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.
3rd Seat Openings
When we open the bidding in the 3rd seat we have lots of options for how to attack the opponents. Here we look at how we can make the opponents life more difficult and make the best opening bid for our side.
Problem Opening Bids
There are certain strengths and shapes that are difficult to describe as opening bids. In order to have a chance of showing this problem hands we have to start the auction off best. Here we look at some of these problem opening bids.
Which Honor to Cover or Capture
Here we look at defensive situations in the middle of the hand - we start with a look at covering the opponent's honors -- which one to cover?
Getting Our Ruffs
When you can ruff one of Declarer’s tricks it is extremely satisfying. Here we work on techniques that will allow us to do so as often as possible!
Middle of Hand Defense - Shift
Here we look at how we defend in the middle of the hand, with a focus on leading a new suit -- how and when to do so!
Return Partner’s Lead?
Should we return partner’s lead? Show we shift to a different suit? This is always a difficult decision! Here we look at how to make this decision and help our partnership take the tricks we are entitled to.
Splitting Honors?
When we have touching honors which one we play depends on the situation and what information we are trying to communicate. Here we look at splitting our honors on defense.
Surround Plays and Power Shifts
When you are behind the dummy and attack it you should be able to do so in ways that show your partner a very strong holding. These surround plays and power shift help partner know the strength of your holding.
Card Combinations
When we are defending a hand there are many important situations that we need to know about when to attack a suit and when it may cost to do so. These card combinations and how to play to get the most out of them are an extremely important part of good defense.
Discards Later in the Play
Discards are an important way to communicate with partner. But not just the first discard, every discard matters. Here we look at discards later in the play.
Combine Your Chances
Finding the best line of play as Declarer is always a challenge. Instead of trying to determine the better of line of play A and line of play B the best play is often to choose a combination of the two. Here we look at how to improve you declarer play by combining your chances.
Optimistic and Pessimistic Declarer Play
Having the right mindset is an important part of approaching a declarer play problem. When you are in a good contact start to consider “What could go wrong?!?” and when you are in a bad contract start to make assumptions that good things are going to happen for you!
The King-Jack Guess
When we are defending and the Declaring side holds the King and the Jack in a suit then they will often have to guess the layout of the suit in order to take their most tricks. Here we look at the art of giving them the most difficult guesses we can!
Misfits and Moysians
Finding a fit makes declaring a hand much easier. When we are playing a hand without a fit it is much more challenging. Here we look at some strategies for playing hands that have less than an 8-card fit.
Michael’s Cuebids
When the opponent’s open the bidding and we have two long suits it is useful to be able to show them both immediately. This is especially true when we have a weak hand. Here we look at Michaels Cuebids and see how they help us do this!
Unusual NT
There is another valuable tool for competing in the bidding when we have a two suited hand — the unusual NT. Let’s see how this bidding tool is effective in competitive bidding.
Simple Overcalls by Level
Here we look at Simple Overcalls and how they vary based on situation and level — which is dramatic!
Competing Over 2-level Preempts - Lebensohl
Dealing with preempts is extremely difficult. Here we look at an extremely useful tool for dealing with the opponent’s 2-level preempts — an innovative use of 2NT as a convention, not a contract!
Leaping Michaels
Against the Opponent’s 2-level preempts we have ways of showing strong hands with two long suits by using a special jump overcall called Leaping Michaels. Here we see how to use it.
Bidding Over the Opponent’s 3-Level Preempt
When the opponents make a high-level preempt it makes our life difficult. Here we look at our options for bidding over them and what risks we have to take.
