2/5/23 (60 min)
In the balancing seat we usually “borrow a king” from our partner. Since NT bids are precisely defined this point change to our hand dramatically affects our bidding. Here we look at our balancing NT bids and the followup bidding that partner makes.
12/5/22 (65 min)
The modern system for bidding when we have a fit for partner's minor, called inverted minors, works on improving our ability to look for game or slam in a minor suit -- which is the most common time we want to support a minor suit. Make sure you and partner have a good grasp of these methods, both for playing them and playing against them.
12/12/22 (66 min)
One of the most powerful tools we have in competitive bidding is the preemptive raise. When we have a minor suit fit the opponents will often have a major suit fit. We want to make it as difficult as possible for them to find that fit and using preemptive raises is one the best ways to make their life difficult.
12/19/22 (69 min)
There are certain minor suit hands that can play extremely well in NT contracts. If evaluated correctly these hands can be bid in a way that makes the auction relatively simple. Let's make sure that you do not torture your partner with these hands when you could keep it simple and get to the right contract.
12/27/22 (63 min)
When we have a good hand and a minor suit fit then we may want to explore a minor suit slam. Part of the art form of minor suit slam bidding is using tools to explore slam while keeping a NT contract in the picture. Here we look at how to use these tools and better judge our minor suit slam.
6/12/23 (61 min)
When we reach the second round of the bidding things get more complicated. When Opener rebids NT and Responder uses New Minor Forcing to ask for more information then Opener needs to describe their hand. Here we look at Opener's options in detail!
6/19/23 (62 min)
When Opener bids two different suits then with a strong hand Responder frequently uses 4th Suit Forcing to continue the bidding and get more information about Opener's hand. Here we look at how Opener rebids in these auctions.
12/5/22 (65 min)
The modern system for bidding when we have a fit for partner's minor, called inverted minors, works on improving our ability to look for game or slam in a minor suit -- which is the most common time we want to support a minor suit. Make sure you and partner have a good grasp of these methods, both for playing them and playing against them.
7/4/22 (65 min)
The opponents often compete in the bidding when we have a fit. That means auctions where we plan to use Inverted Minors, Feature Ask, or Help Suit Game Tries often get disrupted. When this happens we need to have good agreements with our partner about when and how our systems change. Make sure you watch and discuss with with your partners.
