TWiB Lesson #544 (4 of 9)
When constructing a system to allow us to bid over these weak 1NT openings we need to take a different approach than bidding over a strong 1NT opening. Thus, we construct our bidding system to allow us to explore game and make constructive bids, not just be destructive.
TWiB Lesson #545 (5 of 9)
After partner opens 1NT, we have a good structure for using our bids efficiently to describe our hand to partner. But when the opponents interfere in our auction, we lose some of this valuable bidding space and need to change our approach in order to deal with their interference.
TWiB Lesson #546 (6 of 9)
There are many systems the opponents play in order to interfere over our 1NT opening bid, but almost all of these systems use the 3-level (actually 2NT+) for the same meanings – 2NT as a weak bid showing both minors and 3-level bids as weak with a long suit, preemptive. It is important that you and partner are on the same page for how to deal with this higher-level interference.
TWiB Lesson #547 (7 of 9)
When we open the bidding with 1NT if an opponent makes a penalty double, we are less likely to be we are usually looking to escape from a 1NT contract and attempt to find some safer place to play. This safe place will hopefully be our largest fit or a long suit in the weak hand (in Responder’s hand). In order to find this place to play we need to look at how Responder’s bidding options change after a penalty double.
TWiB Lesson #548 (8 of 9)
Lebensohl is an excellent system for dealing with interference over our 1NT opening bids. But Lebensohl has some flaws. In Lebensohl auctions we will often play the hand from the “wrong” side (Responder’s side.) Another flaw in Lebensohl relates to Responder’s strength. Responder often has three strengths (buckets) let’s see how Transfer Lebensohl is an upgrade to this.
TWiB Lesson #558 (1 of 9)
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.
TWiB Lesson #559 (2 of 9)
When LHO opens the bidding and the auction passes around to us, we are the last line of defense against the opponents buying the contract at a low level - balancing. When we balance we “borrow” some of partner’s values and add those points to our hand – usually about 3 points.
TWiB Lesson #560 (3 of 9)
A balancing 1NT bid can be a wide-ranging action, about 11-15/16 points. This 5-point range is much larger than most Notrump bids and leaves partner with a more difficult bidding situation. Range Stayman is a tool that can help Advancer better determine the values of our hand and if game is a possibility.
TWiB Lesson #561 (4 of 9)
One place that we do not need a jump bid to show a weak hand is in the balancing seat. In this seat with a weak hand, say 5-8 HCP, and a long suit, we would not bid; we would simply pass the hand out. Theses bids are used to describe different, stronger hands.
TWiB Lesson #562 (5 of 9)
When our left-hand opponent opens the bidding and the auction passes around to us, we have a big decision to make – should we get into this auction, or should we leave the opponents to play at the 1-level? We have a variety of bidding tools to help us compete in the bidding.
TWiB Lesson #550 (1 of 8)
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.
TWiB Lesson #551 (2 of 8)
When the opponents open at the 4-level they put a lot of pressure on us to make difficult decisions without much room to maneuver or describe our hand. This preempt will force us to either double or overcall at a very high level. Let’s look at these options and see how we need to adjust our thinking and bidding because of the lack of available space.
TWiB Lesson #552 (3 of 8)
When the opponents open the bidding with a 3-level preempt then much of tour focus is on “Should we bid beyond 3NT?” This is especially true when we have one long minor, when 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.
TWiB Lesson #553 (4 of 8)
When the opponents stay out of our auctions then usually 4NT is Quantitative in a NT auction or Keycard in a suit auction. But in a competitive auction we are more likely to use 4NT as a bid showing 2 places to play. Let’s look at some of these auctions so we know what partner is trying to do to when they use 4NT in a competitive auction.
TWiB Lesson #554 (5 of 8)
Good/Bad 2NT gives Opener two ways to compete to the 3-level – by bidding directly with a “Good Hand” or by bidding 2NT first with a “Bad Hand”. By using 2NT as a relay bid, instead of a natural call, this allows for a more precise description of Opener’s hand. Let’s see how it works through examples.
TWiB Lesson #555 (6 of 8)
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.
TWiB Lesson #556 (7 of 8)
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.
TWiB Lesson #557 (8 of 8)
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
TWiB Lesson #541 (1 of 9)
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.
TWiB Lesson #542 (2 of 9)
There are many artificial systems for competing over the opponent’s 1NT opening bid. Woolsey is focused on finding Major suit fits while allowing us to compete as cheaply as possible.
TWiB Lesson #543 (3 of 9)
When the opponents are playing a “Weak 1NT” opening bid (for example, 12-14 points), we need to bid only when we have a decently valued hand. It is common to use a different bidding system against the opponents’ Weak 1NT opening bid than the one you use against a strong 1NT opening.
TWiB Lesson #544 (4 of 9)
When constructing a system to allow us to bid over these weak 1NT openings we need to take a different approach than bidding over a strong 1NT opening. Thus, we construct our bidding system to allow us to explore game and make constructive bids, not just be destructive.
TWiB Lesson #545 (5 of 9)
After partner opens 1NT, we have a good structure for using our bids efficiently to describe our hand to partner. But when the opponents interfere in our auction, we lose some of this valuable bidding space and need to change our approach in order to deal with their interference.
TWiB Lesson #546 (6 of 9)
There are many systems the opponents play in order to interfere over our 1NT opening bid, but almost all of these systems use the 3-level (actually 2NT+) for the same meanings – 2NT as a weak bid showing both minors and 3-level bids as weak with a long suit, preemptive. It is important that you and partner are on the same page for how to deal with this higher-level interference.
TWiB Lesson #547 (7 of 9)
When we open the bidding with 1NT if an opponent makes a penalty double, we are less likely to be we are usually looking to escape from a 1NT contract and attempt to find some safer place to play. This safe place will hopefully be our largest fit or a long suit in the weak hand (in Responder’s hand). In order to find this place to play we need to look at how Responder’s bidding options change after a penalty double.
