Tag: major

Lavings

On 27 June 2020

The Lavings convention is a simple way of asking for 5 card majors after partner has opened a strong or weak NT.

After an opening 1NT Bid and 2♣ Response

So it’s important to known you can only bid 2♣ with invitational hands.

Bid	Meaning
2♦	Minimum no 5 card Major
2♥	Minimum 5 card hearts
2♠	Minimum 5 card spades
2NT	Maximum no 5 card suit
3♣	Maximum 5 card club suit
3♦	Maximum 5 card diamond suit
3♥	Maximum 5 card heart suit
3♠	Maximum 5 card spade suit

Continuations after 2♦

So after 1NT – 2♣ – 2♦ uninterrupted

Bid	Meaning
2♥	5 card suit non-forcing
2♠	5 card suit non-forcing
2NT	To Play
3♣	Promissory 4 card Stayman
3♦	3 Card Stayman
3♥	Shows 5 spades and 4 Hearts
3♠	Shows 5 hearts and 4 Spades

Continuations after 2NT

So after 1NT – 2♣ – 2NT uninterrupted. 3♣ would be promissory Stayman and a bid of 3♦ would ask for a 3 card major.

Some Examples

Let’s look at some examples of strong and Weak NT openers.

a)	b)	c)	d)
♠ AQ1083 ♥ K8 ♦ KJ7 ♣ A97	♠ AJ53 ♥ J54 ♦ QJ72 ♣ K7	♠ KJ4 ♥ K108 ♦ AQ762 ♣ A7	♠ KJ862 ♥ 42 ♦ KQ7 ♣ AJ10
♠ 954 ♥ A74 ♦ Q8543 ♣ K3	♠ Q73 ♥ KQ973 ♦ A65 ♣ 43	♠ Q72 ♥ AQ962 ♦ 93 ♣ 953	♠ Q73 ♥ KQ973 ♦ A65 ♣ 43
e)	f)	g)	h)
♠ AQ862 ♥ 42 ♦ KQ7 ♣ KJ10	♠ KJ82 ♥ 42 ♦ KQ7 ♣ AJ107	♠ KJ8 ♥ 42 ♦ KQJ7 ♣ A1092	♠ KJ62 ♥ 42 ♦ KQ7 ♣ AJ107
♠ J73 ♥ K10973 ♦ 43 ♣ A65	♠ Q763 ♥ KQ93 ♦ A65 ♣ 43	♠ Q763 ♥ KQJ3 ♦ 1073 ♣ K5	♠ Q1073 ♥ KQ73 ♦ A65 ♣ 43
i)
♠ K82 ♥ AQJ6 ♦ A982 ♣ K8
♠ AJ943 ♥ 1094 ♦ QJ3 ♣ A7

The Bidding

a) 1NT (15-17) – 2♣ – 3♠ – 4♠

So the 3♠ shows a maximum and you simply raise it to 4♠

b) 1NT (12-14) – 2♣ – 2♦ – 2♥

Partner has invitational 5 card heart suit but after just bidding 2♥ you can pass this even with 3 card support.

c) 1NT (15 – 17) – 2♣ – 3♦ – 3♥ – 4♥

The original NT bidder is maximum with a 5 card diamond suit. You now bid your 5 card heart suit (game forcing) which gets supported to 4♥.

d) 1NT (12 – 14) – 2♣ – 3♠ – 4♠

The original NT bidder is maximum with a 5 card spade suit. You now bid 4♠.

e) 1NT (15-17) – 2♣ – 2♠

So the 2♠ shows a minimum with 5 spades which you can just pass.

f) 1NT (12-14) – 2♣ – 2NT – 3♣ – 3♠ – 4♠

2NT shows a maximum without any 5 card suit. 3♣ is promissory Stayman (it guarantees a 4 card major) and partner bids 3♠ which then gets raised to 4♠.

g) 1NT (12 – 14) – 2♣ – 2NT – 3♣ – 3♦ – 3NT

The 2NT shows a maximum without any 5 card suit. 3♣ is promissory Stayman (it guarantees a 4 card major) and partner bids 3♦ which denies a 4 card major. 3NT is then bid.

h) 1NT (12 – 14) – 2♣ – 2NT – 3♣ – 3♥ – 3NT – 4♠

The 2NT shows a maximum without any 5 card suit. 3♣ is promissory Stayman (it guarantees a 4 card major) and partner bids 3♥. 3NT is bid as you don’t like hearts and partner converts to the known 4-4 spade fit and bids 4♠.

g) 1NT (15 – 17) – 2♣ – 2NT – 3♦ – 3♥ – 3NT – 4♠

The 2NT shows a maximum without any 5 card suit. 3♦ asks for a 3 card major (should guarantee a 5 card major) and partner bids 3♥. 3NT is bid which partner can either pass or bid 4♠ if they have 3 card spade support.

So that’s how to play the Lavings bidding convention….a five card major ask after an opening 1NT.

Frivolous 3NT

By John Stell

On 14 June 2020

In Conventions

I like to call it the frivolous 3NT – but many people will call this convention non-serious 3NT. If we start with an auction with no intervening bidding such as:-

1♠ – 2♣
2♠ – 3♠
?

If we have agreed an 8 card fit in the majors then most of the time it’s going to play better in 4♠, therefore if we give up the 3NT bid as a natural bid, we can use it for something more constructive….The Frivolous 3NT.

Based on the principal of fast arrival 3♠ here can show a better hand. We can now use 3NT as the more useful Frivolous 3NT conventional bid.

