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Featured

Fundamentals - Opening and Responding Basics

Fundamentals - Opening and Responding Basics

9/2024 (62 min)

Here we review some fundamentals of opening bids and look more deeply into your thought process before we open the bidding. Then we pivot to the responder’s actions and make sure that we are prepared to construct a good auction with some problem situations.

Fundamentals - High Level Response to 1-Major Openings

Fundamentals - High Level Response to 1-Major Openings

July 2025 - Coming Soon!

When partner opens the bidding with 1-Major then we normally go slow and make a low level response. But we can also use some immediate jumps to high bids to describe some interesting and difficult hands. Let’s look at the meaning of this high-level jump responses.

Fundamentals - Other Responses 1-Level Openings

Fundamentals - Other Responses 1-Level Openings

July 2025 - Coming Soon!

Here we look at some other complex auctions and special responses to 1-level opening bids. We focus on some jump shift responses to 1-Major and 1-minor and then turn out focus to NT responses to minor suit openings.

Fundamentals - Hand Eval after Responder's Jump Shift

Fundamentals - Hand Eval after Responder's Jump Shift

July 2025 - Coming Soon!

When Responder makes a jump shift, either a weak jump shift or a 3/1 invitational jump shift, then Opener is left to figure out what to do next. Here we look at what types of hands Opener should bid with (like) and when they should be conservative and Pass.

Fundamentals - Some Confusing Auctions

Fundamentals - Some Confusing Auctions

July 2025 - Coming Soon!

There are some classic auctions that lead to confusion between partnerships. Ones that you should make sure you and partner agree upon.

Featured

Fundamentals - Opening and Responding Basics

Fundamentals - Opening and Responding Basics

9/2024 (62 min)

Here we review some fundamentals of opening bids and look more deeply into your thought process before we open the bidding. Then we pivot to the responder’s actions and make sure that we are prepared to construct a good auction with some problem situations.

Annoying Comp Auctions - Freebids & Follow-ups

Annoying Comp Auctions - Freebids & Follow-ups

10/23/23 (61 min)

After we open the bidding, if our LHO makes an Overcall this makes Responder's bidding more difficult. Here we look at Responder's freebid options and what they new to hold in order to freely bid a new suit.

Annoying Comp Auctions - Bidding After They Balance

Annoying Comp Auctions - Bidding After They Balance

10/29/23 (63 min)

When we think we are going to win the contract, but suddenly one of the opponents balances back into the auction this can lead to some strange bidding situations. Here we look at the meaning of our subsequent bids in these auctions.

Annoying Comp Auctions - Double Followed by Double

Annoying Comp Auctions - Double Followed by Double

11/6/23 (61 min)

A double eary in the bidding is usual has a meaning that we have discuss with partner. But later doubles can be a bit confusing. And this is even more true with they are our second double of the auction. Here we look at the meaning of these second doubles.

Annoying Comp Auctions - New Suits in Competition

Annoying Comp Auctions - New Suits in Competition

11/13/23 (62 min)

Early in our bridge career we learn that new suits are forcing. But later we learn that this is not always true, especially in competition. Here we look at a veracity of auctions where new suits are forcing and where new suits are non-forcing. This is an important topic to discuss with partner -- when is a new suit forcing in competition.

Difficult Doubles - Difficult Takeout Double Decisions

Difficult Doubles - Difficult Takeout Double Decisions

7/3/23 (56 min)

A takeout double is one of the ways that we can compete in the bidding. But in many situations, we have choices — a takeout double or another call. Here we look at these situations and discuss what to think about when making our decisions.

Difficult Doubles - Strange Negative Doubles

Difficult Doubles - Strange Negative Doubles

7/10/23 (58 min)

Negative Doubles are more complicated than you think. Here we look at some of the more interesting shapes that you can have for making a Negative Double — and the important followup bidding that lets us survive the auction.

Difficult Doubles - Advancer's Doubles, Not Enough Space

Difficult Doubles - Advancer's Doubles, Not Enough Space

7/24/23 (62 min)

As the 4th player to bid the auction often gets high before we can get a work in edgewise. Double is going to be favorite bid in many auctions. We look at how we might need to use a double here in some unusual ways.

Difficult Doubles - Opener's Doubles - Support, Reopening, High-Level

Difficult Doubles - Opener's Doubles - Support, Reopening, High-Level

7/30/23 (63 min)

Opener does not want to be left out of the double game. We look at times when the Opener should make a double and some modern agreements about what these doubles show..

