Precision

Contents

Overview 1NT opening Strong club Bergen raises Inverted minors 2§ opening Weak twos 2-suited openings Competitive auctions Fout's overcalls Obvious switch signals

Overview

Bid Description Comments 1§ 16+ any shape Various response structures, described in separate section. 1¨ 10-15, often 4+¨ Could be any 13-15 bal when NV. 1©/ª 8-15, 5 card suit Forcing NT, 2/1 GF, Bergen. 1NT 10-12 / 13-15 Stayman & transfers. 2§ 10-15, 5+§ Will have 4 card major if only 5 clubs. 2¨ waiting. 2¨ 5-8, 4+¨ 4+ª 2NT forcing. 2© 5-8, 4+© 4+ª 2NT forcing. 2ª Weak two Transfer responses. 2NT 5-5, not clubs 3§ asks, others correctible. 3NT+ Namyats

1NT opening

Stayman, transfers (2NT to diamonds). Super accept the majors with 4-card support, and the minors with one of the top three honours. If they interfere, penalty oriented doubles, and Lebensohl. If they double, redouble is natural, pass lets partner choose whether to run. Alternatively, we could play Truscott.

Strong Club

Style One - Relay Responses Standard symmetric responses. Archimedes over 1-level interference, Rubensohl over 2-level interference. Style Two - Natural Responses Bid Description 1¨ 0-7 any shape 1©-2¨ Natural GF, 5-card suits 2©/2ª 4-7 HCP, 6-card suit 1NT Balanced, 8-10 or 14+ 2NT Balanced 11-13 Over interference, double is takeout or GF, bids non-forcing only at the 2-level. Rubensohl by agreement. Style Three - Transfer Responses 1¨ is negative, 0-4 any shape, or a slam try. 1NT is an artificial limited game force. Other responses are limited double transfers (transfers to the non-touching suit) showing a 5+ suit. Over the double transfers, cheapest suit is an artificial force with natural responses. All other bids, including NT, are natural not forcing. Bid Description Comments 1¨ 0-4 or 13+ any shape With 13+, rebid 2NT or jump 1© 5-7, balanced or 5+§ 1ª artificial force 1ª 5-7, 5+¨ 2§ artificial force 1NT Artificial GF, up to 12 HCP Natural bidding thereafter 2§ 5-7, 5+© 2¨ artificial force 2¨ 5-7, 5+ª 2© artificial force 2© 5-7, 4441 with hearts Responses correctible 2ª 5-7, 4144 short hearts   Over interference before we have shown a suit, responder's first double indicates at least 3+ trumps and willing to penalise. Subsequent doubles by either partner, and any double after we have shown the balance of the points, are action style (penalty over the suit, action under the suit). In auctions where double would show trumps, cheapest NT is takeout (or strong) because we would double with a normal NT bid. New suits are forcing at the 3-level, not at the 2-level. Cue-bid shows a two suiter. Over 1§ - 1¨ , bids are much the same as if the opponents were silent. With the 0-4 option, pass, make a simple suit bid, or raise partner. With the 13+ option, cue raise partner, or jump with a good suit. If opener passes, you can also double with 3+ trumps, or bid NT for takeout. If opener has bid (rescuing the opponents) then a NT bid would be natural. Rubensohl by agreement. If used, this would apply over 1§ and over 1§ - 1¨, and would supercede the above structure.

Bergen Raises

Bid Description 2ª Artificial splinter (over 1© opening) 2NT Game force raise 3§ Less than invitational raise 3¨ Invitational raise Double raise Preemptive raise After 1M - 2NT: Bid Description 3§ Asks for shortage (respond 3M with club shortage) 3-suit Shows shortage (3M shows club shortage) 4-suit Good 5-card suit 4M Very bad hand

Inverted Minors

Over the 1¨ opening, 2¨ shows an invitational hand or better, with 4+ trumps. This bid denies a major, and subsequent major suit bids are stopper showing. The auction can stop in 3¨ only if either partner bids it on the 2nd round. Not sure how well this will work, because 1¨ can be a doubleton when not vul. Have to try it and see. The 2§ response is similar to the 2¨ response - game forcing unless someone bids 3§ on the 2nd round. I think a non-vulnerable opener may have to rebid a 4 card diamond suit with the 13-15 balanced hand. DAA, I haven't really had a chance to think this through clearly, feel free to offer some comments when you get a chance.

