ASB
Robert Todd
Advanced Slam Bidding 1 - 576

Kokish Over Strong 2C

Balanced hand bidding is relatively easy. We can usually describe our hand to partner by opening 1NT or rebidding 1NT. This lets partner know both our points and our hand type with either our first bid (when we open 1NT, the best situation) or with our second bid (when we rebid 1NT).  However, if we have a big balanced hand then we need to have tools for describing our hand as well.  These usually involve the use of 2NT – as a rebid, an opening bid, or even a rebid after having opened the bidding 2♣.  But this does not solve all our bidding problems when we have these large balanced hands.  Let’s look at these auctions in detail, see some of the issues, and then look at a useful gadget called Kokish to help us bid better.

Advanced Slam Bidding 1 - 576
EMCB
Robert Todd
Even More Competitive Bidding 9 - 575

Freebids by a Passed Hand

When partner makes a bid, and we choose to bid a suit of our own, this is called a freebid. In most normal situations freebids show values (called positive freebids) and are often forcing 1-round. We’ve all heard the saying -- a new suit is forcing by an unpassed hand.  Unfortunately, this is not always true, but it is often our agreement. Let’s look at freebids made by a passed hand and see how the fact that we are passed changes these situations.

Even More Competitive Bidding 9 - 575
EMCB
Robert Todd
Even More Competitive Bidding 8 - 574

Fit -Showing Jumps

One of my favorite sayings is “2NT is a convention, not a contract.” In specific situations, Responder can use 2NT as conventional raise of Opener’s suit. Sometimes we need to choose between several different conventional methods for competitive auctions. Here we look at our options for how to best use 2NT.

Even More Competitive Bidding 8 - 574
EMCB
Robert Todd
Even More Competitive Bidding 7 - 573

Bergen Raises

One of my favorite sayings is “2NT is a convention, not a contract.” In specific situations, Responder can use 2NT as conventional raise of Opener’s suit. Sometimes we need to choose between several different conventional methods for competitive auctions. Here we look at our options for how to best use 2NT.

Even More Competitive Bidding 7 - 573
EMCB
Robert Todd
Even More Competitive Bidding 6 - 572

Bergen Raises

When responding to partner’s 1-Major opening bid, Responder tries to apply the Law of Total Tricks (LOTT) – getting to the size of the partnership’s fit as quickly as possible. This is particularly true in competitive auctions but is also useful in constructive auctions. Responder must balance showing the size of their fit with showing their values. This LOTT bidding is especially effective when our side has a 9+card fit. In this case, the auction is likely to become competitive if the opponents have some values as well. Predicting this to happen, we would like to be able to compete to the 3-level with a 9+card fit as quickly as possible, eating up the opponents’ bidding space while showing our values. Bergen Raises are a set of conventional bids Responder can use when responding to a 1-Major opening bid with 4+card support (at least a 9+card fit). Let’s see how this system works.

Even More Competitive Bidding 6 - 572

HE Landing Set 6 - 334

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Hand Evaluation: Double Fits and Misfits (set 6 of 8)

When we discover that we have two large fits (at least 8 cards in both suits) then we can often take a lot of tricks without too many HCP. Similarly, when we discover that the hand is a misfit (we are short in partner's long suit and partner is short in our long suit), then it may be difficult to take tricks. Let's take a look at some of these hands and see how we upgrade and downgrade respectively in these different situations.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 334.

HE Landing Set 7 - 335

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Hand Evaluation: Fitting Honors and Wasted Values (set 7 of 8)

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When it comes to evaluating our hand, the location of our honors is often more important than how many points we hold. Honors that fit together with partner's long suits are extremely valuable, while honors that are opposite partner's shortness are often wasted. Let's take a look at how we re-evaluate the quality of our honor holdings, upgrading for fitting cards and downgrading for wasted values.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 335.

Hand Evaluation Set 8 - 336

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Hand Evaluation: Losers and Covers (Set 8 of 8)

Losing Trick Count is powerful hand evaluation tool when used properly. The concept is that once we know that we are going to play in a suit contract (for example, find a Major suit fit), then we know that we will count losers (not winners) in the play. But before we get to the auction, we can count our losers and by approximating how many useful cards partner may provide (how many “cover cards”) and determine what contract we can likely make. Let’s take a look at some examples and see how this works.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 336.

Overcalls Set 1 - 320

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

1-Level Simple Overcalls (Set 1 of 8)

A simple overcall at the 1-level is one of our most common competitive bidding tools, but that does not make it an easy one to use. It can often create confusion for partner (as well as the opponents). Let's take a look at some hands and see if we can use good judgment about when to make a simple overcall at the 1-level.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 320.

Overcalls Set 2 - 321

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

2-Level Simple Overcalls (Set 2 of 8)

A simple overcall at the 2-level shows a substantially better hand than one we might bid with at the 1-level. When we come into the bidding at this level we need both a good suit and a good hand. Let's work on our judgment in these situations.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 321.

