Splinters and Voids and The Rabbi, Oh My! -- Part 1

Here is a hand from a recent online game that I thought was a lot of fun. It brings together a half-dozen themes that we've discussed in the past. Both vulnerable at matchpoints, you are the dealer. You hold:

♠ -- ♥ A Q 7 6 ♦ Q J 8 6 3 ♣ A K Q 4

Of course you make a plan before making your first call. What is your plan for this auction?

You'll open 1 ♦, and if partner peeps you'll almost certainly want to be in game. If partner bids hearts, diamonds, or clubs, you will definitely get excited and force to game. But if partner bids spades, you might want to allow for the possibility of partner having a bare minimum hand with only a couple of spade honors. Over a 1 ♠ call from partner, you can reverse to 2 ♥, forcing one round and almost-but-not-quite forcing to game, to allow partner to sign off with a weak spade hand.

West	Partner	East	You
			1 ♦
1 ♠	Dbl	Pass	?

Good news! Partner's negative double shows at least four hearts, and at least 6-7 points. You definitely want to be in game. Partner could even have a good hand -- negative does not mean nothing -- slam is not out of the question. Your call?

ANSWER: Get the tweezers, you have a splinter! Bid 3 ♠, a splinter bid showing four-card heart support, game-forcing values, and a singleton or void in spades. It's true that partner didn't actually bid hearts, but her bid showed hearts and she'll know that you are supporting hearts. And in the event that she thinks you might be asking for a spade stopper and bids 3 NT, you'll correct to 4 ♥ and she'll get the message.

You hold: ♠ -- ♥ A Q 7 6 ♦ Q J 8 6 3 ♣ A K Q 4

West	Partner	East	You
			1 ♦
1 ♠	Dbl	Pass	3 ♠
Pass	4 NT	Pass	?

Well! Partner definitely likes the slam idea; 4 NT is a keycard-ask with hearts as trump. Don't worry, one of us will get around to bidding hearts eventually... You play 1430 responses to keycard-asking bids. Your call?

ANSWER: You could bid 5 ♠, showing two keycards and the trump queen. That will commit us to at least a small slam. But there is a much better call available. Bid 5 NT, showing an even number of keycards and a useful void. A void in the opponent's suit is always useful. If partner is only worried about a spade loser, knowing that you are void will make it easy for her to bid a grand slam.

West	Partner	East	You
			1 ♦
1 ♠	Dbl	Pass	3 ♠
Pass	4 NT	Pass	5 NT
Pass	6 ♥	All pass

Partner signed off in 6 ♥. As you can see below, she knew we were missing a key card outside of spades. Fun auction, eh? A small slam and no one actually bid the trump suit until the very end!

	♠ A Q 10 6 5 ♥ J 10 9 5 4 ♦ A ♣ 10 2
	N W E S
	♠ — ♥ A Q 7 6 ♦ Q J 8 6 3 ♣ A K Q 4

It looks like a good contract. This is a robot event, so you'll have to play the hand. Stay tuned for Part 2.

-- Ray
Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

Which Is More, 53 or 44?

Even the second-graders in the audience are saying "well, duh!" But bridge is a complex game...

♠	A Q 2
♥	A Q 5 4
♦	A J 5
♣	8 3 2

Partner deals and opens 1 ♠. Your right-hand opponent passes.. You are playing 2/1, of course. Your call?

ANSWER: 2 ♣. Not 2 ♥.  Bidding 2 ♥ right now would show a five-card suit. You don't have that, so you must bid a minor suit. Not 2 ♦. Bidding 2 ♦ would show longer diamonds than clubs. Yes, your club suit is loathsome. But your bid here is not about clubs: it is about creating a game-forcing auction. With three cards in each minor, give partner as much bidding space as possible. No matter how much enthusiasm partner might show for clubs, you will always insist on spades later. And don't worry about missing a heart fit. If partner has a four-card heart suit, she will bid it at her next opportunity.

You bid 2 ♣. Fortunately for our discussion here, partner bids 2 ♥.

West	North	East	South
	1 ♠	Pass	2 ♣
Pass	2 ♥	Pass	?

Partner shows at least four hearts here. You have an eight-card fit (or better) in both majors! Which do you choose: spades or hearts?

ANSWER: Bid 3 ♥, setting hearts as trump. Yes it is possible that partner has six spades and four hearts, in which case spades would be a better trump suit. But partner could also be five-five in the majors, making hearts a nine-card trump suit versus only eight in spades. With the information you have right now, there are two eight-card trump suits. Choose the 4-4 fit rather than the 5-3 fit.

