Conventions that you should play if you play 5 card majors and a strong
NT.
For partnerships aspiring to
competitions
The Law of total tricks has some adjustment
factors. Perhaps the key one is whether
your side have a ‘double fit’ i.e. length in 2 suits. The double fit increases the offensive
(ability to take tricks if declaring) and decreases the defensive potential of
the hand. In a competitive auction
(where both sides are bidding and supporting) it would be good to know whether
your side have a double or merely single fit whilst making it difficult for the
opponents to answer the same question.
Here are two hands as an illustration:
(a) (b) (c)
♠ AJ987 KQ87 KQ87
♥ Q72 3 3
♦ AJ7 KQ863 542
♣ 103 542 KQ862
(1♥) 1♠ (P) ??
Your partner overcalls 1♠ with hand (a)
and you have hands (b) or (c). What do
you bid.
3♠ would be weak and pre-emptive showing 4♠ and little
more. A bid of 2♣ or 2♦ would be encouraging but denies a fit for
♠. 2♥
would be forcing but will you be any better off if partner bids the likely
2NT? Here I suggest you bid a fit jump. You jump to the level of fit (following the
law – i.e. the 3 level with 4 card ♠) in a suit in which you have a
decent honour holding, usually 5+ cards with KJ or better honours. So that would be 3♦
on (b) and 3♣ on (c). How does it
help? Well look at the minor suit values
in hand (a) and decide whether to bid game now. Clearly 3♣ is not very encouraging but
3♦ is excellent… Even better you know what to do if opener
bids 3♥ over your partner’s bid 4♠
after 3♦ and Double after 3♣.
You can use the same principle when you partner
opens and
When the opponent does not guarantee length in
a suit however, say by doubling, it is best to keep your jump responses as if
they had not doubled.
These bids are a way of showing two-suited
hands that are weak (5-9) or strong (15+) (not intermediate 10-15). With intermediate hands with two suits,
simply overcall and hope that you can introduce your 2nd suit if
needed.
Michael’s cue bid is a bid of the opponents
opening suit e.g. (1♥) – 2♥ or (1♠) – 2♠ or (1m) –
2m where m=minor.
In the first cases, if you cue bid a major it
guarantees 5 cards in the other major and a 5 or 6 card
minor.
If you cue bid a minor, it shows 5-5 in both
majors.
Your partner should make a simple preference
and you raise or bid your 2nd suit with the strong hand variety,
else pass.
I suggest that it is better to do a weak jump
overcall with a 6 card major hence the 5-5 meaning. This will also allow your partner to judge
the law of total tricks.
If the opponents double – looking for a
penalty, it is best if your partner shows preference by bidding her longest
holding and passes or redoubles to show equal length. Just
agree this first!
The Unusual no trump works in the same way but
shows different suits. This convention
is usually played with the Gardener extension.
A bid of 2NT after the
So (1♣) – 2NT would show ♦ & ♥
5-5, weak or strong and (1♦) – 2NT would
show ♥ & ♣ and (1M) (M=major) –
2NT would show both minors.
In response to both of the above, if you have a
good hand, you can invite game with the lower bid of a further cue bid or NT.
How should you bid after a reverse? In basic systems choosing your partner’s
first suit is the weakest response you can make so you have to jump or bid 4th
suit forcing to establish a game forcing sequence. Often however you have not yet discovered the
suit in which you should play.
Consider these hands:
(a) (b) (c) (d)
♠ AJ987 J8763 KQ87 AQJ987
♥ Q72 32 32 32
♦ KQ7 Q86 542 42
♣ 103 K42 KQ82 A82
Your partner opens 1♦
and you respond 1♠ on all four hands (don’t you?) and partner then bids 2♥. This
is a reverse showing 16+ 5♦ and 4♥ or more distribution 6-5, 7-6 and fewer points
etc. Playing standard methods you would
normally bid 3♣ fourth suit forcing on (a), 3♦ on (b) weak; and 3NT
on (c). On (d) you may bid 3♣ or
guess 4♠.
Playing Blackout the lower of the 4th
suit or 2NT is the weakest NF bid and everything else is forcing to game. So on (a) you bid 3♦
(forcing); on (b) 2NT (weak); on (c) 3NT (10-12 no extra length in ♠, no
primary support); on (d) you bid 3♠ forcing.
This is a specific invention (Stayman spelled
backwards) often confused with the similar South
African Texas convention (played extensively in the
A opening bid of 4♣ shows
precisely 8 or 8.5 tricks played in ♥ and
4♦ would show the same in ♠.
It has two merits. It is semi strong and pre-emptive at the same
time.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
♠ AKJ10987 7 AKQ87432 7
♥ 2 AKQ98763 3 AKQ98763
♦ A32 J8 Q42 A10
♣ 103 42 2 42
With (a) and (c) you open 4♦. With
(b) you open 4♣. With (d) you open
1♥ intending to rebid
4♥.
(a)
(b)
♠ 7 432
♥ AKQ98763 5
♦ J8 AQ42
♣103 AK542
So with the above
hands the auction will proceed:
4♣ 4♦
4♠ 6♥
Note here an added benefit is the Q♦ is protected as the ♣ may split 3-3.
On the strength side, your partner can judge
the game/slam decision fairly easily (will bid slam with 3.5 tricks most of the
time), also this adds definition to the 4♥ and 4♠ opening bids
which can be more pre-emptive or more of a broken suit (missing A or K). If you partner is interested in slam and
does not have AAAK (say AK, AQ) in the side suits, she should bid the
intermediate suit (4♦ over 4♣ or 4♥ over 4♦). This bid asks you to show a side suit
shortage (i.e. bid a side suit singleton or void) else bid 4 of you major.
I include this, above hundreds of other
conventional defences to 1NT as it is perhaps the most
widely played.
So the bids are:
Double =
Penalty orientated
2♣ =
any single suited hand 6+ cards
2♦ = both majors (2M)
2M =
that major (5 cards) and a 4+ minor
2NT =
any game forcing two suiter
3 level =
pre-emptive
You invite game as responder with a
conventional bid of 2NT. Discuss with
partner how you would proceed over this.