Difficult Doubles - Difficult Later Doubles - Balancing, Scrambling

Difficult Doubles - Difficult Later Doubles - Balancing, Scrambling

8/6/23 (62 min)

The further the auction goes on the less clear we are on what a double means. Here we look at doubles later in the bidding and make sure we know if they are takeout, penalty, card showing, or something else.

Everyday Auctions - Opener's Rebids with a Fit

Everyday Auctions - Opener's Rebids with a Fit

5/22/23 (62 min)

Whener Opener starts the auction with a suit, Responder often bids their own suit to look for a fit (or a better fit). When they do, it is with the hope that Opener will have a fit and be able to raise Responder's suit. Here we look at the many ways that Opener can raise Responder's suit.

Everyday Auctions - Opener's Rebids without a Fit

Everyday Auctions - Opener's Rebids without a Fit

5/29/23 (62 min)

When Opener does not have a fit for Responder's suit then they strive to describe their hand the best they can. We review some fundamentals and look at the complexities that occur when our Opponents compete in the bidding.

Everyday Auctions - Opener's Rebids in Comp

Everyday Auctions - Opener's Rebids in Comp

6/6/23 (61 min)

As Opener we are excited when we have a fit for Responder's suit. Sometimes, just as we are about to find a way to show that fit, our RHO finds a way to make our life more difficult by coming into the auction. Here we look at how Opener's options for raising Responder' suit change in competitive auctions.

Everyday Auctions - Opener's Rebids after NMF

Everyday Auctions - Opener's Rebids after NMF

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!

Everyday Auctions - Opener's Rebids after 4th Suit Forcing

Everyday Auctions - Opener's Rebids after 4th Suit Forcing

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.

Everyday Auctions - Opener's Rebids after Extended NMF

Everyday Auctions - Opener's Rebids after Extended NMF

6/26/23 (62 min)

When Opener rebids the suit they started the auction with, then Responder's tool for continuing the bidding is called Extended New Minor Forcing. This is a less commonly used gadget than NMF or 4th Suit Forcing, but is still a valuable one. Here we look at how Opener rebids in these auctions.

Strong Openings & Resp - 2NT Openings

Strong Openings & Resp - 2NT Openings

3/6/23 (62 min)

There is an artform to open the bidding 2NT, just as there is for 1NT Openings. Here we look at "normal" 2NT opening bids as well as some of the more difficult hands where we may choose to make a slightly flawed opening of 2NT to avoid a rebid problem.

Strong Openings & Resp - Balanced 2C Openings and Resp

Strong Openings & Resp - Balanced 2C Openings and Resp

3/20/23 (65 min)

When our balanced hand is too strong to open the bidding 2NT we start with a 2C bid and later rebid NT. Here we look at how to show different strength balanced hands after a 2C opening bid. We also look at how we respond to a 2C opening bid -- what our options are for our partnership agreements.

Strong Openings & Resp - Resp to 2NT w/ Majors

Strong Openings & Resp - Resp to 2NT w/ Majors

3/27/23 (50 min)

Any time partner opens the bidding with NT then Responder's primary goal is to search for Major suit fits. Responder has many tools for searching for these Major suit fits - Stayman, Puppet, Smolen, Transfers, Texas Transfers, etc. We look at these auctions and the follow-up bidding.

Strong Openings & Resp - Resp to 2NT w/ Shapely Hands

Strong Openings & Resp - Resp to 2NT w/ Shapely Hands

4/3/23 (60 min)

A 2NT opening bid is often called a "slam killer" because it eats up a lot of bidding space without locating a fit. Finding a fit and exploring slam, while trying to keep the auction from getting too high (not going beyond 3NT) is often one of the most difficult decisions. Here we look at our options for how to do so, including the valuable 3S responder to search for minor suit slams.

Strong Openings & Resp - 2C Openings w/ Shapely Hands

Strong Openings & Resp - 2C Openings w/ Shapely Hands

4/9/23 (60 min)

Extremely powerful distributional hands are hard to describe (after we open the bidding 2C). Here we look at how to describe these hands and what difficult decisions we are likely to face in these types of auctions.

