EMCB
Robert Todd
Even More Competitive Bidding 1 - 567

Passive Opening Leads

Most partnerships that play Support Doubles have had a conversation about when they apply and when they do not.  Hopefully, we will have a conversation with partner about the follow-up bids as well. But one thing that many partnerships forget to discuss is how high support doubles apply and what a double at a higher-level show. Let’s look at support double auctions in detail to make sure we are on the same page with partner.

Even More Competitive Bidding 1 - 567
ICP
Robert Todd
Improve Your Card Play 4 - 566

Passive Opening Leads

Active opening leads attempt to "go out and get" our tricks. Passive leads, on the other hand, attempt to just not give anything away or help Declarer. There are many different types of passive leads for many different situations. Here we take a look at several lead types and hands where a passive lead may or may not have the intended effect!

Improve Your Card Play 4 - 566
ICP
Robert Todd
Improve Your Card Play 3 - 565

Guarding a Suit

Taking tricks with small cards is an important part of Declarer’s plan for making their contract. As a Defender, it is our job to do everything we can to stop that from happening. That means that suits that have potential winners, threat cards, must not be allowed to grow up into winners. We attempt to prevent this from happening by covering an honor with an honor (to prevent promotion) and by holding onto our cards in the opponent’s long suits – called guarding the suit

Improve Your Card Play 3 - 565
ICP
Robert Todd
Improve Your Card Play 2 - 564

Establishing Length

We usually win tricks with little cards (other than in the trump suit) by setting up our long suits. To establish these little cards in our long suits into winners, we need to play the hand well.  This requires using our large cards in the best way possible to establish our little cards. That means we need to play our combinations as best as we can, manage our transportation, and have some good luck in the way the cards divide.

Improve Your Card Play 2 - 564
COM
Robert Todd
COM Landing Set 1 - 411

SC Landing Set 6 - 442

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Suit Contracts: Losers with Equal Length in Dummy (set 6 of 9)

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Losers with Equal Length in Dummy
In a suit contract how we deal with our side suit losers can vary dramatically. When dummy has the same length in a suit as we do then we can not easily ruff any of our losers in a side suit. Here we look at how we handle losers in these equal length suits.

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 442.

SC Landing Set 5 - 441

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Suit Contracts: Losers when Dummy has Shortness (set 5 of 9)

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Losers When Dummy Has Shortness
One useful way to evaluate a side suit is by looking at the relative length of the suit in our hand and the dummy. When dummy (let’s assume that is the short trump side ) has shortness then we can use dummy to help ruff our losers.

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 441.

SC Landing Set 4 - 440

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Suit Contracts: Support Points (set 4 of 9)

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Support Points
The value of shortness varies based on where it located and the size of our fit. Here we look at how we assign a different number of points to re-evaluate our hand in 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 440.

SC Landing Set 3 - 439

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Suit Contracts: Ruffing Values (set 3 of 9)

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Ruffing Values
Ruffing can help us reduce our number of losers in a variety of different ways. Here we look at how ruffing can help us improve the play of our hand. 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 439.

SC Landing Set 2 - 438

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Suit Contracts: Trump Fits (set 2 of 9)

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Trump Fits
Ruffing can help us reduce our number of losers in a variety of different ways. Here we look at how ruffing can help us improve the play of our hand. 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 438.

SC Landing Set 1 - 437

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

Suit Contracts: Counting Losers Basics (set 1 of 9)

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Counting Losers Basics
Counting our losers is a skill that we should develop both in the bidding and the play. Part of understanding good hand evaluation is estimating how the play is going to go while you are bidding the hand -- in a suit contract this means thinking about what we are going to do with our losers. 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 437.

RBB Landing Set 14 - 014

Robert’S Bidding Basics: Raising Partner in Competition (set 14 of 14)

Raising our partner's suit is one of the most common bids we made. In a competitive auction our approach to this bidding changes, it is important to have good agreements in these auctions.

You can find Robert’s Bidding. Basics book here.
https://www.advinbridge.com/learn-bidding-basics

RBB Landing Set 13 - 013

Robert’S Bidding Basics: Dealing with Opponent's Overcalls (set 13 of 14)

When the partner opens and the opponents make an overcall we need good ways to compete in the bidding. One of the most important conventions for Responder is the negative double. This tool is invaluable for searching for major suit fits when the opponents make an overcall.

