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Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

Quiz: Deal # Sunday
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Basic
strategy
0000). How to use 0001). Bidding Objectives = "8 and 25" 0002). 28 for minor 0003). 33 for NT slam 0004). Suit slam 0005). Importance of length 0006). Convention card 0007). ACOL and American Standard, differences 0008). A-Z Glossary 0690). A-Z Glossary
Hand
evaluation
0010). Balanced-Unbalanced 0011). How strong is your hand, HCP 0012). Distribution points 0013). Losing trick count 0014). Barrier-Reversing 0015). Selection of opening suit 0016). Showing shape 0017). 4441 distribution 0018). The skip over principle 0019). Rule of 20 Opening 1 of a suit 0019a). Rule of 25 Opening 2 of a suit 0019b). Rule of 500 Max penalty risk on preempt if doubled 0019c). Law of total tricks 0019d). Rule of Protective bidding
Opening
bids
0020). Plan of attack 0021). Bal, 12 to 19 HCPs, weak NT 0022). Bal, 20+ points 0023). Bal, 15 to 17 HCPs, strong NT 0025). Unbal, 12 to 19 HCPs, 1 suit 0026). Unbal, Strong 2s 0027). Unbal, Pre-emptive 0028). Unbal, Gambling 3NT 0029). Benji Strong 2s
Responder
1st bids
0030). After 1NT, General principles 0031). After 1NT, Weak 0032). After 1NT, Getting out of trouble 0033). After 1NT, 11+ balanced 0034). After 1NT, 11+ 4-card major 0035). After 1NT, 11+ unbalanced 0036). After 1NT, 19+ 0037). After 2NT 0038). After 1NT, and Enemy has interfered 0039). 1 NT responses 0040). After 1 Suit, With fit 0041). After 1 Suit, No fit, but alternative suit 0042). After 1 Suit, No fit, no new suit, probably balanced 0043). After 1 Suit, 6 points, nothing to bid 0044). After 1 Suit, Very strong 0045). After 1 Suit, Weak freak 0047). After 2 Suit, Strong 2s 0048). After 2 Suit, Weak 2s 0049). After 3 Suit, Responding to preempt
Openers
rebid
0050). Unbalanced, The general idea 0051). Unbalanced, You are weak 0052). Unbalanced, You are strong 0053). Unbalanced, Partner replied with 1NT 0054). Unbalanced, Delayed support 0055). Balanced
Responder
rebids
0060). Responder rebids, The general idea 0061). Choice of two suits 0062). Responders reverse 0063). After 1NT rebid
Basic
Convention
0080). Stayman 0081). Transfer 0082). Transfer after 2NT 0161). Minor suit transfer
Slam
bidding
0090). Slam, Spotting the chance 0091). Blackwood 0092). No-trump slam 0093). Gerber 0094). Extra slam techniques
Interfering
bids
0100). Overcalls, the basic idea 0101). Overcalls, in a suit, over a suit 0102). Overcalls, in a suit, over 1NT 0103). Overcalls, in NT, over a suit 0104). Overcalls, Jump overcall 0105). Overcalls, Double then bid a suit 0106). Overcalls, Bidding opponents suit 0107). Overcalls, Balancing (protective) 0108). Overcalls, Overcall a preempt 0109). Overcalls, Preemptive double jump 0110). Overcalls, To overcall, or to double 0111). Overcalls, Response to 1NT after suit overcall (Lebensohl) 0115). Defence after 1NT 0116). Competitive bidding 0117). Be cautious sometimes 0118). Sacrificing Be bold when non-vulnerable 0119). Sacrificing 0120). Doubles, Double a 1NT 0121). Doubles, Double for takeout 0122). Doubles, Doubling after opponent overcall 0126). Doubles, Protective double
Doubles

0120). Doubles, Double a 1NT 0121). Doubles, Double for takeout 0122). Doubles, Doubling after opponent overcall 0123). Doubles, Negative double 0124). Doubles, Double a 1NT overcall 0125). Doubles, Double a suit over 1NT 0126). Doubles, Protective double 0127). Doubles, Responsive double 0128). Doubles, Double then bid a suit 0129). Doubles, Penalty 0130). Doubles, Support double 0131). Doubles, Lead directing double 0132). Doubles, Maximal double 0133). Doubles, Redoubling - coded meanings 0134). Doubles, Forcing Pass 0135). Doubles, Re-opening double 0139). Doubles, Index of doubles
Advanced
Convention
0150). Majors Jacoby 2NT 0151). Majors Splinters 0152). Majors Weak 2s 0153). Majors Weak 2 defence 0154). Trial bid 0160). NT and minors 4th suit forcing 0161). Minor suit transfer 0162). DONT Bidding When Opponents open 1NT 0163). Game tries 0166). Grand Slam Force 0167). Roman Keycard Blackwood 0168). Cue bidding for controls 0170). 2-suited Overcall Unusual 2NT 0171). 2-suited Overcall Michaels cue bid 0172). 2-suited Overcall Landy over 1NT 0173). Overcall Unassuming cue bid 0179). Very advanced