Strong Openings & Resp - Strong 2-Suiters and Followups - Reverses

Strong Openings & Resp - Strong 2-Suiters and Followups - Reverses

4/16/23 (60 min)

When we have a strong 2-suited hand that is not quite strong enough to open 2C we bid them naturally. Reverses and Jump Shifts can make for difficult auctions. Here we look at some of our important agreements and Responder's tools for continuing the bidding -- like Lebensohl over Reverses!

Balancing - Hand Re-Evaluation in the Balancing Seat

Balancing - Hand Re-Evaluation in the Balancing Seat

1/30/23 (62 min)

When we are considering making a bid in the balancing seat we must determining if we should bid and if we do, how well our hand is likely to play. We evaluate our hand differently in this balancing seat because we often know where most of the opponent’s values are located. Here we discuss how to decide when to bid in these balancing situations!

Balancing - Balancing NT and Followup Bids

Balancing - Balancing NT and Followup Bids

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.

Balancing - Overcalls and Doubles

Balancing - Overcalls and Doubles

2/13/23 (62 min)

When we come back into the bidding, in the balancing seat, our most common actions are an overcall or takeout double. Here we look at how to use these bidding tools and most importantly, how these change in the balancing seat.

Balancing - Balancing Seat Jump Overcalls and Followups

Balancing - Balancing Seat Jump Overcalls and Followups

2/27/23 (63 min)

n the balancing seat we do not make weak bids — if we have a weak hand we just pass the hand out. Given this, we can use jump overcalls differently in the balancing seat. Here we look at how we vary our bidding in the balancing seat. We also take a look at how Advancer uses their followup bidding tools.

Minor Suit Auctions and Raises - Inverted Minors and Followups

Minor Suit Auctions and Raises - Inverted Minors and Followups

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.

Minor Suit Auctions and Raises - Weak and Other Minor Suit Raises

Minor Suit Auctions and Raises - Weak and Other Minor Suit Raises

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.

Minor Suit Auctions and Raises - Avoiding Minors by Opening / Rebiding NT

Minor Suit Auctions and Raises - Avoiding Minors by Opening / Rebiding NT

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.

Minor Suit Auctions and Raises - Minor Suit Slam Bidding

Minor Suit Auctions and Raises - Minor Suit Slam Bidding

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.

Featured

More Suits 2 - Play Part Scores without a Fit with Me

More Suits 2 - Play Part Scores without a Fit with Me

11/20/23 (61 min)

When we win the contract in a part-score and do not have an 8-card fit it is usually because we either have more HCP than the opponents or there was an auction that kept the opponents from getting into the bidding. Let's make sure that we know how to play these hands.

More Suits 2 - Play Part Scores with a Fit with Me

More Suits 2 - Play Part Scores with a Fit with Me

12/4/23 (61 min)

When we play a part-score deal and we have a trump fit it usually means that we have more trump the opponent's do. Making use of our trump suit is a key part of good declarer play, especially in a part-score deal.

More Suits 2 - Play Game Contracts with Me

More Suits 2 - Play Game Contracts with Me

12/11/23 (61 min)

When we have enough points to bid game and we are playing in a trump suit then we need to make sure that we make use of our trump in the best ways we possibly can. Here we look at some examples and see how we can then best play the hand.

More Suits 2 - Play Slam Contracts with Me

More Suits 2 - Play Slam Contracts with Me

12/18/23 (61 min)

When we have enough points to bid game and we are playing in a trump suit then we need to make sure that we make use of our trump in the best ways we possibly can. Here we look at some examples and see how we can then best play the hand.

Making the Most of Dummy - Length in Dummy

Making the Most of Dummy - Length in Dummy

8/14/23 (58 min)

When we are playing in a suit contract it usually makes us excited to see a long suit in the dummy -- especially a long, strong one. We can often use it to help us discard our losers in other suits. Here we look at establishing this suit and how to balance timing and transportation.

Making the Most of Dummy - Shortness in Dummy

Making the Most of Dummy - Shortness in Dummy

8/20/23 (60 min)

When dummy has shortness in a suit outside the trump suit, we normally make use of it by trumping our losers in that suit. But there is an art form to when you do this -- before or after we draw trump. Here we look at the timing of ruffing our losers and how we combine some of our techniques.

Making the Most of Dummy - Equal Length in Dummy

Making the Most of Dummy - Equal Length in Dummy

8/28/23 (56 min)

When dummy has a side suit that is equal length to one in our hand then we can try to create some shortness by discarding some of them. But if we can not do this then we are going to be stuck tackling the suit based on the card combinations. That means finesse, double finesses, end-plays, and more.

