent 2 1

Overcaller 2

AT985KQ432482

2 is Michaels, showing 5+ hearts and 5+ spades.

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The Michaels cuebid is forcing. Partner is asked to bid one of the two suits advertised.


Response Meaning

2Natural, showing a very good diamond suit (usually 6+) since the Michaels cue-bidder usually has only 0-2 diamonds. Tends to deny 3+ card support for either suit. Non-forcing.

2A non-forcing sign-off. May have 0 points, since the Michaels overcall is a forcing bid. Note that with equal support for both majors (e.g. xxx xxx), the cheaper suit (hearts) should be bid.




3 A very strong diamond suit (6+ cards), and is forcing. Rare.



3NT

A natural sign-off. Shows a big balanced hand with no interest in major-suit game. This bid may occur IF the partnership has agreed to a specific point range for the Michaels overcall. Otherwise, it is quite rare since it is so unilateral. >


Response Meaning



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3Natural, showing a very good club suit (usually 6+) since the Michaels cue-bidder usually has only 0-2 clubs. Non-forcing.





Responses to a 2 Cuebid (Spades and a Minor)

Response Meaning


2NT

Asks the overcaller to bid his minor suit at the 3-level. 2NT may be bid on a variety of hands, but is most commonly used to try signing off in 3 / . Holding xx xx Qxxx Jxxxx , bid 2NT to identify the minor suit fit.



3Artificial, and shows game or slam interest in spades or a minor. Forcing.



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Responses to a 2 Cuebid (Hearts and a Minor)

Response Meaning

2NT Asks the overcaller to bid his minor suit at the 3-level.



3 A natural sign-off.

3Artificial, and shows game or slam interest in hearts or a minor. Forcing.


Overcaller's Rebids

If partner raised the cue-bid, e.g. (1 ) 2 : 3 , the Michaels cue-bidder is expected to bid his cheapest suit at the cheapest level (in this case, 3 ) with a weak hand of around 0-10 points. All other bids show at least 10 points and are game forcing.

If partner has bid 2NT asking for overcaller's minor suit, e.g. (1 ) 2 : 2NT, the Michaels cue-bidder is expected to bid his minor. If he has clubs, he bids 3 ; if he has diamonds, he bids 3 .


When responding to Michaels with equal length in both of the cue-bidder's suits, bid the cheapest suit first, especially when holding only two doubletons. If partner shows hearts and spades and you hold Kx xx, do not make the mistake of bidding spades, thinking that your king will make spades a better trump suit. If you get doubled in 3 , there is no turning back, whereas if you bid 3 , you can run to spades if necessary.

Some players only use Michaels on weak hands (around 0-10) and strong hands (around 16+). With the intermediate two-suiters of 11-15 points,

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they bid the higher-ranking suit first and hope they can rebid the other suit at their next turn. Other players simply use Michaels on hands of all point ranges, believing that it is more important to immediately show shape than to only show one suit first and then hope the auction allows them to show the other suit and their 11-15 point range.

When the opponents have bid TWO suits, there are a couple of possible agreements.

The ACBL's SAYC system stipulates that a cuebid of either suit is Michaels. Easy enough.

However, some experts treat a cue bid of opener's suit as Michaels, while a cue bid of responder's suit is NATURAL, showing an extremely good suit and a decent hand. The latter approach is espoused in Bill Root and Richard Pavlicek's fine book "Modern Bidding Conventions". For example:

Opponent 1 1

Partner Pass

Opponent 2 1

Overcaller 2

62QT9832AKT98T

2 is Michaels, showing 5+ diamonds and 5+ hearts. Note that a takeout double would show lesser distribution, e.g. 4 diamonds and 4 hearts.

Opponent 1 1

Partner Pass

Opponent 2 1

Overcaller 2

AKJ932A2QT928

Playing the Root/Pavlicek style, 2 is NATURAL. It shows a very good spade suit of at least six cards, and sufficient values for a two-level overcall.

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Over an opening weak two bid, a cue bid promises two unspecified suits and a good hand, with at least five cards in each suit.

Opponent 2

Overcaller 3

KQJ532void63AKQT9

3 is Michaels, but since it is over a preempt it only promises a good hand with two suits other than diamonds. Partner is expected to bid 3 with heart tolerance. Hopefully the cue-bidder can clarify which two suits he holds at his next opportunity; if he has spades and clubs, for example, he can now bid 3 .

Do not confuse this bid with a Western cue bid.

OriginsThe Michaels convention is named for its inventor, Mike Michaels (1924-1966) of Miami Beach, FL. In their book Modern Bridge Conventions, Bill Root and Richard Pavlicek list Michaels as a "bridge writer, lecturer and prominent player." I also received a helpful email from his niece Cassie Stern: "He was an excellent bridge player who unfortunately died in 1966 at the early age of 42 of throat cancer. Charles Goren and he were partners and he ghost wrote for Charles Goren in the newspaper."

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Minor Suit StaymanMinor Suit Stayman is an extension of the Stayman and Jacoby Transfer conventions. If you play transfer bids over 1NT, then a 2 response shows spades, thereby making a direct 2 response an idle bid. Playing Minor Suit Stayman, 2 becomes an artificial inquiry asking opener for a 4-card minor.

Opener Responder

1NT 2

The 2 response to 1NT is artificial, showing:

5-4 shape or longer in the minors. 4-4 distribution is okay with strong hands interested in slam.

Interest in game or slam. Minimum strength depends on the opening 1NT range. Opposite a strong 1NT, responder should have a minimum of 8 points.

Denies a 4-card major. Otherwise, responder should use Stayman.

Responder's minor suit length may vary depending on the overall strength of his hand. With minimum strength, e.g. 8 points opposite a strong 1NT, responder should have at least 5-4 distribution in the minors. With interest in slam, responder need only be 4-4 in the minors.

Examples of Minor-Suit Stayman hands (opposite a strong 1NT opener):

A2KJ2KT98AJ83

3JT3KT98A9832

7K2KQ953A8765

Opener's RebidsAfter hearing 2 response, opener's rebids are as follows. Note that unlike regular Stayman, opener has some latitude in judging whether to reveal a 4-card suit. Specifically, opener is allowed to bid 3 / with a major suit control and a 4-card minor. This is because identifying a minor-suit fit may be less important than reaching a good 3NT contract.

Rebid Meaning

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2NT Denies a 4-card minor. Implies stoppers in both major suits.

3 Shows 4+ clubs. With 4-4 shape in the minors, opener should bid 3 .

3 Shows 4+ diamonds. (Denies 4+ clubs.)

3Shows a heart stopper, and invites partner to bid 3NT with a spade control. Forcing. Opener may have a 4-card minor with highly balanced shape and strength, and merely looking to see if 3NT is the best fit.

3Shows a spade stopper, and invites partner to bid 3NT with a heart control. Forcing. Opener may have a 4-card minor with highly balanced shape and strength, and merely looking to see if 3NT is the best fit.

3NTDenies a 4-card minor. Shows maximum strength with stoppers in both major suits.

4 Shows 4+ clubs and maximum strength.

4 Shows 4+ diamonds and maximum strength.

Responder's RebidsMost of responder's rebids are natural. The exception is bidding a new major suit, which shows a singleton or void. For the sake of completeness, though, below are all of responder's rebids based on opener's rebid.

After Opener Rebids 2NTResponder's Rebid

Meaning

Pass Minimum strength, relatively balanced. Probably 5-4 in the minors. Responder should bid a minor with 5-5 distribution (or longer.)

3 Natural and non-forcing with 5+ clubs. Suggests 5 diamonds because opener is allowed to run to 3 .

3 Natural and non-forcing with 5+ diamonds. Opener is expected

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to pass.

3 A singleton or void in hearts with slam interest. Forcing.

3 A singleton or void in spades with slam interest. Forcing.

3NT To play.

4 Strong and forcing with 5+ clubs.

4 Strong and forcing with 5+ diamonds.

After Opener Rebids 3Responder's Rebid

Meaning

Pass Minimum strength.

3 Strong and forcing with 5+ diamonds.



3NT Natural and non-forcing. Responder may be something like 2-2-5-4 shape and willing to stop in no-trumps.

4 Natural and invitational to 5 . Shows unbalanced shape because it bypasses 3NT.

4 Open for partnership discussion. Could be a cuebid with interest in a diamond slam, OR natural and forcing with 5+ diamonds.


Meaning

Pass Minimum strength.


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3NT Natural and non-forcing. Responder may be something like 2-2-4-5 shape and willing to stop in no-trumps.

4 Open for partnership discussion. Could be a cuebid with interest in a club slam, OR natural and forcing with 5+ diamonds.

4 Natural and invitational to 5 . Shows unbalanced shape because it bypasses 3NT.


Meaning


3NT To play.

4 Natural and forcing with 5+ clubs.

4 Natural and forcing with 5+ diamonds.

4 Natural and non-forcing with 3 hearts and unbalanced shape. Proposes playing in the 4-3 major suit fit.


Meaning

3NT To play.

4 Natural and forcing with 5+ clubs.

4 Natural and forcing with 5+ diamonds.


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4 Natural and non-forcing with 3 spades and unbalanced shape. Proposes playing in the 4-3 major suit fit.

ExamplesThe following examples assume a 15-17 1NT opening bid. You can of course tailor Minor Suit Stayman to fit your own 1NT range.

Opener Responder

KT93 5

AK74 63

J83 AT542

A5 KJ832

Opener1NT2NT (2)

Responder2 (1)Pass

1. Minor Suit Stayman 2. Denies a 4-card minor and suggests minimum strength.

Opener Responder

J95 AK3

A92 K3

AQ8 KJ52

A932 QJT4

Opener1NT3 (2)


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5 (4) 6

1. Minor Suit Stayman 2. Showing 4+ clubs 3. 1430 Roman Key Card Blackwood 4. 3 key cards 5. Signoff. It's worth pointing out that clubs as trumps will yield an extra

ruffing trick compared to 6NT.

Opener Responder

AKQ 8

J54 AT3

KQ5 A7632

J983 A752

Opener1NT3 (2)

Responder2 (1)3NT(3)

1. Minor Suit Stayman 2. Showing a spade stopper and asking responder for a heart control. Note

the decision to bypass 3 with 4-3-3-3 shape and a bad suit. 3. Natural, promising a heart stopper.

Additional ConsiderationsOver a 2NT Opening Bid

You can also play Minor Suit Stayman after a 2NT opening bid. In that case, 3 is game-forcing with 4-4 minors or longer. Responder should have slam interest since opener's reply might bypass 3NT.

In Competition

If the opponents double 2 , opener can:

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Make her normal conventional rebid. Redouble for penalties with a strong 4-card spade suit.

If the opponents bid over 2 , opener can:

Make her normal conventional rebid, if possible. Double for penalties. Pass with a minimum.

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Minor Suit Transfersby Stefan Velja

Minor Suit Transfers (MST) are used after a player has opened or overcalled a natural 1NT and his partner holds at least one six card minor suit, usually without a four-card major, unless holding a game-forcing hand. Minor Suit Transfers have several advantages over natural bids:

1. The responder is the one to make most of the decisions regarding the strain and level of the contract, since not much is known about his hand.

2. A reasonable notrump game may be found even with less than 24 or 23 points, based on a running minor suit in both partner’s hands.

3. The stronger hand is usually playing the contract, resulting in hiding its high cards from the defenders.

There are many variations of the MST and this is just one of them.

In response to 1NT:

Responder's Bids

Meaning

2 Shows 6+ clubs, asks partner to bid 3 or 2NT in the case of having a good club suit, usually headed by a high card (e.g. Axx, K10x, Qxxx, QJx).

2NT Shows 6+ diamonds and asks partner to bid 3 , or 3 in the case of having a good suit.

The purpose of the super-accept bid (or under-accept, as I like to call it) is to invite the responder to 3NT, with hopes of making at least 5-6 tricks in the minor.

Responder's RebidsResponder's rebids after

1NT – 22NT/3 – ?

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Responder's Rebids

Meaning

Pass of 3 A weak hand with at least 6 clubs

3 over 2NT A weak hand with at least 6 clubs

3 / / At most singleton diamond/heart/spade, 11+ points

3NT Signoff

4Minorwood/invitation to game in clubs/slam try in clubs (depending on agreement)

4 / / Quality side suit, at least 4 cards, slam try

4NT Quantitative invitation for a small slam in clubs or notrump

5 Signoff

5 / / Exclusion Blackwood (or whatever the partnership agrees upon)

5NTQuantitative invitation for a grand slam in clubs or notrump (bid 6

or 6NT with minimum and 7 or 7NT with maximum)

6 /7 Signoff

Rebids after a diamond transfer are quite similar.

1NT – 2NT3 / - ?

Responder's Rebids

Meaning

Pass of 3 A weak hand with at least 6 diamonds

3 over 3 A weak hand with at least 6 diamonds

3 / At most singleton heart/spade, 11+ points

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3NT Signoff

4 At most singleton club, 11+ points

4Minorwood/invitation to game in diamonds/slam try in diamonds (depending on agreement)

4 / Quality side suit, at least 4 cards, slam try

4NT Quantitative invitation for a small slam in diamonds or notrump

5 Quality side suit, at least 4 cards, slam try/Exclusion Blackwood

5 Signoff

5 / Exclusion Blackwood (or whatever the partnership agrees upon)

5NT Quantitative invitation for a grand slam in diamonds or notrump

6 /7 Signoff

It should be noted that if playing MST, 2NT cannot be used as a balanced invitation to 3NT. A game invitation in notrump is made by bidding Stayman (2 ) and then 2NT regardless of partner’s response.

Examples:

1NT – 2NT (transfer to diamonds) 3 (transfer completed, no good diamond support) – Pass (weak hand)

1NT – 2 (transfer to clubs) 2NT (good club support) – 3NT (signoff in game, hoping to achieve several club tricks)

1NT – 2NT 3 (good diamond support) – 3 (weak hand)

1NT – 2 (transfer to clubs) 2NT (good club support) – 3 (shortness in hearts) – 5 (signoff in game with no slam interest)

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Multi-Landy (Woolsey)Multi-Landy (or the Woolsey Defense to 1NT) is a convention used after the opponents open 1NT. It gets its name from the use of the Landy 2 overcall and Multi 2 convention. It is attributed to American expert Kit Woolsey.

The 2-level overcalls are the same as Cappelletti, except that the meanings of the 2 and 2 bids are reversed. The purpose is to more precisely identify major-suit fits. Playing Cappelletti, responder simply signs off in 2 with equal length in the majors and hopes for the best. Playing Multi-Landy, responder has an extra bid - 2 - to describe his major suits. The tradeoff is the inability to stop in 2 with a natural diamond suit. But frankly this may be a small loss since the opponents will strain to find a major-suit fit over a natural 2 bid anyway.

The conventional calls over 1NT are as follows.

Overcall Meaning

Double Varies depending on partnership agreement:

Penalty (particularly against a weak 1NT). A 4-card major with a longer minor. 5+ clubs or diamonds, may have a 4-card major.

If playing double for penalty, then the Gates Double can be used by a passed hand.

2 At least 5-4 or 4-5 in hearts and spades.

2 5+ hearts or 5+ spades (no side suit).

2 At least 5-5 in hearts and a minor.

2 At least 5-5 in spades and a minor.

2NT At least 5-5 in clubs and diamonds.

Responses to the Double (if it promises a 4-card major)

Response Meaning

2 Shows club tolerance and willingness to play in clubs. Partner can

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pass or bid his major suit.

2 Artificial relay asking partner to bid his major suit. However, partner is allowed to pass with good diamonds.

2 Natural, 6+ hearts, nonforcing.

2 Natural, 6+ spades, nonforcing.



3 Natural, 6+ good clubs, nonforcing.

3 Natural, 6+ good diamonds, nonforcing.

3NT To play.


Response Meaning

Pass Natural, 6+ good clubs, nonforcing.

2 Usually shows equal length in the majors. Asks partner to pick one. With 5-4 in the majors, for example, partner will correct to the 5-card major.

2 Natural sign-off, showing a preference for hearts even if partner is 5-4 in spades and hearts.

2 Natural sign-off, showing a preference for spades even if partner is 4-5 in spades and hearts.


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Response Meaning

2 Natural signoff if overcaller has hearts. However, this bid may also be made with game-invitational values in spades. If overcaller corrects to 2 , then partner is allowed to raise to 3 .

2 Natural signoff if overcaller has spades. However, this may also show game-invitational values in hearts. If overcaller corrects to 3 , then partner is allowed to raise to 4 .


3 shows 5+ hearts, minimum strength. 3 shows 5+ spades, minimum strength. 3 shows 5+ hearts, maximum strength. 3 shows 5+ spades, maximum strength.


Response Meaning

Pass A weak hand with tolerance for hearts.

2 Natural, 6+ good spades, no heart support, nonforcing.

2NT Artificial, no heart support, asking for partner to bid his minor suit at the three level.

3 Natural, 6+ good clubs, no heart support, nonforcing.

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3 Natural, 6+ good diamonds, no heart support, nonforcing.

3 Preemptive, 3+ hearts. Nonforcing.

3 Natural, preemptive, 6+ good spades, no heart support. Nonforcing.

3NT To play.

4 To play.

4 To play.


Response Meaning

Pass A weak hand with tolerance for spades.

2NT Artificial, no spade support, asking for partner to bid his minor suit at the three level.

3 Natural, 6+ good clubs, no spade support, nonforcing.

3 Natural, 6+ good diamonds, no spade support, nonforcing.

3 Natural, 6+ good hearts, no spade support, nonforcing.

3 Preemptive, 3+ spades. Nonforcing.

Responses to the 2NT Overcall

Response Meaning

3 A weak hand with tolerance for clubs.

3 A weak hand with tolerance for diamonds. Tends to deny club support.

3 Natural, 6+ good hearts, no support for either minor, nonforcing.

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3 Natural, 6+ good spades, no support for either minor, nonforcing.

3NT To play.

4 3+ clubs, invitational to 5 .

4 3+ diamonds, invitational to 5 .

4 To play.

4 To play.

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NamyatsNamyats is a convention for distinguishing weak and strong 4 / opening bids. It uses 4 and 4 opening bids to show strong hands with hearts and spades, respectively. This can help responder gauge his hand when considering whether to bid. The philosophy is that improving your slam-sniffing toolset is more important than 4-level minor suit preempts (the latter often inviting the opponents to bid 4-of-a-major anyway).

Opener's Bids

Opening Meaning

4 7+ strong hearts and 8-9 tricks. Example: AJ KQJT9432 KQ 3

4 7+ strong spades and 8-9 tricks. Example: AKQT876 K5 A2 63

47+ hearts and 7-8 tricks. Weaker than 4 . Example: 98 AQT87532

A J3

47+ spades and 7-8 tricks. Weaker than 4 . Example: AKJ65432 Q32 J T

Note that other opening bids are also possible with similar one-suited hands:

Opening Meaning

1 /Natural. Used when the hand is too weak to open at the 4-level (e.g. only a 5-card major suit).

2Playing Standard American methods, this is strong and artificial. Used when the hand is too strong to use Namyats.

2 /Playing Standard American methods, these bids are weak two-bids - preemptive.

3 / Playing Standard American methods, these bids are also preemptive.

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Responder's BidsIn response to 4 :

Response Meaning

4Artificial relay, showing slam interest in hearts. Opener is expected to clarify his hand.

4 Signoff, showing no interest in slam. Opener is expected to pass.

4Natural, showing a big one-suited hand in spades. Very rare. Not forcing.

In response to 4 :

In response to any 4-level opening bid:

Responder may make a conventional reply like 4NT Blackwood, 5NT Grand Slam Force, etc. These responses are based on partnership agreement.

