ASB
Robert Todd
Advanced Slam Bidding 1 - 576

Kokish Over Strong 2C

Balanced hand bidding is relatively easy. We can usually describe our hand to partner by opening 1NT or rebidding 1NT. This lets partner know both our points and our hand type with either our first bid (when we open 1NT, the best situation) or with our second bid (when we rebid 1NT).  However, if we have a big balanced hand then we need to have tools for describing our hand as well.  These usually involve the use of 2NT – as a rebid, an opening bid, or even a rebid after having opened the bidding 2♣.  But this does not solve all our bidding problems when we have these large balanced hands.  Let’s look at these auctions in detail, see some of the issues, and then look at a useful gadget called Kokish to help us bid better.

Advanced Slam Bidding 1 - 576
EMCB
Robert Todd
Even More Competitive Bidding 9 - 575

Freebids by a Passed Hand

When partner makes a bid, and we choose to bid a suit of our own, this is called a freebid. In most normal situations freebids show values (called positive freebids) and are often forcing 1-round. We’ve all heard the saying -- a new suit is forcing by an unpassed hand.  Unfortunately, this is not always true, but it is often our agreement. Let’s look at freebids made by a passed hand and see how the fact that we are passed changes these situations.

Even More Competitive Bidding 9 - 575
EMCB
Robert Todd
Even More Competitive Bidding 8 - 574

Fit -Showing Jumps

One of my favorite sayings is “2NT is a convention, not a contract.” In specific situations, Responder can use 2NT as conventional raise of Opener’s suit. Sometimes we need to choose between several different conventional methods for competitive auctions. Here we look at our options for how to best use 2NT.

Even More Competitive Bidding 8 - 574
EMCB
Robert Todd
Even More Competitive Bidding 7 - 573

Bergen Raises

One of my favorite sayings is “2NT is a convention, not a contract.” In specific situations, Responder can use 2NT as conventional raise of Opener’s suit. Sometimes we need to choose between several different conventional methods for competitive auctions. Here we look at our options for how to best use 2NT.

Even More Competitive Bidding 7 - 573
EMCB
Robert Todd
Even More Competitive Bidding 6 - 572

Bergen Raises

When responding to partner’s 1-Major opening bid, Responder tries to apply the Law of Total Tricks (LOTT) – getting to the size of the partnership’s fit as quickly as possible. This is particularly true in competitive auctions but is also useful in constructive auctions. Responder must balance showing the size of their fit with showing their values. This LOTT bidding is especially effective when our side has a 9+card fit. In this case, the auction is likely to become competitive if the opponents have some values as well. Predicting this to happen, we would like to be able to compete to the 3-level with a 9+card fit as quickly as possible, eating up the opponents’ bidding space while showing our values. Bergen Raises are a set of conventional bids Responder can use when responding to a 1-Major opening bid with 4+card support (at least a 9+card fit). Let’s see how this system works.

Even More Competitive Bidding 6 - 572

NT Ours and Theirs Set 1 - 541

NT Ours and Theirs Set 1 - 541

DONT & MECKWELL

When the opponents open the bidding with a strong 1NT the hand usually belongs to them, as we are less likely to have a majority of the HCP. We usually compete with shapely hands - 1-suited or 2-suited distributional hands. With these hands we turn our focus to getting in the opponents’ way and further competing in the bidding when our side discovers a large fit. Many modern bidding systems (the kind that use artificial structures) over the opponent’s 1NT opening bid are designed with this competitive bidding approach of destructive bidding with distributional hands in mind.

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 9 - 540

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 9 - 540

Last Train

One of the ways that we investigate slam in a suit contract is the use of control showing bids. When one member of the partnership is interested in slam then they show this interest by making a control showing bid. But as the auction approaches game we have a big decision to make, should we go past game or not. This can be a difficult decision; we should not go past game without a good reason -- some extra values. In this situation we would like to have a way to make “one more try for slam”. The way that we do that is with a convention called the Last Train to Clarksville (“Last Train”).

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 8 - 539

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 8 - 539

Non-Serious 3NT/3S

When we find a Major suit fit at the 3-level in a game forcing auction, then partner is usually expressing interest in slam (because without slam interest, partner would have applied the Principle of Fast Arrival and bid 4M.) In this case, now we usually express whether we have slam interest or not by either making a cuebid or simply bidding game with 4M. A partnership can use a gadget called “Non-Serious 3NT” to gain even further clarification about a player’s level of slam interest.

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 7 - 538

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 7 - 538

Q-Minorwood

When we have a minor suit fit, using 4-minor as Keycard in our suit (Minorwood) is an effective tool for exploring slam without getting the auction beyond game, beyond 5-minor. But by adopting Minorwood, we give up the natural slam try of 4-minor, asking partner to do something forward going for slam, usually starting to make a control showing bid, if they like their hand. By making an improvement to our Ace-showing structure in Minorwood, we can combine both Keycard-asking and quantitative bidding into one structure. This new structure is called Q-Minorwood. Let’s see how it works.

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 6 - 537

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 6 - 537

Responding to Keycard with a Void

When partner bids 4NT as Keycard in our established fit, a void in a side suit can be useful. We may still be able to make a slam if we are missing two Aces/Keycards if the void is in a suit of one of those missing side Aces. We need a way to tell partner about this void if we haven’t already done so earlier in the auction.

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 5 - 536

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 5 - 536

Dealing with Interference Over Ace Asking Bids

On some highly distributional hands when we ask for Keycards (or Aces) using 4NT, the opponents choose to bid over our 4NT bid in an effort to obstruct our communication and “get in the way”. We should be prepared for this type of interference and have agreements for how to communicate with partner (show our number of Keycards or Aces) in this situation. Here we look at how to do this.

