First, a word about how we report an auction.
If the opponents are silent, we use COLONS between the
actual bids, ignoring the opponents' passes. If the
opponents are NOT silent throughout, we use DASHES
between bids. Hence, 1C:1H:1S means that Opener
began with 1C and rebid 1S over partner's 1H reply.
1C-1H-1S, on the other hand, means that Opener started
with 1C, only to hear LHO overcall 1H and Responder
bid 1S.
When the opponents interfere over your partner's
opening bid, they make it more difficult for you to
find a fit in any unbid suit and they use up some of
your valuable bidding space. On the other hand, they
give you some tools which you would NOT have at your
disposal had they NOT interfered. For example, they
allow you to PASS with 6-7 points without worrying
about missing game; partner will get another chance
to bid and will likely compete with 16+ points.
More importantly, though, the opponents give
you a bid which will ALWAYS be forcing: a cuebid
of the enemy suit (e.g. 1C-1H-2H). Also, by using
or not using a negative double, Responder can often
distinguish a 4-card major suit from a 5+ carder.
For example, 1D-1S-Dble suggests only FOUR Hearts.
1D-1S-2H suggests 5+ Hearts. 1D-P-1H, meanwhile,
is much less exact, showing 4+ Hearts.
PASS by Responder
An overcall relieves Responder of the obligation
to bid with a minimal 6-7 points. But Responder
COULD also be passing with 8-12 points and 5+ cards
in the enemy suit, hoping partner will "balance"
with a takeout double (which Responder will gladly
pass). The original pass is called a "Trap Pass".
If Opener doubles for takeout, Responder's second
pass will be a "Penalty Pass", since it converts
this takeout double to penalty based on a lot of
trumps and 8-12 points.
To accomodate the possibility that Responder
may have trap passed, Opener will often strain to
make a takeout double if the overcall is passed
back around to Opener. This is especially true
at MatchPoints, and when Opener's side is not
vulnerable.
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After 1C-1D-P-P Non-Vul Opener may re-enter
this auction with a double...even with a rather
mediocre hand and terrible Heart support. If
Responder bids 1H, Opener can correct to 1S.
Free Bids by Responder
After partner has opened and the next player
has overcalled, Responder may raise Opener one
level with 6-9 points, jumping to the four level
pre-emptively with LOTS of trumps (i.e. FIVE if
raising to 4H or 4S, SIX or more if raising to
4C or 4D) and very few points.
A jump shift in a new suit by Responder
(e.g. 1C-1D-2H or 2S) is WEAK, revealing a 6+card
suit and fewer than 8 points.
For the most part, though, any free bid by
Responder will show 8+ points. A single jump in
Opener's suit (e.g. 1H-2C-3H) is still a LIMIT
raise (10-12 points, support for Opener).
Questions
1. What do I do over 1D:1S if I have 5 Hearts
and only 6 or 7 points? Pass? 2H?
2. Why do we call bids by Responder "free" bids
immediately after an overcall?
Free No Trump Bids by Responder
Any No Trump free bid by Responder will show a
flattish hand WITH A GUARD IN THE ENEMY SUIT. 1NT
will show 8-10 points, 2NT will show 11-12 (if a
jump from the 1-level) or 10-12 (if a non-jump
after, say, 1S-2C) points, and 3NT will show 13-15
points. If Partner has opened 1S or 1H, these No
Trump bids by Responder tend to show 2-card support.
After a free 1NT bid by Responder, Opener can force
game with a reverse, a jump shift or a cuebid.
Questions
1. If Responder bids a free 1NT over 1D-1S, will
a 2C rebid be Stayman?
2. Name THREE game forcing rebids by Opener after
1D-1S-1NT.
Simple New Suit Free Bids by Responder
Simple (i.e. non-jump) free bids in a new suit
are FORCING for one round and will USUALLY show 5+
cards in the bid suit.
Negative Doubles
Responder can use a "negative" double to show
8+ points and APPROXIMATELY 4 cards in any unbid
suit (OR, rarely, 13+ points with poor support for
Opener's suit and no good 5+card suit of our own).
This is a takeout double, and USUALLY endeavours
to find a 4-4 fit in one of the unbid suits--with
particular interest in any unbid MAJOR suit.