Opener's RebidsThere are many flavors of Namyats used after a 4 / relay. The simplest approach is:

After a 4 / relay from responder, a 4 / bid by opener is a natural signoff.

All other bids are natural or follow partnership agreements (e.g. cue bids, 4NT Blackwood, etc.).

In CompetitionTypically, a double by the opponents of 4 / either shows, respectively:

clubs or diamonds, OR a takeout double of opener's suit (hearts or spades)

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For the latter, a redouble indicates general high-card values with interest in penalizing the opponents. It implies lack of support for partner's suit.

Conventional Namyats responses over a double are still on.

Responder's bids are natural over any overcall.

Examples

Bid Meaning

4Artificial relay, showing slam interest in spades. Opener is expected to clarify his hand.

4 Signoff, showing no interest in slam. Opener is expected to pass.

Opener Responder

AKJT9872 3

A9 KQJ873

J T98

K5 643

Opener4 (1)Pass

Responder4 (2)

1. 4 shows 7+ strong spades and 8-9 tricks. 2. 4 is a signoff.

Opener Responder

62 KT5

AKJT9875 Q63

J KQT3

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K5 AJT

Opener4 (1)4 (3)

Responder4 (2)Pass

1. 4 shows 7+ strong hearts and 8-9 tricks. 2. 4 is a relay. With 15 HCP and heart support, responder is interested in

slam. 3. 4 indicates a minimum. Opener only has 8 winners (7.5 hearts, 0.5

clubs).

Opener Responder

A9 KQ5

AKJ98742 Q63

J KQT3

K5 AJT

Opener4 (1)4 (3)5 (5)Pass

Responder4 (2)4NT(4)6 (6)

1. 4 shows 7+ strong hearts and 8-9 tricks. 2. 4 is a relay. With 17 HCP and heart support, responder is clearly

interested in slam. 3. 4 is a cuebid. With approximately 9 winners (1 spade, 7.5 hearts, 0.5

clubs), opener is willing to go beyond 4 to probe for slam. 4. 4NT is Blackwood, asking for aces. 5. 5 shows two aces. 6. 6 is a signoff.

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OriginsNamyats is "Stayman" spelled backwards. It was invented by Victor Mitchell, who was Sam Stayman's bridge partner in the mid-20th century. Both players dominated the American bridge scene during their era.

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Negative DoubleThe negative double (aka "Sputnik") is a conventional double used by responder after opener starts the bidding with one-of-a-suit and the next player makes a suit overcall. The double always promises 6+ points and, depending on the auction, at least four cards in at least one of the unbid suits.

If one major suit is unbid, the negative double always shows that suit. If both majors are unbid, then the double shows both majors at the one-level. After an opposing 2-level overcall, the double only promises one major.

A negative double usually shows 4 cards in the unbid suit(s), although it may also be made with a 5-card or longer suit in a hand too weak to bid it directly (see below). Note also that a negative double usually denies support if partner has bid a major.

Examples of negative double sequences:

Opener Overcaller Responder

1 1 Dbl

Usually shows 4-4 in the majors. With 5-4 or longer distribution, responder should bid his longest major first. With 5-5 distribution, responder should bid 1 , planning on rebidding his hearts.


1 2 Dbl

Shows at least one 4-card (or longer) major suit. Note that if responder has a 5-card (or longer) major, he must have fewer than 10 points. Otherwise, he should bid his 5-card major immediately.


1 2 Dbl

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Shows 4 spades with 6+ points or 5+ spades with 6-9 points. Again, with 5+ spades and 10+ points, responder would bid 2S instead.


1 1 Dbl

Shows at least 4-4 in the minors.

Rebids by OpenerWith 4+ cards in partner's shown suit, opener can bid it at the cheapest level with a minimum hand. Lacking 4 cards, opener can do one of the following:

Rebid a 5-card (preferably at least 6-card) suit. Bid notrumps with a stopper in the enemy suit. Bid a new suit naturally (a reverse still shows a strong hand). Cue-bid the enemy suit with a strong balanced hand that lacks a stopper in

that suit. Bid partner's shown suit with only 3 cards (last resort).

Examples of opener's rebids:

Opener Overcaller Responder Opponent2

1 1 Dbl Pass

1

Shows 3+ spades (usually 4) and 11-14 points.


1 1 Dbl Pass

2

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Shows 4 spades and 15-17 points.


1 1 Dbl Pass

3



1 1 Dbl Pass

4



1 1 Dbl Pass

1NT

Shows less than 4 hearts, a spade stopper, balanced or semi-balanced distribution, and 11-14 points (if playing a 15-17 1NT).


1 1 Dbl Pass

2NT

Shows less than 4 hearts, a spade stopper, balanced or semi-balanced distribution, and 18-19 points (if playing a 15-17 1NT).

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1 1 Dbl Pass

2

Shows 6+ clubs and 11-16 points.


1 1 Dbl Pass

3

Shows 6+ clubs and 17-19 points.


1 1 Dbl Pass

2

Strong and artificial. All cue-bids are a one-round force.

How high to play negative doubles is a matter of partnership agreement. If an opponent makes a 3 jump overcall, for example, is a double negative or penalty? Some popular limits for negative doubles are 2 , 3 and 4 ; in other words, the opponents' interference could be no higher than those limits in order for a double by responder to be negative.

OriginsNegative doubles were popularized by the late American expert Al Roth, who coined the convention "Sputnik" in reference to the first Soviet satellite to be launched into space in 1957. The implication was that the double was the start of a space age in bridge. The general bridge population, however, eventually settled on the term "negative double".

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New Minor ForcingNew Minor Forcing is a convention used after responder bids 1 / and hears a 1NT rebid by opener. A 2 or 2 bid is artificial, showing at least game-invitational values and usually a 5-card major. It says nothing about clubs or diamonds, respectively. New Minor Forcing is used in these sequences:

Opener11NT

Responder1 /2 !

Opener11NT

Responder1 /2 !

Opener11NT

Responder12 / !

In each auction, 2 / is New Minor Forcing. These bids do not necessarily show a real suit; they are simply forcing bids that ask partner to describe his hand.

New Minor Forcing fills the need for the partnership to identify a 5-3 major-suit fit, since opener's 1NT rebid may include 3 cards in responder's suit. Playing standard methods, responder may be forced to rebid 2NT or 3NT with a 5-card major. Opener is then forced to guess whether responder has a 4- or 5-card suit. By playing New Minor Forcing and giving up the natural minor-suit rebid, players can more easily probe for a major-suit game.

Opener's RebidsOpener's priorities are:

1. Bidding a 4-card major 2. Showing 3-card support for partner's major 3. Bidding no-trumps with a stopper in the unbid suit 4. Raising the "new minor" with 4 cards in that suit 5. Rebidding his suit if none of the above conditions are met

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Note that the examples below illustrate a 12-14 HCP 1NT rebid by opener. If playing a weak 1NT opening bid, then opener's 1NT rebid would show 15-17 HCP, and responder's minimum strength would be revised downward accordingly.

1. Bidding a 4-card major

This is opener's top priority in case a 4-4 fit is available. When both a 4-4 fit and 5-3 fit are available, the 4-4 fit is generally preferred because the 5-card suit can theoretically be cashed to provide discards.

Opener Responder

KJ7 AT932

AQT7 K932

A563 J2

65 KT

Opener 11NT2 (2)4 (4)

Responder 1 2 (1) 3 (3) Pass

1. New Minor Forcing. 2. Opener's top priority is to bid his 4-card heart suit. 3. Responder raises with 4-card support and game-invitational values. 4. Opener bids game with a maximum.

2. Showing 3-card support for partner's major

With 12-13 points and 3-card support, opener should bid partner's suit at the 2-level. With a good 13-14 points, opener should jump raise.

Opener Responder

JT3 KQ2

KJT A7532

A4 Q32

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K9632 87

Opener 11NT2 (2)

Responder 1 2 (1) Pass (3)

1. New Minor Forcing. 2. Opener shows 3-card support and minimum strength. (He also denies as

many as four spades.) 3. Responder passes with a minimum opposite a minimum. New Minor

Forcing does NOT promise a rebid.

Opener Responder

J73 KQ2

KQT A7532

A4 Q32

A9632 87

Opener 11NT3 (2)

Responder 1 2 (1) 4 (3)

1. New Minor Forcing. 2. Opener shows 3-card support and maximum strength. (He also denies as

many as four spades.) 3. Responder continues on to game knowing partner has a maximum.

3. Bidding no-trumps with a stopper in the unbid suit

Opener can rebid 2NT (with 12-13 points) or 3NT (with 13-14 points) if he lacks a 4-card major or support for partner's major. A rebid in no-trumps promises a stopper in the unbid suit.

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Opener Responder

KT3 94

84 AJ975

A97 KQT62

KQ632 8

Opener 11NT2NT (2)Pass (4)

Responder 1 2 (1) 3 (3)

1. New Minor Forcing. 2. Opener promises a spade stopper with 12-13 points. 3. Rebidding the "new minor" shows at least a 4-card suit. With game-

forcing values, responder could jump-rebid either of his suits instead. 4. Opener passes with a minimum.

4. Raising the "new minor" with 4 cards in that suit

This bid occurs when opener cannot bid the other major, raise partner's suit or bid no-trumps.

Opener Responder

Q9 AT42

84 AJ975

A9752 KQ4

KQ63 8

Opener 11NT3 (2) Pass

Responder 1 2 (1) 3NT (3)

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1. New Minor Forcing. 2. Natural, denying a lot of things: four spades, a spade stopper, or heart

support. 3. Responder is able to bid 3NT with game-going strength and a spade

stopper.

Opener Responder

AKT 62

84 AJ975

A97 KQ2

KT832 A87

Opener 11NT3NT (2)

Responder 1 2 (1) Pass

1. New Minor Forcing. 2. Opener promises a spade stopper with 13-14 points.

5. Rebidding his suit if none of the above conditions are met

This is opener's last resort. He lacks a 4-card major, a stopper in the unbid suit, 3-card support for partner, and he cannot raise the "new minor."

Opener Responder

K7 AT932

AJT75 K6

963 JT8

A52 KT3

Opener 1

Responder 1

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1NT2 (2)Pass (4)

2 (1) 2NT (3) Pass

1. New Minor Forcing. 2. Opener has neither 3-card spade support nor a diamond stopper. He also

cannot raise clubs. 3. Responder bids no-trumps with a club control. Note that he could bid 3NT

with a maximum instead. 4. Opener passes with a minimum.

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OBAR BIDSOBAR BIDS are an acronym invented by American expert Marty Bergen for "Opponents Bid And Raise, Balance In Direct Seat." They are an adjunct to the Law of Total Tricks, as promoted by Bergen and his former partner Larry Cohen.

OBAR BIDS are essentially a philosophy for aggressive, direct-seat balancing. For example, consider the following auction in which North-South bid and raise diamonds:

WestPass2

North1

EastPass

South2

West is normally supposed to have 10-11 points with 5 hearts. Playing OBAR BIDS, however, West is allowed to compete with a much weaker hand such as:

87AQT9342JT92

The minimum strength for the OBAR BID may vary depending on the vulnerability, but could be as little as 6 points. Note that weak takeout doubles also qualify as OBAR BIDS:

WestPassDbl

North1

EastPass

South2

West can double with a weak distributional hand like:

J875QT87A6524

OBAR BIDS are a two-way shot:

1. If the opponents intend to stop in a partscore, then it's important to compete in accordance with the Law of Total Tricks. Letting the opponents play a partscore in an 8-card fit is the antithesis of Law philosophy.

2. If the opponents end up outbidding you, the OBAR BID may provide lead direction to partner.

It's important to consider the following factors before making an OBAR BID:

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Suit length and quality. The weaker the hand, the more likely it is that the opponents will bid on. If partner is on opening lead, it's important that he can safely lead your suit, e.g. the king from K-x.

Distribution. Flatter hands (e.g. 5-3-3-2, 4-4-3-2) have a lower rate of trick-taking potential.

Vulnerability. At unfavorable vulnerability, the risk of a big penalty double increases. The opponents' suit rank. A takeout double of 2 is much safer than a takeout double

of 2 . The latter forces partner to bid at the 3-level.

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OgustOgust is a conventional 2NT response to a weak two bid or weak jump overcall. It is an artificial strong bid, showing 15+ points with interest in game. It usually (but not always) shows trump support.

Ogust is a forcing bid for one round. After hearing a Ogust 2NT response, the preemptor's conventional rebids are:

Bid Meaning

3 Bad hand (5-7 points) with only one of the top three honors in the preempt suit

3 Bad hand (5-7 points), two of the top three honors

3 Good hand (8-10 points), one of the top three honors

3 Good hand (8-10 points), two of the top three honors

3NT Good hand (8-10 points), all three top honors

The mnemonic for remembering Ogust responses is "Minors are Minimum, 1-2-1-2-3."

Rebids by the Ogust bidder are natural.

Examples

Opener Responder

Q52 AJ

AT9832 K65

T83 J54

5 AQ987

Opener2 (1)

Responder2NT (2)

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3 (3)Pass

3 (4)

1. Weak two 2. Ogust, asking opener to describe her hand 3. Showing minimum strength with only 1 top honor 4. Responder signs off with a minimum game try

Opener Responder

AQJ842 K65

Q4 AJT2

53 A742

762 A8

Opener2 (1)3 (3)Pass

Responder2NT (2)4

1. Weak two 2. Ogust 3. Showing maximum strength with 2 top honors

In CompetitionIf Ogust is doubled, the conventional responses are on; after an overcall, they are off. The preempter can double for penalties, pass with a bad hand, or rebid his suit if it is worth it.

OriginsOgust is named for its American inventor, Harold Ogust.

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Optional DoubleAn optional double is a double made over an opposing preempt. The double shows a (semi-)balanced hand and good strength. It says, "Partner, I have a good hand but am not sure whether we should play or defend." It's essentially a type of "cooperative" double. Partner is expected to pull the double with a long suit, or pass otherwise.

If you play optional doubles, this will naturally affect how high you play takeout doubles. Thus you must decide when low-level doubles stop being useful for takeout, and optional (or penalty) doubles become more practical.

How high to play optional doubles is up to partnership agreement. Some pairs play it over 3-level preempts, while others only play it over 4 and 4 preempts. The latter is recommended by Bill Root and Richard Pavlicek in their book "Modern Bridge Conventions." Root and Pavlicek recommend at least 3.5 honor tricks to double. Encyclopedia of Bridge, using standard point count methods, recommends 16 points in direct seat, or 13 points in the passout seat.

After you make a responsive double, partner has the option of either bidding a good suit or passing the double for penalties. Partner should not run with a bad hand.

Examples

965AK93AQ8A65

LHO Pass

Partner Pass

RHO 3

You Double 1

(1) An optional double if you play them at the 3-level. Note you cannot bid 3NT with three little spades. Partner is expected to pass or correct.

AJ6T52AK93A65

LHO 1

Partner Pass

RHO 4

You Double 1

(1) An optional double. You're allowed to whack preemptive jumps by RHO, not just opening bids.

A983J2KQ9

LHO 4

Partner Pass

RHO Pass

You Double 1

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A652(1) You can stretch in balancing seat if necessary. Preempts often do the most damage when your side's strength is evenly divided. It may be important to enter the auction if your partner holds a reasonable 10-12 points.

AQJ865KJ9AK98

LHO

4

Partner

Pass

RHO

Pass

You 1Double 1

(1) Although rare, you can also make an optional double after you open the bidding and the opponents preempt.


Preemptive jump raises by the opponents, e.g. 1 : 4 , require partnership discussion. Doubling in these auctions tends to be more takeout-oriented because the opponents have a known fit, making it more likely that your side has one too.

Optional doubles are most useful after three-level (and higher) preempts. Weak two-bids are better defended with takeout doubles.

In the United States, the optional double is not alertable.

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Puppet StaymanPuppet Stayman is a variation of the Stayman convention. It's useful if your partnership opens 1NT or 2NT with a 5-card major. In the original treatment, a 2

response to 1NT asks opener for a 4- OR 5-card major. Several adaptations exist which are also described below. Note that one drawback of Puppet is an increased number of lead-directing doubles of 2 .

Puppet's objective, quite simply, is to locate a 5-3 major-suit fit. Responder usually promises game-invitational strength or better, but may only hold a 3-card major.

Puppet is named because opener's 2 rebid is the frequent relay, or "puppet", bid that denies a 5-card major.

Responding to 1NTPuppet Stayman can be used with any hand containing a 3- or 4-card major. However, responder should avoid Puppet (and all types of Stayman for that matter) with 4-3-3-3 shape.

Examples of hands suitable for bidding 2 Puppet Stayman (assuming a 15-17 1NT):

T3A98AJ832574

You want to ask if partner holds 5 hearts. You plan to invite game at your next opportunity.

KQJ95AJ832574

You want to ask if partner holds 5 spades. If not, you plan to rebid 3NT.

KQJT93975KT84

You've got a 4-card major. Just like regular Stayman.

AJ98AQ633

You're 4-4 in the majors. Just like regular Stayman.

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8632

Opener's RebidsAfter 1NT : 2 , opener's rebids are as follows. All must be alerted, unlike regular Stayman.

Rebid Meaning

2The "puppet" bid denying a 5-card major. May have a 4-card major.

2 5-card heart suit.

2 5-card spade suit.

Responder's RebidsIn response to 2 , responder may bid as follows. Several variations exist but this is the simplest incarnation. Note that the 2-level major suit bids have reverse meanings, which are easy to forget.

Note too that Puppet sacrifices the ability to cheaply show 5-4 major suits via 2 / . Partnership discussion is needed about using 3-level bids for these hands, if at all.

Rebid Meaning

Pass Weak 3-suited hand short in clubs. Note that this is less effective than Garbage Stayman. Opener may have at least one 4-card major so the odds of diamond shortness are higher.

2 4-card SPADE suit. Denies 4 hearts. Game-invitational strength or better.

2 4-card HEART suit. Denies 4 spades. Game-invitational strength or better.

2NT 4-4 in the majors and game-invitational. Opener can pass or correct with a 4-card major.

3NT Natural, denies a 4-card major. To play.

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Rebid Meaning

1NT : 3 as PuppetSome players prefer to use 1NT : 3 as game-forcing Puppet Stayman, showing a 3- or 4-card major but denying 4-4 majors. This allows regular 2 Stayman to do the work of showing 5-4 hands, 4-4 hands, and Garbage Stayman hands. Of course, this gives up the ability to use 3 as a natural bid.

Opener's responses to 3 are:

Rebid Meaning

3 Denies a 5-card major. May have a 4-card major.



2NT: 3 as PuppetAnother popular method is Puppet opposite a 2NT opener. Responder has game-going strength and at least one 3-card major. However, this auction loses the ability to show 5-4 majors.

Opener's responses to 3 are:

Rebid Meaning

3 Promises at least one 4-card major. Denies a 5-card major.



3NT To play. Denies a 4- or 5-card major.

After opener's 3 , responder's rebids are:

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Rebid Meaning

3 4-card SPADE suit. Denies 4 hearts.

3 4-card HEART suit. Denies 4 spades.

3NT To play. Denies a 4-card major.

4 4-4 in the majors with slam interest.

4 4-4 in the majors without slam interest.

OriginsPuppet Stayman appeared in a a pair of 1977-1978 Bridge World articles by American expert Kit Woolsey. Woolsey, in turn, has credited Neil Silverman for the original concept. Since then, the convention has undergone many permutations.

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Raise Only Non-ForcingRONF is a standard style of responding to an opening weak two bid. The responses are:

Bid Meaning

2NT Strong (15+ points), artificial, and forcing for one round. Opener is expected to bid his cheapest side suit containing an ace or king, if he has one. Otherwise, he rebids his suit.

