In an earlier
post last month, I commented on wielding the axe when partner opens the bidding
and LHO overcalls 1NT. The first thought that enters my head is can we beat
this 1NT contract? This is a simple calculation if partner displays some
discipline in opening hands. I think this points up the importance of counting
quick tricks when making the decision to open. If your agreement with partner
is that you open all 7 LTC hands regardless of quick tricks and values, then
hang to your pass card as you will need it. Despite all the hoopla (some of it
from me) LTC only works if you and partner find a fit, and is not an indicator
of success in defending 1NT doubled.
Even with a
reliable partner, there are many times when you may have a hand that has playing
values but is not suited to doubling the 1NT overcall. Such hands have
distributional features, good suits or support for partner’s bid suit. To get
into the bidding you need an agreement which means you have to tell partner in
advance what is going on! Novel idea! Think about turning over a new leaf.
If you have a
biddable suit, you could just make an overcall, but since your hand is not as
good as your partner’s, that would mean that if we declare, opponent’s lead
would be coming up to the weaker hand. Your chance of winning an extra trick on
the opening lead has already diminished. If you don’t have to, you never want
to put the big hand on the table. Hmm … does this issue sound familiar? Well it
should, since you face it every time partner opens 1NT. It starts with a “T” and it’s not “trouble” – how
about “Transfer?”
Suppose you
hold Kx KT9876 Kxx, xx. Partner opens 1 spade so he has some values (hopefully)
and most likely a 5-332 distribution. What else do we know? Overcaller has
15-18, likely a balanced hand with a stopper in all suits. The term
stopper has been watered down lately. I have seen expert players make the
overcall with no stopper or half a stopper (Qx or JTx) in an unbid suit, and
the requirement for a double stop in the bid suit is almost extinct. This trend
represents the frustration of overcaller having the most points at the table
and not being able to find a suitable call with a 4333 or 4432 hand. Certainly
he does not have a 5 card major or he would have bid it.
Enough digression,
back to responder and his heart suit. From the analysis above we can see that
one partnership treatment would be to simply play would “systems on” just as
you would have if partner had opened 1NT, Stayman and Transfers (four suit if
you like). This system is designed to get the hand played by opener and at the
same time we destroy opponents by taking away their use of “systems.” So if
Transfers are “on” responder would bid 2 diamonds.
The probabilities
are that opener has 2+ hearts, but twice as likely that he may have 3. I think
the understanding should be that opener may optionally refuse the transfer if
he has a single or void in the suit. In that case he may rebid his original
suit or bid another suit or pass if his suit is diamonds. Note that responder’s
hand has a tolerance for partner if he must rebid his suit, even if it is
only 5 carder. He might be 5-1-4-3 and have no choice other than to bail out on
the transfer.
Unlike the situation
where partner opens 1NT, there is no assurance of a minimum 2 card fit, so I prefer
to impose a quality requirement on transfers. To transfer, responder must have
a 5 card suit with 2 of the top 3 or a 6 card suit with 2 of the top 5 honors
or a fit to raise partner’s suit. What do you do if you have a fit? All bids by
responder are transfers, so you can’t bid his suit, you must transfer him a
back to his suit to show support.
A different
problem arises if partner opens a minor. If my hand is KT9x, KJxx, Kxx, xx, now
I want to find that delicious 4-4 major fit but Stayman has its risks. Unlike
when partner opens 1NT, opening a minor does not say partner has a balanced
hand, he could have minor(s) and even if he is 4333 or 4432, there are many of
those hands that don’t ave even 1 four
card major. The odds of a major shorten when the opponent right in front of you
shows a balanced powerhouse. What does responder bid after opener rebids 2
diamonds (no major)? Well, there is nothing left but 2NT, but now you have
contracted to take 8 tricks in the same contract in which the opponents have
already suggested they can take 7. It’s better to face this problem in this blog
post than at the table. I think with responder's hand I would choose to defend
(perhaps doubled), look at the Kings sitting behind the overcaller.
I think there
is a reason to stay away from Stayman and perhaps a better systemic answer
would be to make every 2 level bid a transfer. This can be very simple and
effective, but you want to retain your suit quality requirements that I
mentioned above. You have to decide what treatment is to be given to a 2 spade
response. Is it clubs, minors and if minors, what distribution. Also remember
that to show support for partner, you have to transfer.
A system that
I like is called “SANTA”. Originally developed as a defense against 1 no trump
openers, it can be equally effective against a 1NT overcall. Here are the SANTA
responses (a) 2 clubs = 9 major suit cards 55 or 5-4 (with quality) (b) 2
diamonds, 2 hearts, 2 spades and 3 clubs are transfers to hearts, spades, clubs
and diamonds respectively and (c) 2NT+ 5-5 in the minors. The transfer bids as
I play it shows the same suit quality as previously mentioned. With a major
minor 2 suiter, transfer to your major and t hen bid your minor. Opener can
pass or correct.
There is
merit to having one system for hands that partner opens with a major and
another when partner opens with a minor. This is complicated for sure and no
surprise that Andrew Gumpertz has blogged about it. If this discussion
interests you, contact me at tommy@rochester.rr.com
and I will send you a link.
The critical
thought in this post is that standard bridge will not serve you well in these
auctions, and you need to discuss them with partner and develop some
conventional approach. Pick your own poison.
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