Bridge Hints
Bridge Column by Derrick Browne
The most current Bridge columns are listed here. To see archived columns click here
Hot Stuff
Allen Key
Pre-empts
Exploiting friends
Team effort
A good bet
Opposite of stayman
A merry little coup
Dutch hosts win
Book of the year
End play saves the day
Breaking the rules
Re-kindled
High jinks
Confidence & caution
The contested auction
Tools that you and your partner incorporate into your bidding methods in order to assist you finding the best fit and working out whether the combined strength is sufficient for game or slam only work when the opponents remain silent throughout the auction.
Unfortunately in the modern game over 80% of all auctions are contested. Tools such as Stayman, transfers, inverted minor suit raises, Jacoby, etc. no longer work. Even our opening bids no longer work if they open first and our normal responses to partner’s openings lose their definition when your right hand opponent interferes.
Over forthcoming months we will be compiling a system just for contested auctions. No matter what basic system you use, as soon as the opponents enter the auction, it will no longer apply. Instead the new system will take over. It will be known as:-
The Bridge Travel competitive System
or Bridge Travel Standard
This whole system of bidding will give you and your partner an enormous advantage over all your club mates who are still trying to apply their basic system to the over 80% of hands which no longer work for them. There is only one catch! If you currently use a short club it will not work!
When we have only three suits to work with after a 1 club opening while the rest of the world who are using better (longer minor) have 4 suits to work with, we will be at enormous disadvantage as we will not be able to use this system. PLEASE try to wean yourself away from this archaic form of bidding so that you can enjoy the excitement and pleasure of using Bridge Travel Standard for the rest of your bridge playing life!
The first instalment is in the pipeline.
John Newman
The downloadable notes at the end of this section detail tools (conventions) that have been covered in clinics on recent Bridge Travel holidays.
Two conventions:- Checkback, and Inverted Minor Suit Raises have been developed overseas to complement Modern Standard American Bidding. This system which is taught throughout North America and Europe is referred to as 'Yellow Card Standard American'
Like all modern tools, they will not work if a player is using an antiquated version of Standard bidding such as – the short club opening (also called convenient club). These tools are designed for the modern method of opening five card majors and the longer minor with no 5 card major.
Thus with 4/4 in the minors you open 1D. With 3/3 in the minors you open 1C. Otherwise you always open 1 of your longer minor if your hand is unsuitable for opening 1NT or 1 of a major.
They also assume that players are opening the modern 15-17HCP 1NT opening rather than the old Goren 16-18HCP or the 15-18HCPrange.
Hamilton is a system for bidding with more safety and efficiency over opponents’ strong 1NT openings. Once you become comfortable with the system it can also be used in a modified form over the opposition’s strong artificial 1C and 2C openings bids.
Checkback
Inverted Minor Suit Raises
Hamilton
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