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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

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Quick summary

Enemy called 1NT, but you have an opening hand with 2 long Majors?

Call 2 ("Landy")

Your HCP strength MUST be in the Majors. Also

6 losers (7 if not vuln)
5-5 or 5-4 suit length
(4-4 not usually good enough)

Your partner must know that 3 is the standard Club overcall!

Response (even with zero HCP):

ALWAYS respond (unless 7)
Longer Major, according to fit, LTC & HCP
2 if same length, to ask partner for longest Major

Rarer responses:

2 if 10-12 HCP
2NT if 13+ and no 4-card Major

Other overcalls of 1NT that go well with Landy

2// = natural 6-card suit
- ditto, good 5-card in last seat
3 = natural club overcall
Double = for penalties = 15 or 16 to 18

Print cribsheet

Bridge Venue

« 0172 »

2-suited Overcalls, Landy over 1NT

Isn't it annoying when you have an opening hand but the opponents open with a weak 1NT?

To bid at all, you have to start at the 2-level, and yet the enemy has admitted to being weak. However, you should try your best to prevent them from stealing your contract.

But how? Your normal option after 1NT from the enemy is to overcall in one suit at the already high 2-level, but only provided you have 6-cards in that suit and a good hand. But what if you have an opening hand (in the sense of LTC = 7) with two good Majors? Is there anything you can do to tell your partner about them both?

Enter "Landy", an overcall bid of 2.

Overcalling 1NT - the whole picture

Assuming you and your partner do use Landy for overcalling two Major suits at once, here first is an overview of what the various possible overcalls mean after an opening bid of a weak 1NT from the enemy:

2// = one natural 6-card suit overcall over 1NT
2 = "Landy" = " and overcall", see below
3 = natural 6-card club overcall over 1NT
Double = for penalties = 16-18 (or 15 with good lead and entries to trick-winning suit)

Landy

Here's what 2 Landy promises to your partner:

two 5-card Majors, or a 5-4
HCP are in the Majors (very very important)
6 losers (so, a good opening hand, compared with the normal 7-loser opening hand)
7 losers if not vulnerable
I DO NOT HAVE CLUBS !

If you are not familiar with Losing Trick Count, then the equivalent HCP guidelines require you to think about both the vulnerability (you need more HCP if vulnerable) and about the exact Shape (you need more HCP if your shape is 5-4, instead of 5-5):

with two five-card Majors, you need 10 points if vulnerable, or 7 if not,
with five-four in the Majors, you need 12 points if vulnerable, or 10 if not.

It's best not to "Landy" with only two four-card Majors, because you could end up in a terrible 4-2 six-card fit, with fewer trumps than the enemy. Only do it with 4-4 if:

they are both good suits, and
you're not vulnerable, and
have a 6-loser hand, and
you have a singleton

Response? You have to reply! (unless you have 7 clubs)

That's because your Landy-overcaller-partner who just bid clubs probably has almost no Clubs at all. In most cases you and partner should end up contracting in one of the Majors, and your main job now is to tell your partner which is your longest Major.

Remember you know your partner is strong, and you are forced to bid.

You simply reply with your longest Major.
If your Majors are the same length, reply in 2 to force your overcaller-partner to say which Major he prefers.

When replying with your longest Major, even with zero points, reply at the 2-level if it's only a 3-card Major.

But with 4-card Major support, knowing that you have at least an 8-card fit, you can GET EXCITED, fully evaluate your hand using point count or better still using Losing Trick Count, and raise to the 3-level or more in a Major. On partner's response you can continue to evaluate on the same basis.

(A maximum length of 2-card support in your Majors will normally mean your Majors are both 2-cards, and therefore you'll reply 2 anyway).

Other responses are relatively rare

That's because the enemy have at least an opening hand, and so Slams for you are very unlikely, and even Games are uncommon. (The main objective is to stop your enemy from stealing your contract with their annoying 1NT opening!)

reply 2, if you have 10-12 HCP,
reply 2NT, if you are strong (13+ HCP) and no 4-card Major (very rare).

Obviously, partner does not know which reply of 2 that you mean, so will reply with his longest Major, allowing you to find the best fit, and either pass or rebid 2NT if you have 10-12 HCP.

With the very rare 2NT reply: Normally, "Game" is probably on and the Landy bidder should show his 5-card Major. The exception: Game is not on if the Landy overcaller is at the weak end of his range with 5-5 shape in the Majors, in which case he should bid 3, which will allow partner to make a choice of NT or one of the Majors.

Overcalling the enemy 1NT - from the last hand

If you are sitting in the "last hand" position (the enemy open 1NT, followed by 2 passes) you should be more aggressive. That's because you know the enemy don't have a "Game" on. In this case:

a good single five-card suit can be enough to overcall (instead of a single 6-card suit in the direct overcall seat),
Landy is still a good way of showing two Major suits, if that's what you and partner agree.

In a 1NT contract by the enemy, a good 5-card suit of yours would, unfortunately, be unlikely to be led by your partner. So the enemy has a better than usual chance of making their annoying 1NT. Another good reason to overcall if you have a good 5-card suit in the last seat.

Now try the quiz

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(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