Single raise Natural signoff. The response from which RONF gets its name.

New suit Natural (5+ cards) and forcing for one round.

Examples

Opener Responder

Q52 JT6

KJ8732 A65

5 A9742

J87 93

Opener2 (1)Pass

Responder3 (2)

1. Weak two 2. Non-forcing raise

Opener Responder

AQT743 K85

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64 AQ52

T5 J6

K87 AQ65

Opener2 (1)3 (3)Pass

Responder2NT (2)4

1. Weak two 2. Artificial, forcing 3. Showing a club 'feature', i.e. the king 4. Bidding game with a good club fit

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Responsive DoubleA responsive double is used after partner makes a takeout double. It occurs when:

1. Your left-hand opponent ("LHO") opens a suit, 2. Partner makes a takeout double, and 3. Your right-hand opponent ("RHO") raises.

A double in this situation shows at least 4-4 shape in:

the major suits if the opponents bid a minor, or the minor suits if the opponents bid a major.

Examples

A543

QT98

5

Q652

LHO 1

Partner Double

RHO 2

You Double 1

(1) A responsive double, showing both majors. Partner is asked to bid 2 or 2.

964

52

AQ53

AJ84

LHO 1

Partner Double

RHO 2

You Double 1

(1) A responsive double, showing both minors.

K964

5

LHO 1

Partner Double

RHO 2

You 2 1

(1) Do NOT make a responsive double if you can bid a 4-card major instead.

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KT53

A984

5

543

KJT65

AKJT

LHO 1

Partner Double

RHO 3

You Double 1

(1) A responsive double, advertising both minors.

Responsive Doubles After an OvercallSome pairs also play responsive doubles opposite an overcall:

K54

T7

AT73

K652

LHO 1

Partner 2

RHO 2

You Double 1

(1) A responsive double, denying heart support but promising both minors.

Other ConsiderationsIn their excellent book "Modern Bridge Conventions", Bill Root and Richard Pavlicek suggest these HCP minimums for a responsive double:

6+ points at the 2-level 8+ points at the 3-level 10+ points at the 4-level

They also suggest playing responsive doubles up to 4 , although many partnerships play them through 3 instead.

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OriginsRoot and Pavlicek attribute responsive doubles to American player Dr. F. Fielding-Reid.

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Reverse BidsIn bridge, a reverse is a type of bid by opener that shows extra strength. Specifically, it occurs when opener is unbalanced with 16+ points (some players require 17+ points) and hears a one-over-one response from partner. An example auction:

K

AK52

T92

AK643

You 12

Partner 1

Here, your 2 bid is natural (4+ cards) and forcing for one round. 2 is a reverse because you bypassed the opportunity to rebid your original suit cheaply - namely 2 . Since 2 might force partner to make a preference bid of 3 , your reverse must show a good hand to potentially elevate the bidding to the 3-level.

A reverse indicates that your first suit is longer than your second suit. With equal length like 5-5, don't make a reverse. Instead, open the bidding with your higher-ranking suit. Note that a few experts advocate reversing occasionally with 4-4 distribution in two suits. For example, 1-4-4-4 or even 3-4-2-4 shape.

Note that your choice of bids is limited in this scenario. 1NT would have shown a balanced hand. 2 or 3 would have promised a 6+ card suit.

Rules for ReversingYou can make a reverse bid when ALL of the following criteria are met:

1. You open the bidding with 1-of-of-a-suit and partner responds at the 1-level.

2. Your hand is unbalanced so you can't rebid no-trumps.

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3. You lack 4-card support for partner and therefore can't raise her. 4. You have a second suit whose rank is higher than your first suit. (See the

note above about 4-4 reverses.) 5. Your second suit is shorter than your first suit. 6. You have a strong hand worth 16+ (or 17+) points.

Whew! Let's see more examples....

Examples

4

AK52

KQJ83

A87

You 12

Partner 1NT

2 is a reverse. (You can check it against all the rules above.) It's a new suit at the 2-level that bypasses a simple rebid of 2 .

KJ3

5

AKJ4

AJT98

You 12

Partner 1

211

Again, 2 is a reverse.

-

AK83

KQ8

KQT732

You 12

Partner 1

What to do with a 6-card minor? Holding a 4-card major, it's worth investigating a major-suit fit rather than rebidding clubs.

AQT73

AK9873

5

9

You 12

Partner 1NT

You can also reverse with 6-5 (or longer!) shape. Here the strict point count of 16+ can be relaxed a bit. As Grant Baze used to say, "6-5 come alive."

Responses to a Reverse

212

A reverse bid is forcing for one round. Don't pass a reverse! There are many different philosophies on response structures. You can get fancy by using 2NT response as Lebensohl, for instance. The following are loosely based on Bill Root's "Commonsense Bidding" which I feel are fairly intuitive... about as intuitive as reverses get.

With a Weak Hand

With a weak hand (6-8 points), you choose from the following non-forcing bids.

Bidding 3 of Partner's First Suit

Holding a weak hand and 3+ card support for partner's first suit, you can sign off at the 3-level. Example:

43

K986

532

KJ92

Partner 12

You 13

Your 3 shows 3+ card support and is non-forcing. Note the lack of a spade stopper, which should discourage you from bidding 2NT. Partner is allowed to continue bidding with extra strength.

Bidding 2NT

With a weak balanced hand and a stopper in the fourth suit, you can bid 2NT. Again, this is non-forcing.

K73

Q984

JT

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J62

Partner 12

You 12NT

Similar hand as before but this time you have a stopper in the fourth suit, spades. Bid 2NT instead of 3 because this gives you a better chance at reaching a game contract - 3NT.

Rebidding Your Suit

You can rebid your 5+ card suit like so:

AK753

83

T76

943

Partner 12

You 12

You could bid 3 instead, but it may be worth showing your concentrated spade strength in case partner can muster a raise. Swap a club for a sixth spade and 2 becomes automatic.

With a Strong Hand

With 9+ points, you want to reach game and possibly slam. Here are your common rebid options (excluding Blackwood, etc.).

Jump-Raising Partner's First Suit

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With a strong hand and 3+ card support for partner's first suit, you can jump-raise to create a game force. Example:

AQJ3

Q

AJ87

6543

Partner 12

You 14

4 is forcing to game.

Jump-Raising Partner's Second Suit

You can jump-raise if you're lucky enough to hold 4-card support for partner's second suit plus game-forcing strength.

K9432

AQ86

87

92

Partner 12

You 14

4 is to play, showing about 9-12 points. Partner can bid again with slam interest.

215

Bidding 3NT

With a balanced 9-12 points and a stopper in the fourth suit, you can sign off in 3NT.

K732

A73

JT2

K98

Partner 12

You 13NT

3NT is to play, promising a club stopper. Again, partner can keep bidding with extra goodies.

Bidding the Fourth Suit

Bidding the fourth suit is natural after opener reverses. If you play Fourth Suit Forcing, it is off after a reverse.

KQ872

A73

842

Q3

Partner 12

You 13

3 is natural. Partner is asked to support spades with 3-card support. Otherwise, she must find another useful bid, such as 3NT with a club stopper.

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Reverses in CompetitionReverses in competition are a matter of partnership agreement. Generally speaking, it's easier to remember if reverses are always "on." However, it may be more practical in competitive auctions to loosen the point count requirement. It's worth discussing with your partner when reverses are really off in competition.

217

Reverse DruryReverse Drury is a variation of the Drury convention. In keeping with the principle of fast arrival, it reverses the meanings of opener's 2 and 2 / rebids. After opening 1 in third or fourth seat and getting a 2 Drury response, opener can rebid as follows:


2 A normal opening bid (12+ points)

2 A sub-minimum hand (10-12 points)


After opening 1 and hearing 2 :


2 A normal opening bid


2 A sub-minimum hand

All other bids Natural, with at least normal opening values

Examples

North South

864 AJ92

AKT QJ987

A752 6

T83 QJ2

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West PassPassAll Pass

North Pass2 (1)

East PassPass

South 12 (2)

1. Drury, showing 3+ hearts and 10-12 points. 2. Showing minimum strength. (Playing "normal" Drury, this would show a

sound opening bid.)

North South

K864 AJ952

K6 A98

T83 92

A752 KQ6

West PassPassPassAll Pass


East PassPassPass

South 12 (2)4 (4)

1. Drury, showing 3+ spades and 10-12 points. 2. Showing a sound opening bid. (Playing "normal" Drury, this would show

a minimum hand.) 3. A natural help-suit game try. 4. Bidding game with good clubs.

219

Reversed SplintersReversed splinter bids are a variation of traditional splinters. A double jump shift indicates shortness in a suit other than the one bid.

Responses to a 1 opening bid are:

Response Meaning

3 Singleton club

4 Singleton diamond

4 Singleton spade

Responses to a 1 opening bid:

Response Meaning

4 Singleton diamond

4 Singleton club

4 Natural

The purpose of reversed splinter bids is to prevent the opponents from doubling the splinter to suggest a sacrifice. For example:

Dlr: West North

Vul: E-W 6

K6

West Q6432 East

AQ542 87654 KJT9

872 AJT9

T9 South 5

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AQJ 873 KT92

Q543

AKJ87

3

West North East South

1 Pass 4 1 Double

4 2 5 3 ?

1. Splinter, showing a game-forcing raise with diamond shortness. 2. Signoff. 3. A sacrifice at favorable vulnerability.

East is now left with a 5-over-5 decision - is it obvious to double or bid 5 ?

Playing reversed splinter bids, the auction might instead go:


1 Pass 4 1 Pass

4 2 Pass Pass Pass

1. Reversed splinter, showing a game-forcing raise with diamond shortness. 2. Signoff.

In this auction, South is less likely to hold club length, and therefore less likely to double.

OriginsReversed splinters were created by Dutch expert Anton Maas.

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Roman BlackwoodNot to be confused with Roman Key Card Blackwood, Roman Blackwood is a version of Blackwood based on the rank and colors of the four aces. Its conventional responses to a 4NT ace-asking bid are:

Response Meaning

5 0 or 4 aces

5 1 or 3 aces

5 2 aces of the same color or rank

5 2 aces of dissimilar color and rank

Specifically, the 5 response shows one of the following pairs of aces:

A and A (the black aces) A and A (the red aces) A and A (the minor suit aces) A and A (the major suit aces)

And the 5 response specifically shows either:

A and A A and A

A 5NT rebid by the 4NT bidder is king-asking, the responses to which are normal Blackwood responses. 6 shows 0 or 4 kings, 6 shows 1, 6 shows 2 and 6 shows 3.

OriginsRoman Blackwood was created by the famous Italian Blue Team in the 1960s.

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Roman Jump OvercallsRoman Jump Overcalls show two-suited hands at the two-level of bidding. After 1-of-a-suit, the conventional overcalls are:

Overcall Meaning

2 At least 5-5 in diamonds and hearts (the next-highest suit)

2 At least 5-5 in hearts and spades

2 At least 5-5 in spades and clubs

2NT A strong (16+ points) two-suiter with any two suits

3 At least 5-5 in clubs and diamonds

3 Same as a 2 jump overcall, assuming a 2 jump overcall was unavailable

3 Same as a 2 jump overcall, assuming a 2 jump overcall was unavailable

The strong 2NT overcall is a relay to the cheapest unbid suit. Overcaller's rebids are:

Rebid Meaning

The next-highest suit Showing that suit and the relay suit

3NT The two suits other than the relay suit

Examples

1 2NT!

Pass 3 !

Pass 3 ! Showing diamonds and hearts.

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1 2NT!

Pass 3 !

Pass 3NT!

Showing hearts and spades.

Roman Jump Overcalls can also be used over preempts, although in practice they rarely come up.

224

Roman Key Card BlackwoodRoman Key Card Blackwood (Key Card, RKC, RKCB, 0314, 1430) is a variation of the Blackwood convention. It is used when the partnership has agreed to a trump suit and is interested in slam. A 4NT bid asks partner how many "key cards" he holds. A key card is any ace or the trump suit king.

There are two versions of RKC: 0314 and 1430 ("Fourteen-Thirty"), which refer to the step responses below.

Responses to 4NT

Playing 0314Responder's Bids Meaning

5 Shows 0 or 3 key cards.


5 Shows 2 or 5 key cards without the queen of trumps.

5 Shows 2 or 5 key cards with the queen of trumps.

Playing 1430Responder's Bids Meaning



5 Shows 2 or 5 key cards without the queen of trumps.

5 Shows 2 or 5 key cards with the queen of trumps.

The 4NT bidder can usually (!) determine if responder has 0/3, 1/4, or 2/5 key cards.

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Void-showing responses

If responder has a void, she can make one of the following bids to describe her hand.

Responder's Bids Meaning

5NT Shows an even # of key cards and a void somewhere.

6 Shows an odd # of key cards and:

A club void if clubs aren't trumps, or A void in any other suit if clubs are trumps


A diamond void if hearts or spades are trumps, or A void in hearts or spades, if diamonds are trumps


A heart void if spades are trumps, or A spade void if hearts are trumps

Asking for Kings (5NT)A 5NT rebid asks partner for kings. It is a grand slam try, and should only be bid if the partnership holds all 5 key cards and the queen of trumps.

There are two ways to play 5NT:

1. To ask partner to bid his cheapest (non-trump) king.2. To ask partner how many kings he holds (standard Blackwood responses):

6 shows 0 kings. 6 shows 1 king.6 shows 2 kings.6 shows 3 kings.

An example auction playing RKCB with the 5NT "cheapest" king-ask:

226

Opener Responder

K A65

AQT754 K632

A5 K6

AQ54 J932

Opener 14NT (1)5NT (3)6 (5)

Responder 3 5 (2) 6 (4)

1. RKCB for hearts. 2. 2 key cards without the Q. 3. Asking for partner's cheapest king. 4. Showing the K. 5. Signing off because of the missing K.

Asking for the Trump QueenSometimes the 4NT bidder wants to know the location of the trump queen, but hears a 5 or 5 reply. These responses don't indicate whether responder holds the queen of trumps. So, the 4NT bidder can bid the cheapest non-trump suit to ask this question. The responses to the queen-ask are as follows.

Responses to the Queen Ask Meaning

Bidding the trump suit No trump queen

5NT The trump queen without any side-suit kings

Bidding any non-trump suit The trump queen AND the king of that suit

An example auction playing RKCB 1430 with a queen-ask:

Opener Responder

227

AJT75 K93

AKT Q3

AKT2 J8

5 KQ7642

Opener 134NT (1)5 (3)Pass

Responder 2 3 5 (2)5 (4)

1. RKCB for spades. 2. 1 key card. 3. Asking for the Q. 4. Denies the Q.

Why You Should Play 1430 vs. 0314American expert Marty Bergen says that he asked 60 top pairs which Blackwood variant they use. 8 use plain Blackwood, 8 use RKC 0314, and an overwhelming 44 use RKC 1430. 1

Why is this? Eddie Kantar, author of "Roman Keycard Blackwood: The Final Word", theorizes that RKCB is usually used when a "strong" hand is interested in slam, and wants to ask the "weak" hand for key cards. As a corollary:

"One of the beauties of using Roman Key Card Blackwood instead of regular Blackwood is that it allows the 4NT bidder to ask partner whether he holds the queen of the agreed suit, as well as for other goodies. (Ed. note: See 'Asking for the Trump Queen', above.) To do this economically the asker needs room. The optimal response to 4NT, therefore, is 5 (as opposed to 5 ) allowing a follow-up bid of 5 to become the queen-ask.

"Playing 0314, a 5 response shows zero or three. '3' is a highly unlikely response when the stronger hand asks the weaker hand, so the 5 response figures to show "0".

"After a zero response the asker usually signs off. The end result is that a 5 response seldom leads to any further asks.

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"Playing 1430 the 5 response shows one or four. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that it shows '1'. Now if the asker wishes to ask for the queen, 5 is available. This lower step is especially important when hearts is the agreed suit. Now the queen-ask can be made beneath the five level of the agreed suit.

"Playing 0314, the '1' response is 5 , preempting the asker out of a lower-level queen-ask if hearts is the agreed suit. Clearly 1430 works best when the strong hand asks the weak hand."2

RKCB In CompetitionSee ROPI when the opponents double 4NT. Redouble shows 0, 3 or 5 keycards while Pass shows 1 or 4 keycards.

There are a number of ways to show key cards if 4NT is overcalled. One way is called DOPI, which stands for "Double = 0 (or 3 or 5) key cards, Pass = 1 (or 4)." The cheapest available bid shows two key cards, the second-cheapest bid shows three key cards, and the third- cheapest bid shows four.

Another method of showing key cards is DEPO, which stands for "Double = Even number of key cards, Pass = Odd number of key cards."


It is important to agree with partner when RKC is on, and when it is off. Sometimes one player wants to just ask his partner how many real aces he holds, and this can cause a lot of confusion at a precariously high bidding level.

In short, RKCB can get very complicated. That is why Kantar was able to write a 244-page book about it. It requires a healthy amount of partnership discussion.

OriginsRoman Key Card Blackwood was initially based on Roman Blackwood, a Blackwood variant that was used by the famous Italian Blue Team in the 1960s. American expert Eddie Kantar is credited with popularizing the "key card" nature of the convention thereafter.

External Articles

Mike Lawrence. Partnership Understanding. Mike Lawrence. Secrets of Good Bidding - Article 3.

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References1 Bergen, Marty (2008). Slam Bidding Made Easier. Note: Mention "BRIDGEBUM" when buying this book directly from Marty to get 2 softcover books free.

2 Kantar, Eddie (2003). "A Key Question." ACBL Bulletin, January 2003.

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ROPI (Redouble 0, Pass 1)ROPI is the acronym for "Redouble = 0, Pass = 1." It is a convention used after partner bids 4NT Blackwood or 4 Gerber, but the next player doubles. This situation is rare, but occasionally occurs when the opponents double to show a potential sacrifice, e.g.

5KQT5AT987A63

You1?

LHO3

Partner4NT

RHODouble 1

1. Shows spade support in case partner likes his hand and is interested in sacrificing. A direct 5 overcall would be stronger.

Using ROPI, responder has the following bids available:

Response MeaningRedouble 0 acesPass 1 aceCheapest bid over the overcall 2 acesSecond-cheapest bid 3 acesThird-cheapest bid 4 aces

If playing Roman Key Card Blackwood, the responses are:

Response MeaningRedouble 0, 3 or 5 keycardsPass 1 or 4 keycardsCheapest bid over the overcall 2 keycards without the trump queenSecond-cheapest bid 2 keycards with the trump queen

If partner bids 4NT followed by 5NT, he is making a Blackwood query for kings. All other rebids by partner are natural signoffs.

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Sandwich No-trumpThe Sandwich no-trump is a 1NT overcall made after both opponents have bid. It is the little brother of the Unusual notrump convention. Both overcalls show a two-suited hand with at least 5-5 shape. However, the purpose of the Sandwich no-trump is to compete with weaker hands, typically 5-10 points. This may be particularly useful at certain vulnerabilities (e.g. red on white) in which it is too dangerous to overcall 2NT.

The Sandwich no-trump gives up the meaning of a natural strong 1NT overcall, which rarely occurs after both opponents have bid and partner has passed.

The convention gets its name from the fact that 1NT is bid "between" the two opponents, as in this example:

7

93

A8743

J5432

West 1

North Pass

East 1

You

?

Bid 1NT, the Sandwich no-trump. This asks partner to bid the other two suits, clubs or diamonds. Bidding the Unusual 2NT here would show better values. Also, a takeout double would imply more strength and lesser distribution.

Q87632

K9763

4

6

West 1

North Pass

East 1

You

?

Bid 1NT to show hearts and spades. Note that bidding 2 as the Michaels convention here would show greater strength, i.e. 11+ points.

