Minor Suit Transfers ♥
This video details the convention known as minor suit transfers, sometimes known as full transfers. The idea here is that you play every bid (other than Stayman! in response to 1NT as an artificial transfer bid. We are comfortable with doing this in the majors, and minor suit transfers
Blackwood 4NT ♦
A conventional bid is a bid that carries a specific message and is not necessarily a natural bid (ie bidding clubs doesn't mean you have clubs). Blackwood is one the first conventions you will learn, and it is used to explore when going beyond game and looking for a
Hand of the Week #38 (Solution) ♥
N E S W 1♠ P 2NT* P 3♦* P 3♥* P 4♣ P 4♠ P 4NT P 5♣ P 6♠ P P P The finesse in diamonds will either work, or it won't, there is no real reason to worry about the potential loser there. The
Hand of the Week #38 ♥
N E S W 1♠ P 2NT* P 3♦* P 3♥* P 4♣ P 4♠ P 4NT P 5♣ P 6♠ P P P A rather pretty auction gets East-West to a small slam in spades. First, East starts off with a routine opening bid of 1♠
Suit Combinations – Finesse or Drop? ♦
When you are missing honour cards there are often several different ways to play out the suit in question to try to maximise your tricks there. This lesson takes a look at a little 'trick' you can perform at the table to work out the best odds for taking
Michaels and the Unusual 2NT ♠
Two-suited hands (5/5) are often difficult to express in the bidding, as you require a few bids to describe your true shape. This is a problem whether you are opener, responder or overcaller, but it is most a problem when you are overcaller. This is because the opener and
Hand of the Week #37 (Solution) ♠
N E S W 1♠ P 3♠ P 4♠ P P P There is a natural tendency to relax when you see the dummy and you realise that your contract is safe. This instinct however should be avoided as you always want to try to make as
Hand of the Week #37 ♠
N E S W 1♠ P 3♠ P 4♠ P P P A typical auction lands North in a routine contract of 4♠. The game looks fairly safe as the only possible losers appear to be in the club suit, which is a maximum of 3 losers
Negative Doubles ♦
Takeout doubles are a very useful tool to deal with competitive bidding from the opponents. A negative double is a special agreeement which modifies a takeout double by responder to be more focused on the major suits, and less concerned with the normal requirements for a takeout double.
Hand of the Week #36 (Solution) ♣
N E S W 1♣ P 1♦ P 1♥ P 3NT P P P The spade lead is not too uncomfortable for us, as a diamond lead would have been worse, especially if North has the ♦K rendering our ♦Q on the dummy useless! Anyway, in NTs