Mid
Competitive
Balancing in direct seat (OBAR
BIDS)
- DBL: Takeout
- 2NT after partner has bid is
scrambling
- 2NT if partner has not bid:
Super unusual - any 5+5+
1H/S - DBL - 2H/S
- DBL: Responsive
- 2S: Natural
- 2NT: Scramble
- New suit: 9+ HCP, natural
1H/S - Pass/DBL - 3H/S
- DBL: Takeout followed by 3NT
Lebensohl
- 3NT: Natural
- 4C: Clubs and the other major
- 4D: Diamonds and the other
major
Opponents' Weak Jump Over-call
at level 2
- 2NT: Lebensohl - relay to
3C. If followed by 3NT it shows stopper.
- 3NT: Invitation without
stopper
- Cue-bid: Invitation to 3NT
with semi stopper
- New suit at level 2: 3+
cards, 0+ points
- New suit at level 3: 4+
suit, 9+ points (2NT otherwise)
- DBL: Negative
Opponents' artificial over-call
with a fully specified 2-suiter
- Pass followed by DBL:
Competitive, 3 cards in opponents’ suit (3 or fewer in the
other opponent suit). By inference with some length in the 4th
suit.
- DBL: Either 3-card fit,
limit+ or intention to DBL opponents
- Raise: Competitive
- New suit: Natural,
competitive
- Lower cue-bid: 4+ fit,
limit+
- Higher cue-bid: 5+ cards in
the 4th
suit
- Jump cue-bid: Splinter
- 2NT: Stoppers, limit
- 3NT: To play
Opponents' artificial over-call
with a partly specified 2-suiter
- Pass followed by DBL:
Business
- Raise: Competitive
- New suit: Natural,
competitive
- Cue-bid: 4+ fit, limit+
- Jump cue-bid or double
shift in a suit that may be opponent’s: Splinter
- 2NT: Stoppers, limit
- 3NT: To play
- DBL: Otherwise
Good/Bad 2NT
When a
player opens and the auction comes back to him at level 2 with the
opponents winning it so far, the bid of 2NT maybe be conventional. It
occurs in one of the following circumstances
and is forcing
for 1 round.
By inference, all direct bids
at level 3 are stronger. This scheme allows for a competitive bid at
level 3 (by bidding 2NT first) without the fear of being punished by a
partner who thinks that we are showing extra values.
The partner of the Good/Bad 2NT bidder usually bids 3C.
He should hence make some other bid to show either suit preference or
an unexpectedly long strong suit or enough extra strength to force the
bidding higher.
The 2NT bidder has the option to
compete
further after having limited the hand. This might occur with
extra length, especially in a minor, or after partner has shown a
preference that improves the hand.
In a close decision, it often is
right to
make the direct suit bid to show the suit pattern of the hand. This
goes well with a style of aggressively inviting. It also
anticipates a tendency of opponents to frequently bid directly over the
competing 2NT call, preventing the 2NT bidder from clarifying the hand.
On the flip side, it can be right to
compete
with a very marginal hand and hope that LHO will be enticed to take the
immediate push.