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JT983

J

AJ854

72

West 1

North Pass

East 1

You

?

Bid 1NT to show the two unbid suits, diamonds and spades.

Responses to 1NTIn response to a Sandwich 1NT, partner is expected to bid one of the indicated suits if the next player passes. Any jump raises are preemptive and non-forcing, showing at least a 4-card suit.

A cuebid (very rare) is artificial and forcing, showing interest in game.

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Short Suit Game TryA short suit game try may occur after an auction begins 1 : 2 or 1 : 2 . When opener holds game-invitational values (15-17 points), bidding a new suit at the cheapest level shows a singleton or void. It asks responder to bid game without wasted values in that suit.

Short suit game tries must be alerted under World Bridge Federation (and many other) tournament rules.

Examples of responder's possible holdings in the short suit:

Suit Holding Responder's action

xxxJxxxAxxxx

Bid game

QJxxKJxx


KQJxAKxxAKJx

Sign off in 3 /

One disadvantage of short suit game tries is that they may indicate a safe opening lead for the opponents. Another danger is that the opponents may find a sacrifice. An opponent doubles with length and strength in the short suit, his partner finds himself holding 5 cards in the suit, and suddenly 5 / becomes an attractive obstruction.

Examples

Opener Responder

KQT 53

AKT53 987

6 AKJT

234

K953 T876

Opener13 (1)Pass

Responder2 3 (2)

1. A SSGT in diamonds 2. Signing off with wasted diamond strength

Opener Responder

KJ3 QT2

KQT632 J94

A32 KJT

5 7643

Opener13 (1)Pass

Responder2 4 (2)

1. A SSGT in clubs 2. Bidding game with strength in the other suits

Other ConsiderationsAfter 1 : 2 , a 3 may or may not be a short suit game try. This requires partnership discussion:

Opener Responder

AJT62 KQ8

AQ65 KT73

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7 J65

A96 532

Opener13 (1)Pass

Responder2 4 (2)



Note that this problem does not occur when the auction begins 1 : 2 and opener rebids 2. This is because responder should not be holding 4 spades and 3 hearts. With that distribution, he should initially reply 1 , not 2 . So there is no need for opener to look for a secondary 4-4 spade fit.

Lastly, the use of short suit game tries means that opener's 3 / rebids ask for help in the trump suit. In the following example, opener could make a 3 short-suit game try, but she isn't really interested heart or club support. Inquiring about responder's spades seems more useful.

Opener Responder

T9876 AQ5

AK5 876

3 Q8764

AKJ3 42

Opener13 (1)

Responder2 4 (2)

1. Asking about trump quality 2. Good trumps

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As an alternative to short suit game tries, see help suit game tries.

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SmolenSmolen is an extension of the Stayman convention. It is used after getting a 2 negative response to a Stayman 2 bid. A jump to 3-Major shows 4 cards in that major and 5 cards in the other. It also shows game-forcing values.

Opener Responder

1NT 2 1

2 2 3

AKT92KQ53KTJ9

1 Stayman. 2 Denies a 4-card major.

3 is Smolen, showing 5-4 shape in spades and hearts. Partner is asked to bid 3 with a 3-card spade suit, or 3NT with 2 spades.

Opener Responder

1NT 2 1

2 2 3

QJ93AKT92KTJ9

1 Stayman.2 Denies a 4-card major.

3 is Smolen, showing 5-4 shape in hearts and spades. Partner is asked to bid 3NT if he only holds 2 hearts, or 4 if he has 3 hearts.

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Opener Responder

1NT 2 1

2 2 3

KT93AKT952896

1 Stayman.2 Denies a 4-card major.

Some partnerships also choose to use Smolen with 6-4 shape in the majors. I'm not really a fan of this approach, preferring instead to keep it simple and use a Jacoby transfer or Texas transfer.

Playing traditional Stayman, responder would invite game with the above hands by bidding his 5-card major instead of his 4-card major. The benefit of Smolen is to allow the 1NT opener to declare the hand. The philosophy is akin to Jacoby transfers, in that the strong hand's tenaces should be protected by playing the contract.

OriginsSmolen was created by the late American expert Mike Smolen.

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SOS RedoubleAn SOS redouble occurs after your side's contract has been doubled for penalty. A redouble is "SOS", named for the distress calls made by ships at sea. It has the following characteristics:

Support for at least two of the unbid suits (4+ cards each). Lack of support for partner's suit, if he has bid. This typically means a

singleton or void.

The redouble demands that partner bid a new suit, as in the following examples.

Examples

East

5432

--

JT987

J753

West1Pass

NorthPassPass (2)

EastPassRedbl (3)

SouthDouble (1)

1. Takeout double2. Converting the double to penalties3. SOS redouble, asking partner to bid another suit

East

6

T8753

JT752

54

West1Pass

NorthPassPass (2)

EastPassRedbl (3)

SouthDouble (1)

1. Takeout double2. Converting to penalties3. SOS, planning to correct to 2 if partner bids 2

East

72West North East South

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T9732

2

J8654

2Pass

PassPass (2)

PassRedbl (3)

1 Double (1)

1. Takeout double2. Uh-oh3. SOS

The following example illustrates how opener can make an SOS redouble herself:

East

AQ2

J976

AQJ

T83

West

Pass

North

Pass (2)

East1Redbl (3)

SouthDouble (1)

1. Takeout double2. Doh3. A redouble is compelling despite imperfect shape

Other ConsiderationsHow high to play SOS redoubles depends on partnership agreement. The SAYC bidding system advises playing SOS redoubles through the 3-level.

Of bigger concern is when to play SOS redoubles. One of the worst things that can happen in an auction is hearing partner pass your SOS redouble. For instance, how about these redoubles?

West2 (1)Pass

North2Redbl (3)

EastDouble (2)

SouthPass

1. Weak two2. For penalty3. SOS with 5-4-1-3 or 5-4-0-4 shape? Or for business?


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1Redbl (1)

1 2 Double

1. SOS? Or showing extra strength or club length?

Whatever you decide, it's a good subject for partnership discussion. Some possible conditions when SOS redoubles are "off":

You've been doubled in a known 8-card fit or longer. For example, the auction has begun 1 : 3 .

You've been doubled in a no-trump contract. Redouble may be a conventional runout (example: Touching Escapes), or it may simply be for business.

Happy hunting!

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SplintersA splinter bid is a type of strong major-suit raise. A double-jump in a new suit shows:

at least 4-card trump support, and 13-16 points with slam interest, and a singleton or void in the new suit.

Examples:

OpenerResponder

KQ543 A982

8 KT62

AJT9 KQ54

QT3 5

14 2

Pass 4

4 1 4 3

1. Splinter, showing club shortness and slam interest in spades. 2. Opener sees that his club losers "go away" opposite the splinter, so he

cuebids the A in case this is useful information for partner. 3. Responder signs off. Failure to cuebid 4 denies the A. 4. Opener passes with a minimum.

OpenerResponder

KJ42 AT653

KQ92 54

AKQ9 876

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5 QJ4

14 1

Pass

1 4 2

1. Splinter, showing club shortness and slam interest in spades. 2. Responder signs off with a minimum.

OpenerResponder

K542 --

KQ962 AT543

J2 A854

AJ K873

14 2

4NT 4

6 6

3 1 4 3

5NT 5 Pass

1. Splinter, showing spade shortness and slam interest in hearts. 2. Opener cuebids the A. 3. Responder cuebids the A. 4. Opener bids 4NT Blackwood, asking for aces. Note this is only

recommended if the partnership has an agreement about how to show a void in response to Blackwood.

5. 5NT shows 2 aces and a void, which must be in spades. 6. Opener settles for 6 . A grand slam might also be possible, but would

require responder to hold a running minor suit, or both minor-suit kings. (In the actual hands, it would hinge on a club finesse.)


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It is a matter of partnership agreement whether to splinter with a singleton king or ace.

Rebidding a splinter suit confirms a void in that suit. Splinter responses to 1 / also require partnership discussion. Not all

pairs play this. However, it would typically promise 5+ trump support (since partner may only have a 3-card minor), and deny a 4-card major.

Splinter bids in competition also require partnership discussion. For example, splinters may be on after an opposing takeout double, but limited to jump-cuebids if the opponents overcall in a suit.

Void suit responses to Blackwood also require partnership agreement. A common treatment is to play a 5NT response as showing 2 aces plus a void (as in the example auction above), and a 6-level jump response to show 1 ace plus a void in the jump suit. In the exampe auction above, however, responder would jump to 6 if holding 1 ace and a spade void, since bidding 6 would bypass 6 .

With an unbalanced hand too good for a splinter (i.e. 17+ points), responder can use Jacoby 2NT over a 1 / opening, or even use Blackwood with a singleton and slam interest.

Some partnerships also play certain single jump-shifts as splinters. For example, 1 - 2 followed by a 4 rebid by opener. Needless to say, this is also a matter of partnership agreement.

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StaymanStayman is a convention used for locating a 4-4 major suit fit after partner opens 1NT. It is one of the oldest and most widely used conventions in the world, since a major suit contract is often preferable to no-trumps. A 2 response to 1NT normally shows at least a game-invitational hand with one or both majors.

Some examples of game-invitational (or stronger) hands opposite a 15-17 1NT:

A987AT84532QT

KQJ52Q432T97J

QJ32AQ9875T32

KJT3K4A532742

Opener's RebidsAfter 1NT: 2 , opener's rebids are as follows.


2 Denies a four-card major.

2 Shows four hearts, may have four spades.

2 Shows four spades, denies four hearts.


Responder's Rebid

Meaning

2 Shows four spades and five hearts, invitational. Non-forcing.


2NT Invitational.

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3 Shows five spades and four hearts, game forcing.

3NT Signoff.

4 Shows four spades and six hearts, signoff.

4 Shows six spades and four hearts, signoff.



Responder's Rebid

Meaning


2NT Shows four spades, less than four hearts, invitational. Opener can pass, sign off in 3 with four spades, or bid 3NT.



3 Shows four hearts, invitational.

3 Game forcing with at least five spades and four hearts.

4 Signoff.


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Responder's Rebid

Meaning

2NT Invitational.




3 Shows four spades, invitational.

3NT Signoff, shows four hearts.

4 Signoff.


In Competition

If 1NT is doubled for penalty, 2 is a natural signoff, not Stayman. If 1NT is overcalled, responder can cue-bid the opponent's suit to ask for

a four-card major. If the opponents have overcalled in one major, a cue-bid asks partner for the other major. Opener can rebid 3 , if that bid is available, to deny a four-card major; otherwise, he rebids 3NT.

If 2 is doubled, opener can pass with four clubs and no four-card major. Redouble shows five (or four good) clubs and no four-card major. 2 , 2 , and 2 are normal responses to Stayman.

If 2 is overcalled, opener can double for penalty or show a four-card major at the two-level. With all other hands, he passes.


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Stayman is usually not used with 4333 shape, since this distribution tends to be more conducive to playing in no-trumps.

In his book "50 Winning Duplicate Tips", Australian expert Ron Klinger recommends bypassing Stayman with a balanced 4432 when holding a combined 28-30 HCP. At pairs, the no-trump contract will typically yield the same number of tricks as a major-suit game, and offers an extra 10 points (e.g. 660 vs. 650).

Stayman is also used after a 1NT overcall, opening bids of 2NT or 3NT, and notrump rebids after a opening 2 (artificial and strong) bid.

2NT : 3

3NT : 4

2 : 22NT : 3

2 : 23NT: 4

Stayman is also used when responder is interested in a minor-suit slam but does NOT have a 4-card major. With a 5+ clubs or diamonds and 10+ HCP, responder can bid 2 Stayman, planning to rebid his minor suit naturally.

Examples

Opener Responder

KT93 AJ5

AKJ3 QT52

J8 A5

A52 9763

Opener1NT 2 (2)Pass

Responder2 (1)4 (3)

1. Stayman

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2. Showing four hearts 3. Signing off in game

Opener Responder

KT93 AJ53

AKJ3 Q5

T8 Q652

A52 976



1. Stayman 2. Showing four hearts 3. Inviting game 4. Showing four spades, signing off. Opener knows responder must hold

four spades to have bid Stayman.

Opener Responder

KJ2 Q965

QT7 AK543

AK97 Q6

A64 T9



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1. Stayman 2. Denying a four-card major 3. Showing five hearts and four spades 4. Bidding game with a maximum

Opener Responder

K52 Q9

AQ97 KT

AK54 Q93

76 AKT982

Opener1NT 2 (2)3NT (4)


1. Stayman 2. Showing four hearts 3. Showing 5+ clubs, game-forcing 4. Signing off with poor club support

OriginsStayman is named for the late American expert Sam Stayman. The convention was actually invented by his partner George Rapee in 1944, but it was Stayman who popularized the convention shortly thereafter.

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1NT (15-17)The modern, strong 1NT opening shows a balanced hand with 15-17 HCP. In the old days, 1NT showed 16-18 HCP, which has fallen out of favor due to its lower frequency.

Examples of hands suitable for a 1NT opening:

A873AJ42AJ2KT

K97T2K87AKQ43

AJ876AK98KT32

AKQKQJ2J65973

Shape1NT promises balanced suit distribution without any singletons or voids, namely:

4-4-3-2 4-3-3-3 5-3-3-2

However, 1NT may also be opened on semi-balanced distribution:

2-2-3-6 (a long minor) 2-2-4-5 (excluding length in both majors)

In "Commonsense Bidding", Bill Root cites the following semi-balanced hand as an example of distributed strength suitable for 1NT:

K2AQAT75KT942

With a 5-Card MajorThe SAYC bidding system states that 1NT "can be made with a five-card major". This is up to partnership agreement.

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The advantages of opening 1NT with a 5-card major:

It's slightly more preemptive. It's riskier for the opponents to overcall 2 over 1NT than to overcall 1 over 1 .

It's more descriptive. Your point range and balanced shape are immediately shown, whereas a 1 / opening bid may be made on all kinds of hand patterns and strengths.

The disadvantage of opening 1NT is the danger of missing a major-suit fit. This can happen whenever partner holds 3- or 4-card support:

She passes 1NT with a weak hand. She passes a 2-level overcall. Now you must decide whether to introduce

your major at the 2-level. She makes a Jacoby Transfer when you only have doubleton support.

Consequently, partnerships may have special agreements with a 5-card major (up for discussion):

Opening 1NT with 3 cards in the other major, in case partner makes a transfer bid.

Opening 1NT with evenly distributed high-card strength. Opening 1NT with 5 hearts. With 5 spades, consider opening 1 .

ResponsesThe following responses are consistent with the SAYC bidding system, which is comparable to any generic 5-card major system. However, variations always apply and these responses should not be considered universal for all bidding systems.

Response Meaning

Pass0-7 points, no 5-card major (use a Jacoby Transfer instead) and no 6-card minor (bid 2 to relay to your minor suit).

2Stayman, showing 8+ points and at least one 4-card major. However, it typically excludes hands with 4-3-3-3 shape.

2 A Jacoby Transfer, showing 5+ hearts.

2 A Jacoby Transfer, showing 5+ spades.

2 Artificial, showing a weak 6+ card minor suit. Opener is required to

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bid 3 . Responder will pass or correct to 3 .

Minor-Suit Stayman is a popular non-SAYC alternative to this approach.

2NTInvitational to 3NT. Shows 8-9 HCP and balanced shape. Denies a 4-card major unless holding 4-3-3-3 shape.

36+ clubs, 7-8 HCP. Invitational to 3NT.

As an alternative approach, it may simply be a weak sign-off bid. This method is espoused by expert Richard Pavlicek, among others.

3 6+ diamonds, 7-8 HCP. Same comments as 3 , above.

36+ hearts with slam interest. However, this agreement rarely comes up. Many players would simply start with a Jacoby Transfer.

3 6+ spades with slam interest. Same comments as 3 , above.

3NT Natural, 10-13 HCP.

4 Gerber, an artificial ace-asking bid.

4NT Quantitative, inviting 6NT.

In Competition

If the opponents double 1NT, then Stayman and Jacoby Transfers are still "on".

If the opponents overcall 1NT, then Jacoby Transfers are "off". However, Stayman may still be possible via a cuebid.

If the opponents double a 2 / Jacoby Transfer, then opener is allowed to pass with only 2-card support.

As a non-SAYC alternative, the Lebensohl convention can be used to show a variety of hand types if the opponents double or overcall through 2 .

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Strong 2C Opening BidThe 2 opening bid is a cornerstone of Standard American bidding. It is strong and artificial, promising either:

22+ HCP with a balanced hand, or 17+ HCP and no less than "a trick short of game" with an unbalanced

hand

"A trick short of game" means at least 9 playing tricks with a 5+ card major (i.e. one trick shy of making 4 / ), or at least 10 playing tricks with a 5+ card minor (i.e. one trick shy of making 5 / ). Some players relax this requirement to be 8 1/2 and 9 1/2 playing tricks, respectively.

Examples:

AKQAK6A32KT94

Holding 23 points, open 2 and plan to rebid 2NT.

AKQ987AK6A325

With 20 points and 9 tricks (6 spades, 2 hearts and 1 diamond), this hand should open 2 and plan to rebid 2 .

5KQJTAKAKT987

With 20 points and 10 tricks (5 clubs, 3 hearts and 2 diamonds), this hand should open 2 and plan to rebid 3 .

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AKQJ987AKT653--

This hand "only" has 17 HCP, but is a trick short of game (7 spades, 2 hearts). Open 2 and plan to rebid 2 .

Before the strong 2 bid was invented, all opening bids at the 2-level were strong two bids, natural and forcing. The benefit of the strong 2 bid is that it can be played in conjunction with weak two bids, which occur more frequently and preempt the opponents.

Responses to 2The opening 2 bid is forcing. There are three popular approaches for responder's bids:

Approach Meaning

2 "waiting"This is the approach officially supported by the ACBL in their Standard American Yellow Card, so it is the main approach that I'll describe.

2 "waiting", and 2 as an immediate negative bid

In this approach, both 2 and 2 are conventional relays, but the latter shows only 0-3 points.

Control-showing responses

1 king = 1 control, and 1 ace = 2 controls. This is the most complex of the three approaches.

Let's go over these one by one...

2 "Waiting"

Playing this approach, the conventional responses to 2 are as follows.

Response Meaning

2 0-7 points, artificial. This is called the "negative" or "waiting" response, because it usually expresses a weak hand. However,

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http://www.bridgebum.com/strong_two.php


responder will occasionally have 8+ points but no good bid, such as with 4441 distribution.

2 8+ points and 5+ hearts.

2 8+ points and 5+ spades.

2NT 8+ points and a balanced hand.

3 8+ points and 5+ clubs.

3 8+ points and 5+ diamonds.

With the exception of the artificial 2 , all other responses are natural and game-forcing.

Examples:

OpenerResponder

KQJ53 642

AK QT3

AJT9 876

AQ 5432

2 2 1

1. Artificial, "negative" or "waiting". 0-7 points.

OpenerResponder

AQ9 KJT74

AK5 Q986

AJT9 72

KQ4 A5

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2 2 1

1. 5+ spades, 8+ points. Game-forcing.

2 "Waiting", and 2 as the "Double Negative"

Same as above, except that a 2 response is 3-7 points (at least one king), whereas a 2 response is a "double negative", showing a very bad hand (0-3 points, and no king). Example:

OpenerResponder

AQ9 JT74

AK5 Q986

AJT9 72

KQ4 876

2 2 1

1. The double negative bid, showing 0-3 points. No aces, no kings.

Note this means that responder must bid 3 if holding a good hand with 5+ hearts.

