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HILEVEL.WKA
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HIGH LEVEL PREEMPTIVE OPENINGS
An opening bid of 4H or 4S in first or second seat shows a hand
that is not good enough in high cards for an opening bid of one in
the suit or for an opening bid of 4C or 4D (NAMYATS --see below).
The hand will typically have five or six losers, depending on vul-
nerability. A side suit headed by KQ counts as one loser, even if
there are one or more small cards in the suit. A void in the other
major is okay, but a minor suit void is undesirable. In deciding
on slam with a big hand, partner may consider that you could be
void in a major, but not in a minor.
A preempt in second seat should be quite sound, since there is more
of a likelihood that partner has a good hand.
In third or fourth seat the hand can have a little more defense,
enough for an opening bid of one in first or second seat, provided
that opener is quite sure there is no slam opposite a passed hand.
Opening bids of 5C or 5D are also preemptive, require an additional
playing trick, and tend to deny adequate trump support for a major
suit. They also deny opening bid values or a hand suitable for
notrump play (e.g., AKQ suit).
Responses to Game Bids
A response of 4S to an opening bid of 4H is natural, a sign-off.
The 4S bidder might have ten tricks in her own hand and a void in
hearts, so opener must pass. All other new suit responses are
asking bids (see chapter ASKING BIDS in the book "Strong Bidding").
A raise of 4S to 5S or of 4H to 5H asks opener to bid six if his
trumps are good: one loser at most, even with a singleton opposite.
A response of 5NT is the Grand Slam Force (see the book "Strong
Bidding).
Opener Responder
4S 5C/5D/5H - asking bids
4NT - Roman Key Card Blackwood
5S - invitational
5NT - Grand Slam Force
A response of 5D to a 5C bid is also an asking bid, but a
response of 5H or 5S to a 5C or 5D opening is natural.
Opening Bids of 4C and 4D (NAMYATS)
These openings are artificial, showing a major suit preempt with
fewer losers than a normal preempt: 4C shows hearts and 4D shows
spades. The hand should have no more than four losers in top
cards, except that the queen of trumps can be another potential
loser. You can assume that finesses are possible, so AQJ is 1/2
loser, Kx is 1-1/2 losers. With three losers only, a forcing two
bid is usually in order, but with fewer than five controls (ace
2, king 1) a 4C or 4D opening with ten tricks is acceptable.
In fact, these openings deny as many as five controls, and they
deny having a void suit. Open one of a suit with five controls or
a void, if the hand is not good enough in high cards for a strong
two bid. A 7-4-1-1 hand is also undesirable for NAMYATS.
Typical hands for NAMYATS:
S-AKQ8732 H-4 D-KQJ C-65
S-K3 H-AQJ107654 D-K3 C-8
S-AKJ109732 H-KQ D-3 C-75
S-KQJ1085432 H-KQJ D-3 C-A
Responses to NAMYATS
Warning: This section gets very complicated. Most partnerships
will prefer to work out a simpler system of responses.
Responder knows that any ace will be worth a trick because opener
cannot have a void. The king or queen of trumps is obviously
worth 1/2 trick or more. Outside kings, even when accompanied by
an ace, may not be of value. Twelve playing tricks will not
produce a slam if the other side can take two tricks off the top.
An outside singleton will not produce a ruffing trick if opener
also has a singleton there.
With less than two key cards (aces, or king of trumps) responder
signs off by bidding the next higher ranking suit. With two or
more key cards (aces, or king of trumps), responder can employ
Roman Key Card Blackwood (RKCB) or show her hand by step bidding:
Opener Responder
4C 4D - sign-off, one or no keys
4H - two key cards
4S - three key cards
4NT - RKCB
5C - four key cards
The "retransfer" sign-off lets opener, who is likely to have more
high cards to be led up to, play the hand. This supposed sign-off
may also be used as a device to get opener to bid his suit, prior
to using RKCB. Responder should do this when she has no reason to
play the hand (i.e., no tenace to protect):
Opener Responder
4C 4D
4H 4NT - RKCB
Opener Responder
4D 4H - sign-off, one or no keys
4S - two key cards
4NT - RKCB
5C - three key cards
5D - four key cards
If opener jumps to five of his suit, or raises from four to five,
he is asking about trumps:
Opener Responder
4D 4S - two key cards
5S Pass - bad spade holding
6S - Q, xx, or better in trumps
Similarly, a jump by responder or non-competitive raise to five of
opener's major asks about the trump queen, without which opener
passes (unless he has nine trumps to the AKJ!).