You will easily find your way to 6 ♥ on this hand. But look what can happen if you play in spades instead of hearts:

	♠ K 9 8 5 4 ♥ K J 9 7 ♦ 10 8 ♣ A K
♠ 7 ♥ 10 3 ♦ Q 7 6 2 ♣ 10 9 7 6 5 4	N W E S	♠ J 10 6 3 ♥ 8 6 2 ♦ K 9 4 3 ♣ Q J
	♠ A Q 2 ♥ A Q 5 4 ♦ A J 5 ♣ 8 3 2

If spades are trump, you must lose a spade trick due to the 4-1 split, and there is an unavoidable diamond loser. 6 ♠ is a hopeless contract here, as is 6NT. But if hearts are trump, you can ruff the fourth round of spades, and use the remaining spade to discard one of  South's minor suit losers, making 6 ♥ easily. (If both major suits were to break evenly, you would make 7 ♥ by discarding South's two diamond losers on the long spades. But 7 ♠ will never ever make, no matter how the suits split, no matter how inept the defense.)

THE PRINCIPLE: When you have a 4-4 fit and a 5-3 fit, choose the 4-4 fit. On average, making the 4-4 suit trump will yield about one trick better than the 5-3 suit. Whatever losers exist in the 4-4 suit, they always exist regardless of whether that suit is trump. If the 5-3 side suit splits evenly, there will be a place to discard two losers from the other hand. If the 5-3 side suit splits poorly, you can usually ruff at least one of the losers.

Note that after an auction 1 ♠ - 2minor - 2 ♥ - 3 ♥, hearts are trump. Period, full stop. There is no reliable way to get back to a spade contract. Any subsequent spade bids are cue bids showing either an ace or a control, per your partnership agreement. Ditto for the auction 1 ♠ - 2 ♥ - 3 ♥; opener will raise hearts with three-card support, knowing that responder has five hearts and we've found an eight-card trump suit. 

This is why responder needs five hearts to bid 2 ♥ over 1 ♠; we can always ensure that we are locating an eight-card fit. 

When we have a choice of eight-card fits, we want to be in the 4-4 fit. At the bridge table, 44 is more!

-- Ray
Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

Who Called This Meeting?

Suggested soundtrack: Grateful Dead, "New Speedway Boogie"

	♠ A K 10 9 2 ♥ Q 10 ♦ J 2 ♣ K J 9 4

You	LHO	Partner	RHO
1 ♠	Pass	2 ♥	3 ♦
??

You were the dealer, vulnerable against not. Partner's 2 ♥ bid was game-forcing with at least five hearts. We are committed to keep the auction alive until we bid game (at least) or double the opponents.

The overcall does create a problem for you. If you bid, your options are:

• 3 ♠ now would show six or more spades. You don't have that.
• 3 ♥ now would show three or more hearts. You don't have that.
• 3 NT now would show a diamond stopper. You don't have that.
• 4 ♣ would show at least four clubs, and absolutely no tolerance for 3 NT. You don't have that. Partner might have a diamond stopper and want to play 3 NT. Your diamond jack might be a partial stopper across from queen-third or king-third in partner's hand.
• Double would be penalty, planning to give the opponents a Souvenir Minus Eight Hundred (or more!) for interfering against our presumptive vulnerable game when you have the rest of their diamonds. Nope, you don't have that either.

Anyway, it's still your call. What to do?

ANSWER: Pass. Partner called this meeting, let her run it. There's no need to be That Person in the meeting, blathering on with no useful information to contribute. We are in a game-forcing auction. RHO's 3 ♦ call ensures that partner has another call coming and the auction will continue. If you've got nothing new to say, there's no need to say anything right now. As a bonus, your Pass will tell partner that you don't have any of the hands described above.

You will be well-positioned to act after partner explains her agenda:

• She might bid 3 ♠ showing three-card support and suggesting some extra values; spades will be trump and you can proceed from there.
• She might bid 3 ♥ showing 6+ hearts; you will raise to 4 ♥ with your doubleton.
• She might bid 3 NT or 4 ♠  to play; you will Pass of course.
• She might bid 4 ♣; you'll show your honor-doubleton heart support and hope you aren't missing a club slam.
• She might bid 4 ♥ to play, showing a stand-alone suit and disavowing any slam interest. You will Pass, of course.
• She might Double, suggesting no clear direction and asking you to Do Something Intelligent. Note that it's unlikely that partner has a useful diamond stack sitting in front of the overcaller. 
• She might bid 4 ♦, suggesting a very strong hand and asking you to Do Something Intelligent but without the option of defending against 3 ♦ doubled.

THE PRINCIPLE: When you don't have anything useful to contribute to the discussion, don't say anything until you must. Partner set the agenda as a game-forcing auction, give her the floor to run the meeting.

-- Ray
Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

Major-Suit Shade Card

Which color for the guest bedroom: Pineapple Frappe?  Kale Bisque? Hangover Sunrise? 

When you have a long, strong major suit -- one that will definitely be trump -- there is an equivalent "shade card" for bids to match the strength of your hand. Color preferences are a matter of taste; fortunately, the major-suit shade card is pretty much standard. 

