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Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

Quiz: Deal # Thursday
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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

Quiz How much do you know about this page? Quiz

<= find/hide more deals exploiting this aspect

Quick summary

Responder is saying "Major game is certain, no singletons or voids, is Slam on?" So Opener must now:

show a "splinter": bid 3 in new suit, or
deny a "splinter": bid anything else

Responder will assess the value to his hand of opener's splinter, hoping to find it opposite his weak suit.

When denying a splinter, opener can specify strength and support:

12-13: sign-off, Game in Major
14-15: 3NT
16-19: 3 in the major
16-19 with 2nd suit: 4 in new suit

Print cribsheet

Bridge Venue

+	West
	10 9 6 2
	K 3
	7 6 5
	K J 5 2

+	North
	K J 4 3
	A J 9 6 5
	K Q 10
	4

+	East
	8 5
	7 4
	9 8 3 2
	A Q 10 8 6

	South
	A Q 7
	Q 10 8 2
	A J 4
	9 7 3

Example Deal

You: South
Dealer: North
Vuln: none

# 126010

Major fit, with game values
..
Go to quiz (& full page) of deal # 126010
***

Click the + buttons to peep

Click on "q1" below to see question 1, and on "A1" to see the answer.

Question 1

North Opens 1H. How should South (a sophisticated player with years of experience) now respond ?

Question 1

North Opens 1H. How should South (a sophisticated player with years of experience) now respond ?

Answer

2NT. Jacoby 2NT, showing 4-card Major support to game, with no short suits (assuming you are using Splinters), looking for Slam.

(Note: for less experienced players, South's bid would be different, i.e. not 2NT. It would be a Heart bid, based on the fit and the point count, and should support the opener directly at the right level. By the way, is that 2, 3, or 4 Hearts ?)

Question 2

What should North re-bid to his partner's "Jacoby 2NT?" (Now's the time to peep at his cards).

Question 2

What should North re-bid to his partner's "Jacoby 2NT?" (Now's the time to peep at his cards).

Answer

North should tell South about his shortage in Clubs. Provided it's the opposition that has the club honours, they'll be destroyed with his singleton, and Slam could be possible.

Using Jacoby 2NT, North would tell us this by bidding the short suit at the 3 level. After this, South will then no doubt tell us if he does or doesn't have the Club honours. With luck he won't have them.

Question 3

So, after North's 3 Clubs, how should South now bid ? What are his options ?

Question 3

So, after North's 3 Clubs, how should South now bid ? What are his options ?

Answer

3 diamonds if you're playing rubber or teams bridge, 4 Hearts if you're playing duplicate bridge. But there are 4 possible bids people often make at this point!

Option 1. Bid 6 Hearts.
Interesting. South will realise that there is only one club loser, and could hope that the distribution will be kind. Bit risky, if North is on minimum 12 points (12 + 13 = 25 total), which he could be.

Option 2. Bid 4NT.
Ask for Aces/ Keycards (or "undefined" first round controls). The 5 Diamonds answer indicating one Ace/Keycard is probably expected. But will that have advanced the knowledge sufficiently ?

Option 3. Bid 3 Diamonds.
This is a Cue bid from South. First it confirms an interest in Slam - so South's clubs must contain no wasted values, and thus (a) there is no more than one loser in clubs and (b) there can only be 30 other HCP that count. Second it is telling North about his Ace in diamonds. North, adding his 15 HCP points will know that the partnership has 27+ out of the remaining 30 HCPs in the other suits. Sounds as if there is every chance of making all the other tricks, unless there's a missing King in the wrong place. 50:50% chance of small Heart Slam, all hanging on a finesse ?

In fact, if the missing Heart King is with West, the finesse and Slam will make. If it's a singleton K with East, Slam can also be made. You'll just have to decide which is more likely. A nice 180+300+500 if it makes, but a bottom if it doesn't.

If it does, wonderful: a Slam bid on 27 HCP. Good for teams or rubber bridge.

Option 4. Bid 4 Hearts.
But if you're playing duplicate bridge, with a 50/50 risk of a bottom position result if the finesse doesn't work, it's better to go for the safe option 4.

Some subjects to follow up on
Majors Jacoby 2NT
Cue bidding for controls
Slam, Spotting the chance
Majors Splinters
Unbal, 12 to 19 HCPs, 1 suit

#1	+	<-- click the + to show/hide one possible Bidding Sequence
West			North	East	South
-			1H	p	???
					2NT
p			3C	p	3D
p			6H	p	p
p
			System: Acol (Benji)
suggest a different Bidding Sequence

bid	explained at....
#2	+	<-- click the + for explanation of relevant Bidding Techniques
1H	Unbal, 12 to 19 HCPs, 1 suit
2NT	Majors Jacoby 2NT
3C	Cue bidding for controls
3D	Slam, Spotting the chance
6H	How to use
Related			How to use
Overview			Hand evaluation

#3	+	<-- click the + for ideas on the Opening Lead
Opening Lead: East , A Reasons, in a Suit contract: 1. winners early, enemy short? 2. winners early, vs slam 3. unbid suit

OK, What's Your Plan for trying to make the contract ?

Only after you've thought about your plan for a short (but important) while, click the + to show/hide Card Play questions.

for	click on....
#5	+	<--click the + for notes on relevant Play & Defence methods
lead
plan	Plan for a suit contract
play	Draw trumps soon, or later?
defence	Which signal to send?

