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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

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Quick summary

Find out if your partner's overcall was weak or strong when

you have 3-card support, &
a strong hand

That way, you might get a game.

Your bid of the enemy suit forces partner to tell you more. And it mucks up the enemy if your partner was weak.

Responses if strong:

switch to second suit if 54xx
bid NT with no second suit and an enemy stopper
jump in own suit

If weak:

revert to own suit at lowest level

It's called "unassuming" because it says nothing about where your strength lies.

Print cribsheet

Bridge Venue

	West
	Q 6 3 2
	8 7 6 5 4
	5 3
	10 9

+	North
	J 4
	A K Q 10 9
	Q 8
	A Q 5 2

+	East
	A K 8 7
	3 2
	A K 9 2
	K 4 3

+	South
	10 9 5
	J
	J 10 7 6 4
	J 8 7 6

Example Deal

You: West
Dealer: North
Vuln: none

# 126040

Doubled! Great
..
Go to quiz (& full page) of deal # 126040
***

Click the + buttons to peep

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

Question 1

You are West in this auction. After partner (East) doubles the enemy's (North's) opening bid of 1H, should you pass or raise with only 2 points?

Question 1

You are West in this auction. After partner (East) doubles the enemy's (North's) opening bid of 1H, should you pass or raise with only 2 points?

Answer

Since the enemy (South) did not bid in response to the opener, you MUST bid (UNLESS you are very strong in the enemy suit, which you are not!). Partner does NOT mean a penalty double, she's asking you which is your best suit - apart from the enemy suit, and clearly that's Spades, your longest, in this case 4-card.

Question 2

After your first bid (1S), the enemy (North) bids again (2C) in spite of no support from his partner. Your partner East now bids the enemy's first suit (Hearts)!!! What does she mean by that?

Question 2

After your first bid (1S), the enemy (North) bids again (2C) in spite of no support from his partner. Your partner East now bids the enemy's first suit (Hearts)!!! What does she mean by that?

Answer

With this unassuming cue bid of the enemy suit, she means she's stronger than her first takeout double bid implied, and she wants you to keep describing your hand.

Question 3

So what should you bid next?

Question 3

So what should you bid next?

Answer

Rebid your Spades, at a low level to reinforce the fact that you are weak, with only 2 points.

Even though you've only got 4 of them, you've got no other suit, and your Hearts are nowhere near good enough to pass the cue bid and convert into a competitive bid.

. . . .

Some subjects to follow up on
Doubles, Double for takeout
Overcall Unassuming cue bid
Selection of opening suit
Unbalanced, You are strong
Unbal, 12 to 19 HCPs, 1 suit

#1	+	<-- click the + to show/hide one possible Bidding Sequence
West			North	East	South
-			1H	X	p
???
1S			2C	2H	p
2S			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
1H X	Doubles, Double for takeout
1S	How strong is your hand, HCP
2C	Unbalanced, You are strong
2H	Overcall Unassuming cue bid

			Hand evaluation

#3	+	<-- click the + for ideas on the Opening Lead
Opening Lead: North , A Reasons, when playing in Either suit or NT contract: 1. top of touching honours 2. top of touching honours

« 0173 »

Overcall. Unassuming cue bid

Partner, is your overcall weak or strong ?

First, a note about cue bids in general

In general, bidding the opponents' suit is a useful bid. It's an indication that you are strong and you'd like your partner to continue describing his hand. Such bids are known as "cue bids".

Bidding the opponent's suit can also be used after the enemy have overcalled your bid, and you'd like to know if your partner has a stopper in the enemy suit.

The unassuming cue bid

Your partner has overcalled. He might have as few as 8 points or as many as 18 - you have no idea.

But let's say you are reasonably strong.

Partner's overcall often implies a weakish hand (8-11), with only one biddable 5-card suit. If you support that suit, you are not really telling your partner how strong you are - all you are doing is telling your partner how many cards you have in his suit (see Overcalls). If your partner turns out to have a stronger hand (12-15), you could easily miss a game. That would be a pity.

So, to make sure you don't miss the chance of game, bid the suit that was bid by your LHO enemy in order to tell partner that you have support for partner's suit (3+ cards), good points (10+), and to force him to tell you if his hand is weak or strong. In other words to keep describing his hand.

e.g. (1) – 1 – (Pass) – 2

(It's called "unassuming" because your cue bid says nothing about which suits you are strong in. However, you do need 3-card support for your partner's suit: an 8-card fit is thus assured).

