2/1 revisited

Basic Two-Over-One

The concept behind this sheet is for a player who is familiar with Standard American to be able to pick up 2/1 quickly. 2/1 is very similar to Standard American but there are two major differences: -

(a) A new-suit two-level response to a 1/ opening is forcing to game.
(b) The response of 1NT to a 1/ opening is forcing.

1. A new suit at the two level

 2 Suppose you have this hand and partner opens 1. You play weak jump shifts
 AKJ9542 and so respond 2 and partner bids 2. What now? Playing Standard you
• K72 would probably jump to 4, but there may well be slam if partner has the Q.
 A6 In 2/1 it’s simple – take it slowly with a bid of 3. The auction is absolutely game forcing.

 AK96543 And playing 2/1 makes life much easier for opener. You hold this hand and
 A4 open 1 and partner responds 2. What do you do now? 3? 4?
• 10 Playing 2/1 it’s very easy, take it slowly with 2. This is just one of the great
 AJ8 advantages of 2/1 – there is no need to leap about to set up a game force.

2. The forcing NoTrump

So what do you do with a hand of 10-11 points where you would have responded at the two level? The answer is the forcing 1NT. Over a 1/ opening a 1NT bid is forcing; it may be virtually any shape and anything from 5 to a poor 12 points.

 7 Partner opens 1. Playing Standard you would bid 2• and hopefully arrive
 542 somewhere sensible. Playing 2/1 you do not have the values for a game force
• KQJ752 and so you bid a forcing 1NT. If partner then bids 2, 2 or 2 you can bid
 A72 3• to show this hand type exactly.

 J3 Partner opens 1 and you respond 1NT. If partner bids 2 you bid 2• - to play;
 54 if partner bids 2• you pass; if partner bids 2 you bid 2 and play in the 5-2 fit;
• KJ9752 if partner bids 2 you pass and play in the 6-2 fit.
 J52

3. Responding to partner’s forcing NoTrump

Opener must respond. With a six card suit he can rebid it. With 54xx he can bid 2. A 5-card major is not usually rebidable and opener my sometimes have to bid a three card minor.
There is just one really awkward shape – 4522. After a forcing NoTrump opener cannot reverse into 2 without full reversing values so this one is a problem. If the 5 card suit is very good then rebid it, otherwise bid 2. Flannery solves the problem but it really is a bit excessive to use the 2• opening just to solve this one rare problem.
If opener has a big hand with game potential then he can jump/reverse whatever as normal.

4. The constructive raise

 Q65 Partner opens 1. Playing Standard you would bid 2 and pray that partner
 J42 does not make a game try. Playing ‘Constructive Raises’ in the 2/1 system
• K752 you show this poor raise by bidding 1NT and then 2 over partner’s 2/•/
 742 response.

 KJ65 Partner opens 1. This time you have a decent raise and the way to show that
 Q42 is to bid 2 immediately.
• K752
 742

5. A reverse by opener after a 2/1 response

 AQ653 What do you open with this hand? Playing Standard a 1 opening has its
 82 problems as you do not have the values for a 3 high reverse over 2•/.
• 2 But playing 2/1 there is no problem. A 2•/ response is game forcing and
 AK742 it’s best to play that a subsequent reverse by opener does not show extras.

 AQ65 Here you open 1 and get a 2 or 2• response. Without agreement to the
 AQ982 contrary a 2 bid would show 16+ points. Playing 2/1 it simply shows the
• 2 shape and does not promise extra values.
 742

6. The 11-12 point 2NT invitational bid

 53 Partner opens 1 and you have a classic 2NT response; but most players
 Q82 play Jacoby 2NT. In Standard you would bid 2 followed by 2NT but that
• AK86 is game forcing in 2/1.
 K942 The answer is to bid a forcing 1NT and then bid 2NT over partner’s response.

7. The 3-card limit raise

 KJ3 Partner opens 1. Playing Standard you would bid 2 and then 3 to show
 82 just three card support.
• K863 Playing 2/1 you start with a forcing 1NT and then jump to 3.
 A942

8. 1NT and two-level responses by a Passed Hand

Note that 2/1 only applies if responder is not a passed hand, so 1NT is natural if you have passed. If partner opens 1/ in 3rd seat or 1 in 4th seat then I like to play (two-way reverse) Drury. I do not play Drury if partner opens 1 in 4th seat as that is always a sound opener (whereas 1 may well be on the light side - rule of 15) but play natural methods.
____________________

Inverted minors

email me and I will email you the information

depristo@gmail.com
Too long for this post.

Laventhal

Lavinthal (aka McKenney) - Signals in Defence

When you are defending and cannot follow suit, then you have to discard something. It is often best to convey some sort of information to your partner with this discard and there are various schemes. One of the best and most commonly used is Lavinthal, also known as McKenney. The most important point is that you DO NOT discard in a suit that you like, but discard from one of the other suits. There are two remaining suits and the size of your discard indicates which of these remaining two suits you like, a high/middle card indicates the higher ranking and a low card the lower ranking.

re: Audrey Warren

To all my bridge friends:


Wow I feel so good right now, I think I can explain it. ( I have really hated one person for close to 10 years with more disgust, dislike and anger then I can possible describe no one in my whole life has ever brought me to that point. Last year it came to a head and we had a verbal confrontation at her bridge game.)

