Bidding
Robert Todd
(559) NT and Balancing Auctions: Balancing ...

Our TWiB lesson is about Balancing NT and some other balancing options. We look at auctions where we can balance with 1NT with a wider range of values, and we look at what to do with some hands where 1NT isn't an option. 

(559) NT and Balancing Auctions: Balancing Notrump Bids
Bidding
Robert Todd
(558) NT and Balancing Auctions: 14-16 1NT ...

We start with a look at the modern evolution to more aggressive 1NT opening bids -- 14 -16 1NT Openers.  We discuss how you bid if you agree to play this, both as an Opener and as Responder. 

(558) NT and Balancing Auctions: 14-16 1NT Opening
Bidding
Robert Todd
(557) Competitive Auctions: I Want to Bid ...

There are certain auctions where we have made a bid that has “fully described our hand” and we leave the bidding up to partner.  In auctions like these, for example when we have opened the bidding with a preempt at the 2-level or 3-level, then we usually are not very sure of what partner has for their bid and we want to leave any further decisions up to them.  But sometimes we have more shape than partner expects or our instincts tell us that is right to bid on.  When that is the case we do NOT want to just take over and bid again – we told partner we would not bid anymore after our first bid.  In an auction like this we can use a Double as a conventional bid saying “I want to bid more”.  This is called an I Want to bid Double and it applies in very specific situations

(557) Competitive Auctions: I Want to Bid Doubles
Bidding
Robert Todd
(556) Competitive Auctions: Anti-Lead ...

Lead-directing doubles can be helpful in getting partner off to a good opening lead. These lead-directing doubles are common when the opponents make an artificial bid. But when the opponents make a cuebid of our suit, then a lead-directing double is also very common. Here we focus on this situation in detail in order to structure our agreements to allow us to communicate in the most effective way we can.

(556) Competitive Auctions: Anti-Lead Directing Doubles
Bidding
Robert Todd
(555) Competitive Auctions: Scrambling 2NT

In competitive auctions where the opponents have found a fit, we will compete aggressively – especially at matchpoints. We will frequently use double (for takeout) with three-suited hands and sometimes with two-suited hands. To handle these situations, we want partner (Advancer) to have a tool to help us find our best fit. As usual, in competitive auctions our choice of convention will be 2NT. This gadget is called Scrambling 2NT.

(555) Competitive Auctions: Scrambling 2NT

(105) More on Fits: 4th Suit Forcing in Depth

(105) More on Fits: 4th Suit Forcing in Depth

We round out our discussion of finding fit with Responder by looking at Responder's tool for finding fits (forcing the auction) after the Opener has shown an Unbalanced Hand - 4th Suit Game Forcing!   We will see its traditional use of looking for a 5-3 fit for game, as well as using it to allow us to explore for slam.