Jump-shift responses

I'm at a bit of a down-spike at the moment. Real life is interfering with Agent 99's availability for playing bridge, and Elwood actually has a real job, so his availability is always limited. I don't care to fill my days with meaningless games as a house player or whatever, so the end result is I'm not playing so often myself. Bummer.

My usual pastime in this sort of situation is to trawl the internet for interesting bridge ideas. Sartaj Hans (The Imp Chimp) is looking for best practices to do with training, and related stuff. Having no great ideas myself, I'm waiting to see what everybody else comes up with, so I can steal it. Cathy Chua seems to be taking a few days off. So I'm reduced to either working on class notes to give to beginners, finding material for lectures to give near-beginners (which is way too much like work), or digging for the odd bidding convention that I might be able to persuade Agent 99 or Elwood to play.

An area that has some scope for Agent 99 and myself is the jump-shift response. We don't play 2/1 responses as game-forcing, so there is an argument for using strong jump-shift responses to identify certain strong hand types immediately and facilitate slam investigation. (I don't believe that the old-fashioned approach of using a jump-shift on any hand past a certain point-count is productive. If you are going to use them at all, restrict them to one of two sorts of hands: either a self-sufficient suit or a sort of fit-jump with good support for opener's suit. Which of the two it is gets clarified very quickly and you can proceed with the slam investigation without feeling the effects of the lost round of bidding.) But the truth is, neither of us is greatly enamored of strong jump-shifts, and so mostly we play pre-emptive.

After minor suit openings, we play inverted raises, where the simple raise is 10+hcp and the jump raise is 4-6hcp with 4+ (probably 5+) card support. The criss-cross raises (1D-3C and 1C-2D) are used for pre-emptive raises in the 7-9hcp range. This seems to be a slightly unusual use of the criss-cross raises - I made it up one day when I became dissatisfied with the wide (possibly) range of the pre-emptive raise. Since we play a weak no-trump, opener may be looking at a decent balanced hand (a strong no-trump opening), and he really would like to know if a pre-emptive raise is on the kamikaze edge or is maybe close to a forcing raise.

At the moment, all other jump-shift responses are simple pre-empts, showing 6+cards and 0-5hcp. (I don't believe in pre-empting partner unless my hand is really, really bad.)

An idea that might work is Reverse Flannery. After a minor suit opening, if responder has 5+cards in spades and 4+cards in hearts, he is not well placed for getting his distribution described accurately, especially when he is not too strong. Reverse Flannery uses the jump-shift responses of 2H and 2S to cover these hands, 2H being (say) 6-9hcp and 2S being 10-12 (or maybe just 10+) . 2NT can be used as a relay/distribution inquiry, similarly as in the original Flannery convention, if opener wants the details of what responder has. I have no experience with this, and I don't know anyone who plays it, but it sounds like a very reasonable idea, and a solution to a genuine (if not all that common) problem. Of course weak responding hands frequently cannot describe their distribution, but when they hold both majors, we should try and find a way for them to manage it. There are some details to be worked out before we try and play this. Maybe we should make the ranges 6-8 and 9-11, and make both bids non-forcing, on the grounds that if you're 12+hcp you'll manage anyway.

Adopting some version of that would take care of all the jump-shifts after minor-suit openings. There's still the question of what to do after major-suit openings. I can't believe simple pre-empts are such a great idea - I can't even remember ever bidding one, or hearing one from Agent 99.

At the moment, my plan is to talk her into using them as fit-jumps - essentially, limit raises with a decent side-suit. That's not too sexy, but I'm not interested in Bergen raises (or variations thereof)  because I don't believe in the Law (I'm an LTC fan, myself). Elwood persuaded me that mini-splinters weren't a good idea in practice (although they have some attraction in theory). And I haven't come across any other particularly great ideas yet. Maybe strong jump-shifts by unpassed hands and fit-jumps by passed hands? That might work.

