Bidding
Robert Todd
(553) Competitive Auctions: 4NT in Competition
(553) Competitive Auctions: 4NT in Competition
Bidding
Robert Todd
(552) Competitive Auctions: More Bidding over ...

When the opponents open the bidding with a 3-level preempt then much of the tension in our decision-making process comes around “Should we bid beyond 3NT?” This is especially true when the opponents open the bidding with a 3-Major preempt. Because when we have one long minor suit then we likely want to play in 3NT or 5-minor. This allows us to use 4-minor in some interesting conventional ways, just as we do vs. a 2-level preempt.

(552) Competitive Auctions: More Bidding over 3-Level Preempts
Bidding
Robert Todd
(551) Competitive Auctions: Bidding over ...
(551) Competitive Auctions: Bidding over 3-Level and 4-Level Preempts
Bidding
Robert Todd
(550) Competitive Auctions: Leaping Michaels

When RHO opens a 2-level preempt, they have started eating up our valuable bidding space. But this is just the start of their attack on us. LHO may join in the attack and raise the preempt, making our life even more difficult. When we are bidding over RHO’s 2-level preempt we should keep this in mind. We need lots of tools to deal with this situation. Let’s look at these options.

(550) Competitive Auctions: Leaping Michaels
Bidding
Robert Todd
(549) NT Bidding: Slam Tries After Stayman

One of the most common gadgets that we use when partner opens 1NT is Stayman. We primarily use Stayman to search for a 4-4 Major suit fit. After Stayman sometimes we want to have a way to raise partner’s suit where they cannot pass. We will want a “Forcing Raise” (similar to Jacoby 2NT or Inverted Minors) in order to find out more about Opener’s hand. This is missing from a standard bidding system. It is a valuable tool for making a slam try while keeping the auction from getting too high.

(549) NT Bidding: Slam Tries After Stayman

(88) Competitive Bidding - Responding to Preempts

(88) Competitive Bidding - Responding to Preempts

When partner preempts the bidding they are hoping to catch the opponents with the best hands.  But sometimes it will be our side that has most of the values.  This week we examine how to respond to partner's Weak Two Bid when they have taken away our valuable bidding space and how we try to survive the auction! 

(82) More Notrump Bidding: Advanced Lebensohl (Delayed Lebensohl)

(82) More Notrump Bidding: Advanced Lebensohl (Delayed Lebensohl)

We use Lebensohl (or Simple-sohl) in auctions where the opponents interfere directly over our 1N opening bid. This week we will examine some more complex auctions where the opponents interfere over our 1N opening bid.  We will see that Lebensohl (or Simple-sohl) can be used to help us deal with these auctions as well.   

(81) More Notrump Bidding: When to Open 1NT Off-Shape

(81) More Notrump Bidding: When to Open 1NT Off-Shape

1N is the best opening bid in all of Bridge.  It does a great job of describing the "big picture" of our hand.  With some hands that have difficult rebid problems we will choose to make a flawed 1N opener because it is the best description of our hand that we can come up with.  This week we examine some of these difficult bidding hands that are best solved by opening 1N.

(77) What to Expect: Planning as Responder

(77) What to Expect: Planning as Responder

Just as it is important for the Opener to make a plan before they open the bidding it is also important for the Responder to make a plan before they respond to the Opener.  Thinking ahead about what you want to communicate, what you expect from partner, and how the opponent's might make life difficult can greatly help our constructive bidding.