Competitive Bidding Flashcards
What are the strength requirements for an overcall?
Distribution - a good 5 card suit or a 6 card or longer suit Strength - 7 to 17 HCPs at the 1 level - 13 to 17 HCPs at the 2 or higher level
When advancing an overcall what should the advancer consider when he has support for the overcalled suit?
show support with 3 or more cards in the suit. With support value the hand using dummy points - void 5; singleton 3; doubleton 1.
When advancing a one level overcall with support, what level should you advance to?
With 6-9 points 3-card support - raise to the 2 level; 4 card support - raise to the 3 level; 5 card support - raise to game level
What should the advancer do with 3+ card support and 10+ points?
Cuebid the opponent’s suit showing interest in reaching game
What are the guidelines for advancing in a new suit?
- a good 5 card suit or a 6 card suit suit or longer - 6 or more points at the 1 level - 11 or more points at the 2 level if you were responding a new suit would be forcing; Since you are advancing a new suit is not forcing
When advancing an overcall in NT what strength do you need?
6 - 10 points advance to 1NT 11 - 12 points advance to 2NT 13 or more start with a cue bid
When the advancer bids, what are the rebid requirements by the overcaller?
If advancer raises the overcalled suit, bids a new suit, or bids NT, it’s not forcing If advancer cue bids, the overcalled must bid again,
What is required for a 1 NT overcall?
A balance hand with 15 - 17 points similar to an opening 1 NT bid. Should have some strength in opponents opening suit.
What is required for a weak jump overcall?
bidding 1 or more levels than is necessary - it is similar to a preemptive opening bid. It shows a weak hand with a long suit. The advantage is that it takes up bidding room which makes it more challenging for for opponents to find their best contract. The hand should be worth 5 or 6 playing tricks.
What is the strength required for a takeout double?
Support for the unbid suits
at least 3 card support
preferably 4 card support
13 or more total points, counting high card points and dummy points
void = 5
singleton = 3
doubleton = 1
What is the strength required for advancing a takeout double?
- 0-8 points Bid at the cheapest level
- 9-11 points make an invitational bid by jumping one level
- 12+ points Get the partnership to game
What strength is required to advance a takeout double to NT?
- 6-10 points Bid NT at the cheapest level
- 11-12 points Bid NT jumping a level
- 13+ points Bid game in NT
What are the takeout doubler’s strength ctegories?
Minimum 13-16 points
Medium 17-18 points
Maximum 19+ points
What is sacrificing?
Deliberately overbidding to a contract you do not expect to make
What is the Guideline of 500 in regard to Sacrificing
you don’t want to overbid by more than two tricks vulnerable or three tricks non vulnerable
What is required for a 3 level preemptive opening bid?
- a long suit - Usually 7 or more cards with 2 of the top 3 honors or 3 of the top 5 honors in the suit
- a weak hand - less than the values for an opening bid at the one level
What are the purposes of the preemptive opening bid?
- obstructive - to make it more difficult for the opponents to enter the bidding and find their best contract
- descriptive - helping responder decide how high and where the partnership belongs
What does the responder to an opening 3 level preemptive bid focus on?
playing tricks, rather than high card points - usually 5 or 6 playing tricks or the opening 3 level premptive bid
If responder does not have 3 or more trumps, it is usually best to pass unless responder can picture enough tricks for a game contract
What are the 2 reasons that responder would raise the preemptive opening bid when the responder has 3 card or longer support?
- rthe responder may have enough strength that the partnership can likely make a game contract
- the responder might want to raise to make it more challenging for the opponents to reach their best contract
When a responder to a preemptive opening wants to bid a new suit what should the responder know?
responder will have a good 6 card or longer suit
if the new suit bid is below game, it is forcing even in competition. opener must bid again.
responder can make a signoff bid in another suit by bidding game in another suit
What are the requirements for a weak 2 level preemptive opening bid?
2D, 2H, 2S
- 6 card suit - usually 2 of top 3 or 3 of top 5 cards in the suit
- 5 - 11 HCP - less than the values for an opening bid at the one level
What is the special meaning of a 2 NT response to an opening 2 level preemptive opening bid (a weak 2 bid)
it has a conventional meaning
it is used only when responder can imagine a game if opener has a ‘good’ weak 2 bid
with a minimum weak 2 bid of about 5-8 points opener simply rebids at the 3 level
with more than a minimum, opener can bid a new suit to show a feature in that suit (an ace or king), or bid 3 NT with a solid suit but no outside feature
what are the requirements for a 3 level preemptive opening
a good 7 card suit
less than the values for an opening bid at the one level
What should you consider when responding to a preempive opening?
focus on trick taking potential of the combined hands instead of the HCPs
pass with no fit for opener’s suit and little prospect of making game contract
What are responder’s action after an overcall?