You can find Robert’s Bidding. Basics book here.
https://www.advinbridge.com/learn-bidding-basics

RBB Landing Set 12 - 012

Robert’S Bidding Basics: Takeout Doubles (set 12 of 14)

Another one of the most valuable tools for competing in the bidding is the takeout double. Let's see how to use it in so many different hand types.

You can find Robert’s Bidding. Basics book here.
https://www.advinbridge.com/learn-bidding-basics

RBB Landing Set 11 - 011

Robert’S Bidding Basics: Jump Overcalls (set 11 of 14)

Jump Overcalls are a valuable tool for attacking the opponents and preempting them out of their bidding space. Let's look at how to use them to make the opponents auction more difficult.

You can find Robert’s Bidding. Basics book here.
https://www.advinbridge.com/learn-bidding-basics

MCB Landing Set 1 - 428

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

More Competitive Bidding: Is it Forcing? by Responder (set 1 of 9)

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Is it Forcing? by Responder
When partner opens the bidding and RHO competes the Responder often wants to compete further in the bidding. Responder has a set of tools for competing — one of the most important agreements to have “Is Responder’s Bid Forcing?” 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 428.

RBB Landing Set 10 - 010

Robert’S Bidding Basics: Simple Overcalls (set 10 of 14)

One of the most important tools for competing in the bidding is the simple overcall. Here we look at how to use to get into the auction when the opponents open the bidding.

You can find Robert’s Bidding. Basics book here.
https://www.advinbridge.com/learn-bidding-basics

MCB Landing Set 2 - 429

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

More Competitive Bidding: Is it Forcing? by Advancer (set 2 of 9)

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Is it Forcing? by Advancer
When LHO opens the bidding and partner competes in the bidding the auctions can get very complicated. As the Advancer we often have many difficult decision about how to compete in the bidding. Here we look at these options and make sure that we have good agreements about which bids are forcing! 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 428.

RBB Landing Set 9 - 09

Robert’S Bidding Basics: Responding to Preempts (set 9 of 14)

When partner opens the bidding with a preempt we need to know our options for how to bid our hand. Let's look at how we get more information from them and how we extend the preempt.

You can find Robert’s Bidding. Basics book here.
https://www.advinbridge.com/learn-bidding-basics

MCB Landing Set 3 - 430

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

More Competitive Bidding: Law of Total Tricks (set 3 of 9)

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Law of Total Tricks
When we have a large fit, one of our most valuable tools for determining how much to bid is the Law of Total Tricks. The simple version of this bidding guideline is to bid to the size of our fit. This is particularly valuable in helping us know how much to bid in competitive auctions. Get some practice in using this tool to help you evaluate the playing strength of your hand. 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 430.

RBB Landing Set 8 - 08

Robert’S Bidding Basics: Preemptive Openings (set 8 of 14)

When we have a long suit and not a lot of values, then most of our playing strength is offensive and only if our long suit is trump. This is exactly what a preemptive opening bid shows. Here we look at all of the factors we need to consider in order to make good decisions about whether or not to preempt.

You can find Robert’s Bidding. Basics book here.
https://www.advinbridge.com/learn-bidding-basics

MCB Landing Set 4 - 431

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

More Competitive Bidding: Cuebidding Opponent’s Suit (set 4 of 9)

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Cuebidding Opponent’s Suit
When the opponent’s bid a suit they give us the opportunity to bid their suit as a special communication tool with partner. This is called cuebidding the opponent’s suit. Here we look at the meaning of these cuebids early in the auction.

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 431.

RBB Landing Set 7 - 07

Robert’S Bidding Basics: 2C Openings (set 7 of 14)

When we are close to having game in our hand, 22+ points when balanced or lots of points and tricks when unbalanced, then we open 2C instead of opening naturally. Let's look at how we use the Strong Artificial and Forcing Opening bid.


You can find Robert’s Bidding. Basics book here.
https://www.advinbridge.com/learn-bidding-basics

MCB Landing Set 5 - 432

This Week in Bridge Practice Hands

More Competitive Bidding: More Cuebids (set 5 of 9)

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More Cuebids
Bidding the opponent’s suit is a is useful on the 1st round of the bidding and later. Here we look at how we use this cuebid later in the bidding.

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 432.

RBB Landing Set 6 - 06

Robert’S Bidding Basics: Responding to 1NT or 2NT (set 6 of 14)

When partner opens 1NT we need some "gadgets" to help us find our fits. These are some of the first conventions we learn. Let's look at Stayman and Transfers and how to make use of them.

You can find Robert’s Bidding. Basics book here.
https://www.advinbridge.com/learn-bidding-basics