Overcalling in fourth seat
Sandwiched between the response to the opening and the opening itself, the player in fourth seat can come forward. Bidding in that position has similarities as well as differences with overcalling in…
#lessons
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Major suit raises after a take-out double
In modern bridge, the simple raise of opener’s major after a takeout Double was cut in half: the upper range is now shown via a transfer bid, the lower zone with the good old natural simple raise. With the Mixed raise, 2NT and fit-showing jump shifts, a pair now has a colorful range of bids to paint the best contracts!
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A powerful system: Transfer over opener’s jump rebid of 2NT
In the French standard system, when we start 1m-1M-2NT, the other minor elongates responder’s major, but that’s about it. It is possible to go much further in the description of all sorts of hands under the condition of adopting a system that combines transfer and double relay responses. Attention, it requires that you and your partner are on exactly the same page, or you can experience disasters
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Responder’s Major Raises
Though the basics remain the same, showing support for a major as Responder has recently undergone some significant changes, for two main reasons: the emergence of 2-over-1 in a new suit becoming…
The new trial bids
The objective is to differentiate trial bids that invite game from those that investigate a slam all while following a guideline: to reveal as little as possible about declarer’s hand in game auctions and precisely identify responder’s hand in slam auctions.
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Bridge lesson: The take-out double
You are sitting left of opener. You have a good hand but you don’t know how to show it. Is this the moment to draw your Double card, this all-purpose weapon of…
The mechanism of controls
You are in the slam zone. When and how should you initiate the process of showing controls? In the classical system, the first bid that shows a control denies any control in…
The 2♣️ opening showing any semi-forcing or a game-forcing in Hearts
Is the unpopular 2♦️, game forcing, doomed to disappear soon? Not sure! We can continue to use it together with 2♣️, semi-forcing, in an efficient way, provided that some adjustments are made.…
The truth about the subject of third suit forcing
Even if it is less complex than fourth suit forcing, the third suit forcing doesn’t conceal less traps in which many bridge players, even experienced ones, get caught when they are not…
Bivalent 2NT
After the start 1♠️-2♥️, a 3♥️ rebid remained a catch-all auction in the French system even if some tried to limit the meaning. Our convention will allow us bid more precisely with…
The 90% rule
When you are virtually certain you know what the final contact should be my advice is to bid it immediately. The less you reveal the harder life will be for the defenders.…