Making the Most of Dummy - Make Use of Dummy's Entries

Making the Most of Dummy - Make Use of Dummy's Entries

9/5/23 (58 min)

All of these play situations require us to manage our transferportation carefully. Entries to each hand are important to spend carefully. Here we look at how to use of this, especially in the trump suit.

More NT Play 2 - Play 1NT with Me

More NT Play 2 - Play 1NT with Me

4/24/23 (61 min)

1NT is my favorite contract to declare! When we play the hand in 1NT there is space and time for creativity. We will look at how you play this contract to give you technical chances but, more importantly, we look at how to give your opponents chances to help you make 1NT.

More NT Play 2 - Play 2NT with Me

More NT Play 2 - Play 2NT with Me

4/30/23 (62 min)

2NT is one of the worst contracts in all of bridge. When the hand is over we will often wish we were in 1NT or 3NT (depending on how many tricks we take). We look at how to navigate this contract and look at some examples of the kind of decisions you are faced with in this annoying contract.

More NT Play 2 - Play 3NT with Me

More NT Play 2 - Play 3NT with Me

5/7/23 (61 min)

In 3NT you must determine if the hand is a race or a grind. When it is a race you must go get your tricks ASAP. When it is a grind, you want to give yourself every little extra chance to make the contract -- play as carefully as possible.

More NT Play 2 - Play 6NT with Me

More NT Play 2 - Play 6NT with Me

5/15/23 (62 min)

In a Notrump slam you cannot give up the lead often. Here we look at how we give ourselves as many chances as possible to make 6NT and see how “combining your chances” and “giving the opponents opportunities to make mistakes” lead to great results.

Suits - Play Part Scores without a Fit with Me

Suits - Play Part Scores without a Fit with Me

1/2/23 (65 min)

When we win the contract in a part-score and do not have an 8-card fit it is usually because we either have more HCP than the opponents or there was an auction that kept the opponents from getting into the bidding. Let's make sure that we know how to play these hands.

Suits - Play Part Scores with a Fit with Me

Suits - Play Part Scores with a Fit with Me

1/9/23 (62 min)

When we play a part-score deal and we have a trump fit it usually means that we have more trump the opponent's do. Making use of our trump suit is a key part of good declarer play, especially in a part-score deal.

Suits - Play Game with Me

Suits - Play Game with Me

1/16/23 (61 min)

When we have enough points to bid game and we are playing in a trump suit then we need to make sure that we make use of our trump in the best ways we possibly can. Here we look at some examples and see how we play then hand best.

Suits - More Play Slam with Me

Suits - More Play Slam with Me

1/23/23 (61 min)

Slam contract in suit contracts are more common than in notrump. Let's look at how we can best play then hand to take all the tricks that we are entitled to. It's extremely important to make your contracts when you bid to a slam!

Better Card Play - Concealing Cards from Opponents

Better Card Play - Concealing Cards from Opponents

9/12/22 (62 min)

When we follow to a trick with an honor card, either as a Declarer or Defender, we communicate information to the opponents. This information is not only in the card we played, but we also give them information about cards we have not played — both explicitly and implicitly. Here we look at which cards we should play in a variety of different situations and how we can draw information from partner and opponent's cards.

Better Card Play - Interpreting Opening Leads

Better Card Play - Interpreting Opening Leads

9/19/22 (61 min)

When the opponent's lead a suit you know a good amount about their holding in that particular suit. You can infer things about their length based on the spot card they lead as well as their honor holds. But you can infer a lot of information about their hand from what they don't lead. Like we didn't they lead the suit they bid? Why didn't they lead their partner's suit? Here we look at how to make use of all of this information.

Better Card Play - Ruffing Losers: Dummy, Hand, Crossruff

Better Card Play - Ruffing Losers: Dummy, Hand, Crossruff

10/3/22 (65 min)

In a trump contract, ruffing your losers in one of the post power declarer play tools. Here we look at times when we ruff in partner's hand -- normally the short trump side. We also look at other times when we may choose to ruff in our hand, setting up the dummy. Finally, we look at the all out ruffing effort of the crossruff!

Better Card Play - Blocking their Suit and Unblock Ours

Better Card Play - Blocking their Suit and Unblock Ours

10/10/22 (62 min)

Getting stuck in one hand when you have winners in your partner's hand is extremely frustrating. Whether we are the Declarer or a Defender learning to unblock a suit is an important skill. But when it comes to blocking and unblocking a suit there is also a skill / art form to getting the opponent's to block the suit. Here we look at how to work on both of these situations.