Must have 3-card support ?

There is an exception. If you have very good all round strength with stops in the enemy's suit and are thinking of No Trumps, you might have a chance of game if partner's at the upper end, so it's useful to have a way of asking him how strong he is. You can also use the UCB in such a situation.

Responses to an unassuming cue bid from your partner

Remember that your original overcall shows a 5+ card, suit with anything from 8-15 HCP, or even 18.

After your partner follows your overcall with an "unassuming cue bid", asking you to describe your hand further, your rebids should be quite natural, in the knowledge of an 8-card fit and 10 HCP support (around 7.5 losing tricks). You can bid a second suit to describe a 54xx distribution hand, or bid a NT to show a stopper in the enemy suit, or make a simple rebid of the overcall suit.

But you must respond to this forcing bid (or you'll end up playing in your enemy's suit, and almost certain disaster!) and you do need to show our strength somehow:

weak (8-11)

bid at the lowest level in your overcall suit (unless you have a second 4-card suit that can be bid below the overcall suit).

strong (12-15)

with a second 4-card suit, jump bid the new 4-card suit;
with no second 4-card suit, and with stop(s) in the openers suit, bid NTs at the lowest level;
with no second 4-card suit but no stops in the openers suit, jump bid in the overcall suit.

With a strong hand, but no second suit and no stoppers in the opening suit from enemy, there is another option if you have a 5332 hand. Cue-bid the enemy suit again, asking for a stopper in the opening suit. This is sometimes know as a "Directional Asking Bid", I believe. The positive response to this enquiry would be to show a stopper with a bid in NT.

Example

The dealer on your left opens with 1.

Partner overcalls 1. Any of the following 3 hands could have resulted in such an overcall:

♠ J83 AQ865 J10954 ♣ 2 (8 HCP)
♠ AJ2 KQJ93 K3 ♣ 853 (14 HCP)
♠ 8 KQJ52 K964 ♣ A52 (13 HCP)

The first hand is a typical overcall. Partner has good suit quality for a 1-level overcall in Hearts. The 2nd and 3rd are nice hands where you have to overcall because they are the wrong shape for a takeout double. With Hand 2, what do you bid over a 2 response on hand 2? Hand 3 is not so bad for a double (and some players might double for takeout after Hand 3, and bid No Trumps after a 1♠ response).

Suppose we hold the following hand:

♠ A1075 Q74 AJ973 ♣ 74

We do have 3-card support for partner's suit, and 10 HCP. So rather than simply raising to 2, which although promising 3 cards in does not show any strength, we can show our 10+ HCP to partner by bidding the enemy suit, 2♣, and obliging our sweet partner to further describe their hand. Partner replies in the 3 cases as follows:

2 (5,4 pattern, weak). We can then either pass or "sign off" in 2.
2 (5 cards, no second suit, weak). We can pass: partner might only have 8HCP
3 (5 cards, no second suit, strong). We can risk 4.
jump to 3 (5,4 and strong). We can sign-off in 4.

Other kinds of cue bid

1. Using a cue bid to create a forcing change of suit. When bidding a new suit after partner's opening bid, it is a forcing bid which partner must respond to in order to avoid raised eyebrows or slapped wrists in the bar. However, if partner's first bid was an overcall, then a change of suit by you is not forcing. If you want to make it forcing, then you can do so by bidding the enemy suit, and then bidding your new suit on the rebid. Partner will realise it's forcing, since otherwise you could have bid it first time round.

2. Two-suited overcall. An immediate cue bid (a bid of the suit just opened by your opponent to your right, your RHO) has changed its meaning in recent times. It used to be used to indicate a very strong hand, now more ususally described by a "double for takeout" and subsequent rebids. Not any more: this immediate type of cue bid is now generally a Michael's cue bid to show two 5-card suits, at least one being a Major.

3. Have you got a stopper in their suit? Bidding the opponent's suit can also be used after the enemy have overcalled your bid, and you, being strong, would like to know if your partner has a stopper in the enemy suit, since you know that game might be possible in NT. By bidding your opponents' suit, possibly at the 3 level, you are telling your partner that you are strong AND asking your partner "Have you got a stopper in the enemy suit?". You are trying of course to get into No Trumps, which partner will bid if he does have the magic missing stopper. If he doesn't, he'll describe his hand further - not wanting to leave your contract in the enemy's suit!

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