Overcalls Set 3 - 322

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

2-Level Jump Overcalls (Set 3 of 8)

When our right hand opponent opens the bidding and we have a long suit, we often want to make destruction actions instead of constructive ones. Jumping to the 2-level in our long suit can be a good way to disrupt the opponents. Let's work on our judgment about when to do this and when to try other tactics.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 322.

Overcalls Set 4 - 323

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

2-Suited Overcalls (Set 4 of 8)

Competing in the bidding with a 2-suited hand is something of an art form. We need to show partner our suits as well as try to communicate our values. Let's take a look at ways of accomplishing this.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free on the Adventures in Bridge website at TWiB Signup. This set accompanies TWiB 323.

Overcalls Set 5 - 324

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Overcalls in the Sandwich Seat (Set 5 of 8)

When LHO opens the bidding, partner passes, and RHO responds we are in the sandwich seat. There are many options for how to describe our hand. Let's look at some examples and make sure we know how to make use of all the options.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 324.

Overcalls Set 6 - 325

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Overcalls in the Balancing Seat (Set 6 of 8)

When LHO opens the bidding and the auction passes around to us, then we are in the balancing seat.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 325.

Overcalls Set 7 - 326

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Notrump Overcalls (Set 7 of 8)

When we have a good hand and the opponents open a suit where we hold both length and strength, we consider playing in notrump. Here we look at hands where we may want to overcall 1NT and consider our other options as well.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 326.

Overcalls Set 8 - 327

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

High-Level Jump Overcalls (Set 8 of 8)

When the opponents open the bidding and we have an extremely long suit we want to get into the auction. We strive to describe our hand, but also take away valuable bidding space from the opponents. Let's see if you can do both on these hands.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 327.

Responding to 1NT Set 1 - 312

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Responding to 1NT with Weak Hands (Set 1 of 8)

When partner opens the bidding with 1NT and we have a weak hand (fewer than 8 points), we are generally not interested in game. We turn our focus to finding the best partscore contract for our side. A balanced 15-17 point hand does not usually have much success in 1NT when the dummy is extremely weak. We need to search for a better place to play. Let's see how to use our bidding tools to survive these auctions.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) email lessons for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 312

Responding to 1NT Set 2 - 313

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Responding to 1NT with Invitational Hands (Set 2 of 8)

Responding to 1NT with a hand that has invitational values can be a challenge. We must search for a fit and invite game. We must also strive to keep the auction low, in case partner has a minimum hand and we need to stop in a partscore. If that does happen, we have to then figure out which partscore is most likely to make. That is a lot to accomplish in one or two bids. Let’s practice and improve our tools and judgement.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 313.

Responding to 1NT Set 3 - 314

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Responding to 1NT with Game Forcing Hands (Set 3 of 8)

Responding to a 1NT opening bid when we have enough values to drive the auction to game means that we have more space to communicate with partner. Specifically, it means that we have all the space between 1NT and 3NT to search for a fit and determine if 3NT is the best contract. Let's make sure we know how to use our bidding tools to have good communication with partner.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 314.

Responding to 1NT Set 4 - 315

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Responding to 1NT with Slam Invitational+ Hands (Set 4 of 8)

Responding to a 1NT opening bid with an excellent hand seems like it should be simple, but that often turns out not to be the case. With a hand that is good enough to be interested in slam opposite partner's 1NT opening, we have to search for a fit, let partner know about the fit, and express slam interest, all while keeping the auction at a relatively low level. Let's take a look at how we balance all these considerations.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 315.

Responding to 1NT Set 5 - 316

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Responding to 1NT with Both Majors (Set 5 of 8)

When partner opens the bidding with 1NT, our number one job is to search for a Major suit fit. When we have length in both Majors, this can be a challenge. Which suit do we show first? How do we keep the auction low? How do we "right side" the contact? Let's take a look at how to do this.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 316.

Responding to 1NT Set 6 - 317

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Responding to 1NT with 5c+M and 4+cm (Set 6 of 8)

When responding to 1NT with a 5-card Major and a second suit that is a minor, our values will often dictate how much of our distribution we have room to describe. We also should use our judgement about when to introduce our second suit when it is a minor. Let's take a look at how to handle these types of hands.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 317.

Responding to 1NT Set 7 - 318

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Responding to 1NT with Other 2-Suited Hands (Set 7 of 8)

After partner opens 1NT, it is a challenge to describe your hand when you have two suits. This is particularly true when your primary suit is a minor. Let's take a look at how we handle these hands and how we may need to use additional tools when both of our suits are minors.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 318.

Responding to 1NT Set 8 - 319

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Responding to 1NT in Competition (Set 8 of 8)

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. Let's see how to handle this.

You (and your partners) can sign up for Robert Todd's This Week in Bridge (TWiB) lesson emails for free at https://www.advinbridge.com/twib-signup This set accompanies TWiB 319.