In SAYC, negative doubles are used up to and
including the 2S level. If the opponents pre-empt
HIGHER than 2S, a double is "optional", showing
general values. Opener should PASS this double
unless Opener has a rather distributional hand
with some hitherto undisclosed length(s).
Opposite Responder's negative double Opener
can jump in any new suit to show a good hand.
1D-1H-Dble-P-2S, then, would show 16-17 points
and 4 Spades. These jumps are NOT forcing since
Opener COULD cuebid the enemy suit with a hand
strong enough to FORCE game.
If the opponents bid any suit that we have
shown, a double is penalty. Since a negative
double effectively shows both unbid suits, any
double of one of those suits will be penalty.
For example, 1D-1H-Dble-1S-Dble is PENALTY,
since Responder showed Spades with the negative
double of 1H.
Questions
1. If Opener rebids in No Trump opposite a
negative double, does this promise a stopper
in the enemy suit?
2. Since Responder can make a negative double
with a 4-card suit, shouldn't a free bid
in a new suit (e.g. 1C-1D-1S) ALWAYS promise
a 5+ card suit?
Cuebids of the Opponent's Suit
The word "cuebid" has two main meanings. In
moving towards a slam the pair cuebids controls
(Aces, voids, Kings, singletons). An immediate
bid of the enemy suit (e.g. 1S-2C-3C) is also
called a "cuebid", though, and does NOT promise
any particular holding in the bid suit. Rather,
cueing their suit is used as a way to force the
bidding.
An immediate cuebid by Responder (e.g. 1C-1D-2D)
forces game and promises support for Opener's suit.
Responder is NOT interested in any other suit.
Hence, 1C-1D-2D denies 4 cards in EITHER major.
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After 1C-1D make a negative double, intending
to jump in Clubs or cuebid Diamonds NEXT TURN
if Opener does not bid Hearts. Do NOT cuebid
THIS turn, since that will deny interest in
Hearts.
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NOW you should cuebid 2D.
Subsequent cuebids by Responder or by Opener
can be used to show maximal hands and to force the
bidding along. These cuebids neither ask for nor
promise a guard in the enemy suit, but it should
certainly occur to cuebidder's partner to bid in
No Trump with such a guard--or even a semi-stopper
(e.g. Qx or Jxx) in many instances!
Questions
1. What is a "West Coast" cuebid?
2. What is an "East Coast" cuebid?
3. Are West or East Coast cuebids part of SAYC?
Action over a Takeout Double
If partner's opening bid is doubled for takeout,
Responder can pass with most 0-9 point hands. Should
Responder choose to bid, a 1-level free call will be
forcing while a 2-level bid will be NON-FORCING,
showing a good 5+card suit and fewer than 10 points.
What does Responder do with support for Opener's
suit? An immediate raise of Opener's suit over the
double shows 5-8 points. A jump raise is weaker still,
promising at least 9 trumps between Opener and Responder.
1H-Dble-3H, then, is pre-emptive with 4 Hearts (since
1H Opener promised 5 Hearts), while 1H-Dble-4H promises
5+ Hearts. With 9 points, Responder can PASS and THEN
raise the suit. With 10-12 points, Responder can
REDOUBLE and then raise Opener's suit or use a "Jordan"
2NT bid, showing a LIMIT RAISE or better. Holding 13+
points, Responder can also REDOUBLE and then either
jump to game (13-15 points) or cuebid whatever suit
the enemy runs to before supporting partner's suit.
SAYC-OK pairs play a convention called "Jordan",
whereby 1H-Dble-2NT and 1S-Dble-2NT is a limit raise
of Opener's major (10-12 points). While this is
EXPLICITLY part of SAYC-OK, many novices and some
experienced players don't know this. That said,
I would DISCOURAGE anyone from using 2NT thus; a
REDOUBLE followed by a simple raise can accomplish
the same result without getting too high if Opener
is minimal. Many will use Jordan ONLY with FOUR
card support, redoubling and then raising with three.
Questions
1. I'm playing with a new partner on OKB and that
partner just bid 2NT over 1H-Dble. Should I
infer that 2NT is Jordan (i.e. a LIMIT raise)?