Control-Showing Responses

Control-showing responses are completely different than the above two methods. One "control" = one king. Two "controls" = one ace or two kings. Using basic arithmetic, responder tallies his number of controls and bids thusly:

Response Meaning

2 0 or 1 controls

2 2 controls

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2 1 ace and 1 king (3 controls)

2NT 3 kings (3 controls)

3 4 controls

Opener's Rebids

After a 2 "Waiting" Response

After hearing a 2 reply, opener's suit rebids are natural and forcing for one round. Any no-trump rebids, however, are non-forcing.

Opener's Rebid

Meaning

2 17+ points and 5+ hearts.

2 17+ points and 5+ spades.

2NT22-24 points and a balanced hand. Note that this assumes an opening 2NT bid of 20-21 points.

3 17+ points and 5+ clubs.

3 17+ points and 5+ diamonds.

3NT 25-27 points and a balanced hand.

4NT 28-30 points and a balanced hand. I have never seen this come up.

5NT 31-32 points and a balanced hand. Ditto!

The one hand pattern that doesn't fit into the above bids is 4441. It is recommended to treat it as a balanced hand, and bid no-trumps accordingly. For instance, rebid 2NT with a 4441 23-pointer such as:

AK93KQJTQAKJ5

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After a Positive Suit Response

If responder makes a positive suit response (2 / or 3 / , the partnership is committed to reaching a game contract. Opener's rebids are natural.

Opener's Rebid

Meaning

2NT 23-24 points and a balanced hand.

3NTOver 3 / , this shows 23-24 points and a balanced hand. Over 2 /

(i.e. a jump rebid of 3NT), this shows 25-27 points and a balanced hand.

Any raise Natural, 17+ points, 3+ card support.

Any new suit

Natural, 17+ points, 5+ cards.

After a Positive 2NT Response

If responder bids 2NT to show 8+ points and a balanced hand, then the partnership's no-trump response system is on: Stayman, Jacoby Transfers, etc. Opener must bid accordingly, as if responder is the one who opened no-trumps.

Examples:

OpenerResponder

KQJ5 A642

AKQ J87

AJT9 87

K96 T752

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22NT 2 3

2 1 3 3 4

1. Artificial, "negative" or "waiting". 0-7 points. 2. 23-24 points, balanced. Non-forcing. 3. Stayman .

OpenerResponder

KQ5 A642

AKQ87 T5

AJ Q75

KJ6 A752

23 2 3NT

2NT 1 3 6NT

1. Natural, balanced, 8+ points. 2. Jacoby Transfer to hearts.

Responder's Second Bid

After Opener's No-Trump Rebid

If opener rebids no-trumps (e.g. 2NT), then the partnership's no-trump response system is on: Stayman, Jacoby Transfers, etc.

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After Opener's Suit Rebid

As already stated, any suit bid by opener is forcing for one round. Responder can bid as follows.

Single raise - natural, 3+ card support. This shows a supporting hand with slam interest, even if responder's first bid was 2 .

Double raise - natural, 3+ card support (frequently 4+). This is a signoff if responder's first bid was 2 .

With a good hand, it's better to bid "slowly" and save space for slam exploration. With a poor hand, it's less important to save space. Thus the distinction between single raises and double raises, which is based on the principle of "fast arrival".

Examples:

OpenerResponder

KQ5 A642

AKQ87 T952

AJ Q543

KJ6 5

22

2 1 3 2

1. Negative. 2. A maximum hand (at the top of the 0-7 range) with slam interest in

hearts. In practice, 6 is a reasonable contract.

OpenerResponder

KQ5 T642

AKQ87 T952

AJ Q543

262

KJ6 5

22

2 1 4 2

3. Negative. 4. A weak hand (at the bottom of the 0-7 range) with heart support but

no slam interest.

All other bids - these can be played in two different styles...

o Natural. All of responder's rebids are natural. New suits show 5+ cards, and no-trump bids show balanced hands. This is simple and easy to remember.

o The "Second Negative". Many players use a conventional second bid by responder to show a truly poor hand of 0-4 points. This is done by either bidding:

The "cheapest" (i.e. lowest-available) minor suit, in response to 2 / or 3

3NT in response to opener's 3 rebid

The "second negative" is rather intricate, so some examples are in order:

OpenerResponder

KQ5 T642

AKQ87 T3

AJ Q543

KJ6 542

22

2 1 3 2

3. Waiting.

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4. If agreeing to play second negative bids, then 3 is the cheapest minor, artificial and showing 0-4 points. If not playing second negative bids, responder would be forced to bid 2NT, natural.

OpenerResponder

KQ5 AT642

AKQ87 T3

AJ Q53

KJ6 542

223NT

2 1 2 2

5. Waiting. 6. Natural, 5+ spades. If agreeing to play second negative bids,

then this shows 5-7 points. If not playing the second negative, then this shows 0-7 points, which is less helpful for opener.

In Competition

o If 2 is doubled, responder can redouble with 4+ good clubs, or simply make his conventional response.

o If 2 is overcalled, responder's bids are natural. Double is for penalty, new suits are natural, and no-trump bids promise a stopper in the enemy suit. There is no longer a negative 2 bid; responder simply passes with a bad hand.

External Articles

o Mike Lawrence. Bidding More to Show Less.

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o Mike Lawrence. Bidding When You Open Two Clubs.

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Support DoubleThe support double is a double by opener to show 3-card support for responder's suit. It's used when opener starts with one of a suit, responder makes a new suit reply, and the next player interferes. The purpose of the support double is to help you distinguish 3- and 4-card trump support, which can be invaluable. Here's the type of bidding problem that the support double can solve:

West East

KT 653

AJ8 KQ952

K97 A85

QT963 KJ

West 11NT

North Pass2

East 13NT

South 1All Pass

East's 1 only promises a 4-card suit. So when South overcalls 1 , West's options are limited. Pass feels conservative and 2 would promise 4-card support, so she settles for 1NT given her balanced hand and spade stopper.

Now East is stuck over 2 . He wants to probe for 3-card support but can't. Wanting to reach game, he guesses to bid 3NT. Unfortunately this fails when the opponents lead a spade to knock out West's king, and then regain the lead with the A, to run spades.

This is where support doubles come into play. Imagine that West could have doubled 1 to show 3-card support:

West 1Dbl

North Pass2

East 14

South 1All Pass

What a difference in the auction. West's double shows exactly 3 hearts. East, now aware of the 8-card fit, simply bids 4 , making.

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What do East-West lose by using a support double? A natural penalty double of 1 , which is a paltry price to pay. As seen in the example above, the value of differentiating 3-card and 4-card support can be a game swing.

When to Play Support DoublesNow, here's the fine print when playing support doubles:

Support doubles are only in effect when opener begins the auction with 1-of-a-suit, and responder bids a new suit. In other words, don't play support doubles when your side bids no-trumps.

Making a support double is opener's first priority. This is more important than rebidding no-trumps to show an enemy stopper, rebidding a 6-card suit, bidding a new suit, etc. Opener denies 3-card support if she makes any call other than double. (Excluding natural raises of responder's suit of course.)

Support doubles are on through all competition up to and including 2 . It does not matter if opener's LHO bids or not. It only matters if RHO bids.

There is no point count minimum or maximum to make a support double. If the opponents' interference is in the form of a double, a redouble by

opener can be used to show 3-card support. This is called a support redouble.

This is a lot to digest! Some illustrations of these principles are below.

Examples

West 1Dbl

North 1

East 1

South 2

Double shows exactly 3 spades. It does not matter 1) whether North bids or not, or 2) whether North-South bid the same suit.

West 12

North 1

East 1

South 2

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2 guarantees 4 hearts. West would have doubled holding only 3-card support.

West 12

North Pass

East 1

South 1NT

2 shows 6+ clubs and denies as many as 3 diamonds. Making a support double is opener's first priority.

West 1Redbl

North Pass

East 1

South Dbl

Support doubles can also be used if the opponents double responder's bid. In this case, West makes a support redouble.

Additional Considerations

Responder's rebids are natural. Support doubles can be extremely easy to forget, especially when the

opponents bid and raise a suit. Don't forget them!

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Takeout DoubleThe takeout double is a double that asks partner to bid one of the unbid suits. The double usually shows 11+ points and 3+ cards in each unbid suit. Some basic examples:

A532

KQJ5

AT93

7

West Pass

North Pass

East 1

South Double 1

(1) Takeout double, asking partner to bid diamonds, hearts or spades -- whichever suit he has the greatest length and strength in.

AQ32

K4

AT973

72

West 1

North Pass

East 1

South Double 1

(1) Takeout double, asking partner to bid diamonds or spades.

A532

KJT5

6

KQT3

West 1

North Pass

East 1NT

South Double 1

(1) Not for penalty; asks partner to bid clubs, hearts or spades.

Takeout doubles can also be made with strong one-suited hands (16+ points):

AKQ32

A4

KQ3

West 1Pass

North Pass1

East PassPass

South Double 1

1 2

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72

(1) Takeout double.(2) A new suit by the doubler shows a strong one-suited hand. However, this is not forcing.

Responses to a Takeout DoubleAfter hearing a takeout double from partner, the following actions are available:

Response Meaning

Pass Converts the takeout double into a penalty double.

At the one- and two-levels of bidding, Pass shows a very strong trump holding, general values, and no biddable suit. A low-level Pass should never be made on a weak hand that wants to be excused from bidding. It especially should not be made on a weak hand with a handful of little trumps.

At higher levels, the Pass can be based more on points and/or flat shape.

A "cheapest-level" suit response

Natural, 3+ cards (usually 4+ cards) and 0-8 points.

A jump shift in a suit

Natural, 4+ cards and 8+ points, forcing.

A double jump shift in a suit

Natural, 5+ cards, 13+ points, forcing.

A "cheapest-level"no-trump bid


A jump shift in no-trumps


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3NT Balanced with a stopper in the opponents' suit(s), signoff.

Cue-bid 10+ points, artificial and forcing. Typically unbalanced without a better alternative bid. Doubler's rebids are natural.

Responses After InterferenceIf your right-hand opponent bids over partner's double, then any "free" bid shows 6+ points and at least a 4-card suit. If the takeout double is redoubled, all bids are natural but jump suit bids become preemptive, showing at least 5 cards and 0-8 points.

How high to play takeout doubles is a matter of partnership agreement. Many partnerships play takeout doubles through the 3-level and "optional" or penalty doubles higher.

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Texas TransfersTexas Transfers are used to show hands with very long major suits worth a game contract (but not slam) after partner opens or overcalls a natural 1NT. The theory behind Texas Transfers is much the same as that behind Jacoby Transfers: when one hand is stronger than the other, it is best for the strong hand to declare the contract for the purpose of high card concealment. Playing Texas, the following conventional responses to 1NT apply:

Response to 1NT Meaning

4 At least 6 hearts and game values, requiring partner to rebid 4.

4 At least 6 spades and game values, requiring partner to rebid 4.

Texas Transfers can also be used after a natural 2NT opening. The same rules apply except responder can obviously have a weaker hand when committing to game.

Note that 4 and 4 promise game values, but deny slam values. With a hand interested in slam, responder should start with a Jacoby Transfer and make a forcing rebid at his next turn.

Examples

West East

AQT7 5

96 AJT8742

A764 K5

KQJ T86

West 1NT4

North PassAll Pass

East 4 !

South Pass

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Holding a 7-card heart suit and sufficient values for game, East bids 4 . West dutifully bids 4.

West East

A2 KQ9873

JT54 A2

AQ4 J3

AJT2 986

West 1NT4

North PassAll Pass

East 4 !

South Pass

With a 6-card spade suit and game-going values, East bids 4 to transfer to spades.

West East

AK5 QT7632

AQ3 K92

AQ4 T6

QT43 75

West 2NT4

North PassAll Pass

East 4 !

South Pass

Texas Transfers also work when you open 2NT. East has just enough values to warrant game.

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In CompetitionIf the opponents compete over 1NT, Texas Transfers are only on if the interference is lower than 3 . If the opponents compete over a 2NT opening bid, then Texas is off entirely.

West East

AK84 52

J9 AKT8632

A752 43

KJT Q2

West 1NT4

North DblAll Pass

East 4 !

South Pass

4 is a Texas Transfer, requiring partner to rebid 4 .

West East

97 KJT86432

AQJ8 54

KT73 A

AQ2 65

West 1NT4

North 3All Pass

East 4 !

South Pass

4 is a Texas Transfer asking partner to bid 4 .

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West East

AK94 QJ2

T82 KQJ7654

Q7 54

AQJ2 8

West 1NT

North 3

East 4

South All Pass

4 is natural because North's overcall was higher than 3 .


If you play Texas Transfers, then the following Jacoby Transfer auctions become superfluous:

West 1NT2

East 2 ! 4

West 1NT2

East 2 ! 4

What do they mean now? These sequences show mild slam interest in hearts and spades respectively. Opener is allowed to make some exploratory noises with a good hand. In practice, I have never seen these auctions actually entice opener to push on toward slam. Especially if you play super-accepts in conjunction with Jacoby Transfers. In that case, opener's 2 / already denies a maximum since she failed to rebid 3 / . But hey, some agreement is better than no agreement.

It is easy to forget Texas Transfers, so make sure to remember them when they come up. There is nothing quite like going down 5 in a 6-card trump fit.

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Make sure you agree with your partner about when Texas is on and off after the opponents intervene, and be sure to remember that agreement as well.

OriginsTexas Transfers are attributed independently to American player David Carter of St. Louis, Missouri and Mr. Olle Willner of Sweden.

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3-Way Double Reverse DruryA light 1 or 1 opening bid in 3rd or 4th seat can backfire when responder has good support. This is because a limit raise of 3 or 3 may jack up the bidding too high.

Enter the Drury convention. Invented by Douglas Drury in the 1950s, a 2 response by a passed hand shows a 3+ card limit raise. Opener bids an artificial 2 with a minimum, or rebids 2 / with at least normal strength.

After a while of this, somebody decided to create Reverse Drury, which reverses the meanings of opener's 2 and 2 / rebids. This follows the principle of fast arrival: poor hands sign off immediately whereas good hands conserve space by bidding slowly.

Still later, someone brewed up 2 as a 3-card limit raise and 2 as a 4-card limit raise. And that's how we've gotten 2-Way Reverse Drury.

All well and good, but I have two questions:

1. Is the principle of fast arrival fully addressed? On average, a 4-card limit raise is more likely to make game than a 3-card limit raise. Just imagine a 9-card fit vs. an 8-card fit missing the trump queen. Thus the concept of "Double Reverse" Drury: 2 should show the 4+ card raise and 2 the 3-card raise. This method applies "fast arrival" for both responder and opener.

2. How do you show good 5-card raises? They're rare but they do occur. This is the "3-Way" component. The 2 bid should distinguish between 4- and 5-card raises after opener's positive 2 reply.

Combine these ideas and you get 3-Way Double Reverse Drury. A 2 response is a 4+ card limit raise, and 2 is a 3-card limit raise.

Examples of 3WDRD in action:

West

12 (2)

North

PassPass

EastPass2 (1)Pass

SouthPass Pass Pass

1. 3-card limit raise2. Signoff

This is very similar to a Two-Way Reverse Drury auction. But how about...

West

12 (2)

North

PassPass

EastPass2 (1)?

SouthPass Pass

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1. 4+ card limit raise2. Sound opening values

Now we're cooking with propane. Responder's rebids after the above sequence:

Rebid Meaning2 An unbalanced 4-card raise with 5+ hearts.2 An unbalanced 5-card raise. Saving space if slam exploration is warranted.2NT An artificial relay to 3 . Responder's rebids:

3 - 4-2-5-2 shape 3 - 4-5-2-2 shape 3 - 4-2-2-5 shape

3 An unbalanced 4-card raise with 5+ clubs.3 An unbalanced 4-card raise with 5+ diamonds.3 A balanced 5-card raise. Any 5-3-3-2 shape with 5 spades.3 Any 4-4-3-2 with 4 spades.3NT 4-3-3-3 shape.4 4-4-4-1 shape (i.e. a splinter).4 4-4-1-4 shape.4 4-1-4-4 shape.

This rebid system also supports hearts as trumps (i.e. 1 : 2 , 2 ):

Rebid Meaning2 An unbalanced 5-card raise.2 An unbalanced 4-card raise with 5+ spades.2NT An artificial relay to 3 . Responder's rebids:

3 - 2-4-5-2 shape 3 - 2-4-2-5 shape 3 - 5-4-2-2 shape

3 An unbalanced 4-card raise with 5+ clubs.3 An unbalanced 4-card raise with 5+ diamonds.3 Any 4-4-3-2 with 4 hearts.3 A balanced 5-card raise. Any 3-5-3-2 shape with 5 hearts.3NT 3-4-3-3 shape.4 4-4-4-1 shape (i.e. a splinter).4 4-4-1-4 shape.4 1-4-4-4 shape. (Don't bid 4 .)

You can also tweak this response system as desired, but you get the idea. 3WRDR is a way to save bidding space for 9-card fits and to distinguish 5-card support as well. Is it more stuff to

278

remember? Yes. But of nothing else, is the "Double Reverse" better than any other Drury variation? I think so.

Have fun out there!

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Thrump DoubleThrump doubles are a concatenation of “THRee notrUMP” doubles. They are used when your partner opens and RHO specifically preempts 3 / / :

Partner 1

Opp 1 3

You ?

Opp 2

Partner 1

Opp 1 3

You ?

Opp 2

Partner 1

Opp 1 3

You ?

Opp 2

This situation normally calls for a penalty double or negative double, if you happen to play them through the 3-level. However, the philosophy behind thrump doubles is that probing for 3NT is more practical than showing a 4-card major. Thus the thrump double shows a balanced 10+ points that asks opener to bid 3NT with a stopper in the opposing suit.

The thrump double denies a 5-card major if responder has the opportunity to bid 3 / . but chooses to double instead. If opener has bid a 5-card major, then the thrump double also denies 3-card support for partner's suit.

Example

Opener Responder

KT876 92

A943 QJ5

AJ3 542

Q AKJT8

Opener 1

Opp 1 3

Responder Dbl (1)

Opp 2 Pass

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3NT (2) All pass

1. Thrump double, showing 10+ points, no 3-card support or 5-card major. 2. Promising a stopper.

Playing negative doubles instead, you might be forced to pass or bid 4 . Either action would put partner in a very difficult spot.

The drawback to thrump doubles, however, is that you can miss 4-4 major suit fits:

Opener Responder

KT876 A2

AQ43 KJT2

AT3 54

9 QJT83

Opener 1

Opp 1 3

Responder ?

Opp 2

Here you would be happy to make a negative double and find your 4-4 heart fit.

Probing for SlamOn rare occasion, you can use the thrump double as a waiting bid with a big hand. You may have an enemy stopper and interest in slam, but no other suitable call.

OriginsThrump doubles were created by American expert and teacher Marty Bergen.

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Touching EscapesTouching Escapes comprise an escape system after the opponents double your 1NT opening bid for penalty.


1NT X ?

Over the opposing double, the conventional bids are as follows.

Bid Meaning

Pass Shows at least 4-4 in two "non-touching" suits (clubs and hearts, clubs and spades, diamonds and spades), or a hand worth a penalty redouble. Requires partner to XX.

XX Shows a one-suited hand. Requires partner to bid 2 .

2 Shows at least 4-4 in clubs and diamonds. Partner can pass or correct to diamonds.

2 Shows at least 4-4 in diamonds and hearts. Partner can pass or correct to hearts.

2 Shows at least 4-4 in hearts and spades. Partner can pass or correct to spades.

2 Shows spades.

Responder's RebidsAfter the following sequence:


1NT X Pass! Pass

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XX! Pass ?

Bid Meaning

Pass Shows a good hand that wants to play 1NT redoubled.