Related			Communication and entries
Overview			Hand evaluation

« 0150 »

Jacoby 2NT: Getting to Slam more often

I like your Major. I don't have a splinter, do you ?

When "game" in a Major is immediately obvious, use the spare bidding space to check for good shape or strength, in case a slam might be possible.

150. Jacoby 2NT
Player	Bid	Meaning
Opener:	1 of a major	12-19 HCP, 4-card Major, probably 5
Responder:	2NT	4 card support in your suit to game. I have no singletons or voids in a side suit, please tell me if you do, or tell me more about your strength.
Opener's rebid	a. 3 new suit	a. I have a void or singleton here
	b. bid 4 of new lower suit	b. strong second suit (2+ honours, 4-5 card)
	c. rebid 3 of the major	c. I'm strong, (14+) with extra strength and length
	d. 3NT	d. I'm strong, (14+) with extra strength, but no extra length
	e. rebid major at 4	e. OK, I'm weak (12-13), let's end here at major game
related stuff	Splinters 11, After 1-Suit very strong,	Use splinter bid, not Jacoby 2NT, if responder does have a short side suit. Jump shift if v. strong & 6-card suit
Add to your customised cribsheet

When to use

Your partner opens 1 of Major (), say 1. He has therefore promised 12+ points and a minimum 4-card Heart suit, or 5 cards if you play American Standard with 5-card Majors.

You have 12-15+ points and 4 cards in . So things are looking good: with a Major fit "8 & 25", game is in effect certain. (Same is true with 3 cards in if you play American Standard with 5-card Majors from the opening bidder).

Beginners would reply by simply jumping to 4. That's because you have an 8-card trump match in a Major and 25+ points - that's good enough.

The trouble is, you will quite often miss a Slam which better players often seem to find. And after a while that becomes annoying! Your parter might have more than 12HCP. Say 16 points. Or he might have great shape. If you simply bid 4, you will lose the chance to find out. So, rather than bid 4, more advanced players give themselves two better options:

If you don't have a short side suit, i.e. a suit with 1 card or less, then ask your partner to describe his hand in more detail. Bid Jacoby "2NT".
If you do have a short side suit, tell your partner. Bid a Splinter.

Opener's response to Jacoby 2NT

First of all, you need to be absolutely sure your partner is not saying "balanced hand, limit bid of 12 HCP"! Assuming you have agreed to use the Jacoby 2NT convention, and not forgotten about your agreement to use it Guy (hey, we're all human, maybe you could print the convention card and take it with you?), then the Opener's rebids are these. . ..

Shortage

As Opener, we now know that responder has no shortages, otherwise he would have splinter bid. But on the other hand if we as opener have a shortage in a side suit, we should tell partner about this. Simply rebid that suit at the 3-level, e.g. 3 (a "Splinter" to show a singleton or void in clubs). Partner will assess the value of this shortage in his hand and decide whether to explore Slam. If the shortage is in the same suit as responder's long line of losers, then great! The shortage is really useful and the hands become more powerful when viewed together. So with an xxx in clubs, responder might go higher. See Splinters for more detail.

On the other hand, it's no use having the club shortage in the same suit as a string of winners. For example, when responder has AKxx in , because the value of the strong cards would be better used in another suit. Responder should pass.

No shortage

When opener does not have a shortage, he can show his exact strength more accurately:

he should use the remaining two "3-level" bids to show extra strength, i.e.

bid trumps if 14+
bid NT if 16-19

use the 4-level bids for either a good new suit with extra power, or back to trumps for a minimum hand with no extra power, i.e.

wiht 16+ HCP, bid a second suit if it's a 4-card suit wiht 2+ honours
bid trumps (i.e. game) for a minimum hand (12-13 HCP) with no extra power

Again, partner can then assess this extra information against his hand, and decide whether to explore Slam.

When not to use

When responder is very strong. Jump shifting is more informative (16+ with a long strong suit), and anyway doesn't deny 4-card Major support.
Minors. Even with opening points and 4-card support, don't use Jacoby 2NT when opener bids a minor. With opener's minor, you should be trying to head towards a NT game, hopefully, which is usually more achievable than making 5 in a minor trump contract. After a minor opening, opener should interpret a 2NT response in the traditional way: “I'm balanced with 12 points”.

Drawback with the Jacoby 2NT

There are some very minor drawbacks, and only really for beginners or people with insufficient practice using the convention.

The 2NT bid used by "level-1" players, to signify balanced hand 11-12 points, becomes unavailable when replying to a Major. (This drawback does not apply to a use with a minor, when the bid is the most useful);
You need to make some mental effort to remember the opener's re-bids (even though they are quite logical, they need to be understood);
Your partner might be a bit absent minded, or thinking about work or something, and forget you are using this convention. In this case confusion will abound! ("When he said 3, did he mean he has a void in clubs, or that he has a nice strong 4-card suit in clubs? Oh dear. . .")

Showing 3-card support

Show 3-card support because it will often lead to an 8-card match. You'd like your partner to know precisely whether you have 3 or 4 (bid 3 after 1).

Now try the quiz

Can you put all this into action ? Try the quiz for this subject by clicking on the link at the top left of the page, just below the main menu.
(You can try quizzes for any other subjects too while you're there. Look out for the thin red line).

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Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

Quiz: Deal # Thursday