Dealing with Michaels Cuebids
Responder can double any cuebid of partner's
suit (e.g. 1S-2S-Dble) to show support and 6+
points. Responder's strongest action is to cuebid
the major suit that the Michaels Cuebidder has
shown (e.g. 1H-2H-2S). If the Michaels Cuebidder
has shown both majors (i.e. 1C-2C or 1D-2D) a
strong Responder will choose to cuebid the major
in which Responder has greater strength. 1C-2C-2H,
then, shows 13+ points and better Hearts than Spades.
An immediate raise to the 3-level (e.g. 1H-2H-3H)
is pre-emptive, showing good support for Opener but
little else. To show a LIMIT raise, DOUBLE first
and THEN raise partner.
Dealing with an Unusual 2NT Overcall
If Responder senses that the opponents may be in
trouble and would like to defend against one or
both suits that Overcaller has promised, Responder
should DOUBLE the 2NT bid. This may encourage Opener
to double for penalty when the opponents run from 2NT.
If, however, Responder would like to support
Opener's suit, Responder should do so directly with a
competing hand (8-10 points). To invite or force
Opener to game, Responder can cuebid one of Overcaller's
promised suits (e.g. 1D-2NT-3C) if this does not bypass
Opener's suit.
A very popular and useful convention which is NOT
part of SAYC--but SHOULD have been--is "Unusual Over
Unusual". If partner has opened a major and your RHO
has bid 2NT, your options are:
3C = Hearts with a good hand
3D = Spades with a good hand
3H = Hearts with a poorish hand (non-forcing)
3S = Spades with a poorish hand (non-forcing)
Ask partner if he or she would like to play
Unusual Over Unusual.
Interference Over 2C
If partner opens 2C, any double or redouble
by Responder is PENALTY. Bear in mind that EITHER
partner can make forcing passes here (2C-P-2D-2H-P
is forcing by Opener, perhaps hoping Responder can
double 2H for penalty). 2C Opener can double for
penalty in direct seat only (i.e. Opener can only
double Opener's RHO for penalty).
Interference Over 1NT
If the opponents double OUR 1NT opening for
penalty, ALL systems are ON. 2C is Stayman, 2D
and 2H are transfers, etc.
If the opponents OVERCALL, Stayman and
transfers are OFF (i.e. NOT in effect). Doubles
are penalty. Free bids are NOT forcing at the
TWO level (e.g. 1NT-2D-2S), but forcing at the
THREE level (e.g. 1NT-2H-3C). Cuebids are
game-forcing, and may help the pair find its
4-4 major suit fits.
A VERY useful convention for dealing with
interference over our 1NT is LEBENSOHL. Sadly,
it is NOT part of SAYC. For more information
about Lebensohl, please visit my "TUTORS" web
site at: http://www.escape.ca/~btreble/tutors.htm
Quiz
1. After 1C:1H what should Responder bid with:
| HAND A: |
 AQxx |
 xxxx |
 xx |
 Qxx |
| HAND B: |
AQxx |
xx |
Q10xx |
xxx |
| HAND C: |
x |
AQxx |
AQJ10x |
AQx |
| HAND D: |
Kxx |
xx |
Ax |
AQJxx |
| HAND E: |
Jxx |
KQxx |
K10xx |
Qx |
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2. After 1H-Dble what should Responder bid with:
| HAND A: |
Qxxx |
Qxx |
xx |
xxxx |
| HAND B: |
Axx |
Qxx |
xx |
Kxxxx |
| HAND C: |
xxx |
x |
QJ10xxx |
xxx |
| HAND D: |
xx |
QJxx |
xxxxx |
xx |
| HAND E: |
Axxx |
KQx |
xxx |
xxx |
|
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RAINBOW Series
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The Rainbow Series, from 10:00 A.M. to 12:30 PST every weekday, is a lecture program on the SAYC system, from
Opening Bids all the way through to the conventional aspects of SAYC.
Unlike the FireSide and 5th Chair sessions mentioned above, the
Rainbow Series is a semi-private lesson program for our students.
Nevertheless, you are invited to stop by and "eavesdrop"
on the discussion from the Spectator's Loft.
If you have any questions arising from these notes,
or about the Rainbow Lesson Series, please do not hesitate
to email me at: cpw@escape.ca
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