So what are the kinds of hand that would bid 3NT, cue bid, or just bid 4♠?

Hands that would bid the Frivolous 3NT

a)	b)	c)	d) We open 1♣
♠ AQ10863 ♥ A62 ♦ K84 ♣ 7	♠ KQ10754 ♥ KQ8 ♦ 3 ♣ K65	♠ AKJ1072 ♥ 108 ♦ K2 ♣ QJ10	♠ KJ876 ♥ K2 ♦ K106 ♣ KJ7

All these Hands bid the Frivolous 3NT

Hands that would Cue Bid

a)	b)	c)	d) We open 1♣
♠ AQ10863 ♥ AKQ ♦ Q72 ♣ 7	♠ KQ10754 ♥ Q8 ♦ A72 ♣ A5	♠ QJ10972 ♥ AK ♦ AQ ♣ Q72	♠ KQJ86 ♥ AJ2 ♦ K106 ♣ A7

All these Hands would cue bid at the lowest available level

Hands that would bid straight to game

a)	b)We open 1♣	c)We open 1♣	d)
♠ KJ10863 ♥ KJ ♦ KJ ♣ 732	♠ KQ754 ♥ KQ8 ♦ Q2 ♣ J72	♠ K10972 ♥ AK7 ♦ Q7 ♣ 972	♠ K987432 ♥ KQ ♦ QJ ♣ 94

All these Hands would bid straight to game

Which auctions are Frivolous 3NT?

So in all the following Frivolous 3NT applies….

Auction 1

1♠ – 2♣
2♠ – 3♠
3NT

Okay if you cannot spot this as frivolous 3NT you’re in trouble!

Auction 2

1♠ – 2♥
3♥ – 3NT

The Frivolous 3NT convention may be used by either partner as this is a 2/1 game forcing auction.

Auction 3

1♠ – 2♥
3♥ – 3♠
3NT

Frivolous 3NT may be used after an intervening cue bid.

Auction 4

1♠ – 2♣
3♣ – 3♠
3NT

Frivolous 3NT may be used after an intervening raise of responder.

Auction 5

1♠ – 2♦
2NT – 3♠
3NT

Frivolous 3NT applies even if opener rebid a natural 2NT as long as the major is raised.

Auction 6

1♠ – 2NT
3♣ – 3♦
3♠ – 3NT

Frivolous 3NT applies after any game forcing raise of a major, even without a 2/1. Here the responses are to Swedish Jacoby.

What Auctions aren’t frivolous 3NT?

Auction 1

1♠ – 2♣
2♠ – 2NT
3♣ – 3♠
3NT?

Here the 3♠ bid only shows 2 card support so the 3NT can be natural.

Auction 2

1♠ – 2♣
2♥ – 2♠
3NT?

Jumps to 3NT aren’t frivolous…you can simply cue-bid over 2♠ or bid 3♠

Auction 3

1♠ – 2♣
2♥ – 3♠
3NT?

3♠ is a strong picture jump raise therefore the Frivolous 3NT is not needed when the partnership is already known to be in the slam zone. This could be a case of wanting partner to cue bid 4♣ before you bid 4♦

Auction 4

1♠ – 2♦
3♠ – 3NT

The 3♠ bid is similar to the last auction is a strong picture jump suit rebid setting the suit.
Frivolous 3NT is not needed since the partnership is already known to be in the slam zone.

Auction 5

1♠ – 1NT
2♣ – 3♠
3NT

Since the 3♠ is a 3-card limit raise. Here the Frivolous 3NT is off since responder’s 3♠ raise did not create a game force.

Well I hope that wets your appetite!

Reverse Drury

By John Stell

On 9 June 2020

In Conventions

When your partner decides to bid 1 of a major in the 3rd position in bridge…sometimes their bid can be weaker than a normal opening. It’s called a 3rd in hand opener. You can also do it in 4th position as well…usually when you hold the spade suit.

So we use an artificial bid of 2♣ or 2♦

The bid of 2♣ / 2♦ asks the opener for their strength….and shows either 3 or 4 card support depending on whether they used 2♣ / 2♦.

Very simply opener rebids their major if they are weak and bids anything else to show they have a sound opening bid.

Rebidding 2 of the major shows a hand with sub-opening values and any other bid now shows at least normal opening values.

This prevents the partnership from getting to the 3 level when only a 2 level contract can make.

Example Hands

So all of these hands you could open 1 of a Major in third or 4th

♠ – AQJ54 ♥ – Q984 ♦ – 6 ♣ – KQ10
♠ – 4 ♥ – AQ1097 ♦ – A986 ♣ – 974
♠ – AQJ105 ♥ – J102 ♦ – Q63 ♣ – 32
♠ – KJ10986 ♥ – A43 ♦ – KQ4 ♣ – 7
♠ – AK10986 ♥ – KQ3 ♦ – A4 ♣ – K7

After your partner bids 2♣ Reverse Drury, each hand would respond in the following way:-

Bid 2♥ – Normal opening strength and shows 54 shape
Bids 2♥ – weak opener…don’t go on partner
Bids 2♠ – weak opener…don’t go on.
Bids 4♠ – no other suit to show fast arrival…no slam interest
Bids 3♠ – slam interest

Puppet Stayman

By John Stell

On 31 May 2020

In Videos

In this video I’ll show how you play puppet stayman over a 2NT opener or rebid. Puppet stayman is a way to find 5-3 or 4-4 fits in a major.