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- MARVIN VS STRONG NOTRUMP OPENINGS
-
-
- Yet another defense against notrump openings? Is there no end?
- Well, no apologies, because this one does it all. It provides for
- the description of all one-suited, two-suited, or three-suited
- hands, while retaining the potential for penalty doubles.
-
- "Marvin vs Notrump" applies against all opening notrump bids, with
- slight differences for weak and strong notrumps. A strong notrump
- is defined as having a minimum of at least 15 HCP. See the next
- chapter for the defense against weak notrumps.
-
- Common sense dictates the strength required for all actions, taking
- into consideration both vulnerability and the high card point (HCP)
- range of the 1NT bid. The defense applies in both direct and
- reopening seats. It also applies against 1NT rebids that show a
- strong notrump opening (e.g., 1NT rebid by a Precision 1C opener),
- provided that the defending side has not bid or doubled prior to
- the 1NT bid.
-
-
- Business Doubles
-
- Doubles by an unpassed hand are for business. It is important to
- double if possible. For a discussion of what it takes to double a
- notrump opening, see chapter MARVIN VS WEAK NOTRUMP OPENINGS. The
- principles involved in doubling a strong notrump are the same,
- except that you need an additional 3-4 HCP.
-
- Partner can pull a direct double if he has a very weak hand and a
- suit of at least five cards. He is not allowed to bid a four-card
- suit, regardless of how weak he is. With a good hand he can either
- jump (invitational) or cue bid 2NT (forcing) if he doesn't want to
- defend against a notrump contract.
-
- A business double in fourth seat with scattered strength is so rare
- after a strong notrump opening (since the opposing strength lies
- over the doubler) that we instead use a reopening double to show
- a specific sort of business double: a one-suited hand that expects
- to defeat one notrump if the suit is led. Partner must guess which
- suit that is, but it will usually be his shortest, weakest suit.
- If in doubt, he should prefer a major to a minor, and the weaker
- of equal-length suits. Sometimes the wrong lead doesn't hurt. With
- S-AK9 H-A32 D-KQJ983 C-2 a spade lead will do just as well as a
- diamond lead. Fourth seat usually has to pass with a balanced hand
- containing no long strong suit.
-
- Partner should rarely pull the fourth seat double. If he really is
- in doubt about the right lead, as when holding two small major suit
- doubletons, he can bid 2C to ask for your suit (with clubs you
- pass, of course) rather than risk making the wrong lead.
-
- After a business double, all subsequent doubles are also for
- business. The opponents cannot play the hand unless they play it
- doubled, so passes of opposing bids following a double are forcing
- passes. You don't have to bid with a strong hand that can't double
- the opposing suit, out of fear that partner will pass. He won't.
-
- An alternative to the business double is discussed later.
-
-
- Simple Suit Overcalls
-
- Simple suit overcalls at the two level are artificial, unlimited
- (and therefore forcing), all showing one of three types of hand:
-
- 1) A three-suited hand, short in the bid suit
-
- 2) A two-suited hand, with the two suits just below the bid suit
-
- 3) A one-suited hand with the suit below the bid suit, and too much
- strength for a (preemptive, weak) jump overcall.
-
- For this purpose, clubs and spades are "touching," and clubs rank
- "above" spades. The three-suited takeout is especially valuable in
- the reopening position, when you know 1) partner has some strength
- and 2) that he is probably going to lead your short suit. Be
- conservative with a short major in this position, however, because
- partner is likely to have length in that suit only.
-
- -- An overcall of 2C shows both majors plus diamonds, or both
- majors only, or spades only. The best three-suited distribution is
- 5-4-4-0, but 4-4-4-1 is also good. Might be 4-5-4-0, 5-4-3-1, or
- 4-5-3-1. Sometimes I do it with 5-3-4-1 or 4-3-5-1, what the hell,
- but 2C promises at least four spades if the hand is not strong
- enough to bid a red suit after a 2S response (e.g., a strong hand
- wtih 3-4-5-1 or 3-5-4-1 distribution).
-
- Partner ("advancer") chooses one of the three suits. He bids a
- four-card or longer major, preferring spades to hearts. He may
- (holding some high cards) bid a three-card major in preference to
- a four-card diamond suit. Lacking three cards in a major, he might
- have to bid a three-card diamond suit. Finally, with 2-2-2-7 he
- bids 3C (whew!), passing 2C only if overcaller is a passed hand.
-
- If advancer bids 2D in response to 2C, overcaller bids 2H with both
- majors only. Advancer picks a major, preferring spades with equal
- length. Accordingly, it is better to pass a doubtful hand rather
- than overcall with 4-5 in the majors. If overcaller has spades
- only, then of course he bids spades over either 2D or 2H:
-
- South West North East
- 1NT 2C Pass 2D
- Pass 2H - hearts and spades
- 2S - spades only
-
- With a good hand, advancer can bid 2NT to inquire about the nature
- of overcaller's hand.
-
- -- An overcall of 2D shows both majors plus clubs, or spades and
- clubs, or clubs only. The best three-suited distribution is
- 5-4-0-4, but 4-4-1-4 is also good. Might be 4-5-0-4, 5-4-1-3 or
- 4-5-1-3.
