2010 Bidding Academy
There are three remaining classes for this year's Bidding Academy. Detailed notices will be emailed out, but the dates and topics are:
15. May 5 - High Level Bidding
16. May 12 - Competitive Bidding
17. May 19 - Slam Bidding
The Raleigh Regional is the week of May 25-31 so there will not be a class on Wednesday, May 26.
As many of us locals remain in HHI throughout the summer, I am considering doing some fun workshops on Wednesdays this summer on "play of the hand" topics. Most play of the hand classes are taught on specific lessons which may or may not fit your style, level or skills. What I am considering is giving these workshop hands to play and then discussing planning the play, alternatives that should be considered, choosing the best line of play. If you have an interest in these workshops or others, please let me know.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Class No. 14 – Wednesday, Apr 28, 2010
Notrump Bidding
Notrump bidding is more than just opening 1Nt and the systems your partnership will play in response. Understanding the principle of bidding to show fits, shapes and values is integrating bidding with balanced hands (notrump bidding) into your system bidding agreements. When rebidding to describe opener tries to convey whether his hand is balanced, thereby oriented to notrump, or unbalanced which makes a contract in a trump suit more likely to succeed. With a balanced hand opener will bid notrump as soon as possible … if opener has not bid notrump by his second turn to make a call, he probably has an unbalanced hand.
At the conclusion of this class participants should know:
1. How to value notrump hands.
2. How to bid notrump hands with 5 card majors.
3. Understand natural notrump bidding sequences.
4. How to use system bids to make forcing auctions.
5. How over notrump to show invitational and forcing hands.
6. Conventional opening notrump bids of 3Nt and 4Nt.
Notrump bidding is more than just opening 1Nt and the systems your partnership will play in response. Understanding the principle of bidding to show fits, shapes and values is integrating bidding with balanced hands (notrump bidding) into your system bidding agreements. When rebidding to describe opener tries to convey whether his hand is balanced, thereby oriented to notrump, or unbalanced which makes a contract in a trump suit more likely to succeed. With a balanced hand opener will bid notrump as soon as possible … if opener has not bid notrump by his second turn to make a call, he probably has an unbalanced hand.
At the conclusion of this class participants should know:
1. How to value notrump hands.
2. How to bid notrump hands with 5 card majors.
3. Understand natural notrump bidding sequences.
4. How to use system bids to make forcing auctions.
5. How over notrump to show invitational and forcing hands.
6. Conventional opening notrump bids of 3Nt and 4Nt.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Class No. 13 – Wednesday, Apr 21, 2010
Cuebidding to 3Nt - One Asks, Two Tells
It is generally accepted in modern bridge that bidding priorities first go to finding 8 card major suit fits. In fact, much brain power and ink has been devoted to modern major suit bidding agreements. Oddly enough, in team games and tournament play it is not the major suit game that reigns supreme, but the 3Nt game. Yet, little has been devoted to agreements to reach good 3Nt contracts.
Bidding Stoppers to 3Nt One of the most neglected bidding agreements, albeit one of the most important is once the auction denies an 8 card major suit fit how to show stoppers and half stoppers below the level of 3Nt.
This workshop explores the ‘stopper cuebid’ agreement of One Asks, Two Tells and covers:
1. Cuebids we will first need to expand or at least clarify our understanding of a cuebid.
2. Stopper Cuebids we will define the stopper cuebid and when it applies.
3. Half-Stopper Cuebids we will define the half-stopper cuebid and when to ask for half-stoppers.
4. Minor Suit Raises we will discuss how to show stoppers and half stoppers after forcing minor suit raises.
5. Competitive Auctions we will define cuebids in competitive auctions including the popular Western Cuebid and the lesser known Eastern Cuebid.
6. Advanced Cuebids we will explore some of the more exotic cuebids such as morphing from stopper cuebids into control cuebids.
It is generally accepted in modern bridge that bidding priorities first go to finding 8 card major suit fits. In fact, much brain power and ink has been devoted to modern major suit bidding agreements. Oddly enough, in team games and tournament play it is not the major suit game that reigns supreme, but the 3Nt game. Yet, little has been devoted to agreements to reach good 3Nt contracts.
Bidding Stoppers to 3Nt One of the most neglected bidding agreements, albeit one of the most important is once the auction denies an 8 card major suit fit how to show stoppers and half stoppers below the level of 3Nt.