Better Card Play - Judgment in Card Play

Better Card Play - Judgment in Card Play

10/17/22 (65 min)

We make a lot of decisions on each hand of bridge. Judgement is most often talked about in the bidding, but you also need to judge wisely how to proceed in the card play -- both as Declarer or as a Defender. Here we look at how to use your experience and judgment to make better choices about which suit and/or card to play.

More Notrump Play - Play 1NT with Me

More Notrump Play - Play 1NT with Me

4/26/22 (66 min)

1NT is my favorite contract to declare! When we play the hand in 1NT there is space and time for creativity. We will look at how you play this contract to give you technical chances but, more importantly, we look at how to give your opponents chances to help you make 1NT.

More Notrump Play - Play 2NT with Me

More Notrump Play - Play 2NT with Me

5/2/22 (65 min)

2NT is one of the worst contracts in all of bridge. When the hand is over we will often wish we were in 1NT or 3NT (depending on how many tricks we take). We look at how to navigate this contract and look at some examples of the kind of decisions you are faced with in this annoying contract.

More Notrump Play - Play 3NT with Me

More Notrump Play - Play 3NT with Me

5/9/22 (65 min)

In 3NT you must determine if the hand is a race or a grind. When it is a race you must go get your tricks ASAP. When it is a grind, you want to give yourself every little extra chance to make the contract -- play as carefully as possible.

More Notrump Play - Play 6NT with Me

More Notrump Play - Play 6NT with Me

5/16/22 (66 min)

In a Notrump slam you cannot give up the lead often. Here we look at how we give ourselves as many chances as possible to make 6NT and see how “combining your chances” and “giving the opponents opportunities to make mistakes” lead to great results.

Card Play Fun - Ducking Plays

Card Play Fun - Ducking Plays

11/16/21 (67 min)

As a defender you can "duck" a trick to try and help your side keep communication. You can also do so to create complexity and a guess for the Declarer.

Card Play Fun - Hold-Up Plays

Card Play Fun - Hold-Up Plays

11/23/21 (62 min)

Here we look at the technique where the Declarer refuses to take a winner to try to cut communication and see when they should use it and when they should not.

Card Play Fun - The Danger Hand and Safe Hand

Card Play Fun - The Danger Hand and Safe Hand

11/29/21 (61 min)

There are a variety of situations where, as Declarer, we are comfortable having one Defender gain the lead and not the other. Here we look at how to recognize and make use of this situation.

Card Play Fun - Analyzing Dummy at Trick 1

Card Play Fun - Analyzing Dummy at Trick 1

12/7/21 (72 min)

One of the most important things you can do as Declarer is to make a plan at Trick 1. Here we look at how to do breakdown and effectively analyze what the dummy has to offer.

Card Play Fun - Card Reading

Card Play Fun - Card Reading

12/27/21 (70 min)

Interpreting the cards that are led on opening lead, and in the middle of the hand, is one of the art forms of bridge. Here we work on placing and visualizing the location of the opponent's cards.

Featured

Defend with Me - NT Part-Scores

Defend with Me - NT Part-Scores

9/11/23 (61 min)

Robert is back with a variation on his popular Play These Hands with Me series, but this time he focuses on defense. In this new series, Defend These Hands with Me, Robert analyzes actual hands he has defended and shares his thinking at critical points throughout the hand. A great way to learn how to think on Defense…the most difficult part of the game!

Defend with Me - NT Games

Defend with Me - NT Games

9/17/23 (60 min)

Robert is back with a variation on his popular Play These Hands with Me series, but this time he focuses on defense. In this new series, Defend These Hands with Me, Robert analyzes actual hands he has defended and shares his thinking at critical points throughout the hand. A great way to learn how to think on Defense…the most difficult part of the game!

Defend with Me - Suit Part-Scores

Defend with Me - Suit Part-Scores

9/25/23 (60 min)

Robert is back with a variation on his popular Play These Hands with Me series, but this time he focuses on defense. In this new series, Defend These Hands with Me, Robert analyzes actual hands he has defended and shares his thinking at critical points throughout the hand. A great way to learn how to think on Defense…the most difficult part of the game!

