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Quiz: Barrier-Reversing

Quiz: Deal # Saturday
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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

With 17/18 & Major fit, partner with 6-9 will bid major game if he

has control in your side suit after one loser, or
ditto after 2-losers if he's on max HCP

Your side suit has one top honour & 2+ other losing cards.

Explanation After the 1-2 you bid a second suit, e.g. 1-2-3. You have extra values > 16 points guaranteed with a 3 bid, & need help in .

"Help" = control the suit after one loser, or max 2 losers if on max. 9 HCP. A void, singleton or doubleton plus a four card trump suit is good, or an A or Kx or Qxx are also a great help.

Counter try
With no help, "counter try" in another suit, at the 3-level only.

Minor agreement, new suit=stopper
If suit agreement is in a minor not a Major, then a new suit asserts a stopper, and is asking partner to bid 3NT if can fill the outstanding gap.

Print cribsheet

Bridge Venue

« 0154 »

Trial bid (or game try)

Can't quite get to game in a Major ?

Do partner's values match my losers ?

You've got Major suit agreement somehow, at the two level. E.g.You bid 1, promising 12-19 HCP, and partner replies 2 promising 6-9 points. (It could be in too).

If in fact you have 19 points (case 1) then it's easy, because you can put it straight into game, 4. Same thing (case 2) if you have 16 and they have 9: you'll tell them about the 16+ (bid 3) and they'll put it into game, 4. In this situation you have 14 combined losers, and game is on.

But what if you are a little short of 19 in the first case, and what if your partner is a little short of 9 in the second case ? Or, to put it another way, what if you can see only 15 combined losers ?

Well in that case, you won't be able to bid to game.

And yet, for all you know, you could for example have 18 and 6 points plus a nice matching side suit. And that would actually get you the extra trick you need to make game.

Enter "the Trial Bid"

The idea is first to recognise that you fall just short of being able to bid to Game in a major, and then set out to find out if partner can help a bit in a side suit. If you can find this out, you can bid to game, since the extra cards in this minor suit should allow you to make the extra trick you need.

"Help" in the trial bid suit is generally to control the suit after one loser, or no more than two losers if on maximum HCP. A void, singleton or doubleton plus a four card trump suit is good, or an A or Kx or Qxx are also a great help.

After the 1-2 bidding sequence, you bid a second suit, below the three level in your Major, e.g. 1-2-3. You are telling your partner you have extra values beyond the 16 points guaranteed with a 3 bid, and you are asking for a little help in the diamond suit. The usual meaning for the stronger hand is:

I'm long in this suit, with 2 or 3 losers. I've got at most one top honour. Raise to game if you've got something in this suit. Specifically 0-1 losers (e.g. a A or Kx or x, + an extra trump). With 2 losers only raise on maximum HCP;

Counter try

In addition to these meanings and responses, the responder has another route to take if he can't respond to the invitation. Issue his own invitation:

Counter try at the 3 level in a different side suit. Sorry, can't help, but can you help in this suit ?

It's important not to go above the 3 level in the "counter try" suit, so if the first try was in you won't be able to make a counter suggestion in .

Alternative interpretation
There are two other ways people use this signal, but we don't like these (nor does Ron Klinger in his great book "Guide to Better Acol Bridge"). You need to agree beforehand if you plan to use these meanings:

I'm short in this suit, (implying extra values in the unbid suits);
I'm holding 3 cards in the side suit, anything from small up to KJx. Bid game if you have 0/1 losers in the side suit, close the bidding at 3 with 3 losers, but with 2 losers use point count.

Minor match ? Show stopper !

Suit agreement with 25 points in a minor ?

This is different. Getting to 5 is so hard, so it's probably not worth trying to look for side suit support. Better to look for a 3NT hand. So in this case, after minor suit agreement with around 14 combined losers, a change of suit shows interest in NT game, asserts a stopper in the newly bid suit, and implies a hole in the unbid suits. Partner will raise to 3NT if he can plug it. This is similar in concept to 4th suit forcing (you could think of it as 3rd suit forcing).

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 # Saturday