Opener may have more problems than just key cards and trump
holdings. What if responder has the wrong ace(s), or has the right
ace(s) but no other cards to help out? For instance, responder
shows two key cards and opener has S-AKQJ1087 H-KQJ D-7 C-32? If
responder's two aces are red, there may be two club losers, but not
if responder has KQ of clubs. If her two aces are in hearts and
clubs, that is still only eleven tricks unless she has the king of
clubs or heart length (and A432 is not good enough with a club
lead). If responder shows three key cards (three aces, in this
case), that is twelve tricks off the top. Is there a thirteenth?
We may need some extra asking ability for these situations. We have
two ways for opener to inquire further about responder's hand:
1) A 4NT bid by opener (not RKCB, since he knows about key cards
from the response), or 5NT if the bidding is at the five level,
states that all key cards are accounted for and asks responder how
many quick tricks in side suits can be run from her hand, excluding
aces. A club response shows none, diamonds one, etc. In doing this
responder assumes that the ace of a suit will be played first, and
that the partnership has all the aces (a prerequisite for the
trick-asking bid). With a doubleton KQ responder counts just one
playing trick (ace played first). The reason for this is that
opener may have a doubleton or singleton ace. With KQx she counts
two playing tricks, AKQJ as three, etc.
2) A new suit bid by opener (i.e., any suit other than his major)
is an asking bid.
These methods may not solve opener's problems completely, but they
should help.
When The Opposition Intervenes
-- If the opening bid gets doubled naturally (i.e., either showing
the suit, or for lead direction), responder bids exactly the same
except that she passes with no controls and may not bid opener's
suit (showing two key cards) with two fast losers in the doubled
suit. Instead, she redoubles to show two key cards. A bid of
opener's suit therefore not only shows two key cards, but also at
least second round control of the doubled suit.
South West North
4C Dbl Pass - no key cards
Rdbl - two keys, no control
4D - one key card
4H - two keys, club control
4S - three key cards
4NT - four key cards
The purpose of the redouble, of course, is to let the lead come up
to opener's hand when responder lacks first or second round control
of the doubled suit.
-- If the opening gets doubled conventionally (e.g., showing the
"other major" plus diamonds), a bid of opener's suit requires not
only two controls, but at least second round control of the
doubler's known suit(s). Other calls have the same meaning as when
the double is natural. If the double shows two specific suits, a
redoubler may have control of one of the suits, but not both.
-- If the opening bid gets overcalled in the ranking suit, a pass
shows no key cards, a double one key card, and other bids the same
as over a pass.
-- If the opening bid gets overcalled in opener's suit, probably
a Michaels cue bid:
South West North
4C 4H Pass - no key cards
Dbl - one key card
4S - two key cards
4NT - RKCB
5C - three key cards
5D - four key cards
5H - preemptive, no key cards
The 4H bid is alerted as showing spades plus a minor. The raise to
five in competition is preemptive, not a query about trump quality.
-- If the opening bid gets overcalled in a suit higher than part-
ner's suit, responder bids whatever she thinks is right. A double
is for business.
Opening Bids of Five in a Major
Opening bids of 5H or 5S show a hand that is solid except for the
ace and king of trumps: S-QJ108765 H-AKQ D-AKQ C- void. Partner
bids six with one of the missing cards, seven with both. Lacking
the ace or king of the suit opened, she must pass unless she can
make slam in her own hand (e.g., 12 solid clubs and an outside
loser).
Opening Bids of Six in a Suit
These openings show a hand that is solid except for the ace or king
of trumps: S-KQJ108763 H- void D-AKQ C-AK. Partner raises with the
missing high trump, otherwise passes.