- Make the same that would have been made without the overcall, if that is possible
- Make a suitable alternative response if the overcall has impacted responder’s original choice
- Use the new options available after the overcall
- make a preemptive jump raise of opener’s suit with 4 card or longer support and a weak hand (6 - 9 points) 4 card support jump to 3 level; 5 car support jump to game level
- Use the cue bid to show support for opener’s suit (3 cards or more) and at least invitational strength (11+).
- Use the negative double to show support (4 card) for the 2 unbid suits and enough strength to compete (at 1 or 2 level 6+ points; 3 level 9+ points; 4 level 11+ points)
- Change suits with 5+ cards and 11+ HCP
What are responder’s actions after a takeout double?
- Redouble with 10 or more HCPs
- make a preemptive jump raise of opener’s suit with 4 card or longer support and a weak hand (fewer than 10 points, if he had 10 or more points he would have redoubled)
- Bid a new suit at the 2 level with fewer than 10 points. A new suit response at the 2 level is not forcing after a takeout double.
When is a double for penalty?
- a double of an opponent’s opening 1 NT or 2 NT bid
- a double at the game level or higher
What is Michaels Cuebid?
- Over an opponent’s minor opening, a cuebid shows both majors. For example, 1♣ – 2♣ shows hearts and spades.
- Over an opponent’s major opening, a cuebid shows the other major and a minor suit (at least 5 cards). For example, 1♠ – 2♠ shows hearts and either clubs or diamonds. Partner can make a 2NT relay bid to request partner to bid his minor suit.
With less than eight points, Michaels is not recommended - the chances of winning the auction are small and gives the opponents too much information. Bidders expecting to make or sacrifice can use basic Michaels at all point ranges with eight or more.
how high do you play negative doubles?
through 4 H
what determines minimum strength responder needs to make a negative double?
it depends on the level that the opener will be forced to bid. 6 pts at 1 or 2 level; 9 pts. at 3 level; 11 pts. at 4 level
what is the right distribution for a negative double?
ideally responder has at least 4 cards in each unbid suit
for negative doubles are there exceptions to having at least 4 cards in each unbid suit?
responder can usually get away without support for an unbid minor, it is dangerous to mislead opener about major suit length
using negative doubles, what should you bid with 4 Spades and what with 5 or more Spades?
with 4 Spades bid double (negative) and with 5 or more Spades bid 1S
what are the 2 situations which you should consider raising the preemptive bidder’s suit to game.
- when partnership is likely to be able to make a game contract
- when you have support for opener’s suit but have a weak hand and it is likely the opponents can make at least a game contract
What should you consider when responding to a preempive opening bid when you are unsure how high and where the partnership belongs?
- bid a new suit (forcing) to see if opener can support
- bid 2NT after a weak 2 bid to ask for more information
When partner opens 1 of a suit and the player on the right of the responder overcalls, the overcall has taken away some of our bidding room, but we have 3 new options. What are they?
- passing with 6 or more points
- cuebidding the opponent’s suit
- doubling (negative)
why would we pass with 6 or more points after right hand opponent overcalled
partner is going to get another opportunity to bid even if we pass.
what does a responder’s cuebid show?
shows a fit for opener’s suit and invitational (10+) or better values. A cubid replaces the limit raise
what is the impact of the cuebid?
After an opponent’s overcall, a jump raise of opener’s suit is weak (preemptive) and a bid of 2NT is natural and invitational (10-12 pts)
how do you advance a simple overcall?
- single raise - similar to responder - 3 card or longer support and 6-9 points
- preemptive jump raise - fewer than 10 points when partner overcalls at the 1 level - jump to 3 level with 4 card support; jump to 4 level with 5 card support
- a cuebid is forcing for 1 round - 3 card or longer support and 10 or more points
- a new suit is non-forcing (invitational)
when you are bidding preemptively, what is considered a good suit?
2 of top 3 cards or 3 of top 5 cards
when responding to a two-level preemptive opening, how many quick tricks do you expect opener to have? For a three-level preemptive opening?
5 fot two - 6 for 3
when responding to a 3 level preemptive bid, what do you need to change suits?
a good 6 card or longer suit