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 4 - 535

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 4 - 535

5NT Choice of Slam

5NT is not a common bid. We most frequently use it in Ace-asking auctions to ask for Kings. We now have another use of a 5NT bid in Grand Slam Force. But trying for a grand slam is a rare occurrence and we would like to use 5NT (specially a jump to 5NT) for another more frequently useful purpose. The modern approach is to play a jump to 5NT as a “choice of slams” to help up find the best small slam. Let’s see how this works.

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 3 - 534

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 3 - 534

5-Major Obvious Question

We can use a 5-Major bid for something other than to end the auction. 5-Major can be bid concisely for a variety of reasons -- to take away bidding space from the opponents or to ask partner a specific question (which we call the “obvious question”). Let’s look at our options for how to make use of this 5-Major bid.

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 2 - 533

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 2 - 533

Minor Suit Slams After NT Openings

Minor suit slams are much harder to bid than Major suit slams. This is especially true after we open the bidding with 1NT (or 2NT). We start off the auction looking for Major suit fits and only then look for our minor suit fits after that. These Major suit showing bids are the cheapest bids and that means that our minor suit showing bids take up more space. We look at how we overcome this bidding challenge to bid good minor suit slams.

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 1 - 532

Advanced Slam Bidding Set 1 - 532

Forcing Pass Auctions

When we are in a game forcing auction and the opponents interfere (usually to sacrifice) it is clear that we are not going to go quietly and just let them steal the contract. If the opponents bid over us, then we will either double them and defend or bid on to our game. Forcing Pass is an agreement used to help us work together with partner to make a good decision about which to do. — “Forcing Pass.”

Fits and More Hand Set 8 - 531

Fits and More Hand Set 8 - 531

Systems for Describing Our 2-Level Preempt

When partner preempts the bidding at the 2-Level, and we have a good hand we expect the auction to be difficult. We need to have good agreements with partner and exercise some good judgment to get to the right final contract. When we have a fit for partner’s suit (especially a Major suit) then we know what strain we are likely to play in. We need to exchange useful information with partner. There are a variety of systems for accomplishing this, including Optional Feature, Ogust, Steps, and Modified Ogust.

Fits and More Hand Set 7 - 530

Fits and More Hand Set 7 - 530

Over-Splinters

When partner opens the bidding with 1-Major and Responder makes a Splinter bid then this shows our fit, values, and shortness all in one call. This gives an excellent description of our hand and allows partner to re-evaluate their hand based on their working values. In a sophisticated partnership we may choose to have multiple types of splinters, allowing us to communicate even more information to partner. Here we look at the use of Over-Splinters and see how we can use them to give partner additional information about our hand, allowing them to better judge if slam is likely to be a good contract.

Fits and More Hand Set 6 - 529

Fits and More Hand Set 6 - 529

Trump Suit Game Tries — Spiral

Here we look at when to raise responder's suit on 3-card support.  And then what we do after that -- the trump asking bid, sometimes called Spiral. 

Fits and More Hand Set 5 - 528

Fits and More Hand Set 5 - 528

More Mixed Raises in Competition

A Mixed Raise shows 4-card support and 7-9 HCP in a competitive auction. Let's see how to implement this very useful bid in even more bidding situations.

Fits and More Hand Set 4 - 527

Fits and More Hand Set 4 - 527

Advancing Partner’s Overcall w/o a Fit

When partner makes a 1-level overcall it is a very wide-ranging action in terms of strength and shape – about 7 to 18 HCP and a 5+card suit. Advancer generally assumes Overcaller has at least 10 HCP, to narrow down the range to a more reasonable number. Here we look at Advancer’s options for bidding and what partner should expect. Our focus is on what Responder needs in order to bid a new suit or to respond NT.

Fits and More Hand Set 3 - 526

Fits and More Hand Set 3 - 526

Raising Partner’s Suit

When partner makes an overcall then we have a variety of ways to raise partner's suit. Let's look at our options so we are on the same page with partner in these competitive auctions.

Fits and More Hand Set 2 - 525

Fits and More Hand Set 2 - 525

2-Way Reverse Drury

When partner opens in 3rd or 4th seat and we have a good hand, we do not want to go jumping around to show it – partner may have no game interest for their opening bid. We want to have an effective way of describing our good hands cheaply when partner opens in 3rd or 4th seat.

Fits and More Hand Set 1 - 524

Fits and More Hand Set 1 - 524

Raising Partner in Competition

One of the most important parts of bridge is raising partner. We try to raise partner whenever possible. We may choose not to support partner immediately if we feel we have something more pressing to communicate, in which case we can respond in our own Major, use a negative double, or bid some number of notrump. But in general we strive to “support with support.”

NT Opening Auctions Hand Set 9 - 523

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Thinking and Responding: 3C 5-card Stayman (Set 9 of 9)

Here we look at a 3C response to 1NT used as 5-card Stayman, a nice modern addition to your bidding system. This, in combination with a 2C Stayman response, creates an effective system for communication.

Practice Hands

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 523.

NT Opening Auctions Hand Set 8 - 522

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Thinking and Responding: 2S SIZE ASK RESPONSE (Set 8 of 9)

When we respond to partner's 1NT opening it is nice to have transfer bids available. Here, we look at an upgrade to 4-suited Transfers, called Size Ask, and see how it improves our bidding.

Practice Hands

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 522.