To find the right shade, you must consider high-card strength and playing strength. For an example, let's use this hand from a recent Wydaho online game:
    ♠ AKJT8432 ♥ K ♦ 76 ♣ AQ

POP QUIZ: How many tricks is that spade suit worth?

ANSWER: Eight tricks. If partner has the queen, yay! If partner has three or more spades, yay! And otherwise, the queen might still be singleton or doubleton. Feel free to do the probability calculations, or just go with your gut feel that things will probably work out. Bottom line: You have an 87% chance for eight tricks, and a miniscule chance of only six tricks with this suit.

Okay, we have eight spade tricks. Add one-and-a-half tricks in clubs (partner has the king, or the finesse works, or an opening club lead), and a half-trick in hearts (partner has the ace or queen, or the ace is on our right and isn't played to the first round). That's ten playing tricks. You definitely want to be in game; slam is a distinct possibility!

How many ways can you open with a long strong major? We'll use spades for this discussion, but the same applies to a heart suit. You intend to unequivocally set the trump suit.

Shading from weakest to strongest:

• Open 4 in first, second, or third seat. This shows 6 or 7 tricks (not vulnerable) to 7 or 8 tricks (vulnerable). Most important, this denies an opening hand. Partner will restrain her enthusiasm accordingly.
  Example: ♠ KQJTxxxx ♥ xx ♦ xx ♣ x
• Open 1, then rebid 4. This shows a full opening hand, but denies enough strength for a 2 ♣ opener. Thus a hand in the range of 11-15 HCP and about 7 or 8 playing tricks. Given your shortness in other three suits, it seems quite unlikely that 1 ♠ will be passed out.
  Example: ♠ KQJTxxxx ♥ Kx ♦ Kx ♣ x
• If your partnership plays the Namyats convention, open 4 minor showing 8 to 8.5 tricks in the corresponding major with some potential for slam if partner has useful outside cards.
  Example: ♠ AKJTxxx ♥ Kx ♦ KQ ♣ xx
• Open 4 in fourth seat. This is not a weak preempt. You intend to get a plus score; otherwise you could have passed the hand out, or bid only two or three spades. The bid shows about 8.5 or 9 playing tricks and at most a poor 15 HCP; you can count on partner to have one trick for you somewhere. This bid denies slam interest. Even if partner has a maximum for her Pass, she won't make a move at this point.
  Example: ♠ KQJTxxxx ♥ Ax ♦ Kx ♣ x
• Open 2 ♣, then rebid 4. This shows a bare minimum 2 ♣ opener, at least 14 HCP with long spades and a hand worth about nine tricks. The message here is that partner should not pursue slam without three likely honor tricks. You have completely described your hand; it's up to partner to make any further move. (Regular partnerships should have an agreement on whether 8.5 tricks is enough for a 2 ♣ opening.)
  Example: ♠ AKQTxxxx ♥ KQ ♦ xx ♣ x
• Open 2 ♣, then rebid 3. This sets trump and asks partner to start cuebidding aces (or controls, per agreement) up the line. It shows a hand that is worth ten or more tricks, with at least 14 HCP. The key message is "spades are trump, show me controls." Show me the money, partner! You are the captain in this auction.
  Example: ♠ AKJT8432 ♥ K ♦ xx ♣ AQ

Note what's missing here: There is no "open 2 ♣, then rebid two" option. When you are absolutely sure about the trump suit and don't care about finding a secondary fit, don't let partner blab about her hand to the opponents. Take charge, set the trump suit, and if slam is in the picture get busy finding out about controls in the side suits.

THE PRINCIPLE: With a one-suited hand, the playing strength of the hand -- how many tricks can you expect -- is at least as important as the number of high-card points. A 2 ♣ opener may contain as little as 14 HCP if it is within one trick of game against normal splits. Using this shade card for single-major hands, partner will have a good idea of the strength of your hand and can proceed appropriately. It's a partnership game!

BONUS MINUTE:
The ACBL Convention Charts allow a very strong artificial 2♣ opening that contains:

i. at least 20 HCP; or 

ii. at least 14 HCP and is within one trick of game assuming suits break evenly among the other hands; or

iii. at least 5 Control Points and is within one trick of game assuming suits break evenly among the other hands. 

-- Ray 

Better Bridge in 5 Minutes.  Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

After Partner's Weak Two

Partner's opening typically shows a six-card suit, probably two of the top three honors, 5-10 HCP, limited defensive values, and usually no four-card major on the side. Now what?

Ground Rule #1: Partner has, on average, king-queen-sixth and an outside queen. The most you can hope for is ace-king-queen-sixth, or king-queen-sixth and an outside ace; any hand stronger than that is an opening one-level bid nowadays.