2§   Opening

Response Description 2¨ Artificial (waiting), no particular definition 2M Natural, forcing 2NT Natural, invitational 3§ Preemptive 3¨ To play 3M Fit showing jump, 5+ suit

Weak 2ª

Responses from 2NT to raise-1 are transfers. If responder then corrects to spades, this shows a long suit trial in the suit transferred to. A transfer raise is just a non-specific game try.

2-suited openings

2NT is a general force. Opener bids 3§ with any 4-4 shape (regardless of strength), or bids a 5 card suit with a minimum. The remaining 3-level bid (the unbid red suit) shows a good hand, 5-4 either way. 3NT is a decent 5-5.

Competitive auctions

Doubles Doubles are penalty (meaning classic penalty when over the suit, and at least three trumps when under the suit) in all of the following situations: when we have bid and raised a suit and they haven't when we have made any bid "to play" (including NT opening or response) when either side has made a previous penalty double when three suits have been bid naturally if partner has shown this suit with a takeout double when there have already been two previous doubles (including theirs) any double of an artificial bid, and any double thereafter when the doubler has previously passed up a chance to double this suit for takeout. Doubles should show approximately a strong notrump over preemptive openings/responses 4ª and above. Also over multi twos unless a specific defence is discussed. Penalty doubles thereafter. When the opponents overcall Negative free bids apply at the 2-level. A cue of the opponent's suit is a good raise. Fit showing jumps apply at all levels (this is the case in all competitive auctions). When the opponents overcall 1NT After a 1NT overcall over 1¨, 2§ is stayman. After a 1NT overcall over 1-major openings: Bid Description 2§ 3 card support (or maybe Hx) and 5 cards in the other major 2¨ Sound raise to the 2-level 2M Less than a sound raise 2OM Natural, 6 card suit, no fit, too weak to double Other Fit showing jumps, preemptive raises When the opponents make a two-suited overcall Bid Description Dbl Penalty, able to double at least one suit Cue1 GF, no fit, 5+ in other major Cue2 Limit raise or better Raise Competitive raise 3OM Natural, constructive, not forcing Other Splinters in their suits, Kickback, etc. Defence to multi 2¨ Bid Description Double Takeout of spades 2© Takeout of hearts 2NT 17-19 balanced, puppet stayman Defence to RCO twos Double and 3§ are for takeout, showing two suits of the same parity as the opening bid. Double shows the combination with clubs, and 3§ shows the combination without clubs.

Fout's overcalls

Fout's overcalls are an optional convention played in any partnership where two or more of the following players are gathered: Mark Abraham, Paul Collins, Michael Wilkinson, Brad Coles, Bob Sebesfi, Jonathon Dennis. Click this link for a detailed explanation of the overcall structure.

Obvious Switch Signals

Carding at trick one is reverse attitude at all times, even if dummy has a singleton (or even a void). By agreement, there are two exceptions which call for reverse count: (a) if the ace is led and the queen is in dummy, and (b) in a clear cashout situation. A discouraging card carries the implication that you are happy for partner to switch to the obvious suit. The obvious suit is defined according to the following rules. The obvious switch is never: The suit led (obviously) The trump suit Dummy's singleton or void in a suit contract Dummy's no-loser suit A suit shown by declarer (unless there are no suits left). The obvious switch is, in order: Our bid suit Against notrumps, dummy's shortest suit Dummy's weakest three card suit Dummy's weakest doubleton Dummy's weakest suit. Break ties in favour of the lower ranking suit. Signals after trick one are reverse count. The second card played in any suit is a McKenny card, as is any card played when you have a choice of pips.