You are here: Home / Archives for January 2013

Advanced Lesson 3 – Balancing Seat Bids for Duplicate Bridge Players

January 18, 2013 By 4 Comments

Next up on our journey navigating competitive bids, we switch gears and turn our attention to balancing seat bids.   Sometimes your partner has a nice hand but simply does not have the correct shape to make an overcall (suit bid or a takeout double).  In situations like this as well as followup bidding, when you are in the passout seat it’s often time to “borrow a King” from partner and keep the auction alive and competitive (two passes so far and the auction goes to the opponents unless you make a call).   Just remember that when partner made a call in passout seat, resist the urge to punish partner by then advancing the bidding to the 3 level.   In this lesson we also demonstrate the inadequacy holding a Jack-doubleton (including Ace-Jack).   We will also take a look at competing when Left Hand Opponent opens 1 Notrump and you are in the passout seat – time to use Mel Colchamiro’s “Rule of 2” (guideline), responder’s “Stayman double” after RHO overcalls 2 Club, a tip on how to avoid an endplay when LHO has a trump stack sitting behind you, as well as the classic distribution when to try a “strip and endplay.”

By the way, Premium and ULTRA members are welcome to enjoy prior Advanced Lesson segments as well as the Social Lessons (covering Major Suit Raises in the first 3 lessons).  Better yet, check out the hundreds of hours of videos in our archive by clicking “Index to Videos” on the navigation above or simply click this link.

Click here to view Teaser – Hand 1 of 5

Premium and ULTRA Members click here to view entire 41 minute video

We hope you enjoy the show!

Please login or register to view this content.

Happy Trails,

BridgeHand

Filed Under: Advanced

Social Lesson 3 – Opener in Major, Responder Bids Game

January 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Continuing our journey navigating major suit raises, opener again starts the auction bids 1 Heart or 1 Spade promising at least a 5 card suit.  When responder has a good 12+ distribution points, the bidding typically continues with responder making a “temporizing” response of 2 Clubs or 2 Diamonds (perhaps responding with a Jacoby 2 Notrump conventional bid with 4+ trump and interest in slam, or immediately responding with a Blackwood 4 Notrump ace-asking call).   On the other hand, when responder has a very weak hand with lucky 5+ in partner’s major suit then responder should consider making an immediate response with 4 of opener’s major suit – a preemptive bid.  But that’s just the start – tune in to our video for 43 minutes of enlightening and entertaining instruction at BridgeHands!

Premium and ULTRA members are welcome to enjoy both lesson segments as well as the Advanced Part 2 lesson on Freebids.  Better yet, check out the hundreds of hours of videos in our archive by clicking “Index to Videos” on the navigation above or simply click this link.

Click here to view Teaser – Hand 1 of 7

Premium and ULTRA Members click here to view entire 43 minute video

In this lesson we will learn to differentiate useful short side suits to help partner develop extra tricks through ruffing, as opposed to honor heavy trump which can result in double counting.  Additionally, we will illustrate the perils of crashing honors with partner, the importance of unblocking the “short side” to promote a long suit in the other hand, the joys of “tapping” declarer’s trump suit as well as touch on how a squeeze play can generate extra tricks.

Even if you understand the basics, be sure to check out our topics on how counting can influence which way to take a finesse, suit quality, losing trick count, cover cards and more.
We hope you enjoy the show!

Please login or register to view this content.

Happy Trails,

BridgeHands

Filed Under: .Social