Ground Rule #2: The weak-two opener will not bid again unless forced. This applies to any preemptive opening; exceptions are rare. Responder is the captain, and is in complete control of the rest of the auction.

With that background, here is a recommended structure for responding to a weak-two opening.

• Support With Support! A raise is not invitational; a raise is simply continuing the preempt. With three-card support and no game interest, raise to three. With four-card support or more, raise to four (maybe just three at unfavorable vulnerability). Don't wait to see if the opponents will let you play at the two-level. There is no minimum point requirement for a raise. If you have no points at all, then the opponents can surely make game if not slam; take away their bidding space to make their lives more difficult. Consider raising even with honor-doubleton, particularly at favorable vulnerability and with poor defensive values.
  
• If the player to your right makes a takeout double, all the more important to show support if you have it. If you have a fit, the opponents will never let you play your two-level contract doubled.
  
• If you absolutely want to be in game across from as little as, say, king-queen-ten-sixth and out, just bid game. Note that this is indistinguishable from a weak jump to game with four-card support; make the opponents proceed at their own risk. Remember, opener is not going to bid again unless forced.
  
• A new suit by an unpassed hand is forcing for one round. It suggests no fit, and at least a six-card suit of your own. Opener will raise your suit with honor-doubleton or more. Otherwise, opener can show a lower-ranking second suit (four or more cards) or just rebid the opening suit. Responder is in charge and will place the contract. This allows for responder to "rescue" a hopeless no-fit situation by bidding a new suit (forcing), and then rebidding it to play; this should be a good seven-card suit for a rescue. Note that a new suit by a passed hand is nonforcing.
  
• If you want more information about partner's hand: Bid 2NT asking for a "feature", an outside ace or king. Opener shows an outside ace or king by bidding that suit (Alert!), or bidding 3NT with AKQTxx ("six solid tricks", Alert!). Otherwise, opener simply rebids her suit. A singleton or void is not a feature; responder might be looking for a outside entry in order to play in notrump, or a fitting honor in a suit of her own. The 2NT feature-ask does not indicate a fit for opener's suit. Responder will place the contract, not necessarily in opener's suit!
• Many pairs prefer that opener not show a feature with a minimum hand; make sure you and partner are on the same page.
• Some pairs prefer to use 2NT as the Ogust convention, asking about opener's overall strength and suit quality. Make sure you and partner are on the same page.
  
• If you have a strong notrump opener or equivalent, you probably belong in game. Consider that if you had opened 1NT, partner will bid game holding an "average" weak two hand. Use the 2NT feature-ask if you think you need more information.
  
• With no fit and no six-card suit of your own, be very cautious. Misfit hands belong in suit contracts; don't bid 3NT with no fit unless you can play all thirteen tricks from your own hand. With a very strong hand -- say, 20 HCP or more -- it's fine to put partner in game on a 6-1 fit.
  

Remember, opener will not bid again unless forced. Responder is the captain, and is in complete control of the rest of the auction. 

EXPERTS MINUTE:
If you have an exceptional hand and just want to go slamming, "Preempt Key Card" is a useful convention. It is standard practice among expert players. After an opening preempt, an immediate 4♣ bid by responder (Alert!) asks about key cards. Opener's responses are steps showing 0-1-1-2-2 as follows: 

      4♦ - no keycards
      4♥ - 1 keycard without trump queen
      4♠ - 1 keycard with trump queen
      4NT - 2 without trump queen
      5♣ - 2 with trump queen

All responses must be Alerted immediately in online play, or after the auction has ended in face-to-face play. Responder will then place the contract, not necessarily in opener's suit! 

Opener will never have three or more keycards; that would be an opening one-bid. Using Preempt Key Card the partnership can find out about keycards without ever going past five of the trump suit, and often staying at the four level with dismal hands.

-- Ray
Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

Time For: Support Doubles

Time For: Introducing conventions that might not be familiar to some players, but are nearly universal in common usage such as ACBL Bridge Bulletin Standard. Whether or not you adopt the convention -- I suggest that you do! --  at the very least you should know enough about it to understand the opponents' usage. 

 

You hold ♠ K 10 ♥ A J 8 ♦ K 9 7 ♣ Q 10 9 6 3

You	LHO	Pard	RHO
1 ♣	Pass	1 ♥	Pass
?

Do you bid 1 NT or 2 ♥? There is no universally-agreed answer; this is a matter of style for partnership discussion (I prefer four-card raises).

What about the same hand in a slightly different auction?

You	LHO	Pard	RHO
1 ♣	Pass	1 ♥	1 ♠
?

There is a standard convention that applies here: Support Doubles. Very simply,

• if you open,
• partner bids a major suit at the one-level, and
• the player to your right bids at the one or two-level, then

Double shows three-card support for partner
A raise (2 ♥ here) shows four-card support.
Any other action tends to deny support for partner's suit. Your first priority is to show the fit if you have one.

