A Great Time to Bid

In this lesson:

Some players reach into their bidding box for a lot of green pass cards, and in effect announce, "wake me when it's over". They are totally at the mercy of the opponents, and are resigned to hoping that the opponents will fail to arrive at their best contract.

No thanks! That laid-back, "I'll take a nap and hope they mess up" approach does NOT appeal to me. When my side has the good cards, I much prefer that the opponents stay out of my way. Therefore, when the other side has the good cards, even though I have a weak hand, I strive to "give them hell". For some players, bidding without many points is out of the question. If that is how you feel, this lesson is NOT for you.

But if YOU like to do well and want to be regarded as an opponent who must be respected and even feared, you definitely should keep reading.

In this lesson, Marty will show you how to safely interfere with certain opposing auctions where you have rarely (if ever) been competitive in the past. In particular, he will demonstrate how to effectively disrupt your opponents AND enable your partner to make the best opening lead on ALL of the following auctions:

• - An opponent opens with a strong 2♣ bid
• - Their Jacoby 2NT auction
• - Their 2/1 game forcing auction
• - Their Inverted Minor raise to two
• - Your RHO's Stayman response to 1NT
• - An opponent opens with a Precision 1♣
• - Your LHO opens, your partner doubles, and your RHO redoubles

The topics Marty will cover include:

• - Why after this lesson you too will be preaching the virtues of 'WOW-BASH'!
• - How to identify the auctions that lend themselves to frisky interference
• - Which overcalls are the most effective for your side
• - What actions are the most likely to cause the opponents to go astray
• - Why you should be ecstatic when your RHO redoubles partner's takeout double
• - How you can MAKE SURE that your partner will make the best opening lead
• - Why favorable vulnerability is 'a license to steal'
• - The best conventions to use when the opponents are strong
• - In addition to bidding, Marty will also discuss defense and declarer play.

Defense topics include:

• - How to use logical suit preference signals to defeat a contract
• - When you should discourage despite having strength in that suit
• - How to use negative inferences to KNOW what to do
• - How to improve your ability to count

Declarer play topics include:

• - How careful play can get you a matchpoint top
• - It's never too early to start stripping
• - How to know the RIGHT time to draw trump

Here is an example of what Marty will teach:

Matchpoints, neither side vulnerable.

You are in fourth seat and the bidding has started:

You hold ♠Q ♥J752 ♦10943 ♣KQJ9 ... a penny for your thoughts?

Answer to A Penny for Your Thoughts

Let's try a Q&A approach.

1. Are you sure your side has a fit?

YES. -- In fact, it is 100%. The opponents have 9+ spades, so your side has at most 4 spades. Your side's 22 other cards MUST include a fit of at least 8 cards.

2. Since you're assured of a fit, should you make a takeout double?

NO. -- The only reason to double is if it enabled partner to find a good sacrifice at the 5 level. To successfully sacrifice, he would need to take at least 9 tricks. With your mediocre hand, and the fact that partner passed 1♠, this is very unlikely.

3. Your partner will be on lead against 4♠ (or 6♠).

Do you care what suit he leads? - YES. You are dying for a club lead. This must be the best lead for your side. Not only might it set up a trick for you, but partner leading clubs avoids a lead in a red suit that might give away a trick. Both factors are especially crucial at matchpoints.

4. Are you really advocating overcalling 3♣?

YES. -- In fact, I think it's the STANDOUT action. In addition to the significant advantage of getting partner off to the best lead, the opponents might be unprepared to cope with the overcall.

Do you and your partner(s) have firm agreements as to what your bids (and doubles) mean after partner's Jacoby 2NT response is overcalled? Have you even discussed it? How would opener show club shortness? Without question, your overcall might cause them to miss a good slam.

5. Might you get doubled in 3♣ and go down too many?

It's possible, but I don't expect to be doubled in 3♣. The opponents will be too busy focusing on describing their hands and trying to decide if they have enough for slam. And if you do get doubled and think partner is short in clubs, since you're guaranteed to have a fit, you could confidently make an SOS redouble.

6. Might partner think you have a much better hand and get you too high?

NO. -- That's what my new lesson is all about. When the opponents clearly have the balance of power, an overcall can be very weak. Your goal should NOT be to suggest an unlikely sacrifice at the 5 level. Instead, you should be focusing on disrupting their auction. And, if partner is likely to be the opening leader, your #1 goal is to get him off to the best opening lead.