This workshop explores the ‘stopper cuebid’ agreement of One Asks, Two Tells and covers:
1. Cuebids we will first need to expand or at least clarify our understanding of a cuebid.
2. Stopper Cuebids we will define the stopper cuebid and when it applies.
3. Half-Stopper Cuebids we will define the half-stopper cuebid and when to ask for half-stoppers.
4. Minor Suit Raises we will discuss how to show stoppers and half stoppers after forcing minor suit raises.
5. Competitive Auctions we will define cuebids in competitive auctions including the popular Western Cuebid and the lesser known Eastern Cuebid.
6. Advanced Cuebids we will explore some of the more exotic cuebids such as morphing from stopper cuebids into control cuebids.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Class No. 12 – Wednesday, Apr 7, 2010
Minor Suit Raises
Opening hands that cannot be opened 1M or 1Nt must be opened with one of a minor suit (1m). Opening bids of 1m like most bridge bidding agreements are subject to different usage and interpretation this class outlines options for minor suit opening agreements of a short club, convenient minor, and better minor. In addition this class outlines requirements for opening 1m in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th seats, very different bids.
The system responses of minor suit raises such as Inverted Minors or Criss Cross operate under the principle where saving bidding space is strong and consuming space is preemptive. There is difference between making forcing bids in major suit auctions and minor suit auctions. In minor suit auctions you are conserving bidding space to find controls to reach good 3Nt contracts or minor suit slams.
This workshop address the options to opening bids and rebids in minor suits, conventional minor suit raises and how to find side suit stoppers to play in notrump contracts. At the conclusion of this class participants should know:
1. Difference among minor suit systems of short club, convenient minor, and better minor.
2. Requirements for minor suit opening hands in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th seats.
3. Planning for opening/rebids with 3-3, 4-3, 4-4 and 5-4 hands.
4. Contract priorities minor suits vs. notrump.
5. Inverted Minor Suit Raises (Forcing and Weak)
Opening hands that cannot be opened 1M or 1Nt must be opened with one of a minor suit (1m). Opening bids of 1m like most bridge bidding agreements are subject to different usage and interpretation this class outlines options for minor suit opening agreements of a short club, convenient minor, and better minor. In addition this class outlines requirements for opening 1m in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th seats, very different bids.
The system responses of minor suit raises such as Inverted Minors or Criss Cross operate under the principle where saving bidding space is strong and consuming space is preemptive. There is difference between making forcing bids in major suit auctions and minor suit auctions. In minor suit auctions you are conserving bidding space to find controls to reach good 3Nt contracts or minor suit slams.
This workshop address the options to opening bids and rebids in minor suits, conventional minor suit raises and how to find side suit stoppers to play in notrump contracts. At the conclusion of this class participants should know:
1. Difference among minor suit systems of short club, convenient minor, and better minor.
2. Requirements for minor suit opening hands in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th seats.
3. Planning for opening/rebids with 3-3, 4-3, 4-4 and 5-4 hands.
4. Contract priorities minor suits vs. notrump.
5. Inverted Minor Suit Raises (Forcing and Weak)
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Class No. 11 – Wednesday, Mar 31, 2010
Bergen and Drury Raises
In Class No. 10 – Modern Major Suit Raises we explored natural bids in conjunction with 1 Notrump Forcing (1NtF) to make a spectrum of direct/delayed bids to show major suit fits (2, 3, 4 and 5-card fits) and values (simple, constructive, invitational and game forcing). This class now applies the useful space principle (USP) to major suit raises with certain artificial and conventional raises assigning bidding space where most useful without considering the natural and/or traditional bridge meanings of the calls to increase the spectrum of major suit raises.
This workshop address certain artificial and conventional major suit raises to increase the spectrum of how to describe major suit fits and values. At the conclusion of this class participants should know:
1. How responder can use conventional bids to show major suit fits (4-cards) with constructive and invitational values. (Bergen)
2. How these conventional raises mesh with natural raises.
3. How to show fits by a passed hand. (Drury)
In Class No. 10 – Modern Major Suit Raises we explored natural bids in conjunction with 1 Notrump Forcing (1NtF) to make a spectrum of direct/delayed bids to show major suit fits (2, 3, 4 and 5-card fits) and values (simple, constructive, invitational and game forcing). This class now applies the useful space principle (USP) to major suit raises with certain artificial and conventional raises assigning bidding space where most useful without considering the natural and/or traditional bridge meanings of the calls to increase the spectrum of major suit raises.