But now It's over, It's over I don't hate her anymore, I went to her bridge club today with a misunderstanding about playing there, but I had a chance to talk with her. I even cried, I felt soooooo good about not feeling hate, I do feel bad for her, but that's different. wow it's been so hard on me it's not describe able. I feel sooooo good!
It's over, It's over.

Over the years, I have seen so many motivational emails about not feeling hate for anyone I could not understand them at the time, but I sure understand them now.
Barry

Thanks for listening

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! :)


Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle in their journey.

Dont forget to change your politician. They are like diapers they need to be changed regularly for the same reason.

Pre empting

I ask you!
after 2h by you and then 4h by me, what is my hand?
after 2s by you and then double and then 4s by me, what is my hand?
after 2h by you and then 2s and then 4h by me what is my hand?
after 2s by you and then 4h and then 4s by me what is my hand?
The answer to all those questions! I have no idea. Your partner could be huge or they could be continuing you preempt.

My point :) You have done all the damage you can do when you preempted in the first place.
Don't bid again, your partner knows what to do. No excuses, no reasons like I am interfering with their Blackwood bid. Just sit back and enjoy the fact, that you destroyed their auction in the first place by opening weak. Let your partner do the rest. Think about it, that’s why it's fun to play with a good partner, they will handle what needs to be done from the other side of the table, just give them your information, that is all they need.

What you have been doing will work occasionally, but not often enough to justify the bad results that you are about to receive or the good results you missed out on.
The opps are under a tremendous amount of pressure to guess what is the right thing for them to do after you premept in the first place.

Sandwich no trump

The Sandwich NT

Hand A The Sandwich NT is much the same as the Unusual nt but one level lower. Consider this hand. LHO opens 1 and RHO responds 1♠, what
6 65 K10943 K10874 vulnerability it’s probably a bit too high.
Now you would like to show your shapely two-suiter and an Unusual 2NT
So double? That would show these two suits but would imply a much stronger hand. The answer is that 1NT here is also unusual and shows the two unbid suits. There is no need for a natural strong 1NT overcall between two bidding opponents and opposite a passed partner.

Hand B The Sandwich NT is not restricted to the minors, it simply shows the two unbid suits. With Hand B you could also bid 1NT after LHO opens 1• and RHO bids 1
 65
 K10943
• 6
 K10874

Directing on the wild side

What goals should the director have?

1. Hey this is a business. It's called building a bridge club. Did you forget that? Happy people will bring more customers. Unhappy people may not ever return to your game. Saying, "thanks for coming", at the end of the game. Is not motivational to the people you pissed off earlier in the game. Yelling SHUT UP at the top of your lungs is very unpleasant to hear.
This is a recreation, a fun past time, (cheaper than the movies) a good time for the participants did you forget that?
Of course it's competitive but that’s not your problem. Your problem is to make every one move along at a nice pace while they are having fun.
Well, can you be forceful and overbearing rude and nasty & strict and fun at the same time. I think that is really asking a lot of yourself.
2. So let's get right to business. You have to make sure each and every player is having a good time. People do not like being in trouble, they will be receptive to any suggestions that you can make, to help them speed up.
I don't care if they are playing well, winning or losing or whatever. They should be having a good time.
3. Make them have a good time. Do you think for 1 minute the terminology "hurry up, hurry up", will cause people to feel welcome or feel better about themselves of course not.
Patients my friend, show empathy and caring.
Let's suggest ways for them to hurry up.
a. One of the nicest directors I know helped a slow pair. By having the pair that would be passing the boards to them have them already in suits. Geez, what a good idea and that saves time.
b. Teach them how to claim correctly.
c. Suggest they stay focused in a friendly way, on what they are doing instead of letting their mind wander.
as in Oh, I didn't realize I was my turn to bid or play a card etc.
Threaten death and dying will not speed them up. Standing behind them and trying to rush them will not speed them up. Pull them to the side and ask them to help you. People like to help other people.
Ask them to help you by playing a little faster. They don't like to be embarrassed, by being screamed at by the director.
Take a board away from them politely, that will help. Don't threaten to take a board away. Just take it away with a smile and things will be back in time again.
Compliment them on playing faster, let them know that you have their best interests, they will appreciate you for it.
All you wanna be directors out there. So you know the rules and the movements. Of course keeping the game running smoothly is important, but what about the people.
That does not make you a good director.
A good director is fun to be around, people will be happy that you are coming to their table. Regardless, of the ruling. You have to act like a nice person.
You are in the entertainment business, you are not the bridge warden. You are not the jailer. You are not a jailer. You are not the Sherriff. Am I making a point.
Greet everyone of your players like they are old friends and glad to see them again. Be genuine.
I would really like to see the directors look at their jobs from a different light.
Sincerely,
Barry DePristo