Misadventures In Manhattan

The dealing machine engaged its slam option the other night. I was playing with an occasional partner who doesn’t manage bidding much more sophisticated than major suit transfers. He compensates by punting when we seem to be in the ballpark, so we had some notably short slam bidding sequences.

This one came up in the first round.

E-W Game, dlr E

            ♠ Q
            ♥ A 10 7 5 4
            ♦ 9 6 5
            ♣ Q J 8 7
♠ K J 10 9 7 2           ♠ A 8 6
♥ K 9 8        [ ]       ♥ Q J 3
♦ K Q                    ♦ A 10 7 3
♣ K 9                    ♣ A 6 3
            ♠ 5 4 3
            ♥ 6 2
            ♦ J 8 4 2
            ♣ 10 5 4 2


N    E    S    W
     1NT  pass 4♣
pass 4NT  pass 6NT
all pass

South tried a short-suit lead, so the ♥A appeared at trick one. I agonized over which high spade to cash, and eventually got it wrong by cashing the king (I was tricked by the opening lead, honest). Fortunately, North had the right singleton to make the slam cold, and we got a top because everybody else chose to play in spades for some reason.

This one came up for the opponents in the second round.

E-W Game, dlr N

           ♠ K 7 6 5
           ♥ A 6 5 4 2
           ♦ -
           ♣ A Q 7 6
♠ 8 4 3                ♠ J 9
♥ 9 8 7      [ ]       ♥ Q 3
♦ A 8 5 4              ♦ K Q J 10 7 6 3
♣ J 4 2                ♣ 10 5
           ♠ A Q 10 2
           ♥ K J 10
           ♦ 9 2
           ♣ K 9 8 3


N    E    S    W
1♥   3♦   ?

I’m not sure how N-S should proceed. Our opponents made no real effort, and played quietly in 4♥, wrapping up 13 tricks in no time as declarer nonchalantly dropped my doubleton trump queen. We had some company, but that was below average as only one pair managed to bid a slam, any slam. Thirteen tricks are available in spades, hearts and clubs: bidding a small slam should be possible, surely. If South doubles, North cuebids 4♦, South shows heart support. Now North has to be interested in 6♠. He knows that there is a double fit, and he has first round control of the other suits. Maybe a jump to 5♠ would ask about the quality of the spade suit at this point (because North has already cuebid the enemy suit). South should have no worries on that score.

In the third round, it was our turn again.

E-W game, dlr S (rotated for convenience)

  ♠ A 9 4
  ♥ -
  ♦ A 9 7 6
  ♣ K Q J 7 5 3

  []  
   
  ♠ K Q 8 2
  ♥ Q 7 2
  ♦ K Q 10 3 2
  ♣ 2


S    W    N    E
1♦   pass 2♣   pass
2♦   pass 6♦   all pass

The diamond rebid on a 5-card suit is a matter of personal style – I know some people would prefer 2NT, and 2/1 bidders might bid 2♠ (not showing extra strength, just shape). But using primitive bidding, 2♦ seems like the simplest and most honest bid to me, even without 6 cards. With all his controls, that was enough to push partner to slam. And with diamonds 2-2 and clubs 3-3, there were no obstacles to 12 tricks. Only one other pair bid this slam, and I’m not entirely sure why. It’s true that I only have an ace-less 12-count, but that hand’s an opening bid every day of the week. E-W might have spoken up in hearts, and that might have put some people off. But at the vulnerability, they wouldn’t go leaping about, and seeing a void in their suit ought to have interested North. So I don’t know.

This one came up on the last hand of the evening. The dealer had gone quiet for a couple of rounds, so as we pulled the cards from the board, partner said “OK Richard, let’s finish with another slam”.

Love all, dlr S (rotated for convenience)

  ♠ A J 7 6 2
  ♥ A K 7 4
  ♦ 10 3
  ♣ A J

  []  
   
  ♠ K 8
  ♥ Q 9
  ♦ A K 8 7 6
  ♣ K 9 5 3


S    W    N    E
1NT  pass 6NT  all pass

I nearly fell off my chair laughing when he made his bid. There was no hesitation at all. “Let’s have a slam”. Bang, 6NT.

