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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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..
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!