If you double to show three-card support, partner can choose to rebid her suit -- possibly playing in a 4-3 fit -- or take other action as appropriate. Partner should not rebid notrump without a stopper in the opponent's suit.

THE PRINCIPLE: In competitive auctions, knowing the combined length of your trump fit is essential for judging whether to compete another level higher in the auction. Partner might need to know right now whether you have three or four card support; your left-hand opponent might make a preemptive jump raise. In competitive auctions, having a few extra high card points is irrelevant; points don't take tricks, trumps do. (If you want to learn more, read up on the "Law of Total Tricks").

Okay, same hand in another similar auction:
♠ K 10 ♥ A J 8 ♦ K 9 7 ♣ Q 10 9 6 3

You	LHO	Pard	RHO
1 ♣	Pass	1 ♥	Dbl
?

Yep, you guessed it... Redouble with three-card support. A raise would show four-card support.

Support Doubles and Redoubles are normally only used through the two-level, or perhaps only through two of partner's suit; discuss this with your partner beforehand. 

The Support Double convention was invented by American expert Eric Rodwell in the 1970s. As of January 2021, ACBL Alert Procedures regard Support Doubles and Redoubles as STANDARD; no Alert is required. In online play, you should explain nonetheless.

What if you want to double the overcall for penalty? Pass smoothly in tempo, and hope partner re-opens with a double, or that the opponents bid the same suit a level higher.

-- Ray 
Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

Time For: Four-Suit Transfers

Time For: Introducing conventions that might not be familiar to some players, but are nearly universal in common usage such as ACBL Bridge Bulletin Standard. Whether or not you adopt the convention -- I suggest that you do! --  at the very least you should know enough about it to understand the opponents' usage. 

Let's talk about minor suits after partner opens 1NT. Right now you might be playing something like this (note the highlighted areas):

• 2 ♠ is a transfer to clubs; responder can correct to diamonds for a signoff.
• 3 ♣ and 3 ♦ are invitational, showing at least a six-card suit.

This approach has some problems:

• If responder has diamonds, she will be declarer. Opener's strong hand will be exposed to the defenders
• If responder has an invitational minor suit hand, she will be declarer.
• If responder has a game-forcing hand with a good minor suit, responder must bid 2 ♠ (transfer) and then rebid 3NT or four/five of the minor. There is no way to stop in 3NT with game-forcing diamonds. 
• There is no way to show hands with 5-5 in the minors, whether weak or strong.

The solution to these problems is to play four-suit transfers. Responder can transfer to either minor, and find out if opener has a super hand and a good fit. All without going past three of the minor, and without wrong-siding the hand in most common cases. Here's how:

1NT - 2♠ is a transfer to clubs. Announce "clubs"

• Opener accepts 3♣ unless she has a "super-accept" (at least king-third with good values and no weak side suit, since 3NT will be a likely landing spot)
  Responder can then Pass, bid a new suit at the three-level to show shortness in the bid suit (a splinter), bid 3NT as a choice of games, bid 4NT ace-asking, or bid 5♣ to play, .
• Opener bids 2NT ("one under" the suit) with a super-accept. Alert! "super-accept clubs"
  If responder has a minimum, she rebids 3♣ to play.
  If responder has extras, she can bid 3NT (suggesting a final contract) or cue-bid an outside ace suggesting the minor-suit contract, possibly with slam interest. After a cue-bid, opener should bid the minor to complete the transfer. 4NT by responder is ace-asking. Jump rebids by responder are splinters, showing shortness in the bid suit.

1NT - 2NT is a transfer to diamonds. Announce "diamonds"

• Opener accepts 3♦ unless she has a super-accept. Responder can Pass or make a forward-going bid as above.
  
• Opener bids 3♣  ("one under") with a super-accept. Alert! "super-accept diamonds"
  Responder can sign off in 3♦ or make a forward-going bid as above.

1NT - 2♣ - 2anything - 2NT is Invitational. Alert! "might not have a four-card major"

All balanced invitational hands (say, 8-9 HCP) must first bid 2♣ Stayman and then rebid 2NT. Opener should not proceed unless she wants to accept the quantitative invitation. Do not alert the 2♣ bid; alert the 2NT rebid.

We no longer need the 3♣ and 3♦ calls to show invitational values, so we put these calls to a better use: showing 5-5 in the minor suits, either weak or strong.

1NT - 3♣ is 5-5 in the minors, weak. Alert! "5-5 minors weak"

Opener can pass, or correct to 3♦ with a preference. Responder could be very weak, so opener should never raise clubs.

1NT - 3♦ is 5-5 in the minors, game-forcing.  Alert! "5-5 minors game forcing"

The auction is forcing to game. Opener can suggest 3NT to play, or choose a minor at the four-level. Subsequent 4NT is ace-asking.

Now your convention card looks like this:

When In Rome

RHO	You	LHO	Partner
2 ♦	?