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Quick summary

"Fit". You like your partner's suit. He bid one of a suit; you've got 4+ cards in the same suit.

Since you have an 8-card match, tell your partner exactly what you've got, by support at various levels:

Bid 2 with 6-9 HCP
Bid 3 with 10-12 HCP
Bid 4 with 13+ HCP
With 16+ HCP, explore Slam

You can & should include Distribution Points (DP), because you have a fit.

Advanced players Use Jacoby 2NT and Splinters with game going support for a Major.

Print cribsheet

Bridge Venue

« 0040 »

Responder 1st bids. After 1 Suit, With fit

Tell your partner you've got 4 of his suit, and exactly how many points. Here's how:

40. Reply to 1-suit, with fit
Points	6-9	10-12	13+	16+	LTC of 7
Cards	4 (3 if with shortage)	4	4	4	4, & a super side suit
Bid	Raise to 2. A weak bid	Raise to 3. "Inviting" opener to bid game - if he has 14 points	Raise to 4	Slam is likely. So show strength in various ways	Slam could be on. Show strength in various ways
Add to your customised cribsheet

When you raise your partner's opening bid in the same suit, your bid is not "forcing". Your partner is not obliged to continue to bid, but he will do if he can see that "game" could be possible and in that case you might need to bid again too, but only if your partner chooses to carry on bidding.

For example, let's say your partner bids 1, and you reply 2 because you have 4 of them and 6-9 points. If your partner has 16 points, he will say 3, in the hope that you actually have 9 points, not 6. If you don't have 9, you simply pass. But if you do have 9, you can then say 4. Great ! A game bid, based on a 25 points 8-card fit.

Do you use losing trick count? Another example: if your partner bids 1, and you reply 3, then you are inviting your partner to game if they have more than the minimum they promised. In other words you probably have 8-losers (or 10-12 HCP). If partner has 6 losers, rather than the 7 losers he promised, he can raise to game.

Special case - when you have 6-9 points only

If your partner opens the bidding he promises 4 cards in the suit bid. But with Spades, , you are allowed to assume he has 5 of them, and therefore you can support at the two level with only 3 of them, provided you have no other alternative and provided you have a shortage.

If it turns out he had just 4 of them, that will be because, in fact, he was balanced. So his next bid will be in No Trumps. With 5, he'll be bidding a suit next. The only danger is that with a balanced hand he might take your bid as 4-card support and not bid No Trumps next. However, he's unlikely to get too excited, knowing that you only have 6-9 HCP.

This subject is covered in more depth and as an alternative to the "1NT dustbin response".

(With Hearts it's a bit difficult: a 4441 distribution can be opened with Hearts, but not Spades).

Stronger hands, fit, and another suit

If you have a stronger hand, and you also have another suit you can bid, you should bid this other suit first, rather than supporting your partner's suit. You might especially want to do this if your second suit is a Major. Changing the suit in this way does not deny having 4-card support for your partner's suit, but it is a "forcing bid" (obliges the opener to bid again), so you will get another chance to support the suit he bid.

Switching suit also has the advantage of telling your partner more about your point count and shape. Supporting your partner's suit also has weakness connotations. For example, the weakest bid you can make is a simple raise to 2 of your partner's suit, when you have a mere 6 points and 4-card support, or even 3 if it's a Major and you have a shortage. But if you bid 2 of a new suit, then you must have 10 HCP and 5-cards if it's a Major, and you could have a lot of points, potentially more than 15 depending on the shape of your hand.

Very strong

With 16+ points, it's not a good idea to support your partner's suit. You might miss a Slam. Instead, find some other way of showing your strength on your first bid.

More advanced players

With support for partner's Major suit and just sufficient points for game, more advanced responders use Splinters and Jacoby 2NT instead of jumping straight to 4 of the Major. This helps them to find hands with interesting shape - and the Slam which might otherwise be missed.

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Quiz: Barrier-Reversing