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.
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!
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
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.
Dealing with 4-Level Jump Overcalls
When we open the bidding the opponents love to preempt and eat up our bidding space. This is especially difficult when their preempt is a jump to game in a Major. Here we look at how to deal with it!
Overcalling a 4-card Suit
It is frustrating to have a good hand and not be able to get into the auction. Here we look at a less used option for getting into the auction when the opponents open the bidding — overcalling a 4-card suit.
Gazzilli
The latest upgrade to “modern expert bidding”. If you love gadgets, this is what you should add to your bidding system.
Partnership Defense Philosophy
In order to defend well you have to work together with partners. Specific agreements are important, but “high-level” agreements are also important. Your philosophy on how we work together and how we signal is the most important part of this.
Dummy has Qxx+
When Dummy has a holding like Qxx (or longer) it is important to have good agreements about signaling our partner, so they can make a good decision about what to do next. This week we look at this situation in detail - attitude, count, suit preference, what does our card mean!?!
More Suit Preference
There is ore to suit preference signals than just the simple cases are trick 1. Here we look at even more places where you may use these valuable signaling tools.
Suit Preference
Our goal on defense is to help our partner. Suit Preference Signals are a way to do this by giving painter information about which suit we would like them to shift to (or where we hold good stuff).
Smith Echo (Reverse)
Against a NT contract, when the opponents win the first trick and attack another suit they are often leading their best suit. In this case, we have an opportunity to communicate with partner. Smith Echo is an agreement that makes use of this situation to tell partner if the opening lead was good or not.
Upside Down Count and Attitude
Giving Count and Attitude signals is a key part of defense. Modern expert players often use Upside Down Count and Attitude to communicate. Let’s see how it works!
Defensive Carding: Discards
When we run out of cards in a suit being played then we must discard. These discards are a great way to communicate with partner. Our first discard communicates a lot of information, but so do our subsequent discards. Here we look at making sure you are making good use of these discards.
Defensive Carding: Count Signals
Signaling with partner is an important part of working together to defend a hand. Attitude signals are extremely important, but so are count signals. Here we look at how to give them and more importantly, when they apply.
Defensive Carding: Attitude Signals
Attitude signals are some of the most important ways that we can communicate with our partner. Here we look at how to make them and when they apply so that we can work with partners effectively!
U vs. U, U vs. M
Here we look at times when we have to deal with the opponents 2-suited attacking bids -- Michaels Cuebids and Unusual NT. Here we look at some special agreements, Unusual vs Unusual and Unusual vs Michaels, to help us compete 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 470.
Meckstroth Advances
Meckstroth Advances are a valuable extension to the use of Michaels Cuebids. These agreements about advancers bids help the better describe their hand and help our side explore a variety of different games. 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 469.
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McCabe
McCabe responses to a preempt are a useful tool for competing in the bidding after the opponents compete with a takeout double. Let’s see how this agreements helps us better compete in the bidding or defend a 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 468.
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Lead Directing Doubles
We can use doubles of artificial bids in sophisticated ways to help use compete in the bidding or better defend the hand. Here we look at how to use them and when not to do so. 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 467.
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Corrective vs. Forward Going Bids
There are times in the auction where we want to find the best partscore and other times where our bids are still expressing interest in exploring game. Here we look at these corrective bids vs. forward-going ones and make sure we know which one partner is intending. 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 466.
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Help Suit Game Tries
When we are interested in investigating game we need to have more sophisticated ways of doing to than jump rebidding our suit. Help Suit Game Tries give us a way to do that! 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 465.
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Passed Hand Bidding
When we are a passed hand or partner is a passed hand our bidding changes. Here we look at how to make use of this information. 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 464.
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More Constructive Bidding: 3rd Seat Openings
Opening the bidding in the 3rd seat is a place for “misbehaving”. Here we look at some of options we have in 3rd seat that we don't have in the 1st or 2nd seat. Practice these 3rd seat openings to become a more difficult opponent. 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 463.