-
- Advancer generally bids a major, preferring spades to hearts with
- equal length. Avoid the 3C response when holding three cards in a
- major, unless the clubs are quite good. Bid 3D only as a last
- resort with 2-2-7-2 distribution. With a two-suiter or one-suiter,
- overcaller corrects as necessary if advancer bids a suit not held:
-
- South West North East
- 1NT 2D Pass 2H
- 2S - spades and clubs
- 3C - clubs only
-
- Advancer's 2NT response inquires.
-
- -- An overcall of 2H shows both minors plus spades, or minors only,
- or diamonds only. Advancer bids 2S with three or more, otherwise
- picks a minor, preferring diamonds with equal length. Overcaller
- corrects as necessary:
-
- South West North East
- 1NT 2H Pass 2S
- 2NT - both minors, better diamonds
- 3C - both minors, better clubs
- 3D - diamonds only
-
- Advancer's 2NT response inquires.
-
- -- An overcall of 2S shows (when playing a double as business--see
- below) both minors plus hearts, or hearts and diamonds, or hearts
- only. If the three-suited hand has only four hearts, they should
- be quite strong. If in doubt, pass with just four hearts.
-
- South West North East
- 1NT 2S Pass 3C
- 3D - diamonds and hearts
- 3H - hearts only
-
- Advancer's 2NT response inquires.
-
-
- The Two Notrump Overcall
-
- A 2NT overcall shows the remaining possible two-suiters: spades and
- diamonds, or hearts and clubs (pointed suits or rounded suits).
- Advancer bids 3C with more clubs than hearts; otherwise bids 3D
- with more diamonds than spades; otherwise bids 3H. He can bid 3S
- with seven or more. Overcaller corrects as necessary.
-
- Advancer's 3NT response inquires.
-
-
- Overcaller's Rebid
-
- When overcaller has a strong enough hand to try for game opposite
- a possible bust, he has a number of possible game tries. These are
- discussed in the unabridged version of this book.
-
-
- An Alternative Sort of Double
-
- Business doubles of strong notrump openings are rather rare, so it
- might make sense to assign the double an alternative meaning. The
- best candidate change is to replace the 2S overcall described above
- with a double. The 2S overcall requires a rather good hand, since
- advancer is forced to the three level. If instead a double is used
- to show a three-suited hand with short spades, or hearts-diamonds,
- or hearts only, the bidding can stop at the two level. Advancer can
- still inquire with a 2NT bid.
-
- This alternative double even permits overcaller to show a 4-6 hand
- in spades-hearts. When advancer bids 2C or 2D in response to the
- double, overcaller bids a surprise 2S. Of course he must be strong
- enough to play a 3H contract opposite a bad hand when advancer
- lacks spade support. This is an exception to the general rule that
- a bid in the "fourth suit" shows a very strong three-suiter with
- four-card support for advancer's suit.
-
- The 2S overcall then has a different meaning: spades plus diamonds
- (one of the meanings of a 2NT overcall) and a limited hand. If
- advancer fits spades better than diamonds, the bidding can stop at
- 2S. The 2NT overcall does not change meaning, because a forcing
- bid is needed with spades-diamonds and a big hand. Why not have 2S
- show "spades plus a minor"? Because spades-clubs are easily shown
- via a 2D overcall.
-
- There are two disadvantages to this alternative approach: 1) the
- defense against strong and weak notrump openings is no longer
- identical, and 2) the ability to double for business is lost. Some
- of the business double loss is regained when advancer has enough
- strength to pass the conventional double.
-
- This alternative double and alternative 2S bid are always used by
- a passed hand, who could hardly make a business double.
-
- The alternative double may also be used for a club-heart two-suiter
- when the hand is not good enough for a 2NT overcall. Partner won't
- know what's happening, and will no doubt perversely bid 2D,
- whereupon you bid 2H (showing long hearts only). If you're lucky,
- he will bid 2C or 2H instead of 2D, or will have a few hearts when
- you bid 2H. The same sort of thing can be done with a diamond-spade
- hand of limited strength, overcalling 2C and bidding 2S ("spades
- only") if advancer bids hearts (or bids 2NT, or doubles negative-
- ly).
-
-
- Jump Overcalls
-
- Jump overcalls in a suit are natural, preemptive, even in the
- reopening position. Showing a one-suited hand via an artificial
- overcall therefore implies too much strength for a preemptive bid.
-
-
- The complete text of MARVIN VS STRONG NOTRUMP OPENINGS comprises
- 11 single-spaced pages. Besides adding more detail to the above
- text, it includes the following subjects:
-
- How to respond to the 2NT or 3NT inquiry bid
- -- How does overcaller show the nature of his hand?
-
- Overcaller's game tries after a minimum response
- -- How does he further describe his hand when trying for game?
-
- When third seat doubles an overcall
- -- What happens when opener's partner doubles the overcall?
-
- When third seat redoubles partner's conventional double
- -- What does advancer need to bid?
-
- When third seat bids freely
- -- What happens when opener's partner bids over an overcall or
- conventional double?
-
- When opener bids
- -- What if opener bids again?
-
- After a voluntary takeout
- -- When partner passes 1NT and next hand bids, then what?