TWiB Lesson #505 (8 of 8)
Discards are an important way to communicate with partner. But not just the first discard, every discard matters. Here we look at discards later in the play.
Defense in Middle of Hand - Later Discards
Advanced Card Play: Combine Your Chances
TWiB Lesson #489 (1 of 9)
Finding the best line of play as Declarer is always a challenge. Instead of trying to determine the better of line of play A and line of play B the best play is often to choose a combination of the two. Here we look at how to improve you declarer play by combining your chances.
Advanced Card Play: Optimistic and Pessimistic Play
TWiB Lesson #490 (2 of 9)
Having the right mindset is an important part of approaching a declarer play problem. When you are in a good contact start to consider “What could go wrong?!?” and when you are in a bad contract start to make assumptions that good things are going to happen for you!
Advanced Card Play: The King-Jack Guess
TWiB Lesson #491 (3 of 9)
When we are defending and the Declaring side holds the King and the Jack in a suit then they will often have to guess the layout of the suit in order to take their most tricks. Here we look at the art of giving them the most difficult guesses we can!
Advanced Card Play: Misfits and Moysians
TWiB Lesson #492 (4 of 9)
Finding a fit makes declaring a hand much easier. When we are playing a hand without a fit it is much more challenging. Here we look at some strategies for playing hands that have less than an 8-card fit.
More Comp Bidding 2: Michaels Cuebid
TWiB Lesson #480 (1 of 9)
When the opponent’s open the bidding and we have two long suits it is useful to be able to show them both immediately. This is especially true when we have a weak hand. Here we look at Michaels Cuebids and see how they help us do this!
More Comp Bidding 2: Unusual NT
TWiB Lesson #481 (2 of 9)
There is another valuable tool for competing in the bidding when we have a two suited hand — the unusual NT. Let’s see how this bidding tool is effective in competitive bidding.
More Comp Bidding 2: Simple Overcalls by Level
TWiB Lesson #482 (3 of 9)
Here we look at Simple Overcalls and how they vary based on situation and level — which is dramatic!
More Comp Bidding 2: Compete Over 2-Level Preempts - Lebensohl
TWiB Lesson #483 (4 of 9)
Dealing with preempts is extremely difficult. Here we look at an extremely useful tool for dealing with the opponent’s 2-level preempts — an innovative use of 2NT as a convention, not a contract!
More Comp Bidding 2: Leaping Michaels
TWiB Lesson #484 (5 of 9)
Against the Opponent’s 2-level preempts we have ways of showing strong hands with two long suits by using a special jump overcall called Leaping Michaels. Here we see how to use it.
More Comp Bidding 2: Bidding Over the Opponent's 3+Level Preempts
TWiB Lesson #485 (6 of 9)
When the opponents make a high-level preempt it makes our life difficult. Here we look at our options for bidding over them and what risks we have to take.
More Comp Bidding 2: Dealing with 4-Level Jump Overcalls
TWiB Lesson #486 (7 of 9)
When we open the bidding the opponents love to preempt and eat up our bidding space. This is especially difficult when their preempt is a jump to game in a Major. Here we look at how to deal with it!
More Comp Bidding 2: Overcalling a 4-card Suit
TWiB Lesson #487 (8 of 9)
It is frustrating to have a good hand and not be able to get into the auction. Here we look at a less used option for getting into the auction when the opponents open the bidding — overcalling a 4-card suit.
More Comp Bidding 2: Gazzilli
TWiB Lesson #488 (9 of 9)
The latest upgrade to “modern expert bidding”. If you love gadgets, this is what you should add to your bidding system.
Defensive Carding: Attitude Signals
TWiB Lesson #471 (1 of 9)
Attitude signals are some of the most important ways that we can communicate with our partner. Here we look at how to make them and when they apply so that we can work with partners effectively!
Defensive Carding: Count Signals
TWiB Lesson #472 (2 of 9)
Signaling with partner is an important part of working together to defend a hand. Attitude signals are extremely important, but so are count signals. Here we look at how to give them and more importantly, when they apply.
Defensive Carding: Discards
TWiB Lesson #473 (3 of 9)
When we run out of cards in a suit being played then we must discard. These discards are a great way to communicate with partner. Our first discard communicates a lot of information, but so do our subsequent discards. Here we look at making sure you are making good use of these discards.
Defensive Carding: Upside Down Count and Attitude
TWiB Lesson #474 (4 of 9)
Giving Count and Attitude signals is a key part of defense. Modern expert players often use Upside Down Count and Attitude to communicate. Let’s see how it works!
Defensive Carding: Smith Echo (Reverse)
TWiB Lesson #475 (5 of 9)
Against a NT contract, when the opponents win the first trick and attack another suit they are often leading their best suit. In this case, we have an opportunity to communicate with partner. Smith Echo is an agreement that makes use of this situation to tell partner if the opening lead was good or not.
Defensive Carding: Suit Preference Signals
TWiB Lesson #476 (6 of 9)
Our goal on defense is to help our partner. Suit Preference Signals are a way to do this by giving painter information about which suit we would like them to shift to (or where we hold good stuff).