11-15 HCP, 4441 or 4450 pattern

Your opponent's opening bid is known as Mini-Roman 2 ♦. The original Roman 2 ♦ opening bid showed 17-21 HCP, hence the "mini" appellation here. Some partnerships make this call with any three-suited hand. Other partnerships require a four-card spade suit, and a few even require opener to be 4-4 in the major suits under certain conditions.

With game interest, responder typically bids 2 NT asking for more information; usually "where is the singleton?" Otherwise, the partnership bids four-card suits up the line until a suitable fit is located.

Now what?

The usual defense against a Mini-Roman 2 ♦ opening (and Precision 2 ♦, very similar) is as follows:

• Double shows a strong hand (at least 15+), usually balanced, with some offensive potential but primarily defensive values. Any subsequent doubles are for penalty. This Double must be Alerted ("penalty oriented, 15+"). Partner is allowed to bid holding a good suit of her own; all of partner's bids are natural and nonforcing.
• Suit overcalls are natural and show a good suit, knowing that your right-hand opponent might have four of your trumps. The overcall is nonforcing, the same as any other overcall.
• 2 NT is to play, invitational to 3 NT. This hand is stronger than a Double (perhaps 18+) with values that are more offensively oriented; for example, a long suit as a source of tricks. 
• Otherwise, Pass is a good choice.

Other than in direct seat, all subsequent actions are natural. Doubles of artificial bids show the bid suit; other doubles are for penalty. Because opener has four-card support for three suits, there is no point in takeout doubles. Similarly, aggressive balancing in these auctions is usually a losing proposition.

Opening leads after a Mini-Roman 2 ♦ auction: The standard advice is lead trump. Declarer will usually be looking to ruff in her short suit. The opponents might have scrambled to land in a 4-3 fit. In either case, your job is to neutralize the trump suit as much as possible. If you have some other compelling lead, go ahead and make it; but your default lead will be trumps.

-- Ray 

Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

Jacoby Transfers 102

Partner opened 1NT, showing 15-17 high card points (HCP). You bid  2♦ or  2♥, a Jacoby Transfer showing at least five cards in the respective major. Partner accepted your transfer at the two level. Now what?

First, some Jacoby Transfer fundamentals:

1. Partner has at least two-card support, because she opened 1NT showing a balanced hand.
2. Partner does not have a maximum 1NT opener with four-card support. If she did, she would have super-accepted the transfer at the three level.
3. If you have 6+ cards in the major, you have less than game-going values. Otherwise, you would have bid a Texas Transfer at the four level. (There is an exception that we'll cover presently.)
4. If we have an eight-card major suit fit we always play in the major, never in notrump. There are situations when a notrump contract might be superior, but they are almost impossible to reliably identify in Jacoby Transfer auctions.
• Therefore when we offer partner a choice between notrump and the major suit, we show only five cards in the major. With six cards in the major, we only offer partner a choice of how high in the major.

With those principles in mind, let's look at what might happen next:

• Transfer, then Pass.  1NT - 2♦ - 2♥ - Pass
  Your hand is not worth a game invitation, typically less than 7 HCP. Recall that partner has denied a maximum opener with four-card support. You might even have four cards in the other major, if your hand is too weak for a Stayman response.
• Transfer, then raise  1NT - 2♥ - 2♠ - 3♠
  Quantitative invitation to the major suit game. You show 7-8 HCP and six cards in the major, for example:
  ♠ K Q 10 5 4 2 ♥ 9 4 ♦ Q 8 7 ♣ 6 3
  If partner has 16+ HCP, she will bid game in the major; otherwise, she will pass.
• Transfer, then rebid 2NT.
  Quantitative invitation to either game, notrump or the major. You show 8-9 HCP and exactly five cards in the major. If partner has 16+ HCP she will bid 3NT with only two-card support, or four of the major with three-card support. With a minimum opener, partner will pass with two-card support, and sign off in three of the major with three-card support.
• Transfer, then bid 3NT
  Offers partner a choice of games: showing 10-14 HCP, only five cards in the major, and denying a singleton or void. If partner has three or more cards in the major, she will bid game in the major.
• Transfer, then bid three of a minor suit
  Natural and forcing to game: at least four cards (usually) in the minor suit, at least five in the major (of course), and 9+ HCP. Partner's first priority is to support the major with three or more by bidding three of the major. With only two-card support in the major, partner will usually sign off in 3NT. With an exceptional hand for the minor suit, partner can raise to four of the minor. Partner will not bid beyond four of the major, because you may have a six-card major suit in this sequence.
• Transfer to hearts, then bid two spades
  Nonforcing: shows a weak hand with least 5-5 in the majors and 0-6 HCP. Partner either passes or corrects to 3♥ if she has a definite preference for hearts.
• Transfer to spades, then bid three hearts
  Invitational to either major suit game, showing at least 5-5 in the majors and about 7-8 HCP. With a minimum NT opener, partner can pass or correct to 3♠. With 16+ HCP, partner chooses the major suit game.
• Transfer to spades, then bid four hearts
  Offers partner a choice of major suit games, showing at least 5-5 in the majors and 9+ HCP; partner can either pass or correct to 4♠.
• Texas Transfer, then pass. 1NT - 4♥ - 4♠ - Pass 
  To play, with no slam interest. At least a six card suit with about 9-12 HCP.
• Transfer, then raise to game  1NT - 2♥ - 2♠ - 4♠ 
  "Slamvitational" A quantitative invitation to six of the major, showing a sound six-card suit with some extra values (about 13-14 HCP). If you had no interest in slam, you would have just done a Texas Transfer at the four-level. Partner can show slam interest by cue-bidding an ace or asking for aces/keycards. Note the difference between this and the previous auction.
• Transfer, then bid 4NT. 1NT - 2♦ - 2♥ - 4NT
  "Slamvitational" A quantitative invitation to either slam, showing only five cards in the major and about 15-16 HCP. This is NOT Blackwood or a keycard-ask. With a minimum opener, partner will pass with two-card support or correct to five of the major with three or more. With 16+ HCP, partner will bid the major suit slam (with three-card support) or 6NT with only two-card support.
• Texas Transfer, then bid 4NT.  1NT - 4♦ - 4♥ - 4NT
  Pushing for slam by checking on aces or keycards, depending on your partnership agreement. Shows at least six cards in the major suit. Note the difference between this auction and the previous one.