2Shows clubs and hearts or clubs and spades. If opener does not want to play in clubs, he can correct to 2 , asking responder to pass with hearts or correct to 2 .

2 Shows diamonds and spades. Partner can correct to spades if he wants.

After the following sequence:


1NT X XX! Pass

2 ! Pass ?

Bid Meaning

Pass Shows at least five clubs.

2 Shows at least five diamonds.

2 Shows at least five hearts.

2Shows at least five spades. Note that responder has two ways of showing spades; by this route or by responding 2 immediately.

With 4-3-3-3 shape, responder can either treat his four-card suit as a five-card suit, or he can treat his four-card suit and his best 3-card suit as a two-suiter.

283

Truscott Defense to 1C (One Club)Truscott is a conventional defense to an artificial 1 opening bid. The convention named for the late Alan Truscott, expert player and longtime editor of the New York Times bridge column.

Over 1 , the following actions all show two-suited hands:

Overcall MeaningDouble Clubs and hearts1 Diamonds and hearts1 Hearts and spades1 Spades and clubs1NT Diamonds and spades2 Clubs and diamonds

Advancer usually passes or corrects to the other suit. Lacking a fit, advancer can also bid a new 5+ card suit.

Truscott can also be employed over the negative 1 response, i.e. 1 - (Pass) - 1 . The overcall structure is:

Overcall MeaningDouble Diamonds and spades1 Hearts and spades1 Spades and clubs1NT Clubs and hearts2 Clubs and diamonds2 Diamonds and hearts

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Two-Way Reverse DruryTwo-Way Reverse Drury is a variation of the Drury convention. It allows a passed hand to show 3- and 4-card limit raises after partner opens 1 or 1 . After partner opens 1 / in third or fourth seat, responder's bids are as follows.

Response to 1 / Meaning

2 Artificial, 10-12 points with exactly 3-card support

2 Artificial, 10-12 points with 4+ card support

Opener's RebidsAfter opening 1 and a 2 response:


2 A sound opening bid (12+ points)

2 A weak hand (10-12 points)


After opening 1 and a 2 response:


2 A weak hand (10-12 points)




2 A sound opening bid


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2 A weak hand

All other bids Natural, with normal opening values




2 A weak hand

All other bids Natural, with normal opening values

Examples

North South

864 AJ92

AKT QJ987

A752 6

T83 QJ2

West PassPassAll Pass

North Pass2 (1)

East PassPass

South 12 (2)

1. Two-Way Reverse Drury, showing exactly 3 hearts and 10-12 points. 2. Showing minimum strength. (Playing "normal" Drury, this would show a

sound opening bid.)

286

North South

K864 AJ952

K632 A9

T8 92

A63 KQ65

West PassPassPass


East PassPassAll Pass

South 13 (2)

1. Two-Way Reverse Drury, showing 4+ spades and 10-12 points. 2. Natural, promising sound opening strength. 3. Bidding game with a good club fit.

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Unusual 2NTThe Unusual 2NT overcall is used after the opponents open the bidding. A 2NT overcall is artificial, showing the two lowest unbid suits (at least 5-5 shape). There is no point minimum, although obvious factors like vulnerability should be considered. See also the Michaels cuebid, a complementary convention for showing 5-5 hands, and Unusual vs. Unusual, a defense to the Unusual 2NT.

Unusual 2NT Overcalls

Overcall Meaning

A 2NT overcall of 1 Shows 5+ hearts and 5+ diamonds.

A 2NT overcall of 1 Shows 5+ hearts and 5+ clubs.

A 2NT overcall of 1 Shows 5+ diamonds and 5+ clubs.

A 2NT overcall of 1 Shows 5+ diamonds and 5+ clubs.

The Unusual 2NT is possible if one or both opponents have bid:

769AJT84KJ982

Opponent 1 1

Partner Pass

Opponent 2 1

Overcaller 2NT (1)

(1) 2NT shows 5+ clubs and 5+ diamonds. Note that this is an overlap with the Michaels cue bid here - a 2 overcall would also show 5+ clubs and 5+ diamonds. Also, note that the overcaller could alternatively make a takeout double, which would imply lesser shape and at least ~12 HCP.

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7A9832AJT842J

Opponent 1 1

Partner Pass

Opponent 2 1NT

Overcaller 2NT (1)

(1) 2NT shows 5+ hearts and 5+ diamonds.

Partner's Responses

Partner usually bids the suit that he has the most tolerance for. With equal length in both suits, especially with two doubletons, he bids the cheapest suit.

General Note: When responding to the Unusual 2NT with equal length in both advertised suits, bid the cheapest suit first, e.g. 3 with xx Kx. You can run to diamonds if the opponents double.

If partner has a weak hand with at least four-card support, he can consider making a preemptive jump bid:

Opponent 1 1

Overcaller 2NT

Opponent 2 Pass

Partner 4

4 is preemptive and non-forcing, promising at least four clubs.

With a good hand, partner can cue bid the opponents' suit. This typically shows support for at least one of partner's suits, and interest in game or slam. A cue bid is forcing for one round and asks the 2NT bidder to bid his cheapest suit at the cheapest level with a weak hand (around 0-10 points), or to make any other bid with a "fair" hand (around 10+ points).

If by chance partner bids the "fourth suit", i.e. the suit not bid by the opponents or shown by partner, that bid is natural and nonforcing, showing a very good suit (usually 6+ cards), a decent hand, and no support for either of the 2NT bidder's suits.

Rebids by the 2NT Bidder

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Raises are natural and non-forcing. All other bids show a very good hand (in terms of points and/or shape) but, with the exception of a cue bid, are non-forcing.


The Unusual Notrump is a useful convention because: o it immediately shows partner a specific two-suited hand that would

otherwise take two bids to illustrate. o it preempts the opponents. o it only gives up a natural 20-21 HCP 2NT overcall, which virtually

never occurs and can still be shown with a takeout double and 2NT rebid anyway.

A 2NT overcall of 1NT needs to be defined by partnership agreement. In some conventional 1NT defenses like Cappelletti, a 2NT overcall does show the 2 lowest suits (clubs and diamonds). In other conventions like DONT, however, a different overcall such as 2 is used to show clubs and diamonds.

A 2NT overcall of artificial opening bids such as a Precision 1 also needs to be defined by partnership agreement.

The Unusual 2NT works well in conjunction with the Michaels cue bid, which is another convention for two-suited overcalls.

There is also a conventional defense against the Unusual 2NT called Unusual vs. Unusual.

Additional ExamplesThe Unusual 2NT is also in effect if both opponents have bid up to 2 :

6KT9832QJT932

Opponent 1 1

Partner Pass

Opponent 2 2

Overcaller 2NT (1)

(1) 2NT shows 5+ hearts and 5+ diamonds.

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AQJ87232voidKQJT9

Opponent 1 1

Partner Pass

Opponent 2 2

Overcaller 2NT (1)

(1) 2NT shows 5+ clubs and 5+ spades. Be careful after an opposing 2-over-1 sequence. The opponents have announced that they have the majority of points, so an Unusual 2NT overcall typically promises extra length or strength, especially at equal or unfavorable vulnerability.

J83voidAJT93KQJT9

Opponent 1 2 (strong)

Overcaller 2NT (1)

(1) Over a strong two-bid by the opponents, a 2NT overcall is Unusual. Here, 2NT shows 5+ clubs and 5+ diamonds.

Q63AT987AJT93void

Opponent 1 2 (Precision)

Overcaller 2NT (1)

In the Precision bidding system, an opening 2 bid shows 6+ clubs and 11-15 HCP. It therefore fits the definition of "a natural, constructive two-bid", so a 2NT overcall is the Unusual 2NT, showing 5+ diamonds and 5+ hearts.

AQ63KJ3K32AT9

Opponent 1 2 (weak)

Overcaller 2NT (1)

291

(1) This is not the Unusual 2NT, because 2 is preemptive, not constructive. 2NT shows a balanced, natural ~16-19 HCP.

292


Unusual vs. UnusualUnusual vs. Unusual is a defense against the Unusual Notrump.. It is used after partner opens the bidding and the opponents overcall 2NT to show the lowest two unbid suits. For simplicity, the following description uses examples when partner opens 1 or 1 and the opponents overcall 2NT. However, Unusual vs. Unusual should also be used when partner opens 1 or 1 .

Conventional responses after 1 / (2NT) :

Response Meaning

Double Natural with interest in penalizing the opponents in one of their suits.

3 A game-forcing hand in the unbid major (hearts if partner bid spades, and vice-versa). Forcing.

3 A limit raise or better in partner's suit. Forcing.

3 A constructive raise (7-10 points) opposite a 1 opening. A natural non-forcing bid opposite a 1 opening.

3 A constructive raise (7-10 points) opposite a 1 opening. A natural non-forcing bid opposite a 1 opening.

Below are the responses in greater detail.

The DoubleNatural with interest in penalizing the opponents in one of their suits. Shows about 7+ points, and typically a balanced hand. Denies 3-card support. Note that this gives up the ability to play negative doubles in this situation.

Opener Responder

K4 AJT2

AQT92 T8

A752 J43

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T8 KJT9

Opponent 1 Pass

Opener 1

Opponent 2 2NT (1)

Responder Double (2)

1. Unusual , showing at least 5 clubs and 5 diamonds. 2. Double shows an interest in penalizing the opponents in either suit (in this

case, clubs).

The 3 ResponseArtificial. A game-forcing hand in the unbid major suit (hearts if partner bid spades, and vice-versa). Forcing.

Opener Responder

K84 AJT52

AQT92 K8

A72 K94

T8 K97

Opponent 1 Pass

Opener 1

Opponent 2 2NT (1)

Responder 3 (2)

1. Unusual . 2. A game-going hand with 5+ spades.

The 3 ResponseArtificial. A limit raise or better. 10+ points and 3+ card support. Partner is allowed to sign off in 3 .

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Opener Responder

K4 A52

AQT92 KJ87

A7 K984

T873 42

Opponent 1 Pass

Opener 1

Opponent 2 2NT (1)

Responder 3 (2)

1. Unusual . 2. A limit raise or better in hearts. Responder's strength is unlimited.

The 3 ResponseA nonforcing raise if partner opened 1 . 7-10 points, 3-4 card support.*OR* Natural, 5+ hearts (usually 6) and 7-10 points if partner opened 1 . Weaker than a 3 response. Non-forcing.

Opener Responder

K43 AQ2

AQT92 J875

A7 T984

T83 42

Opponent 1 Pass

Opener 1

Opponent 2 2NT (1)

Responder 3 (2)

1. Unusual . 2. A constructive raise. 7-10 points, 3-4 card support.

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The 3 ResponseA nonforcing raise if partner opened 1 . 7-10 points, 3-4 card support. *OR* Natural, 5+ spades (usually 6) and 7-10 points if partner opened 1 . Weaker than a 3 response. Non-forcing, but represents a very good spade suit since it bypasses 3 .

Opener Responder

54 AKQT92

AKT92 8

AQ2 T98

T83 542

Opponent 1 Pass

Opener 1

Opponent 2 2NT (1)

Responder 3 (2)

1. Unusual . 2. A very good spade suit, but non-forcing.

Other ConsiderationsNote that with 5-card support, responder should only use Unusual vs. Unusual with game-forcing values. With less than 12 points, it's normal to simply jump directly to 4 / .

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Weak 1NT (One No-Trump)The weak no-trump is a generic term for all natural 1NT opening bids that show less than 14 or 15 HCP. The traditional weak notrump shows 12-14 HCP, although popular HCP ranges include:

10-12 10-13 11-14 12-14 13-15 14-16

The weak notrump is a preemptive bid intended to gobble up the opponents' constructive bidding space. One problem of the weak notrump, however is that 4-4 major-suit fits are frequently missed, when playing in a major is much better than playing in notrumps. Also, because the weak notrump is subject to penalty doubles by the opposition, an escape system is a necessary adjunct:

Brozel Escapes Exit Transfers Helvic Wriggle Meckwell Escapes Moscow Escapes Owen Wriggle Staveley Wriggle SWINE Touching Escapes Twisted SWINE

If integrating the weak notrump into your system, it is also important to consider its effect on natural sequences such as

1 : 11NT/2NT

1NT here normally shows around 12-14 HCP, but playing a weak notrump should show 15-17.

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Weak Jump OvercallsWeak Jump Overcalls are preemptive jump overcalls intended to obstruct the opponents' bidding. A weak jump overcall typically promises:

a 6-card suit at the 2-level (identical to a Weak Two opening bid) a 7-card suit at the 3-level

These guidelines are subject to partnership agreement and vulnerability. Aggressive pairs may preempt with shorter suits, especially when not vulnerable.

A weak jump overcall shows 5-10 high card points, although vulnerability too is a consideration. For instance, it may be advisable to pass rather than preempt at unfavorable vulnerability with only 5 points.

Examples of Weak Jump Overcalls

AKT982

5

T92

J32

West Pass

North Pass

East 1

South 2 1

1 A weak jump overcall, showing 5-10 points and a 6-card spade suit.

5

KJT9732

A2

J32

West 1

North Pass

East 1

South 3 1

1 Showing 5-10 points and a 7-card heart suit.

Responses to a Weak Jump Overcall

Response Meaning

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A simple raise

Shows 3 or 4-card support and approximately 6-13 points (insufficient values for a game contract). It is preemptive and completely non-forcing.

A jump raise


A new suitNatural and non-forcing, typically showing a 6-card suit and denying support for partner's suit.

2NT

Depends on partnership agreement. It can be played as natural and invitational to 3NT, or it can be played as an artificial force, showing any type of good hand. Overcaller can bid a side suit feature (i.e. an ace or king), or simply rebid his suit at the cheapest level.

A cuebid of an opposing suit

Usually played as a forcing raise with interest in game. With a minimum hand, overcaller can rebid his suit at the cheapest level. With a strong hand, overcaller can bid game or a side suit ace or king.

Example Auctions

AJ3

52

T942

K542

West 1

North 2 1

East Pass

South 3 1

1 Weak.2 An obstructive 3-card raise. Non-forcing.

92

JT532

West 1

North 2 1

East Pass

South 4 2

299

T9

AQT2

1 Weak.2 A 5-card raise. Maybe it's a good sacrifice. Maybe partner might even make it.

AKJ932

AT3

T92

2

West 1

North 3 1

East Pass

South 3 2

1 Weak.2 Natural and non-forcing. Strongly implies a lack of club support.

AKJ2

KQJ5

6

K743

West 1

North 2 1

East Pass

South 4 2

1 Weak.2 A strong raise to game.


The weak jump overcall has widely replaced the traditional "strong" jump overcall. To show a strong one-suited hand, modern practice is to start with a takeout double and follow up by bidding the strong suit.

The higher you preempt (both in terms of suit rank and bidding level), the more likely it is that you will play the contract, perhaps doubled. A 3 jump overcall, for example, robs the opponents of much more bidding space than a 3 jump overcall.

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Weak Jump ShiftsA weak jump shift is a jump response to an opening bid of 1 , 1 , 1 , or 1 . A jump to a new suit at the 2-level (e.g. 1 : 2 ) usually shows 2-5 HCP and a 6-card suit. At the 3-level (e.g. 1 : 3 ), it typically shows 2-7 HCP and a 7-card suit.

Weak jump shifts are, of course, more preemptive than the traditional strong jump shift that promises 17-19 points. The purported benefits of weak jump shifts are:

1. They occur more frequently than 17-19 point hands, and 2. Strong jump shifts gobble up valuable slam exploration space. If playing

weak jump shifts, then 17-19 point suit-oriented hands get absorbed into natural 1- and 2-level responses (e.g. 1 : 2 ). However, this obviously adds extra meaning and burden to those bids.

An example of a weak jump shift:

Opener Responder

92 AT8765

AKJ32 6

JT42 865

AT 532

Opener1Pass

Responder2 (1)

1. Weak jump shift

Opener's RebidsOpener usually passes unless holding a strong hand and/or good support for partner.

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Opener's Rebids

Meaning

Pass Could be a strong hand with a misfit.

Rebidding his own suit

Shows at least a 7-card suit. Non-forcing.

Raising partner's suit

Any single, double (or even triple) raise is natural and non-forcing. Responder is not expected to bid again.

Any new suit

Natural, promising extra strength and usually at least a 5+ card suit. Responder is allowed to pass, raise, or correct to opener's original suit. Responder should not make the mistake of rebidding his own suit.

2NT

A forcing game try, implying at least doubleton support for responder's suit. This is similar to a forcing 2NT response to an opening weak two bid. Responder must rebid his suit with a minimum. Bidding any other suit shows a maximum hand cooperating with opener's game try.

Examples

Opener Responder

AKQ42 5

J92 73

5 KQT8652

KJ32 T83

Opener1Pass

Responder3 (1)

1. Weak jump shift

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Opener Responder

AQ32 654

A43 QJT765

J 86

A9875 63

Opener12NT (2)Pass

Responder2 (1)3 (3)

1. Weak jump shift 2. Artificial, forcing game try 3. Signoff

Opener Responder

KQ42 AT8765

AKJ32 6

K2 865

A9 532

Opener14 (2)

Responder2 (1)Pass

1. Weak jump shift 2. Opener bids game with a massive supporting hand


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After a 1 / opening, weak jump shifts should be avoided if responder has the strength to make a raise. Raising partner's major suit takes priority.

Weak jump shifts are on in competition. Pairs who employ Bergen raises cannot use weak jump shifts after a 1 /

opening. Pairs who use splinter bids should agree when a double-jump bid is a

weak jump shift or a splinter. This particularly holds true in competitive auctions, e.g.


Pass 1 2 3

In this auction, 3 could show a weak hand with 7 spades... or it could be a spade void with heart support. Needless to say, a misunderstanding invites catastrophe.

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Weak Two BidsWeak Twos are opening bids that show 5-10 high card points and six cards in the bid suit. Ideally, opener has concentrated strength in his six-card suit and nothing in the other suits. The classic weak two bid looks something like this:

AQJTxxxxxxxxx

By opening 2 you make it harder for the opponents to find a fit in one of the other suits. See also the Rule of 2, 3 and 4, which is a guideline for determining when to open a weak two.

A weak two bid usually does not contain a side four-card major, although this is up to partnership agreement. The reason it is dangerous to preempt with a side four-card major is because the partnership may miss a good fit in that major, perhaps even a game contract, while they may have no fit in the weak two suit and may languish there.

Also, while the SAYC bidding system espouses 5-11 HCP as the range for a weak two, this technically conflicts with the Rule of 20. If you have 11 points and a 6-card suit, then you must have a 3-card side suit (or longer). Add that up and you get 20 points. So it's worth deciding if you and your partner want to open 11-pointers as a weak two.

Responses to a Weak Two

Response Meaning

A simple raise

Named "Raise Only Non Forcing", this shows 3 or 4-card support and approximately 6-13 points (insufficient values for a game contract). It is preemptive and completely non-forcing.

A jump raise


A new suit Natural and forcing for one round, typically showing at least a 5-card suit and denying support for partner's suit. However, this is up to partnership agreement; some pairs prefer to play a new suit as a non-

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force.

2NT

Strong, artificial forcing bid. It is most frequently used when responder has 3+ card support. Opener is asked to show a feature in a side suit, i.e. an ace or king, by bidding that suit at the three level. Examples:

2 : 2NT3

3 shows the ace or king of clubs.

2 : 2NT3

3 shows a minimum hand with no side suit features.

See also Ogust, a convention with more detailed responses to 2NT.

In competition, the artificial 2NT response and rebids are on.

Example Auctions

AJ3

52

T942

K542

West Pass

North 2 1

East Pass

You 3 2

1 Weak.2 An obstructive raise. Non-forcing.

AKJ

AT3

K9652

42

West Pass

North 2 1

East Pass

You 2NT 2

1 Weak.2 Artificial and forcing. With game-invitational values, South plans to rebid 4 unless partner shows a minimum hand via a 3 bid.

