OTHER OPENING BIDS

  HCP see Note Min length CONVENTIONAL MEANING SPECIAL RESPONSES Notes
1 9+ ¨

3

  Splinters. 2NT natural.
Inverted minors

1.1

1.2

1 9+ ¨ 4  
1 9+ ¨ 4   Jacoby 2NT
1 9+ ¨ 5  
3 bids 0+ ¨ 6 3NT = solid minor    
4 bids 0+ ¨ 7      

DEFENSIVE METHODS AFTER OPPONENTS OPEN

Opponents Open A Natural One of a Suit CONVENTIONAL MEANING SPECIAL RESPONSES Notes
Simple overcall Usually 5+ cards    
Jump overcall Pre-emptive    
Cue bid Michaels   1.3
1NT Direct 15-18 As 1NT  
Protective 11-14  
2NT Direct 2 lowest unbid suits, weak/strong    
Protective 20-22 As opening 2NT  
Opponents Open With DEFENSIVE METHODS SPECIAL RESPONSES Notes
Strong 1♣ Truscott   1.4
Short 1♣/1 Treat as natural    
Weak and Strong 1NT Modified-Landy; 2=both majors.   1.5
Weak 2 Dbl for t/o; 2NT=16-18 bal. Leaping Michaels Lebensohl 1.6/1.7
Weak 3 Dbl for t/o. Non-Leaping Michaels   1.7
4 bids Dbl for take-out    
Multi 2 Dbl: 13-15 or 19+; 2NT=16-18 Lebensohl 1.6

SLAM CONVENTIONS

Name Meaning of Responses Action over interference
Roman Key Card Blackwood 5=1/4, 5=0/3, 5/=2/5 without/with trump queen. 5NT asks for lowest side-suit king Dbl=1/4, pass=0/3, etc
Minorwood 4♣/ agrees/sets the trump suit and is RKCB, including as a direct response over 1NT/2NT. Also as rebid after sequence 2NT-3.
 
COMPETITIVE AUCTIONS

Agreements after opening of one of a suit and overcall by opponents:

Level to which negative doubles apply

3♠; optional above 3

Special meaning of bids

2NT=natural, cue-bid=Jacoby

Exceptions/other agreements

 

Agreements after opponents double for takeout

Redouble 10+ New suit Forcing Jump in new suit Fit-jump
Jump raise Pre-emptive 2NT Good raise Other  
Other agreements concerning doubles and redoubles:
Doubles are for take-out unless: we have a fit; we have pre-empted; we are doubling a naturally-bid NT.
After penalty double of 1NT, next double by either player is take-out.
Over opponents' 2-suited overcall, cue-bidding their lower suit shows lower other suit, cue-bidding their higher suit shows higher other suit.

OTHER CONVENTIONS

Fourth-suit forcing [1 is natural]
After 1X-2Y, 2NT is game-forcing [3 requests more information], 3NT = flat 15/16
Unassuming cue-bids (show good raise of partner's suit or very strong hand)
Directional asking bids
1NT rebid is 15-17 [2 is Staymanic checkback], 2NT rebid is 18-19 [3 is Staymanic checkback]

SUPPLEMENTARY DETAILS [1]

(Please cross-reference where appropriate to the relevant part of the card and continue on back if needed)
1.1 Splinter jump shows support for partner [min 4] with typically singleton in bid suit. A splinter bid can be an immediate response, opener's rebid, or an unnecessary jump bid at any stage of the auction. Inverted minors deny 4-card major, and don't apply after any interference bid.
1.2 Jacoby 2NT promises 4+ trump support in a relatively balanced hand, and is forcing to game. Opener rebids 4-major if minimum. 3-new-suit as trial bid, 4-new-suit as splinter.
1.3 2-minor cue-bid over 1-minor shows 5-5 min in the  majors. 2-major cue-bid over 1-major shows 5-5 min in other major plus a minor.. Usually weak/strong, not intermediate [i.e. not in range 11-15]
1.4 1-level overcall or 2 shows that suit and next higher suit. Double shows suit doubled and non-adjacent suit, 1NT shows other two non-touching suits. Jump overcall is single-suited hand.
1.5 2=both majors, 2=4-card major + longer minor, 2-major is natural
1.6 If partner doubles a weak 2-bid, 2NT shows a weak hand [<8] and requests a 3 relay.
1.7 4♣/ over 2-major or 3/ is [non-]Leaping Michaels, showing 5-5 min in bid suit and other major.