This workshop address certain artificial and conventional major suit raises to increase the spectrum of how to describe major suit fits and values. At the conclusion of this class participants should know:
1. How responder can use conventional bids to show major suit fits (4-cards) with constructive and invitational values. (Bergen)
2. How these conventional raises mesh with natural raises.
3. How to show fits by a passed hand. (Drury)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Class No. 10 – Wednesday, Mar 24, 2010
Modern Major Suit Raises
The priorities of any auction using a 5 card major system is to first find an 8 card major suit fit (6 2, 5 3 or 4 4). A trump suit usually produces at least one extra trick (often more) which makes the major suit game more attractive than playing notrump. In addition, a major suit game produces a higher game score than playing in 3Nt or 5m (five of a minor). When the opening bid is a major, responder needs to show a fit at the first available opportunity. Sometimes this can be done at responder’s first opportunity to make a call. At other times responder makes a forcing response and shows the nature of the fit (3 or 4 card raise) on responder’s rebid.
This workshop address major suit fits and how to describe fits and values. At the conclusion of this class participants should know:
1. How responder shows fits with poor, minimum, invitation and game forcing values.
2. How responder bids to show 3-card and 4-card fits.
3. How to show 4-card fits and shortness (Splinter Bids).
4. How to bid with 4-card fits and GF values (Jacoby 2Nt).
5. How to show fits by a passed hand (Drury).
The priorities of any auction using a 5 card major system is to first find an 8 card major suit fit (6 2, 5 3 or 4 4). A trump suit usually produces at least one extra trick (often more) which makes the major suit game more attractive than playing notrump. In addition, a major suit game produces a higher game score than playing in 3Nt or 5m (five of a minor). When the opening bid is a major, responder needs to show a fit at the first available opportunity. Sometimes this can be done at responder’s first opportunity to make a call. At other times responder makes a forcing response and shows the nature of the fit (3 or 4 card raise) on responder’s rebid.
This workshop address major suit fits and how to describe fits and values. At the conclusion of this class participants should know:
1. How responder shows fits with poor, minimum, invitation and game forcing values.
2. How responder bids to show 3-card and 4-card fits.
3. How to show 4-card fits and shortness (Splinter Bids).
4. How to bid with 4-card fits and GF values (Jacoby 2Nt).
5. How to show fits by a passed hand (Drury).
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Class No. 9 – Wednesday, Mar 10, 2010
Responder Bids Shape & Values
We have covered auctions where responder has first made a game forcing 2/1 bid (7. 2/1 Game Forcing) and we have covered auctions in which responder has used the Forcing Notrump (8. 1 Notrump Forcing). In addition we have covered how responder can create forcing auctions (6. Forcing Bids). In this class on responder bids shape and values without a fit for partner’s suits, we will cover the remainder of responder’s bids and rebids with less than game forcing values (minimal values of less than 6, minimal values of 6 – b9 hcp and invitational values of 10 – 12 hcp).
In this class we will summarize how responder bids to show shapes and values without a fit for opener’s bid suits. At the conclusion of this class participants should know:
1. Responder’s bidding priorities.
2. How responder competes with less than minimum values.
3. Responder rebids with minimal values (6 to 9 hcp).
4. Responder rebids with invitational values (10 to 12 hcp).
5. Responder rebids after opener reverses
We have covered auctions where responder has first made a game forcing 2/1 bid (7. 2/1 Game Forcing) and we have covered auctions in which responder has used the Forcing Notrump (8. 1 Notrump Forcing). In addition we have covered how responder can create forcing auctions (6. Forcing Bids). In this class on responder bids shape and values without a fit for partner’s suits, we will cover the remainder of responder’s bids and rebids with less than game forcing values (minimal values of less than 6, minimal values of 6 – b9 hcp and invitational values of 10 – 12 hcp).
In this class we will summarize how responder bids to show shapes and values without a fit for opener’s bid suits. At the conclusion of this class participants should know:
1. Responder’s bidding priorities.
2. How responder competes with less than minimum values.
3. Responder rebids with minimal values (6 to 9 hcp).
4. Responder rebids with invitational values (10 to 12 hcp).
5. Responder rebids after opener reverses
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