As usual, he bid like this when my 15-17 1NT was at the 15 end of the range. But this time, we didn’t quite have a suit fit, although all the suits had some possibilities. West thought for a long time, and finally produced the ♥5 – 4, 10, Q.

I wasn’t sure what to make of that lead: it didn’t feel like a simple 4th-highest. But anyway, there are only 9 top tricks, and spades might supply all 3 extras if this was to be a really lucky hand. So the obvious plan was to test them first: ♠K, ♠8 to the ♠J, ♠A and East discards a small club. I cleared the spades, discarding two diamonds as East gave up a second club. Another long pause from West, and the ♦J eventually appeared – 3, 4, A. And I wondered how to proceed.

  ♠ 7
  ♥ A K 7
  ♦ 10
  ♣ A J

  []  
   
  ♠ -
  ♥ 9
  ♦ K 8
  ♣ K 9 5 3

You need all 7 tricks, and you have 6 winners. Obviously the club finesse seems a fair bet, West having discarded a couple. But he’s good as well as tricky – could he have started with 5 clubs? You have good menaces in hearts and clubs, and a weak menace in diamonds. Maybe if you cross to the ♣A, cash the ♠7, come back to the ♣K, cash the top hearts. That would give you the right configuration for a double squeeze, assuming the long heart is to your left and the long club to your right.

But I really didn’t believe that was the situation. And if the squeeze wasn’t double, then I wasn’t confident that I knew what simple squeeze I could go for. So in the end, I decided that if I believed that the clubs were on my left, I should go with the simpleton line of the club finesse.

Love all, dlr S (rotated for convenience)

            ♠ A J 7 6 2
            ♥ A K 7 4
            ♦ 10 3
            ♣ A J
♠ Q 10 9 4             ♠ 5 3
♥ J 6 5       []       ♥ 10 8 3 2
♦ J 5                  ♦ Q 9 4 2
♣ Q 10 7 6             ♣ 8 4 2
            ♠ K 8
            ♥ Q 9
            ♦ A K 8 7 6
            ♣ K 9 5 3

Actually, East would have been squeezed in the red suits if I cashed all the black suit winners. I probably should have figured it out, but it was the end of the evening and my brain was seizing up. The club finesse was right anyway, so 12 tricks rolled home and we got another top – nobody else bid this one.

   

Reverse Drury

With Elwood I play 2/1, and Drury is one of his favorite conventions.

Systems that use sound first and second seat openings (particularly 2/1) often use light opening bids in third and fourth seat. It is not uncommon these days to see third seat openings on 8 counts, but usually a light opening is in the 10-12 HCP range. The expert style is to always open in a real suit in third seat if the hand is light, so four-card major openings are common. In responding to these light openings, you need to have a way of showing a near opener (good 9 to bad 12 HCP hand) with support for opener’s suit without going past the two level. The Drury response of 2C fills this need. In the original version of Drury, a rebid of 2D showed a minimum opening, other rebids showed a full opener (12+ HCP). Using Reverse Drury, opener rebids his suit to show a light opening (he may have to rebid a four card suit) or rebids 2D with a full opener, but perhaps only four cards in the suit opened. After the 2D rebid the responder may bid up to three of opener’s suit with four card support, after the rebid of the major he is asked to pass except with an exceptionally good passed hand.

