Conventions that you should play if you play 5 card majors and a strong NT.

 

For partnerships aspiring to competitions

  1. Fit jumps in competition

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 RHO overcalls.

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.

 

  1. Michaels cue bid and Unusual no trump

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 RHO opens 1 of a suit shows the lowest 2 unbid suits.   I suggest that you don’t worry whether they play a short club or even precision and treat that as a bid suit.

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.

 

  1. Blackout

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.

 

 

 

  1. namyatS

This is a specific invention (Stayman spelled backwards) often confused with the similar South African Texas convention (played extensively in the UK)

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.

 

 

  1. Capelletti (Pottage) defence to 1NT

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.