Defend with Me - Suit Games

Defend with Me - Suit Games

10/8/23 (61 min)

Robert is back with a variation on his popular Play These Hands with Me series, but this time he focuses on defense. In this new series, Defend These Hands with Me, Robert analyzes actual hands he has defended and shares his thinking at critical points throughout the hand. A great way to learn how to think on Defense…the most difficult part of the game!

Signaling on Defense - Giving Attitude - How & When?

Signaling on Defense - Giving Attitude - How & When?

8/15/22 (68 min)

Signaling your partner is an important part of defense. Letting them know if we like a suit or not is called giving an attitude signal. Here we look at how to do this and even more importantly when you are giving an attitude signal. We will also discuss the skill of card reading and what you need to work on in order to better understand what your partner is trying to tell you.

Signaling on Defense - Giving Count - How & When?

Signaling on Defense - Giving Count - How & When?

8/22/22 (53 min)

Another kind of signal that we use with partner are count signals. These signals are valuable for letting partner know the distribution of a suit and/or hands. Even more important than the mechanics of given the signal is making sure you and partner are on the same page about when a signal is attitude, count, or something else — we will focus on this here as well.

Signaling on Defense - Suit Preference & Discards

Signaling on Defense - Suit Preference & Discards

8/29/22 (63 min)

There are more than just Attitude and Count Signals. Here we look at some of these other useful kinds of signals. We will then continue on to discuss discards, their meaning and how to use them to work together with partner!

Signaling on Defense - Upside-Down Count and Attitude

Signaling on Defense - Upside-Down Count and Attitude

9/6/22 (62 min)

The modern expert standard for carding is to use Upside-Down signals. Here we will look at how to switch to this type of carding and look at some of the challenges (things you need to discuss with your partner). Even if you do not play these signals, it is a good thing to understand as many of players you play against may be using them.

Def Situations - 3rd Hand Defense

Def Situations - 3rd Hand Defense

2/7/22 (66 min)

When partner leads a suit, whether on opening lead or in the middle of the play, we become the 3rd player to the trick. There is a tip "3rd hand high", but that is not always right. Here we look at which card we should play and how partner makes use of this information.

Def Situations - Leads in the Middle of the Def

Def Situations - Leads in the Middle of the Def

2/14/22 (65 min)

When we win a trick in the middle of defending a hand we must lead to the next trick. It is important, whether we are playing the same suit or shifting to a new suit, that we have good agreements with partner about what the card we lead means.

Def Situations - 2nd Hand Defense

Def Situations - 2nd Hand Defense

2/21/22 (65 min)

When our RHO leads a suit and we have to play 2nd to a trick, then we have some decision to make. We have a classic guideline of 2nd hand low! We will look at when this is good advice and when it is not.

Def Situations - 4th Hand Defense

Def Situations - 4th Hand Defense

3/1/22 (67 min)

When we are the final players to play to a trick life is much easier for us. In this case, we want to play the card that will most help partner while making life difficult on the opponent's. We look at a variety of situations where you want to make sure to help partner and others where "fooling declarer" is more important.

Def Situations - Analyzing Dummy on Defense

Def Situations - Analyzing Dummy on Defense

3/7/22 (70 min)

A large part of trying to defense a hand well is making a plan on defense. Doing this is similar to what you do as Declarer. You take a look at the dummy, combine that information with your hand and the auction, and try to understand what is going on. You then make a plan for how to start Declarer from accomplishing their goals.

Opening Leads - Vs. Suit Contracts

Opening Leads - Vs. Suit Contracts

5/4/21 (68 min)

Here we look at opening lead options vs. suit contracts. It's important that you get your card combinations correct as well as your agreements. Know which holdings are risky to attack from.

Opening Leads - Vs. Notrump Contracts

Opening Leads - Vs. Notrump Contracts

5/11/21 (70+ min)

In notrump contracts we often lead 4th from our longest and strongest. Here we will look at card combinations and other holdings where we may choose not to do so.

Opening Leads - Leading Partner's Suit

Opening Leads - Leading Partner's Suit

5/18/21, (70+m)

Leading partner's suit is something you are going to do often. It is important to have good agreements about the meaning of your leads, both in suit contracts and NT. We will also discuss when not to lead partner's suit!

Opening Leads - Listen to the Auction

Opening Leads - Listen to the Auction

5/25/21 (70+ min)

Your hand is overrated in helping you make a good opening lead. The auction contains so much information that can help you. Here we look at how to make use of the auction to help you make better opening leads!