-- Ray 

Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

Insufficient!

Here's a rules situation that even many experienced players tend to fumble...

West	Partner	East	You
1 ♥	2 ♣	1 ♠	??

It's your call... "Director, Please" of course. The 1 ♠ call is an insufficient bid, because it is not higher than the previous bid of 2 ♣.

The Director says that you may accept the insufficient bid and the auction will proceed from that point. If you do not accept the insufficient bid, it must be replaced by any legal call including Pass but not Double or Redouble. If the replacement call does not have the same or similar meaning or purpose as the insufficient bid, the offender's partner will be required to pass for the remainder of the auction.

Should you accept the insufficient bid?

ANSWER: It depends. If it is to your advantage to accept the call, then do so. The relevant rule (Law 27A) is intended to give the non-offending side -- that is, you -- any potential benefit from the opponent's infraction. If it is not to your advantage, then do not accept the call and make the opponents deal with the consequences.

Note that you are not allowed to have partnership agreements for dealing with irregularities at the table. But the fact that you had a choice to accept or not is Authorized Information to partner for use in the auction and play of the hand. Partner is allowed to use bridge logic to interpret your decision.

Okay, so it depends. Let's look at some examples...

West	Partner	East	You
1 ♥	2 ♣	1 ♠	??

Note that if you do not accept the 1 ♠ call, East can bid two or more spades without penalty. If East makes any other call including Pass, West will be required to Pass for the rest of the auction.

1.  You hold ♠ 6 5 2 ♥ A 8 6 ♦ Q 9 7 4 ♣ 5 4 3
   Accept and bid 2 ♣ With such a bare minimum, you'd rather not have to raise at the three level. Your choice to accept, and then bid at the two-level, will suggest that weakness to partner.
2. You hold ♠ 6 5 2 ♥ J 8 6 2 ♦ J 9 7 4 ♣ 5 3
   Accept and Pass. This should make it clear to partner that you have a truly awful hand.
3. You hold ♠ A 6 5 2 ♥ J 6 2 ♦ Q J 7 ♣  K 5 3
   Accept and bid 2 ♥. Take the inexpensive opportunity to show an invitational club raise without having to worry about East making some higher intervening bid.
4. You hold ♠ A Q 6 5 2 ♥ K 8 6 2 ♦ J 7  ♣ Q 3
   Do not accept. The opponents are in trouble if they continue onward, and partner won't be disappointed to see this dummy in a 2 ♣ contract. If East passes, West must also pass, leaving the contract at 2 ♣ if you pass too. But playing matchpoints, or vulnerable at IMPs, I would bid 2 NT if East passes. Note that if East passes, West will not be able to double the final contract (East can, though), and you might have some useful lead restrictions if West is on lead.
5. If you don't see any advantage, then do not accept. The restrictions that will apply to the opponents' auction might create some problems for them.

THE PRINCIPLE: Given the option to accept an insufficient bid (or a call out of rotation, similarly), consider your choice carefully. Don't automatically refuse to accept. The Laws have given you a potential advantage and you should use it wisely. Your decision to accept or not gives partner some additional authorized information about your hand.

NOTE: Even if the offender immediately changes her call, you still have the option to accept the insufficient bid. Call the Director whenever there is an irregularity at the table.