Responses by a passed hand

After pass – 1S; ?
• 1NT - semi-forcing, up to 11-12 HCP. Opener passes if light or 5332 shape with 12-13 HCP
• 2D/H - not forcing, decent 5 card suits, 9-11 HCP. Deny three spades
• 2S - normal single raise, not constructive, limited to a bad 9 count
• 2NT - 4 card spade support and 9-11 HCP with a singleton somewhere. Opener relays to discover the singleton
• 3C - shows 6 clubs and about 10-11 HCP. The hand type is a flawed initial preempt (two side cards or bad suit are possibilities).
• 3D/H - a flower bid (4 card support for spades, decent 5 card side suit, near opener).
• 3S - this is preemptive, something like SJxxxx Hx Dxx CQxxxx

• 2C - any hand of 10-12 HCP with three plus spades, could be a good 9 count with 4 trumps and a ruffing value (Reverse Drury)

Responses after a 1H opening are essentially the same, except that with 4+ spades and only 3 hearts you should generally prefer a 1S response to a Drury response.

All 2C responses are Drury, even after intervention. For example,
Pass – (pass) – 1S – (1NT); 2C is Drury

Drury sequences: Pass – 1S; 2C - ?

• 2D - full opener, may be a suit also, but presumed to be a flattish 12-14 hand. Responder continues:
     o 2H - natural, 5 card suit, usually only 3 spades, not forcing, suggests hearts as alternate trumps
     o 2S - usual rebid, 3 or four spades, not forcing
     o 2NT - natural, 11-12 HCP, only 3 spades
     o 3S - strong game invite, 4+ good spades
     o 3 bids - short suit game tries, singleton or small doubleton 

• 2H - natural, does not guarantee a full opener, could be a light 55 hand for example
• 2S - a light opener, less than 12 HCP
• 2NT - 15-17 HCP with 5332 shape
• 3C/D/H/S - slam tries, new suits are natural
• 3NT - balanced 18-20
• 4x - short suit slam tries
• 4S - a common rebid, no slam interest but enough extra to play game.

Lionel

I was somewhat upset when I realized that Multi-Landy is a Mid-Chart convention per the ACBL. And when I checked, they won’t let me and Agent 99 play it at the Manhattan (not in the afternoons, anyway – we might be able to get away with it in the evenings, because the usual evening crowd is more sophisticated). Apparently, the 2D overcall to show an unspecified major suit is more than the average little old lady should be able to defend herself against. I think that’s bullshit, but I think the blame lies with the ACBL, not the Manhattan. If the Multi 2D had been legal in the US for the last 40 years, neither it nor Multi-Landy would be raising any eyebrows anywhere in the US.

I want to use decent tools. If I have to follow ACBL strictures, fine, but we’re going with Lionel.

Double shows 11+hcp, a two- (or possibly three-) suited hand that includes 4 or 5 spades. The defined minimum is 4-4 in two suits, one of which is spades, but against a strong no-trump I think we should stick to at least 5-4 (although spades might be the 4-carder) or extra high cards. Against a weak no-trump, you can be as adventurous as you like. If responder passes, advancer with 11+hcp can (and probably should) pass also, converting the double for penalties. (This implies that overcaller shouldn’t shade his point-count, only the distribution.) If that doesn’t look attractive but he likes spades, advancer can bid spades at what seems like the best level, or can bid a new suit at the 3-level as a splinter raise of spades (game-try). If he doesn’t like spades, with a weakish hand he should bid his cheapest 4-card suit and we’ll try to find somewhere to play at a low level. With a really good hand, he can bid 2NT, suggesting “game somewhere”, and overcaller should show his second suit.

Overcalling 2C shows clubs and hearts, overcalling 2D shows diamonds and hearts, as mentioned above promising only 4+4+ cards but usually better. Neither overcall is forcing. A 2NT overcall is the Unusual No Trump, showing both minors 5+5+ cards. And that takes care of all the two-suited hands. All of those bids, including the double, need to be alerted, but they are all legal per the ACBL General Convention Chart.

And all the other overcalls are natural. 2H and 2S could be 5 cards against a weak no-trump, but will usually show a 6+card suit. Three-level overcalls would be natural and 6+cards.

The method doesn’t change with the strength of the opening 1NT. But the weaker 1NT is, the more aggressive the overcalls can be. I have the feeling that this could be much more destructive than Multi-Landy, but that’s the way the ACBL wants to play.