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AKJ2

KQJ5

6

K743

West Pass

North 2 1

East Pass

You 4 2

1 Weak.2 A strong raise to game. However, this bid can also be preemptive with a weak hand and 4+ card support.

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Distribution PointsDistribution points are a corollary to High Card Points. Two methods are available. The first method is to count points for length of 5 cards or more in a suit. The second is to count points for suit shortness, namely any doubleton, singleton, or void.

Length PointsLength points are used for 5-card suits or longer.

5-card suit = 1 point 6-card suit = 2 points 7-card suit = 3 points Etc.

For example:

AT873A936AT43

This hand has 12 HCP (3 aces x 4 points), plus one length point in spades. So the total is 13 points.

What's the purpose? Well, imagine if we change the hand slightly:

AT87A93643AT3

Unlike the first hand, this one lacks a long suit that could be used for trumps, or running tricks in no-trumps. So it has only 12 points, whereas the first hand has 13.

Length points can also be assigned to two suits:

AT875AQ6532--54

This hand has 10 HCP, plus 1 length point in spades and 2 length points in hearts. If your criteria for opening the bidding is 13 points, then this hand has just enough.

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Short Suit PointsShort suit points are a hand evaluation method when bidding suit contracts. It assigns points to each doubleton, singleton and void:

Doubleton = 1 point Singleton = 2 points Void = 3 points

For instance:

AT87A97643AT3

12 HCP + 1 point for the doubleton = 13 points. If counting length, this would only be a 12-pointer. As another example:

A654AT87A7645

12 HCP + 2 points for the singleton = 14 points.

Things to bear in mind:

Do not count short suit points in no-trump auctions. Singleton honors should be counted for HCP or shortness, but not both.

This rule also applies to doubleton honor holdings like AK, KQ, KJ, QJ, etc.

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The Five Level Belongs to the Opponents"The Five-Level Belongs to the Opponents" was a BOLS Bridge Tip written by the late American expert Ed Manfield. From 1974 - 1994, BOLS Royal Distilleries of Holland sponsored a writing competition for bridge advice. Manfield's winning tip in 1987 recommends avoiding "five over five" bids, e.g. bidding 5 over an opposing 5 .

From Manfield's tip 1:

"Many factors combine to make it usually unwise to bid five over five:

"Even though your hand might be quite distributional, the opponents' hands are often much more balanced. Therefore, you will frequently have more winners against their contract than you might suspect.

"Partner might have minor honors in the opponents' suits. It is difficult to envisage the defensive power of stray Queens, Jacks and Tens. However, such cards can often help defeat the opponents' five level contract. Other times your five level bid will not fare well because the opponents have minor honors in your suits.

"In defending high level contracts there are relatively few combinations of cards that need to be considered. Therefore, defenders are much less likely to err against five level contracts than they are to err against lower contracts.

"Unless the deal is a distributional freak, the combined trick taking potential of the hands (i.e. - the number of tricks you can take in your best trump suit added to the number that the opponents can take in theirs) seldom exceeds 20. Therefore, even if your five over five bid works out well, your profit will tend to be small. For example, suppose the opponents bid 5 Diamonds with both sides vulnerable, and you successfully save in 5 Spades. If 5 Diamonds makes, and you go two down doubled, your gain will be only 100 points (-500 versus -600).

"The combined trick taking potential of the hands is often 19 or less. In these cases five over five bids are often disastrous."

Manfield's example deal: Both vul. North

Dlr: South Q83

A74

West 987 East

310

J97 JT32 K64

9 83

AKJT63 South Q42

KQ6 AT52 A9854

KQJT652

5

7

West

25Dbl

North

2PassAll Pass

East

3Pass

South145

South's five-over-five bid cost him -500. However, 5 would have gone down one.

In contrast, the following deal from the 2011 Venice Cup exemplifies the value of extra distribution at the five-level. Sitting South was American expert Lynn Deas, representing USA 1 against USA 2.

E-W vul. Palmer

Dlr: East AQJ3

J87

Rosenberg K432 Seamon-Molson

9 T4 T2

AKQT9432 65

T5 Deas Q986

Q5 K87654 AKJ86

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--

AJ7

9732

Rosenberg

3Pass5Pass

Palmer

Pass4PassPass

Seamon-MolsonPass4DblPassDbl

Deas2PassPass5All pass

After Deas opened a Multi 2 , East-West found their optimal 4 contract. North then inferred that her partner held a weak two in spades, and reopened with 4 . East doubled with a balanced, defensive-looking hand. Unfortunately for her, the contract would have made an overtrick. Debbie Rosenberg judged well to sacrifice in 5 .

However, Deas now decided to bid five-over-five on the basis of her void as well as Rosenberg's insistent heart bids, which implied strong distribution around the table. This took guts (and partnership trust!) after East already doubled 4 .

East's second double netted +650 for North-South. In the other room, West was allowed to play 5 , down one, for an 11 IMP swing. On this deal, 20 total trumps produced 21 tricks.

References1 Brock, Sally (Ed.). (1998). The Complete Book of BOLS Bridge Tips.

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High Card Points (HCP)High card points ("HCP") are the cornerstone of hand evaluation. They represent numeric values for each honor card:

Ace = 4 pointsKing = 3 pointsQueen = 2 pointsJack = 1 points

Thus, each suit contains a total of 10 HCP, and every deal (52 cards) contains a total of 40 HCP. The maximum for a single hand is 37 HCP, e.g.

AKQJ AKQ AKQ AKQ

Opening the BiddingFirst and foremost, HCP are used to decide if a hand is strong enough to open the bidding. The general rule is that you need at least 12 HCP to open the bidding at the 1-level. Example:

JT98 T2 A9 AK865

This hand contains 12 HCP and is strong enough to open 1 .

QJ987 A42 A92 76

In contrast, this hand only has 11 HCP and is not strong enough to open 1 .

TreatmentsA treatment is a partnership agreement about the specific meaning of a natural bid. Examples of treatments in Standard American opening bids:

1 / = 3+ clubs / diamonds

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1 / = 5+ hearts / spades (i.e. 5-card majors) 1NT = 15-17 HCP with "balanced" distribution (i.e. no singleton/void,

and no more than one doubleton)

The following hand contains 16 HCP and therefore warrants a 1NT opening bid:

AK3 A98 AJ92 T76

Side note: in the old days, a 1NT opening bid promised 16-18 HCP. This is why bridge newspaper columns typically show 1NT bids containing exactly 16-17 HCP - to keep all readers happy.

High card points are also used to determine the appropriate response to an opening bid. 6 HCP are generally considered the minimum for responding to a natural 1 / / / opening bid.

ConventionsA convention is a partnership agreement about the meaning of an uncommon or artificial bid. High card points are frequently used to define conventional agreements. Examples of conventions in Standard American opening bids:

2 = Artificial, showing 22+ HCP or 9+ tricks 2 / / = A weak two bid, showing 5-10 HCP and a 6-card suit

Adjustments to HCP

All four aces. Many players add a point when holding all four aces. The rationale is that aces are slightly undervalued in the 4-3-2-1 HCP system.

Queens and jacks. Pretty much everyone agrees that queens and jacks are worth a bit less than 2 HCP and 1 HCP, respectively. Therefore, a hand with "soft values" that contains 12 HCP is commonly passed, e.g.:

QJ3 QT987 KJ4 QJ

Singleton and doubleton honors. Hands containing singleton and doubleton honors are often worth less than their HCP indicate. For example, a queen-jack doubleton is technically 3 HCP, but may provide little or no value if the opponents hold the ace-king of the suit. (The queen

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and jack simply get squashed when the opponents play their ace and king.)

Suit texture. The HCP system does not assign values to "interior" cards like tens and nines, but they are definitely worth some fractional value. For instance, would you rather hold KJT98 or KJ432?

Contextual auction considerations. Honor cards can increase or decrease in value, depending on the auction. For example, say you open 1 with:

KJ3 AQT98 A94 32

Now your left-hand opponent overcalls 1 . Your KJ3 has just lost some value because of the increased probability of your opponent holding AQxxx.

Related TopicsThe following bidding guidelines are closely related to HCP:

Distribution points Rule of 20 Pearson points

OriginsHigh card points were popularized by American bridge icon Charles Goren in the first half of the 20th century. They remain one of the most basic and essential guidelines today.

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Honor Count vs Point CountBy Marvin Frenchwww.marvinfrench.com

Ace, king, queen jack: four, three, two, one. How simple! How easy to remember! This is the Work count, named after Milton C. Work, the mentor and employer of Charles Goren. It was based on the McCampbell count of 1915, publicized by Work in the 20s. He actually did not like point count (PC), writing this in Auction Bridge Complete, 1926:

"Many teachers and writers advocate schemes by which a bidder may determine mathematically whether his hand is strong enough to justify bidding an original No Trump. A more difficult, but much more satisfactory, method is figuring an Ace as one trick, giving to all other single honors and to all combinations of honors arbitrary values which in most cases are fractions of a trick, or one or more tricks and a fraction." Ely Culbertson later incorporated this principle in the development of Honor Count (HC).

By 1929 Work, in Contract Bridge for All, gave in to PC's popularity and accepted it for notrump bidding only. For suit bidding he wrote:

"Contract suit bidding is so simple that only the number of 'probable' and 'high card' tricks in the hand need be noticed."

The great Ely Culbertson agreed with that in his Contract Bridge Complete, 1936, while eschewing point count altogether. Instead he used HC for both notrump and suit bidding. No doubt he could see that PC had two serious drawbacks: (1) 4-3-2-1 is not an accurate measurement of the relative values of high cards, especially for suit bidding, and (2) honors in combination are worth more than the same honors lying in different suits.

In his book Contract Bridge in a Nutshell (1952 edition), Goren wrote:

"The point count method for No Trump bidding as we know it today was first introduced by me in Winning Bridge Made Easy (1936) and has for many years been standard with an overwhelming majority of the most successful players in the country. The carryover into suit bidding was accomplished in 1949 and has now been universally accepted." Notice that he gave no credit to Work (who had given no credit to McCampbell!).

He didn't say that he used HC, not PC, for suit bidding up until 1944, when he gave PC and HC equal value for both notrump and suit bidding, as in his The Standard Book of Bidding (1944-49). "Take your pick, it doesn't matter," he seemed to say.

Then he saw a way to gain ground on his rival Culbertson by using PC for all bidding. He knew that this was an inferior approach (giving him benefit of doubt) but realized that most players wanted one simple hand evaluation method, not two, for all bidding. He started with Point Count Bidding in Contract Bridge (1950). The book was so successful that he followed it up with many others. In his highly successful system summary, Contract Bridge in a Nutshell, 1952 edition, he wrote:

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"With the introduction of my point count method the honor trick began to fall into disfavor, and today it is all but obsolete. Even those authorities who sponsored the honor trick for twenty years have decided, after witnessing the acceptance of point count, to abandon the old table and to adopt the methods which you will find set forth in this and my other books. Such action became indispensable to survival." True, not because of PC's superiority but because of its popularity. "Authorities" had to go along or lose students and readers.

Culbertson was caught out and desperately tried to catch up, coming out with Culbertson Point Count Bidding: "Improved and simplified 4-3-2-1 with the new rule of 3&4." But it was too late, Goren had cornered the market.

So what about this 4-3-2-1 count? The Four Aces (Oswald Jacoby, David Burnstine (later Bruce), Howard Schenken, and Michael T. Gottlieb) in their Four Aces System of Contract Bridge, 1935, featured a 3-2-1-1/2 count. These men were very qualified to write such a book, having as a team won 11 out of 13 major team championships between 1933 and 1935, while none were won by Culbertson's team. Their very complicated book did not sell well and was soon forgotten. Actually the 3-2-1-1/2 count more nearly expresses the true relative values of honor cards for suit bidding, but not for notrump bidding, for which they should have retained the 4-3-2-1 count. The Four Aces made a mistake in having a point count that includes a fraction, and should have doubled the values yielding 6-4-2-1, which players might more readily have accepted. It entails larger sums but the arithmetic is simpler. Incidentally, Goren included the Four Aces PC in The Standard Book of Bidding, treating it as an equal to the 4-3-2-1 PC, despite the great difference. While the 4-3-2-1 count is marginally acceptable for notrump bidding, for suit bidding it overvalues queens and jacks while undervaluing aces and kings.

In the September 2001 Bridge World, Doug Bennion defines a more accurate PC, Little Jack Points (LJP), as A = 6-1/2, K = 4-1/2, Q = 2-1/2 and J = 1, which Bennion's research confirms as being superior to 4-3-2-1 provided an adjustment is made for honor synergy:: add 1/2 point for each face card that is accompanied by a higher honor in its suit. Danny Kleinman improved this method by doubling the values, producing A = 13, K = 9, Q=5, J = 2, with whole point adjustments instead of halves. He also added further adjustments to reflect the value of 10s when accompanied by 9s or higher honors, subtracting two points for a 4-3-3-3 hand, reducing values for singleton honors, and devaluing a hand with an unstopped suit.

The result is a much more accurate count that has a valid strength relationship among the honors and recognizes the increased value of accompanied honors (as honor count does!). Bennion researched only the value of high cards when balanced hand faces balanced hand. In other words, this is a notrump count, not a count for suit bidding, which would assign more value to aces and kings vs queens and jacks.

It is very sad to see the Work-Goren PC taught to beginners as the ultimate hand evaluation method, not the temporary rough tool it should be called, and to see it used faithfully by experienced players. "Faithfully" is the right word, because adherence to it is like a religious belief, blind to reason.

Now, what about HC? It has been defined in slightly different ways, but let's use Ely Culbertson's version with very slight modifications. After all, he was the one responsible for the name and for making it extremely popular for 20 years, as Goren said. Here are the honor valuations:

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AK = 2

AKQJ, AKQ, and AKJ = 2-plus

AQ and AJ10 = 1-1/2

AQJ = 1-1/2-plus

A, KQ, and KJ10 = 1

AJx and KQJ = 1-plus

Kx and QJx = 1/2

KJx = 1/2-plus

Qx, J10x, and two isolated jacks = a "plus"

Two plus values = 1/2, so a plus is really 1/4

The value for AJ10 is thanks to Danny Kleinman, not Culbertson.

Somewhat arbitrarily, the same evaluations are applicable to both notrump and suit bidding. As with PC, it is too much to expect players to learn two different tables. It may seem strange that AKQ, AKQJ, and AKJ are treated as equals, but that is related (1) to their value in a suit contract, when a third-round winner is less likely especially when defending, and (2) in a notrump contract when a concentration of honors in one suit implies possibly extreme weakness elsewhere. (1) is less applicable for a declaring side in a suit contract, when winners are more important than defensive values. (2) is less applicable in a notrump contract when the other suits have strength or when partner has shown a valuable hand for notrump (when he may have the other suits well-covered). When (1) and (2) are less applicable, the HC for these holdings can be increased slightly.

Here are two hands with different PC values (11 and 13) but identical HC values (2-1/2)

AQJx KJx xx xxxx

AQxx Kxx Qx Qxxx

Despite the different point counts, 11 and 13, these hands are of approximately equal value according to HC (2-1/2 each). The principle involved is that honors in combination are worth more than separate honors. PC adherents will say it doesn't matter in the long run, evaluation errors will even out. No they won't. PC is seldom if ever superior to HC, so its inferiority is a generally constant companion. Expert players use PC as a starting point in the evaluation of their hand, and make adjustments based on hand shape, location of honors, fit with partner, intermediate cards, opposing bidding, control cards, unguarded honors, and information on partner's suit length and suit strength as it becomes available during the bidding. The starting point is a poor one, unfortunately.

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The trick-taking ability of the first hand is 2-1/2 + 1 = 3-1/2. For the second, 2 + 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/2 = 3. While HC doesn't reflect this difference, treating them as equals, PC greatly overstates the value of the second hand.

For another illustration, consider a hand with Kxx and Qxx in different suits. The hand opposite has Qxx and Kxx in the same suits. What is the total trick-taking potential? The isolated honors in one suit will take one trick for sure and possibly two (when one is not captured by the ace). Let's say the total is a probable 2-1/2 tricks.

Now consider a hand with KQx in one suit, the hand opposite having KQx in another suit. The trick-taking ability for each KQx is at least one but two half the time, depending on where the ace is. Let's say 1-1/2 for each, a total of three tricks.

In either situation the total PC is 10, making the holdings supposedly equal in value. However, the HC is 1-1/2 for the first case and 2 HC for the second. HC is more accurate than PC

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The Law of Total TricksIn bridge, the Law of Total Tricks (or simply "The Law") is a hand evaluation method for competitive auctions. Technically stated, the total number of cards in each partnership's longest suit is equal to the number of "total tricks" that either side can win in a suit contract.

This is pretty wordy, so I think it's best to jump into some examples...

Examples

North

AQT32

KQ3

West T9 East

54 AT3 976

AT985 J72

AK63 South 87

J8 KJ8 KQ976

64

QJ542

542

West 1Pass

North 1Pass

East 2Pass

South 2

This is a typical Law deal. East-West have 8 hearts and North-South have 8 spades. 8 hearts + 8 spades = 16 total trumps. That number happens to be the combined number of tricks that can be made in 2 and 2 . Playing 2 , West would make exactly 8 tricks after losing 2

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spades, 2 hearts and a club. In 2 , North would also win 8 tricks against best defense, losing a heart, 2 diamonds and 2 clubs. 8 heart tricks + 8 spade tricks = 16 "total tricks".

The principle is the same if we move some cards around:

North

AQT32

K3

West T93 East

54 T83 976

AQT985 J72

AK6 South 87

AJ KJ8 KQ976

64

QJ542

542

West 14

North 1Pass

East 2Pass

South 2 Pass

North-South still own an 8-card spade fit, but East-West now enjoy a 9-card heart fit. 8 spades + 9 hearts = 17. Playing 4 , West will win 11 tricks against best defense, losing only 2 spades. If North were allowed to play 2 , he would only win 6 tricks; East-West would score 2 diamonds, a diamond ruff, 3 clubs and a heart. 11 tricks + 6 tricks = 17, which is equal to the total number of spades and hearts in the deal.

The bidding in the above examples was clear-cut, with or without the Law. So let's look at a hand in which the Law may actually influence the bidding. Sitting East, you hold:

973 KQ32 J2QT72

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The auction begins:

Partner 1 (1)Pass

Opp 1 Pass2

You 2?

Opp 2 Pass

1. 5-card major.

Playing a natural 5-card major system, you have already described your hand with 2 , and it may seem obvious to pass. But the Law would actually suggest bidding 3 . The full deal:

Opp 1

AQT6

987

Partner Q985 You

54 A9 973

AJ654 KQ32

AT76 Opp 2 J2

K6 KJ82 QT72

T

K43

J8543

The opponents hold 8 spades, while your side holds 9 hearts. 8 + 9 = 17, so the Law says there should be 17 total tricks available. Therefore, if the opponents can make 2 (8 tricks), then your side can make 3 (9 tricks). That is the case in this deal.

This leads to the most important application of the Law...

Bid Your Number of Trumps

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In my experience, this is most common and critical at the 2- and 3-levels. If you and your partner have an 8-card fit, then you are usually safe to compete to the 2-level in that suit. And if you own a 9-card fit, then you're usually safe to compete to the 3-level. The contract will either make, or be a good sacrifice against whatever the opponents can make.

1. Corollary: Get to the right level quickly. In the above auction, East bid 2 first, which allowed the opponents to compete in spades. Playing

Bergen raises, a bidding convention based on the Law, East could have shown 4-card support immediately. Moreover, Bergen raises allow a major-suit jump raise (i.e. 1 - 3 ) with 0 points, because of the Law's premise of a 9-card fit. This is something that standard bidding methods would never allow.