-- Ray 

Better Bridge In Five Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

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LAW 27

INSUFFICIENT BID

A. Acceptance of Insufficient Bid

1. Any insufficient bid may be accepted (treated as legal) at the option of offender’s LHO. It is accepted if that player calls.
2. If a player makes an insufficient bid out of rotation Law 31 applies.

B. Insufficient Bid Not Accepted
If an insufficient bid in rotation is not accepted (see A) it must be corrected by the substitution of a legal call (but see 3 following. Then:.... (and there's more, of course). 

C. Premature Replacement
If the offender replaces his insufficient bid before the Director has ruled on rectification, the substitution, if legal, stands unless the insufficient bid is accepted as A1 allows (but see B3 above). The Director applies the relevant foregoing section to the substitution.

Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad

When our side opens the bidding, we promise partner a better-than-average hand -- say, 13 points or more -- and promise to continue the conversation if partner has anything worth talking about. More often than not, our side has the majority of the high card strength. Our major suit openings promise a five card suit -- any five cards -- and our minor suit openings show only three or four cards. Our better-than-average strength gives our side a little bit of breathing room to wander about while finding our best fit.

After the opponents have opened the bidding, the situation changes dramatically. We are one step behind in the auction, because the opponents have already struck the first blow. The opponents probably have more strength than we do.  There is a fair chance that we might end up on defense. We are already at a tactical disadvantage, so we have to make our every action count. .

There are three reasons to overcall after the opponents open:

• To suggest a playable contract;
• To ensure a lead, if we defend;
• To take away bidding space from the opponents.

Your overcalls should accomplish at least two of those objectives.

To suggest a playable contract:  You are showing partner at least a good five-card suit.. You want partner to raise with just three small cards and a minimum hand, so don't bid just any five-card suit. Sure, at the one-level, most anything goes. But for a two-level overcall, partner will raise with any three-card fit and a minimum hand and you will be playing a three-level contract with only three small trumps and a couple of side honors in dummy! You don't want to be going down for more than the value of their partscore. So, the suit quality for a two-level overcall should be at least K Q 10 9 x, or A Q 10 8 x.

To ensure a lead:  If we end up on defense, partner will consider it almost mandatory to lead your suit. So you'd best have a quick trick or two in your suit; at least two of the top three honors is ideal. Otherwise, you just wasted partner's time when she might have had a much better lead.

To take away bidding space:  Weak jump overcalls are an obvious example of taking away bidding space. But there are other ways. If the opponents open 1 ♣ you might do well to stretch for a 1 ♠ overcall, taking away the one level from responder. Similarly, if the opponents are playing 1NT Forcing, you might stretch just a little for a two-level overcall after a major suit opening; this takes away the important 1NT step in many of their bidding sequences. But keep in mind that partner will raise with only three small and a minimum hand, so don't stretch very hard; suit quality matters.

THE PRINCIPLE:  Overcalls should satisfy at least two out of three: suggest a playable contract, ensure a lead on defense, and take away bidding space. If your hand doesn't meet those criteria, just Pass. If you do come in later in the auction, partner will know how bad your hand is.

BONUS MINUTE: How many points does it take to overcall?
There is no place on the score sheet to record how many points you have. There is only a place to record how many tricks you take. Overcalls are about tricks, not points. As a practical matter, one-level overcalls will typically have at least eight high card points; two-level overcalls will have at least a good ten-count, more when vulnerable. But don't overcall because you have points; overcall because you can meet the two-out-of-three rule.

-- Ray 
Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)

The First Law Of Holes

Nobody vulnerable, you are the dealer.
♠ K J 8 5 ♥ 8 5 4 ♦ 10 ♣ K J 6 5 2

Of course you pass, and the auction proceeds:

You	West	Partner	East
Pass	2 ♥	3 ♦	Pass
??

Are you going to leave partner hanging with only a singleton diamond for support? What about that spade suit? What about clubs? What now?

ANSWER: Pass. No hesitations, no moaning or groaning, just Pass.

Partner knows you are a passed hand. She won't be wandering into the auction at the three-level without at least a sound opening hand and a decent six-card diamond suit. She probably does not have four spades (or even three really good ones), or she would have made a takeout double instead. And that raggedy club suit: well, certainly not worth speculating on at the four-level.

Partner has at least a sound opening bid. Your kings and jacks will fit well with any black-suit honors that partner has, so she should be able to control the black suits. And without a heart stopper and a fit for partner's diamonds, notrump is out of the question. So, unless partner has made a forcing call, just Pass.

THE PRINCIPLE: The First Law Of Holes: When you're in one, stop digging! When you have a misfit hand, end the auction as soon as possible. Don't search to improve the contract; the best (least-worst) place is probably right where you are right now.

-- Ray 

Better Bridge in 5 Minutes. Guaranteed! (or the next one is free)