2. Corollary: Do not compete above your trump fit unless you have extra shape, points, or vulnerability in your favor. For example, South could bid 3 over 3 in the above auction. However, this is much more attractive if North-South are not vulnerable. If vulnerable, 3 doubled is -200 which is obviously a worse score than defending 3 .

3. Corollary: There are "adjustments" to the Law to consider when bidding. I am not a big fan of this, and consider it to be the major weakness of the Law. Depending on the distribution of the cards, sometimes the number of total trumps does NOT equal the number of total tricks. The Law is sometimes incorrect depending on how strong each side's trump holding are, and how many total trumps exist. Once a deal gets above 18 total trumps, the Law can be a little erratic. For example:

North

AQT32

K3

West T93 East

54 T83 9

AQT985 J742

AK6 South 872

AJ KJ876 KQ976

6

QJ54

542

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4.20 total trumps in hearts and spades but only 18 total tricks. 4 is cold for East-West, but North-South can only make 2 . Depending on the vulnerability, it may be correct for North-South to sacrifice in 4 - the 10 combined trumps recommends it. But clearly, something is amiss with the Law here.

5.

6. Origins7. The Law of Total Tricks was originally proposed by Jean-René Vernes in his 1966

book "Bridge Moderne de la Défense." He subsequently wrote a synopsis of the Law in a Bridge World article circa June 1969. More recently it has been popularized by American experts Marty Bergen and Larry Cohen. Cohen is the author of the title "To Bid or Not to Bid: The Law of Total Tricks."

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Losing Trick Count (LTC)Losing Trick Count (LTC) is a hand evaluation method popularized by Australian expert Ron Klinger. It's used to judge how high to bid after an 8+ card trump fit is identified.

LTC employs the following math:

1. Count the number of "winners" and "losers" in each of your suits: o Each ace and king counts as a winner. This overvalues kings

compared to aces, but so be it. o Queens count as 0 or 0.5 winners, depending on the holding. A

queen supported by another honor card or at least 2 spot cards (AQ, Qxxxx) can be counted as 0.5 winners. Queen doubletons and singletons (Qx, Q) are worthless - 2 losers and 1 loser, respectively.

o Jacks are worth 0.5 winners if supporting other honor cards, e.g. QJx or AJT. Otherwise, they are worthless.

Examples:

o xxx, Jxx = 3 losers o Qxx = 2.5 losers o Axx, AJx, KJx, Kxx, QJx, Qx, Jx, xx = 2 losers. Note that Kxx is

worth more than Qxx but less than Axx. I'd say it's worth 2.25 losers, but that would give me a headache.

o AQx, AJT, KJT = 1.5 losers o AKx, AQJ, KQ, Kx, K, Q, J, x = 1 loser o AQ = 0.5 losers o AK, void = 0 losers

Do not count more than 3 losers per suit. For example, xxxxx is only 3 losers, not 5.

2. The following is my preference for trump holdings: o Deduct 0.5 losers from all trump holdings containing 1.5 or 2.5

losers. This includes AQx, AJT, KJT. I'd count these as 1 loser, not 1.5.

o Deduct 1 full loser for all other holdings that contain at least 1 spot card loser. Axx, KTx, QJx, AJx: I'd count these as 1 loser, not 2. xxx, xxxx: I'd count these as 2 losers, not 3. Think about this a little... AKxxx opposite JTxx is supposedly 4 losers, yet you are even money to have NO losers if you cash the ace and king in real life.

325

o No additional deductions for any other trump holdings, e.g. AQJ (still 1 loser) or AK (still 0 losers).

3. Add up all the losers in each suit. Example after partner opens 1 :

T987A98487532--

2 spade losers (not 3 losers; see previous step) + 2 heart losers + 3 diamond losers + 0 club losers = 7 total losers.

4. Estimate the number of losers in your partner's hand based on his/her bidding. The most common scenarios are a natural 1-level opening bid of 1 / / / (7 losers on average), an overcall (typically 7-8 losers at the 1-level and 7-losers at the 2-level), or a limit raise (typically 8 losers). Add that estimate to your hand's losers. Example using the above hand:

YouT987 A98487532--

PartnerAQ532K2KT4xxx

5.You have 7 losers. Your partner has 1 + 1 + 2 + 3 = 7 losers. Your 7 + partner's 7 = 14.

6. Subtract your combined losers from 24. In this case, 24 - 14 = 10. This is the estimated number of tricks your side can win with spades as trumps. It implies that you should reach the game contract of 4 .

Basic Corollaries of LTC

If your side has only 14 losers (i.e. 10 winners) with hearts or spades as trumps, then you can make 4 / . LTC is a useful guide for hands like the above example that only have 4 HCP and can't be easily categorized a simple raise or limit raise.

If your side has only 13 losers (i.e. 11 winners) with clubs or diamonds as trumps, then you can make 5 / .

If your side has only 12 losers (i.e. 12 winners) with any suit as trumps, then you can make a small slam, i.e. 6 / / / . This scenario typically presents itself when one person has 7 losers, and his/her partner must decide how high to bid holding 5 losers.

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Competitive Bidding ConsiderationsOpponents' bids may impact your LTC evaluation. For example, say you hold KJx. If the opponents are silent, I'd count this as 2 losers. If RHO opens 1 though, I'd count this as 1.5 losers because of the increased odds of RHO holding the heart ace and/or queen. Playing in a suit contract, I can finesse RHO for those hypothetical cards.

However, if LHO opens 1 , I'd treat this holding as closer to 2.5 losers. In that situation, LHO may hold AQxxx and can finesse MY heart honors

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Inhalt2C (Two Clubs) – stark ab 20 F..........................................................................1

Bergen Raises.......................................................................................................8

Responses to 1 ...............................................................................................8

Responses to 1 ...............................................................................................9

Openers Rebids After a 3 Response ("Constructive" Raise).................10

Openers Rebids After a 3 Response ("Limit" Raise)..............................11

Opener's Rebids After 1 - 3 ("Preemptive" Raise)...............................11

Opener's Rebids After 1 - 3 (Game-Forcing Raise)..............................11

Opener's Rebids After 1 - 3 ("Preemptive" Raise)...............................12

Opener's Rebids After 1 - 3 (Game-Forcing Raise)..............................13

In Competition...............................................................................................13

Pros and Cons................................................................................................13

Origins............................................................................................................14

Blackwood...........................................................................................................15

Origins.............................................................................................................16

Baby Blackwood.................................................................................................16

Responses to 3NT............................................................................................16

Rebids by the 3NT bidder...............................................................................17

Jacoby 2NT (Two No-Trump)............................................................................18

Opener's Rebids...............................................................................................18

Responder's Rebids.........................................................................................19

Example...........................................................................................................19

In Competition.................................................................................................20

Origins.............................................................................................................20

Limit Raises.........................................................................................................21

Examples.........................................................................................................21

In Competition.................................................................................................22

Jordan / Truscott 2NT (Two No-Trump)............................................................29

329

Opener's Rebids...............................................................................................29


Examples.........................................................................................................30

Origins.............................................................................................................31

Takeout Double...................................................................................................32

Responses to a Takeout Double......................................................................33

Responses After Interference..........................................................................34

Optional Double..................................................................................................35

Examples.........................................................................................................35

Other Considerations.......................................................................................36

Weak Two Bids...................................................................................................37

Responses to a Weak Two...............................................................................37

Example Auctions...........................................................................................38

High Card Points (HCP)......................................................................................39

Opening the Bidding.......................................................................................39

Treatments.......................................................................................................39

Conventions.....................................................................................................40

Adjustments to HCP........................................................................................40

Related Topics.................................................................................................41

Origins.............................................................................................................41

References.......................................................................................................42

CRASH................................................................................................................44

CRASH Over 1NT..........................................................................................45

Origins.............................................................................................................46

Crawling Stayman...............................................................................................47

Opener's Rebids...............................................................................................47



Garbage Stayman................................................................................................49

Opener's Rebids...............................................................................................49

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Examples.........................................................................................................49

Jacoby Transfers..................................................................................................51

Opener's Rebids...............................................................................................51


Examples.........................................................................................................53

In Competition.................................................................................................55

Extra Tips........................................................................................................55

Origins.............................................................................................................56

The Law of Total Tricks......................................................................................56

Examples.........................................................................................................56

Bid Your Number of Trumps..........................................................................59

6. Origins....................................................................................................60

9. External Articles..................................................................................60

Stayman...............................................................................................................60

Opener's Rebids...............................................................................................61

Responder's rebids after 2 .............................................................................61



In Competition.................................................................................................63


Examples.........................................................................................................64

Origins.............................................................................................................66

Michaels Cue Bid................................................................................................67

Michaels Cue Bids...........................................................................................67

Responses to a 2 Cuebid (Hearts and Spades)..............................................68

Responses to a 2 Cuebid (Hearts and Spades)..............................................68

Responses to a 2 Cuebid (Spades and a Minor)...........................................69

Responses to a 2 Cuebid (Hearts and a Minor)............................................70

Overcaller's Rebids..........................................................................................70


331

Origins.............................................................................................................72

Defense to Michaels............................................................................................73

The Double......................................................................................................73

Raising Partner's Suit......................................................................................74

Cuebidding the opponents' "known" suit........................................................75

Cuebidding the opponents' "higher" suit.........................................................76

Cuebidding the opponents' "lower" suit..........................................................76

Opener's Rebids...............................................................................................77

Dig-Out................................................................................................................79

Origins.............................................................................................................80

DONT.................................................................................................................81

DOPI (Double 0, Pass 1).....................................................................................82


Double-Barreled Stayman...................................................................................84

Opener's Rebids...............................................................................................84


Drury...................................................................................................................86

Opener's Rebids...............................................................................................86

Examples.........................................................................................................86

In Competition.................................................................................................88


Origins.............................................................................................................88

Exit Transfers......................................................................................................90

Origins.............................................................................................................91

Four-Suit Transfers..............................................................................................92

Examples.........................................................................................................92

Opener's Rebids...............................................................................................93


The Invitational 2NT Response.......................................................................94

Fourth Suit Forcing.............................................................................................96

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Opener's Rebids...............................................................................................96

When Fourth Suit Forcing Is Off....................................................................99

When to Use Fourth Suit Forcing..................................................................100

Gambling 3NT...................................................................................................101

Responses......................................................................................................101

Opener's Rebids.............................................................................................102

In Competition...............................................................................................102

Ghestem.............................................................................................................103

Ghestem vs. Michaels....................................................................................103

Help Suit Game Try..........................................................................................105

Examples.......................................................................................................106

Other Considerations.....................................................................................107

Short Suit Game Try..........................................................................................109

Examples.......................................................................................................109


Intermediate Jump Overcalls.............................................................................113

Responses......................................................................................................114

Examples.......................................................................................................115

Inverted Minors.................................................................................................117

The Strong Raise (1 : 2 and 1 : 2 )......................................................117

The Weak Raise (1 : 3 or 1 : 3 )..........................................................118

Opener's Rebids After 1 : 2 ......................................................................118

Opener's Rebids After 1 : 2 ......................................................................119

In Competition...............................................................................................119


Origins...........................................................................................................120

Kamikaze 1NT (One No-Trump)......................................................................121


Origins...........................................................................................................122

Kantar Cue Bid..................................................................................................123

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Examples.......................................................................................................123

Origins...........................................................................................................124

Keri Response to 1NT.......................................................................................125

Responder's Rebids After 2 : 2 ................................................................125

Opener's Responses After Responder's 2 Rebid.........................................127

Opener's Responses After Responder's 2 Rebid.........................................128

Origins...........................................................................................................128

See also..........................................................................................................129

Landy.................................................................................................................130

Responses to 2 ............................................................................................130

Overcaller's Rebids After 2 : 2NT..............................................................130

In Competition...............................................................................................131

Examples.......................................................................................................132

Origins...........................................................................................................134

Multi-Landy (Woolsey).....................................................................................134

Responses to the Double (if it promises a 4-card major)..............................135

Responses to the 2 Overcall........................................................................135




Responses to the 2NT Overcall.....................................................................138

Leaping Michaels..............................................................................................139

The 4 Jump Overcall...................................................................................139

The 4 Jump Overcall...................................................................................140


Lebensohl (After a 1NT opening bid)...............................................................141

Responder's Bids...........................................................................................141

Opener's Rebids.............................................................................................142

Responder's Rebids.......................................................................................142

Over Artificial Interference...........................................................................143

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RHO shows a two-suiter, but only one suit is known...............................143

RHO shows a two-suiter, and both suits are known..................................143

Examples.......................................................................................................144

Origins...........................................................................................................147

Lebensohl Over Weak Two Bids......................................................................147

Bad Hands (0-7 Points).................................................................................147

Invitational Hands (8-11 points)....................................................................148

Game-Forcing Hands (12+ points)................................................................149


Origins...........................................................................................................150

Lightner Double................................................................................................151

Examples.......................................................................................................151


Origins...........................................................................................................152

Maximal Double................................................................................................153

When to Use a Maximal Double...................................................................154

Maximal Doubles with Overcalls..................................................................154

When NOT to Use a Maximal Double..........................................................155

Meckwell Escapes.............................................................................................156

Responder's Rebids After 2 ........................................................................156

Examples.......................................................................................................157

Michaels Cue Bid..............................................................................................159

Michaels Cue Bids.........................................................................................159

Responses to a 2 Cuebid (Hearts and Spades)............................................160

Responses to a 2 Cuebid (Hearts and Spades)............................................160

Responses to a 2 Cuebid (Spades and a Minor).........................................161

Responses to a 2 Cuebid (Hearts and a Minor)..........................................162

Overcaller's Rebids........................................................................................162


Origins...........................................................................................................164

335

Minor Suit Stayman...........................................................................................165

Opener's Rebids.............................................................................................165


Examples.......................................................................................................169

Additional Considerations.............................................................................170

Minor Suit Transfers.........................................................................................172


Multi-Landy (Woolsey).....................................................................................176

Responses to the Double (if it promises a 4-card major)..............................176





Responses to the 2NT Overcall.....................................................................179

Namyats.............................................................................................................181

Opener's Bids.................................................................................................181

Responder's Bids...........................................................................................182

Opener's Rebids.............................................................................................182

In Competition...............................................................................................182

Examples.......................................................................................................183

Origins...........................................................................................................185

Negative Double................................................................................................186

Rebids by Opener..........................................................................................187

Origins...........................................................................................................190

New Minor Forcing...........................................................................................191

Opener's Rebids.............................................................................................191

OBAR BIDS.....................................................................................................197

Ogust.................................................................................................................199

Examples.......................................................................................................199

In Competition...............................................................................................200

336

Origins...........................................................................................................200

Optional Double................................................................................................201

Examples.......................................................................................................201


Puppet Stayman.................................................................................................203

Responding to 1NT.......................................................................................203

Opener's Rebids.............................................................................................204


1NT : 3 as Puppet.......................................................................................205

2NT: 3 as Puppet........................................................................................205

Origins...........................................................................................................206

Raise Only Non-Forcing...................................................................................207

Examples.......................................................................................................207

Responsive Double............................................................................................209

Examples.......................................................................................................209

Responsive Doubles After an Overcall.........................................................210


Origins...........................................................................................................211

Reverse Bids......................................................................................................212

Rules for Reversing.......................................................................................212

Examples.......................................................................................................213

Responses to a Reverse.................................................................................215

Reverses in Competition...............................................................................219

Reverse Drury....................................................................................................220

Examples.......................................................................................................220

Reversed Splinters.............................................................................................222

Origins...........................................................................................................223

Roman Blackwood............................................................................................224

Origins...........................................................................................................224

Roman Jump Overcalls.....................................................................................225

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Examples.......................................................................................................225

Roman Key Card Blackwood............................................................................227

Responses to 4NT..........................................................................................227

Asking for Kings (5NT)................................................................................228

Asking for the Trump Queen.........................................................................229

Why You Should Play 1430 vs. 0314...........................................................230

RKCB In Competition...................................................................................231


Origins...........................................................................................................231

External Articles........................................................................................232

References.....................................................................................................232

ROPI (Redouble 0, Pass 1)..............................................................................233

Sandwich No-trump..........................................................................................234

Responses to 1NT..........................................................................................235

Short Suit Game Try..........................................................................................236

Examples.......................................................................................................236


Smolen...............................................................................................................240

Origins...........................................................................................................241

SOS Redouble...................................................................................................242

Examples.......................................................................................................242


Splinters.............................................................................................................245


Stayman.............................................................................................................248

Opener's Rebids.............................................................................................248

Responder's rebids after 2 ...........................................................................248



In Competition...............................................................................................250

338


Examples.......................................................................................................251

Origins...........................................................................................................253

1NT (15-17).......................................................................................................254

Shape.............................................................................................................254

With a 5-Card Major.....................................................................................254

Responses......................................................................................................255

In Competition...............................................................................................256

Strong 2C Opening Bid.....................................................................................257

Responses to 2 ............................................................................................258

Opener's Rebids.............................................................................................261

Responder's Second Bid................................................................................263

In Competition...............................................................................................266

External Articles........................................................................................266

Support Double..................................................................................................267

When to Play Support Doubles.....................................................................268

Examples.......................................................................................................268

Additional Considerations.............................................................................269

Takeout Double.................................................................................................270

Responses to a Takeout Double....................................................................271

Responses After Interference........................................................................272

Texas Transfers.................................................................................................273

Examples.......................................................................................................273

In Competition...............................................................................................275


Origins...........................................................................................................277

3-Way Double Reverse Drury........................................................................278

Thrump Double.................................................................................................281

Example.........................................................................................................281

Probing for Slam...........................................................................................282

339

Origins...........................................................................................................282

Touching Escapes..............................................................................................283


Truscott Defense to 1C (One Club)................................................................285

Two-Way Reverse Drury..................................................................................286

Opener's Rebids.............................................................................................286

Examples.......................................................................................................287

Unusual 2NT.....................................................................................................289

Unusual 2NT Overcalls.................................................................................289

Partner's Responses.......................................................................................290

Rebids by the 2NT Bidder.............................................................................290


Additional Examples.....................................................................................291

Unusual vs. Unusual..........................................................................................293

The Double....................................................................................................293

The 3 Response...........................................................................................294

The 3 Response...........................................................................................294

The 3 Response...........................................................................................295

The 3 Response...........................................................................................296


Weak 1NT (One No-Trump)...........................................................................297

Weak Jump Overcalls........................................................................................298

Examples of Weak Jump Overcalls...............................................................298

Responses to a Weak Jump Overcall............................................................298

Example Auctions.........................................................................................299


Weak Jump Shifts..............................................................................................301

Opener's Rebids.............................................................................................301

Examples.......................................................................................................302


340

Weak Two Bids.................................................................................................305

Responses to a Weak Two.............................................................................305

Example Auctions.........................................................................................306

Distribution Points.............................................................................................308

Length Points.................................................................................................308

Short Suit Points............................................................................................309

The Five Level Belongs to the Opponents........................................................310

References.....................................................................................................312

High Card Points (HCP)....................................................................................313

Opening the Bidding.....................................................................................313

Treatments.....................................................................................................313

Conventions...................................................................................................314

Adjustments to HCP......................................................................................314

Related Topics...............................................................................................315

Origins...........................................................................................................315

Honor Count vs Point Count..........................................................................316

The Law of Total Tricks....................................................................................320

Examples.......................................................................................................320

Bid Your Number of Trumps........................................................................322

6. Origins..................................................................................................324

Losing Trick Count (LTC)................................................................................325

Basic Corollaries of LTC..............................................................................326

Competitive Bidding Considerations............................................................327

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